1. Rejoice in the Lord, good people! It is only right for good people to praise him.
2. Play the lyre and praise the Lord. Play the ten-stringed harp for him.
3. Sing a new song to him. Play it well and sing it loud!
4. The Lord’S word is true, and he is faithful in everything he does.
5. He loves goodness and justice. The Lord’S faithful love fills the earth.
6. The Lord spoke the command, and the world was made. The breath from his mouth created everything in the heavens.
7. He gathered together the water of the sea. He put the ocean in its place.
8. Everyone on earth should fear and respect the Lord. All the people in the world should fear him,
9. because when he speaks, things happen. And if he says, “Stop!”—then it stops.
10. The Lord can ruin every decision the nations make. He can spoil all their plans.
11. But the Lord’S decisions are good forever. His plans are good for generation after generation.
12. Great blessings belong to those who have the Lord as their God! He chose them to be his own special people.
13. The Lord looked down from heaven and saw all the people.
14. From his high throne he looked down at all the people living on earth.
15. He created every person’s mind, and he knows what each one is doing.
16. A king is not saved by the power of his army. A soldier does not survive by his own great strength.