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 drenched
      in 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 sits
      he 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.

 ^18-19 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him,
      the ones who are looking for his love.
   He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times;
      in lean times he keeps body and soul together.

 ^20-22 We're depending on God;
      he's everything we need.
   What's more, our hearts brim with joy
      since we've taken for our own his holy name.
   Love us, God, with all you've got—