The Message Bible MSG
New Living Translation NLT
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 ! Praise him, you who serve the LORD,
2 All you priests on duty in God's temple, serving in the sacred halls of our God,
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you who serve 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; celebrate his lovely name with music.
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 for his own special treasure.
5 I too give witness to the greatness of God, our Lord, high above all other gods.
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I know the greatness of the LORD — that our Lord is greater than any other god.
6 He does just as he pleases - however, wherever, whenever.
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The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.
7 He makes the weather - clouds and thunder, lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.
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He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.
8 He struck down the Egyptian firstborn, both human and animal firstborn.
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He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals.
9 He made Egypt sit up and take notice, confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.
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He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.
10 Yes, he struck down great nations, he slew mighty kings -
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He struck down great nations and slaughtered 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, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.
12 Then he turned their land over to Israel, a gift of good land to his people.
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He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession 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 fame, O LORD, is known to every generation.
14 God stands up for his people, God holds the hands of his people.
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For the LORD will give justice to 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 merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
16 Chiseled mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see,
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They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
17 Carved ears that can't hear - dead wood! cold metal!
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They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe.
18 Those who make and trust them become like them.
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And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.
19 Family of Israel, bless God! Family of Aaron, bless God!
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O Israel, praise the LORD ! O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the LORD !
20 Family of Levi, bless God! You who fear God, bless God!
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O Levites, praise the LORD ! All you who fear the LORD, praise the LORD !
21 Oh, blessed be God of Zion, First Citizen of Jerusalem! Hallelujah!
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The LORD be praised from Zion, for he lives here 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.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.