The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 Hallelujah! It's a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.
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Praise Yah, For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.
2 God's the one who rebuilds Jerusalem, who regathers Israel's scattered exiles.
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Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds.
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He heals the broken in heart, And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the stars and assigns each a name.
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He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names.
5 Our Lord is great, with limitless strength; we'll never comprehend what he knows and does
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Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.
6 God puts the fallen on their feet again and pushes the wicked into the ditch.
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Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God,
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Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God,
8 Who fills the sky with clouds, preparing rain for the earth, Then turning the mountains green with grass,
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Who covers the sky with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass grow on the mountains.
9 feeding both cattle and crows.
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He provides food for the cattle, And for the young ravens when they call.
10 He's not impressed with horsepower; the size of our muscles means little to him.
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He doesn't delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 Those who fear God get God's attention; they can depend on his strength.
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Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, In those who hope in his lovingkindness.
12 Jerusalem, worship God! Zion, praise your God!
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Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!
13 He made your city secure, he blessed your children among you.
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For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.
14 He keeps the peace at your borders, he puts the best bread on your tables.
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He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He launches his promises earthward - how swift and sure they come!
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He sends out his commandment on earth. His word runs very swiftly.
16 He spreads snow like a white fleece, he scatters frost like ashes,
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He gives snow like wool, And scatters frost like ashes.
17 He broadcasts hail like birdseed - who can survive his winter?
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He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold?
18 Then he gives the command and it all melts; he breathes on winter - suddenly it's spring!
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He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19 He speaks the same way to Jacob, speaks words that work to Israel.
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He shows his word to Jacob; His statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
20 He never did this to the other nations; they never heard such commands. Hallelujah!
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He has not done this for any nation; They don't know his ordinances. Praise Yah!
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 World English Bible is in the public domain.