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Psalm 106(A)

Praise the Lord.[a](B)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;(C)
    his love endures forever.(D)

Who can proclaim the mighty acts(E) of the Lord
    or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are those who act justly,(F)
    who always do what is right.(G)

Remember me,(H) Lord, when you show favor(I) to your people,
    come to my aid(J) when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity(K) of your chosen ones,(L)
    that I may share in the joy(M) of your nation
    and join your inheritance(N) in giving praise.

We have sinned,(O) even as our ancestors(P) did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.(Q)
When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought(R) to your miracles;
they did not remember(S) your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea,(T) the Red Sea.[b]
Yet he saved them(U) for his name’s sake,(V)
    to make his mighty power(W) known.
He rebuked(X) the Red Sea, and it dried up;(Y)
    he led them through(Z) the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them(AA) from the hand of the foe;(AB)
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.(AC)
11 The waters covered(AD) their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.(AE)

13 But they soon forgot(AF) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.(AG)
14 In the desert(AH) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness(AI) they put God to the test.(AJ)
15 So he gave them(AK) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease(AL) among them.

16 In the camp they grew envious(AM) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened(AN) up and swallowed Dathan;(AO)
    it buried the company of Abiram.(AP)
18 Fire blazed(AQ) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf(AR)
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God(AS)
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God(AT) who saved them,
    who had done great things(AU) in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham(AV)
    and awesome deeds(AW) by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy(AX) them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach(AY) before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised(AZ) the pleasant land;(BA)
    they did not believe(BB) his promise.
25 They grumbled(BC) in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore(BD) to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,(BE)
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter(BF) them throughout the lands.

28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor(BG)
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the Lord’s anger(BH) by their wicked deeds,(BI)
    and a plague(BJ) broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas(BK) stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.(BL)
31 This was credited to him(BM) as righteousness
    for endless generations(BN) to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah(BO) they angered the Lord,
    and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled(BP) against the Spirit(BQ) of God,
    and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[c](BR)

34 They did not destroy(BS) the peoples
    as the Lord had commanded(BT) them,
35 but they mingled(BU) with the nations
    and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,(BV)
    which became a snare(BW) to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons(BX)
    and their daughters to false gods.(BY)
38 They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons(BZ) and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves(CA) by what they did;
    by their deeds they prostituted(CB) themselves.

40 Therefore the Lord was angry(CC) with his people
    and abhorred his inheritance.(CD)
41 He gave them into the hands(CE) of the nations,
    and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed(CF) them
    and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,(CG)
    but they were bent on rebellion(CH)
    and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
    when he heard their cry;(CI)
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant(CJ)
    and out of his great love(CK) he relented.(CL)
46 He caused all who held them captive
    to show them mercy.(CM)

47 Save us,(CN) Lord our God,
    and gather us(CO) from the nations,
that we may give thanks(CP) to your holy name(CQ)
    and glory in your praise.

48 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.

Let all the people say, “Amen!”(CR)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 48
  2. Psalm 106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 22
  3. Psalm 106:33 Or against his spirit, / and rash words came from his lips

Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins

106 Praise[a] the Lord!

(A)Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Who can [b]utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And [c]he who (B)does righteousness at (C)all times!

(D)Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with [d]Your inheritance.

(E)We have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly.
Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;
They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
(F)But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.

Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
(G)That He might make His mighty power known.
(H)He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;
So (I)He led them through the depths,
As through the wilderness.
10 He (J)saved them from the hand of him who hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 (K)The waters covered their enemies;
There was not one of them left.
12 (L)Then they believed His words;
They sang His praise.

13 (M)They soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
14 (N)But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
15 (O)And He gave them their request,
But (P)sent leanness into their soul.

16 When (Q)they envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the Lord,
17 (R)The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
18 (S)A fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.

19 (T)They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
20 Thus (U)they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.
23 (V)Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one (W)stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

24 Then they despised (X)the pleasant land;
They (Y)did not believe His word,
25 (Z)But complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the Lord.
26 (AA)Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,
(AB)To [e]overthrow them in the wilderness,
27 (AC)To [f]overthrow their descendants among the [g]nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.

