God the Refuge of the Righteous

94 O Lord God, (A)to whom vengeance belongs—
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
Rise up, O (B)Judge of the earth;
[a]Render punishment to the proud.
Lord, (C)how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked triumph?

They (D)utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
They break in pieces Your people, O Lord,
And afflict Your heritage.
They slay the widow and the stranger,
And murder the fatherless.
(E)Yet they say, “The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob [b]understand.”

Understand, you senseless among the people;
And you fools, when will you be wise?
(F)He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 He who [c]instructs the [d]nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord (G)knows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile.

12 Blessed is the man whom You (H)instruct, O Lord,
And teach out of Your law,
13 That You may give him [e]rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not [f]cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15 But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless the Lord had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
18 If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.

20 Shall (I)the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?
21 They gather together against the life of the righteous,
And condemn (J)innocent blood.
22 But the Lord has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought on them their own iniquity,
And shall [g]cut them off in their own wickedness;
The Lord our God shall cut them off.

A Call to Worship and Obedience

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with (K)psalms.
For (L)the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
[h]In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
(M)The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let (N)us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And (O)we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep [i]of His hand.

(P)Today, if you will hear His voice:
“Do not harden your hearts, as in the [j]rebellion,
(Q)As in the day of [k]trial in the wilderness,
When (R)your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they (S)saw My work.
10 For (T)forty years I was [l]grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
11 So (U)I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment(V)

96 Oh, (W)sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the [m]nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

For (X)the Lord is great and (Y)greatly to be praised;
(Z)He is to be feared above all gods.
For (AA)all the gods of the peoples are idols,
(AB)But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and (AC)beauty are in His sanctuary.

(AD)Give[n] to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
[o]Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
Oh, worship the Lord (AE)in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 Say among the [p]nations, (AF)“The Lord reigns;
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be [q]moved;
(AG)He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

11 (AH)Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
(AI)Let the sea roar, and [r]all its fullness;
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice
13     before the Lord.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
(AJ)He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 94:2 Repay with
  2. Psalm 94:7 pay attention
  3. Psalm 94:10 disciplines
  4. Psalm 94:10 Gentiles
  5. Psalm 94:13 relief
  6. Psalm 94:14 abandon
  7. Psalm 94:23 destroy them
  8. Psalm 95:4 In His possession
  9. Psalm 95:7 Under His care
  10. Psalm 95:8 Or Meribah, lit. Strife, Contention
  11. Psalm 95:8 Or Massah, lit. Trial, Testing
  12. Psalm 95:10 disgusted
  13. Psalm 96:3 Gentiles
  14. Psalm 96:7 Ascribe
  15. Psalm 96:8 Ascribe
  16. Psalm 96:10 Gentiles
  17. Psalm 96:10 shaken
  18. Psalm 96:11 all that is in it

Psalm 94

The Lord is a God who avenges.(A)
    O God who avenges, shine forth.(B)
Rise up,(C) Judge(D) of the earth;
    pay back(E) to the proud what they deserve.
How long, Lord, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?(F)

They pour out arrogant(G) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.(H)
They crush your people,(I) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.(J)
They slay the widow(K) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.(L)
They say, “The Lord does not see;(M)
    the God of Jacob(N) takes no notice.”

Take notice, you senseless ones(O) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?(P)
10 Does he who disciplines(Q) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches(R) mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;(S)
    he knows that they are futile.(T)

12 Blessed is the one you discipline,(U) Lord,
    the one you teach(V) from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,(W)
    till a pit(X) is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;(Y)
    he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,(Z)
    and all the upright in heart(AA) will follow it.

16 Who will rise up(AB) for me against the wicked?
    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?(AC)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,(AD)
    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.(AE)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,(AF)
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety(AG) was great within me,
    your consolation(AH) brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne(AI) be allied with you—
    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?(AJ)
21 The wicked band together(AK) against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent(AL) to death.(AM)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
    and my God the rock(AN) in whom I take refuge.(AO)
23 He will repay(AP) them for their sins
    and destroy(AQ) them for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will destroy them.

Psalm 95

Come,(AR) let us sing for joy(AS) to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud(AT) to the Rock(AU) of our salvation.
Let us come before him(AV) with thanksgiving(AW)
    and extol him with music(AX) and song.

For the Lord is the great God,(AY)
    the great King(AZ) above all gods.(BA)
In his hand are the depths of the earth,(BB)
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.(BC)

Come, let us bow down(BD) in worship,(BE)
    let us kneel(BF) before the Lord our Maker;(BG)
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,(BH)
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts(BI) as you did at Meribah,[a](BJ)
    as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,(BK)
where your ancestors tested(BL) me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years(BM) I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,(BN)
    and they have not known my ways.’(BO)
11 So I declared on oath(BP) in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”(BQ)

Psalm 96(BR)

Sing to the Lord(BS) a new song;(BT)
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;(BU)
    proclaim his salvation(BV) day after day.
Declare his glory(BW) among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds(BX) among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(BY)
    he is to be feared(BZ) above all gods.(CA)
For all the gods of the nations are idols,(CB)
    but the Lord made the heavens.(CC)
Splendor and majesty(CD) are before him;
    strength and glory(CE) are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord,(CF) all you families of nations,(CG)
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering(CH) and come into his courts.(CI)
Worship the Lord(CJ) in the splendor of his[c] holiness;(CK)
    tremble(CL) before him, all the earth.(CM)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(CN)
    The world is firmly established,(CO) it cannot be moved;(CP)
    he will judge(CQ) the peoples with equity.(CR)

11 Let the heavens rejoice,(CS) let the earth be glad;(CT)
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest(CU) sing for joy.(CV)
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge(CW) the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness(CX)
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.(CY)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 95:8 Meribah means quarreling.
  2. Psalm 95:8 Massah means testing.
  3. Psalm 96:9 Or Lord with the splendor of