Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright.
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Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising.
2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.
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Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano!
3 Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!
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Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare.
4 For the word of the LORD is right. All his work is done in faithfulness.
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For God's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out.
5 He loves righteousness and justice. The eretz is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
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He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in God's affectionate satisfaction.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, All the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
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The skies were made by God's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
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He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg.
8 Let all the eretz fear the LORD. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
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Earth-creatures, bow before God; world-dwellers - down on your knees!
9 For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.
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Here's why: he spoke and there it was, in place the moment he said so.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
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God takes the wind out of Babel pretense, he shoots down the world's power-schemes.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands fast forever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
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God's plan for the world stands up, all his designs are made to last.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
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Blessed is the country with God for God; blessed are the people he's put in his will.
13 The LORD looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men.
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From high in the skies God looks around, he sees all Adam's brood.
14 From the place of his habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the eretz.
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From where he sits he overlooks all us earth-dwellers.
15 He who fashions all of their hearts. He considers all of their works.
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He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of a host. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
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No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety, Neither does he deliver any by his great power.
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Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, On those who hope in his lovingkindness;
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Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love.
19 To deliver their soul from death, To keep them alive in famine.
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He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together.
20 Our soul has waited for the LORD. He is our help and our shield.
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We're depending on God; he's everything we need.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, Because we have trusted in his holy name.
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What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name.
22 Let your lovingkindness be on us, LORD, Since we have hoped in you.
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Love us, God, with all you've got - that's what we're depending on.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
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.