1-3. Good people, cheer God!Right-living people sound best when praising.Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!Play his praise on a grand piano!Invent your own new song to him;give him a trumpet fanfare.
4-5. For God’s Word is solid to the core;everything he makes is sound inside and out.He loves it when everything fits,when his world is in plumb-line true.Earth is drenchedin God’s affectionate satisfaction.
6-7. The skies were made by God’s command;he breathed the word and the stars popped out.He scooped Sea into his jug,put Ocean in his keg.
8-9. Earth-creatures, bow before God;world-dwellers—down on your knees!Here’s why: he spoke and there it was,in place the moment he said so.
10-12. God takes the wind out of Babel pretense,he shoots down the world’s power-schemes.God’s plan for the world stands up,all his designs are made to last.Blessed is the country with God for God;blessed are the people he’s put in his will.
13-15. From high in the skies God looks around,he sees all Adam’s brood.From where he sitshe overlooks all us earth-dwellers.He has shaped each person in turn;now he watches everything we do.
16-17. No king succeeds with a big army alone,no warrior wins by brute strength.Horsepower is not the answer;no one gets by on muscle alone.