Psalms 65:12-13

65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, ¹ 

and the hills are clothed with joy. ² 

65:13 The meadows are clothed with sheep,

and the valleys are covered with grain.

They shout joyfully, yes, they sing.

Psalms 96:11-13

96:11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy!

Let the sea and everything in it shout!

96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!

Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy

96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!

For he comes to judge the earth!

He judges the world fairly, ³ 

and the nations in accordance with his justice. ⁴ 

Psalms 97:4-5

97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of the whole earth.

Psalms 98:7-9

98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout,

along with the world and those who live in it!

98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands!

Let the mountains sing in unison

98:9 before the Lord!

For he comes to judge the earth!

He judges the world fairly, ⁵ 

and the nations in a just manner.

Psalms 114:3-7

114:3 The sea looked and fled; ⁶ 

the Jordan River ⁷  turned back. ⁸ 

114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs. ⁹ 

114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?

Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?

114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,

like lambs, O hills?

114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –

before the God of Jacob,

Isaiah 42:11

42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,

the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!

Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;

let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.

Isaiah 44:23

44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; ¹⁰ 

shout out, you subterranean regions ¹¹  of the earth.

O mountains, give a joyful shout;

you too, O forest and all your trees! ¹² 

For the Lord protects ¹³  Jacob;

he reveals his splendor through Israel. ¹⁴ 

Isaiah 49:13

49:13 Shout for joy, O sky! ¹⁵ 

Rejoice, O earth!

Let the mountains give a joyful shout!

For the Lord consoles his people

and shows compassion to the ¹⁶  oppressed.

Isaiah 55:12-13

55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;

you will be led along in peace;

the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,

and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.

55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,

firs will grow in place of nettles;

they will be a monument to the Lord, ¹⁷ 

a permanent reminder that will remain. ¹⁸ 

Isaiah 64:1

64:1 (63:19b) ¹⁹  If only you would tear apart the sky ²⁰  and come down!

The mountains would tremble ²¹  before you!

Ezekiel 36:1-15

Blessings on the Mountains of Israel

36:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! 36:2 This is what the sovereign Lord says: The enemy has spoken against you, saying “Aha!” and, “The ancient heights ²²  have become our property!”’ 36:3 So prophesy and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely because they have made you desolate and crushed you from all directions, so that you have become the property of the rest of the nations, and have become the subject of gossip ²³  and slander among the people, 36:4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the sovereign Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, and to the desolate ruins and the abandoned cities that have become prey and an object of derision to the rest of the nations round about – 36:5 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely I have spoken in the fire of my zeal against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who with great joy and utter contempt have made my land their property and prey, because of its pasture.’

36:6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I have spoken in my zeal and in my anger, because you have endured the insults of the nations. 36:7 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I vow ²⁴  that the nations around you will endure insults as well.

36:8 “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will grow your branches, and bear your fruit for my people Israel; for they will arrive soon. ²⁵  36:9 For indeed, I am on your side; ²⁶  I will turn to you, and you will be plowed and planted. 36:10 I will multiply your people ²⁷  – the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be populated and the ruins rebuilt. 36:11 I will increase the number of people and animals on you; they will increase and be fruitful. ²⁸  I will cause you to be inhabited as in ancient times, and will do more good for you than at the beginning of your history. ²⁹  Then you will know that I am the Lord. 36:12 I will lead people, my people Israel, across you; they will possess you and you will become their inheritance. No longer will you bereave them of their children.

36:13 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Because they are saying to you, “You are a devourer of men, and bereave your nation of children,” 36:14 therefore you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the sovereign Lord. 36:15 I will no longer subject you to ³⁰  the nations’ insults; no longer will you bear the shame of the peoples, and no longer will you bereave ³¹  your nation, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

[65:12]  ¹ tn Heb “drip.”

[65:12]  ² tn That is, with rich vegetation that brings joy to those who see it.

[96:13]  ³ tn The verbal forms in v. 13 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions, in which case they could be translated “will judge the world.”

[96:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”

[98:9]  ⁵ tn The verbal forms in v. 9 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).

[114:3]  ⁶ sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).

[114:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “the Jordan” (also in v. 5). The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[114:3]  ⁸ sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh 3:13, 16).

[114:4]  ⁹ sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).

[44:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”

[44:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.

[44:23]  ¹² tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”

[44:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[44:23]  ¹⁴ tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”

[49:13]  ¹⁵ tn Or “O heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[49:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[55:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).

[55:13]  ¹⁸ tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”

[64:1]  ¹⁹ sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[64:1]  ²⁰ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[64:1]  ²¹ tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.

[36:2]  ²² tn Or “high places.”

[36:3]  ²³ tn Heb “lip of the tongue.”

[36:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”

[36:8]  ²⁵ tn Heb “they draw near to arrive.”

[36:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “I (am) toward you.”

[36:10]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I will multiply on you human(s).”

[36:11]  ²⁸ sn These verbs occur together in Gen 1:22, 28; 9:1.

[36:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “your beginning.”

[36:15]  ³⁰ tn Heb “cause you to hear.”

[36:15]  ³¹ tc The MT reads תַכְשִׁלִי (takhshiliy), a metathesis for תַשְׁכִלִי (tashkhiliy) from the root שָׁכַל (shakhal) which is used in each of the previous verses.