The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 Hallelujah! Praise the name of God, praise the works of God.
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Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2 All you priests on duty in God's temple, serving in the sacred halls of our God,
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who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Shout "Hallelujah!" because God's so good, sing anthems to his beautiful name.
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Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 And why? Because God chose Jacob, embraced Israel as a prize possession.
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For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 I too give witness to the greatness of God, our Lord, high above all other gods.
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For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 He does just as he pleases - however, wherever, whenever.
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Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He makes the weather - clouds and thunder, lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.
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He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He struck down the Egyptian firstborn, both human and animal firstborn.
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He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast;
9 He made Egypt sit up and take notice, confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.
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who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 Yes, he struck down great nations, he slew mighty kings -
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who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan - every last one of the Canaanite kings!
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Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 Then he turned their land over to Israel, a gift of good land to his people.
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and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 God, your name is eternal, God, you'll never be out-of-date.
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Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14 God stands up for his people, God holds the hands of his people.
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For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
15 The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets, made for quick sale in the markets:
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The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 Chiseled mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see,
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They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;
17 Carved ears that can't hear - dead wood! cold metal!
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they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make and trust them become like them.
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Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them!
19 Family of Israel, bless God! Family of Aaron, bless God!
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O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20 Family of Levi, bless God! You who fear God, bless God!
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O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21 Oh, blessed be God of Zion, First Citizen of Jerusalem! Hallelujah!
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Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.