Your help made me so happy!\par Give me that joy again.\par Make my spirit strong\par and ready to obey you.\par
God saves me.\par I trust him.\par I am not afraid.\par He saves me.\par The Lord YAH is my strength.\par He saves me.\par And I sing songs of praise about him. {\cf2\super [139]} \parGet your water from the spring of salvation.\par Then you will be happy.\par
You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained. And that joy is full of glory.Your faith has a goal. And you are receiving that goal—your salvation.
I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. {\cf2\super [150]}
“The Lord makes me very, very happy.\par My whole self is happy in my God.\par The Lord put the clothes of salvation on me.\par These clothes are like the nice clothes\par a man wears at his wedding.\par The Lord put the coat of goodness on me.\par This coat is like the beautiful clothes\par a woman wears at her wedding.\par
We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace (kindness) that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory.
I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy.
Yes, the spirits obey you. And be happy. Why? Not because you have this power, but be happy because your names are written in heaven.”
Then, at the gates of Jerusalem,\par I can sing praises to you, Lord.\par I will be very happy\par because you saved me.”\par
At that time, people will say,\par “Here is our God!\par He is the One we have been waiting for.\par He has come to save us.\par We have been waiting for our Lord.\par So we will rejoice and be happy\par when the Lord saves us.”\par
The Lord is my strength and victory song!\par The Lord saves me!\parYou can hear the victory celebration\par in good people’s houses.\par The Lord showed his great power again.\par
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.\par Each day you must tell the good news about the Lord saving us.\parTell all nations about the Lord’s glory.\par Tell everyone how wonderful he is.\par
The skies are happy because the Lord did great things.\par The earth is happy, even deep down under the earth!\par The mountains sing with thanks to God.\par All the trees in the forest are happy!\par Why? Because the Lord saved Jacob.\par The Lord did great things for Israel.\par
When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Always be full of joy.Never stop praying.Give thanks \{to God\} at all times. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.
We will be laughing\par and singing happy songs!\par People in other nations will say,\par “The Lord did a wonderful thing\par for the people of Israel.”\parYes, we would be so happy\par if the Lord did that wonderful thing for us.\par
Good people, rejoice\par and be very happy in the Lord.\par All you people with pure hearts, rejoice!\par
But the Spirit {\cf2\super [74]} gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
And now, my brothers and sisters, be happy in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it will help you to be more ready.
You have never asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive. And you will be truly happy.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. And give some food and drinks to those people that didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to the Lord. Don’t be sad! Why? Because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.”
And you became like us and like the Lord. You suffered much, but still you accepted the teaching with joy. The Holy Spirit gave you that joy.
I hope that the people who worship you\par will be very, very happy.\par I hope that the people who want your help\par will always be able to praise you.\par
But the followers \{of Jesus in Antioch\} were happy and full of the Holy Spirit. {\cf2\super [281]}
God will make his people free! And those people will come back to him. The people will be happy when they come into Zion. {\cf2\super [333]} The people will be happy forever. Their happiness will be like a crown on their heads. Their gladness and joy will fill them completely. Sorrow and sadness will be gone far, far away.
\{I prayed and you helped me!\}\par You changed my crying into dancing.\par You took away my clothes of sadness.\par And you wrapped me in happiness.\parLord, my God, I will praise you forever,\par so there will never be silence,\par and there will always be someone\par singing songs to honor you.\par
I will clothe the priests with salvation.\par And my followers will be very happy here.\par
And not only will we be saved, but we are also very happy now. We are happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends.
Let Israel enjoy themselves with their Maker.\par Let the people on Zion {\cf2\super [651]} rejoice with their King.\par
I don’t care if they make trouble for me. The important thing is that they are telling people about Christ. I want them to tell people about Christ. They should do it for the right reasons. But I am happy even if they do it for false and wrong reasons. I am happy because they tell people about Christ, and I will continue to be happy.
You taught me how to live.\par You will come close to me\par and give me great joy.’\par \i (Psalm 16:8-11)\i0 \par
In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner changes his heart. There is more joy for that one sinner than there is for 99 good people that don’t need to change their hearts.