28 (AD)They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices [h]made to the dead.
29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
30 (AE)Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
And the plague was stopped.
31 And that was accounted to him (AF)for righteousness
To all generations forevermore.

32 (AG)They angered Him also at the waters of [i]strife,
(AH)So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
33 (AI)Because they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 (AJ)They did not destroy the peoples,
(AK)Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them,
35 (AL)But they mingled with the Gentiles
And learned their works;
36 (AM)They served their idols,
(AN)Which became a snare to them.
37 (AO)They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to (AP)demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And (AQ)the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they [j]were (AR)defiled by their own works,
And (AS)played[k] the harlot by their own deeds.

40 Therefore (AT)the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred (AU)His own inheritance.
41 And (AV)He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 (AW)Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When (AX)He heard their cry;
45 (AY)And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And (AZ)relented (BA)according to the multitude of His mercies.
46 (BB)He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.

47 (BC)Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.

48 (BD)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”

[l]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 106:2 express
  3. Psalm 106:3 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. those who do
  4. Psalm 106:5 The people of Your inheritance
  5. Psalm 106:26 make them fall
  6. Psalm 106:27 make their descendants fall also
  7. Psalm 106:27 Gentiles
  8. Psalm 106:28 offered
  9. Psalm 106:32 Or Meribah
  10. Psalm 106:39 became unclean
  11. Psalm 106:39 Were unfaithful
  12. Psalm 106:48 Heb. Hallelujah

Psalm 106

Praise the Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
    Who can ever praise him enough?
There is joy for those who deal justly with others
    and always do what is right.

Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people;
    come near and rescue me.
Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.
    Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;
    let me praise you with those who are your heritage.

Like our ancestors, we have sinned.
    We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
Our ancestors in Egypt
    were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
    Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.[a]
Even so, he saved them—
    to defend the honor of his name
    and to demonstrate his mighty power.
He commanded the Red Sea[b] to dry up.
    He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.
10 So he rescued them from their enemies
    and redeemed them from their foes.
11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies;
    not one of them survived.
12 Then his people believed his promises.
    Then they sang his praise.

13 Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!
    They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!
14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild,
    testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
    but he sent a plague along with it.
16 The people in the camp were jealous of Moses
    and envious of Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.
17 Because of this, the earth opened up;
    it swallowed Dathan
    and buried Abiram and the other rebels.
18 Fire fell upon their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.

19 The people made a calf at Mount Sinai[c];
    they bowed before an image made of gold.
20 They traded their glorious God
    for a statue of a grass-eating bull.
21 They forgot God, their savior,
    who had done such great things in Egypt—
22 such wonderful things in the land of Ham,
    such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.
23 So he declared he would destroy them.
    But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people.
    He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.

24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
    for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.
25 Instead, they grumbled in their tents
    and refused to obey the Lord.
26 Therefore, he solemnly swore
    that he would kill them in the wilderness,
27 that he would scatter their descendants[d] among the nations,
    exiling them to distant lands.

28 Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor;
    they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead!
29 They angered the Lord with all these things,
    so a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas had the courage to intervene,
    and the plague was stopped.
31 So he has been regarded as a righteous man
    ever since that time.

32 At Meribah, too, they angered the Lord,
    causing Moses serious trouble.
33 They made Moses angry,[e]
    and he spoke foolishly.

34 Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land,
    as the Lord had commanded them.
35 Instead, they mingled among the pagans
    and adopted their evil customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
    which led to their downfall.
37 They even sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to the demons.
38 They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters.
By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,
    they polluted the land with murder.
39 They defiled themselves by their evil deeds,
    and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight.

40 That is why the Lord’s anger burned against his people,
    and he abhorred his own special possession.
41 He handed them over to pagan nations,
    and they were ruled by those who hated them.
42 Their enemies crushed them
    and brought them under their cruel power.
43 Again and again he rescued them,
    but they chose to rebel against him,
    and they were finally destroyed by their sin.
44 Even so, he pitied them in their distress
    and listened to their cries.
45 He remembered his covenant with them
    and relented because of his unfailing love.
46 He even caused their captors
    to treat them with kindness.

