Psalm 99
The full text of Psalm 99 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
4 The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Exalt the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy!
Translation notes (2)
- Psalm 99:1a The Hebrew yoshev keruvim (יֹשֵׁב כְּרוּבִים), 'he who sits enthroned upon the cherubim', evokes the ark of the covenant, whose golden cherubim formed the seat or footstool of the invisible divine throne (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2). The opening formula YHWH malakh, 'the LORD reigns', also introduces Psalms 93 and 97, marking this as one of the enthronement psalms.
- Psalm 99:8a The Hebrew phrase el nose (אֵל נֹשֵׂא), literally 'a God who bears', uses the common idiom of carrying away guilt to express forgiveness. The same verse calls God noqem (נֹקֵם), 'an avenger', of their alilot, 'deeds' or 'wrongdoings'. The psalm holds both together: pardon of the persons alongside punishment of their acts, as in the episodes of Moses, Aaron and Samuel recalled in verse 6.
About this translation
You are reading the Trinity Bible Version (TBV) — an original 2026 translation made straight from the Hebrew, in clear modern English, exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter of every book is free to read online. For the study edition — with Hebrew and Greek on every verse and the full translation notes — open Psalms in the Trinity Bible app.
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