A good person is happy \{to serve\} the Lord.\par He depends on God.\par And when good honest people\par \{see what happens\},\par they praise the Lord!\par
But let the people who trust God be happy.\par Let them be happy forever!\par God, protect and give strength to the people who love your name.\par
Lord, I will follow your Agreement {\cf2\super [598]} forever.\par It makes me very happy.\par
Heavens and Earth, be happy!\par Mountains, shout with joy!\par Why? Because the Lord comforts his people.\par The Lord is good to his poor people.\par
Be happy and glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did those same bad things to the prophets {\cf2\super [60]} that lived before you.
But good people are happy.\par Good people have a happy time\par together with God.\par Good people enjoy themselves\par and are very happy!\par
The Lord your God is with you.\par He is like a powerful soldier.\par He will save you.\par He will show how much he loves you.\par He will show you how happy he is\par with you.\par He will laugh and be happy about you,\par
You will teach me the right way to live.\par Just being with you, Lord, will bring\par complete happiness.\par Being at your right side will bring\par happiness forever.\par
“I praise the Lord (God) with all my heart.\par I am very happy because\par God is my Savior.\par
The Lord is my strength.\par He is my shield.\par I trusted him.\par And he helped me.\par I am very happy!\par And I sing songs of praise to him.\par
Then the young women of Israel\par will be happy and dance.\par And the young men and old men\par will join in the dancing.\par I will change their sadness into happiness.\par I will comfort the people of Israel.\par I will change their sadness to happiness.\par
But let those people that come to you\par be happy and rejoice.\par They love being saved by you.\par So let them always say,\par “Praise the Lord!” {\cf2\super [253]} \par
My dear brothers and sisters, I love you and want to see you. You bring me joy and make me proud of you. Continue following the Lord like I have told you.
God was angry,\par so the decision was “death.”\par But he showed his love,\par and gave me “life.”\par At night,\par I lay crying.\par The next morning,\par I was happy and singing!\par
It is a wonderful thing to see a messenger come over the hills with good news. It is wonderful to hear a messenger announce, “There is peace! We have been saved! Your God is king!”The city guards {\cf2\super [424]} begin shouting.\par They are all rejoicing together!\par Why? Because every one of them\par sees the Lord returning to Zion. {\cf2\super [425]} \parJerusalem, your destroyed buildings\par will be happy again.\par You will all rejoice together.\par Why? Because the Lord will be kind\par to Jerusalem.\par The Lord will rescue his people.\par
“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.
Lord, you make us truly happy\par with the things you did.\par We gladly sing about those things.\par
Now, brothers and sisters, I say good-bye. Try to be perfect. Do the things I have asked you to do. Agree in your minds with each other, and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
Lord, you have made me very happy!\par I am happier now than at harvest time—\par when we celebrate because we have much grain and wine.\par
A person might be sad\par when he plants the seeds,\par but he will be happy\par when he gathers the crops!\par
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that every person that believes in him would not be lost, but have life forever.
Make me happy!\par Tell me how to be happy again.\par Let the bones you crushed be happy again!\par
“Come to me all you people that are tired and have heavy burdens. I will give you rest.Accept my work and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will find rest for your souls.Yes, the work that I ask you to accept is easy. The burden I give you to carry is not heavy.”
But people that trust the Lord\par become strong again\par like eagles that grow new feathers.\par These people run without becoming weak.\par These people walk without becoming tired.\par
But people who ask God for help\par are very happy.\par Those people depend on the Lord their God.\par
We should always follow the example of Jesus. Jesus is the leader in our faith. And he makes our faith perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But Jesus accepted the shame of the cross like it was nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.
God sent me to the sad people of Zion. \{I will get them ready for the celebration.\} I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. God sent me to name those people ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’
Praise the Lord!\par Every day he helps us\par with the loads we must carry.\par God saves us!\par \i (SELAH {\cf2\super [396]})\i0 \parHe is our God.\par He is the God that saves us.\par The Lord our God saves us from death.\par
If you openly say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from death, then you will be saved.Yes, we believe with our heart, and so we are made right with God. And we use our mouth to say that we believe, and so we are saved.
I mean that you are saved by grace. And you got that grace by believing. You did not save yourselves. It was a gift from God.No! You are not saved by the things you have done. So no person can boast \{that he saved himself\}.
We have this hope. And it is like an anchor. It is strong and sure and keeps us safe. It goes behind the curtain {\cf2\super [51]} \{in the heavenly temple\}.
The Lord is good and merciful.\par God is kind.\parThe Lord takes care of helpless people.\par I was without help,\par and the Lord saved me.\parMy soul, relax!\par The Lord is caring for you.\par
A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.
