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Psalms 96-98 (Listen)

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

96:1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
  sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
  tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
  his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
  he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
  but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
  strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
  ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
  bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; [1]
  tremble before him, all the earth!

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
  let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
  let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
  before the Lord, for he comes,
  for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
  and the peoples in his faithfulness.

The Lord Reigns

97:1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
  let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
  righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
  and burns up his adversaries all around.
His lightnings light up the world;
  the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
  before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
  and all the peoples see his glory.
All worshipers of images are put to shame,
  who make their boast in worthless idols;
  worship him, all you gods!

Zion hears and is glad,
  and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
  because of your judgments, O Lord.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
  you are exalted far above all gods.

O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
  He preserves the lives of his saints;
  he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown [2] for the righteous,
  and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
  and give thanks to his holy name!

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

A Psalm.

98:1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
  for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
  have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
  he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
  to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
  the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
  break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
  with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
  make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
  the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
  let the hills sing for joy together
before the Lord, for he comes
  to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
  and the peoples with equity.

Romans 12 (Listen)

A Living Sacrifice

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, [3] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [4] Do not be conformed to this world, [5] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. [6]

Gifts of Grace

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, [7] and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, [8] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, [9] serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. [10] Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it [11] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Footnotes

[1] 96:9 Or in holy attire
[2] 97:11 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome Light dawns
[3] 12:1 Or brothers and sisters
[4] 12:1 Or your rational service
[5] 12:2 Greek age
[6] 12:2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
[7] 12:4 Greek parts; also verse 5
[8] 12:8 Or gives aid
[9] 12:11 Or fervent in the Spirit
[10] 12:16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks
[11] 12:19 Greek give place