Psalms 96:7-13

96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! ¹ 

Bring an offering and enter his courts!

96:9 Worship the Lord in holy attire! ² 

Tremble before him, all the earth!

96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

He judges the nations fairly.”

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 

[96:8]  ¹ tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”

[96:9]  ² tn Or “in holy splendor.”

[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.”