This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life. And this eternal life is in his Son (Jesus).All the people say good things about Demetrius. And the truth {\cf2\super [5]} agrees with what they say. Also, we say good about him. And you know that what we say is true.
We have small troubles for a while now, but those troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than the troubles.
Lord, you give true peace\par to people who depend on you,\par to people who trust you.\parSo, trust the Lord always.\par Why? Because in the Lord YAH, {\cf2\super [240]} you have a place of safety forever!\par
God my Master, I praise you\par with all my whole heart.\par I will honor your name forever!\parGod, you have such great love for me.\par You save me from the place of death.\par
The Lord put a new song {\cf2\super [248]} in my mouth,\par a song of praise to my God.\par Many people will see what happened to me,\par and they will worship God.\par They will trust the Lord.\par
And God has taken our sins\par as far away from us\par as the east is from the west.\par
So the life that I live now is not really me—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus). Jesus is the One who loved me. He gave himself to save me.
\{No matter what happens,\}\par my soul waits patiently\par for God \{to save me\}.\par My salvation comes only from him. {\cf2\super [364]} \par\{I may have many enemies,\}\par but God is my fortress. {\cf2\super [365]} \par God saves me.\par God is my place of safety\par high on the mountain.\par Not even great armies can defeat me.\par
Then you will say,\par “Praise the Lord!\par Worship his name!\par Tell all people about the things he has done!”\parSing songs of praise about the Lord!\par Why? Because he has done great things!\par Spread this news about God\par through the whole world.\par Let all people know these things.\par
Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. You were all called together in one body {\cf2\super [19]} to have peace. Always be thankful.
And so, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place. {\cf2\super [133]} We can do this without fear because of the blood (death) of Jesus.We can enter through a new way that Jesus opened for us. It is a living way. This new way leads through the curtain {\cf2\super [134]} —Christ’s body.
I bless the Lord all the time.\par His praise is always on my lips.\parHumble people, listen and be happy\par while I brag about the Lord.\parPraise God with me!\par Let’s honor his name.\par
All you people in faraway places should \{stop following those false gods\}. You should follow me and be saved. I am God. There is no other God. I am the only God.
After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them some food. All the people were very happy because they now believed in God.
One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because of that one man. But now some people accept God’s full grace (kindness) and his great gift of being made right. Surely those people will have true life and rule through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Taste the Lord\par and see how good he is.\par The person that depends on the Lord\par will be truly happy.\par
“I tell you the truth. If a person hears what I say and believes in the One (God) who sent me, that person has life forever. That person will not be judged guilty. He has already left death and has entered into life.
And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God’s children.If we are God’s children, then we will get the blessings God has for his people. We will get these things from God. God will give us all that he has given Christ. But we must suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory.
You can go to God Most-High to hide.\par You can go to the God All-Powerful\par for protection.\parI say to the Lord,\par “You are my place of safety, my fortress.\par My God, I trust you.”\par
And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that people can know Jesus Christ, the One you sent.
So Christ can save those people who come to God through him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives, ready to help people when they come before God.
We know that we live in God and God lives in us. We know this because God gave us his Spirit. {\cf2\super [17]}
What can I give to the Lord?\par The Lord gave me everything I have!\parHe saved me,\par so I will give him a drink offering.\par And I will call on the Lord’s name.\par
It is the same with you people. You heard the true teaching—the Good News {\cf2\super [5]} about your salvation. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit {\cf2\super [6]} that he promised.That Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will get the things God promised for his people. This will bring full freedom to those people who belong to God. The goal of all this is to bring praise to God’s glory.
Light and happiness shine on good people.\parGood people, be happy in the Lord!\par Honor his holy name!\par
My words will go out with happiness,\par and they will bring peace.\par Mountains and hills will begin dancing with happiness.\par All the trees in the fields will clap their hands.\par
I loved you like the Father loved me. Now continue in my love.I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and I continue in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will continue in my love.I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy.
Sing to the Lord!\par Bless his name!\par Tell the good news!\par Tell about him saving us every day!\parTell people that God is truly wonderful.\par Tell people everywhere about the amazing things God does.\par
We know that in everything God works for the good of those people that love him. These are the people God called (chose), because that was his plan.
Lord, you are my God.\par I honor you and praise your name.\par You have done amazing things.\par The words you said long ago\par are completely true.\par Everything has happened\par exactly as you said it would.\par
They will sing about the Lord’s way\par because the Glory of the Lord\par is very great.\par
Jacob, the Lord made you! Israel, the Lord made you! And now the Lord says, “Don’t be afraid! I saved you. I named you. You are mine.When you have troubles, I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you.Why? Because I, the Lord, am your God. I, the Holy One of Israel, am your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for you. I gave Ethiopia and Seba to make you mine.
The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you. It will make all the people very happy.Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is Christ, {\cf2\super [29]} the Lord.
We have sufferings now. But the sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us.
His followers remembered God’s loyalty\par to the people of Israel.\par The people in faraway lands saw\par our God’s power to save.\parEvery person on earth,\par shout with joy to the Lord.\par Quickly, start singing songs of praise!\par
We should hold strongly to the hope that we have. And we should never fail to tell people about our hope. We can trust God to do what he promised.
Yes, \{the Scripture says,\} “Every person that trusts in the Lord will be saved.” {\cf2\super [106]}
Some people did accept him. They believed in him. He gave something to those people who believed. He gave them the right to become children of God.These children were not born like little babies are born. They were not born from the wish or plan of a \{mother and\} father. These children were born from God.
The Lord is not being slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. God doesn’t want any person to be lost. God wants every person to change his heart and stop sinning.
To good people, God is like a light\par shining in the dark.\par God is good and kind and merciful.\parIt is good for a person\par to be kind and generous.\par It is good for a person\par to be fair in his business.\parThat person will never fall.\par A good person will be remembered forever.\parHe will not be afraid of bad news.\par That person is confident\par because he trusts the Lord.\par
God saved us and made us his holy people. {\cf2\super [6]} That happened not because of anything we did ourselves. No! God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and because of his grace (kindness). That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began.
God began doing good things with you. And God is continuing that work in you. God will finish that work in you when Jesus Christ comes again. I am sure of that.
Sin will not be your master. Why? Because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace (kindness).
Come, let us praise the Lord!\par Let’s shout praises to the Rock, {\cf2\super [525]} \par who saves us.\parLet’s sing songs of thanks to the Lord.\par Let’s sing happy songs of praise to him.\par
But if we confess (admit) our sins, then God will forgive our sins. We can trust God to do this. God does what is right. God will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.
So we will wait for the Lord.\par He helps us and he protects us.\parGod makes us happy.\par We truly trust his holy name.\parLord, we truly worship you!\par So show your great love for us.\par
God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time.
Sing to God.\par Sing praises to his name.\par Prepare the way for God.\par He rides his chariot {\cf2\super [388]} over the desert.\par His name is YAH. {\cf2\super [389]} \par Praise his name!\parIn his holy temple,\par God is like a father to orphans. {\cf2\super [390]} \par God takes care of widows. {\cf2\super [391]} \parGod gives lonely people a home.\par God takes his people out of prison.\par They are very happy.\par But people who turn against God,\par will stay in their hot prison.\par
And this hope will never disappoint us—\{it will never fail\}. Why? Because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. God gave us his love through the Holy Spirit. {\cf2\super [48]} That Holy Spirit was a gift to us from God.
The Father (God) has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are God’s children. But the people in the world (people who don’t believe) don’t understand that we are God’s children, because they have not known him (God).Dear friends, now we are children of God. We have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him. We will see him like he really is.
I will sing forever about the Lord’s love.\par I will sing about his loyalty\par forever and ever!\par
Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through Jesus!”
But Christ died for us while we were still sinners. In that way God showed us that he loves us very much.
God saved us from these great dangers of death. And God will continue to save us. We have put our hope in him, and he will continue to save us.
I am waiting for the Lord to help me.\par My soul waits for him.\par I trust what the Lord says.\par
Be proud of the Lord’s holy name.\par You people came looking for the Lord.\par Be happy!\par
My dear friends, you have always obeyed. You obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am not there \{to help you\}. You yourselves must live in a way that moves you toward your salvation. Do this with respect and fear for God.Yes, God is working in you. God helps you want to do the things that please him. And he gives you the power to do these things.
Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and strength that the Scriptures give us.
This will happen when the special child is born. God will give a son to us. This son will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.”Power and peace will be in his kingdom. It will continue to grow for this king from David’s family. This king will use goodness and fair judgment to rule the kingdom forever and ever.