47 Save us, O Lord our God!
    Gather us back from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.

48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 106:7 Hebrew at the sea, the sea of reeds.
  2. 106:9 Hebrew sea of reeds; also in 106:22.
  3. 106:19 Hebrew at Horeb, another name for Sinai.
  4. 106:27 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads he would cause their descendants to fall.
  5. 106:33 Hebrew They embittered his spirit.

The Lord's Goodness to His People

106 (A)Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;
    his love is eternal.
Who can tell all the great things he has done?
    Who can praise him enough?
Happy are those who obey his commands,
    who always do what is right.

Remember me, Lord, when you help your people;
    include me when you save them.
Let me see the prosperity of your people
    and share in the happiness of your nation,
    in the glad pride of those who belong to you.

We have sinned as our ancestors did;
    we have been wicked and evil.
(B)Our ancestors in Egypt did not understand God's wonderful acts;
    they forgot the many times he showed them his love,
    and they rebelled against the Almighty[a] at the Red Sea.
But he saved them, as he had promised,
    in order to show his great power.
(C)He gave a command to the Red Sea,
    and it dried up;
    he led his people across on dry land.
10 He saved them from those who hated them;
    he rescued them from their enemies.
11 But the water drowned their enemies;
    not one of them was left.
12 (D)Then his people believed his promises
    and sang praises to him.

13 But they quickly forgot what he had done
    and acted without waiting for his advice.
14 (E)They were filled with craving in the desert
    and put God to the test;
15 so he gave them what they asked for,
    but also sent a terrible disease among them.

16 (F)There in the desert they were jealous of Moses
    and of Aaron, the Lord's holy servant.
17 Then the earth opened up and swallowed Dathan
    and buried Abiram and his family;
18 fire came down on their followers
    and burned up those wicked people.

19 (G)They made a gold bull-calf at Sinai
    and worshiped that idol;
20 they exchanged the glory of God
    for the image of an animal that eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who had saved them
    by his mighty acts in Egypt.
22 What wonderful things he did there!
    What amazing things at the Red Sea!
23 When God said that he would destroy his people,
    his chosen servant, Moses, stood up against God
    and kept his anger from destroying them.

24 (H)Then they rejected the pleasant land,
    because they did not believe God's promise.
25 They stayed in their tents and grumbled
    and would not listen to the Lord.
26 So he have them a solemn warning
    that he would make them die in the desert
27 (I)and scatter their descendants among the heathen,
    letting them die in foreign countries.

28 (J)Then at Peor, God's people joined in the worship of Baal
    and ate sacrifices offered to dead gods.
29 They stirred up the Lord's anger by their actions,
    and a terrible disease broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and punished the guilty,
    and the plague was stopped.
31 This has been remembered in his favor ever since
    and will be for all time to come.

32 (K)At the springs of Meribah the people made the Lord angry,
    and Moses was in trouble on their account.
33 They made him so bitter
    that he spoke without stopping to think.

34 (L)They did not kill the heathen,
    as the Lord had commanded them to do,
35 but they intermarried with them
    and adopted their pagan ways.
36 God's people worshiped idols,
    and this caused their destruction.
37 (M)They offered their own sons and daughters
    as sacrifices to the idols of Canaan.
38 (N)They killed those innocent children,
    and the land was defiled by those murders.
39 They made themselves impure by their actions
    and were unfaithful to God.

40 (O)So the Lord was angry with his people;
    he was disgusted with them.
41 He abandoned them to the power of the heathen,
    and their enemies ruled over them.
42 They were oppressed by their enemies
    and were in complete subjection to them.
43 Many times the Lord rescued his people,
    but they chose to rebel against him
    and sank deeper into sin.
44 Yet the Lord heard them when they cried out,
    and he took notice of their distress.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
    and because of his great love he relented.
46 He made all their oppressors
    feel sorry for them.

47 (P)Save us, O Lord our God,
    and bring us back from among the nations,
so that we may be thankful
    and praise your holy name.

48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel;
    praise him now and forever!
    Let everyone say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:7 Probable text the Almighty; Hebrew the sea.

Psalm 106

A Confession of Israel’s Sins

Praise the Lord!
    O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.(A)
Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord
    or declare all his praise?(B)
Happy are those who observe justice,
    who do righteousness at all times.(C)

Remember us,[a] O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
    help us[b] when you deliver them,(D)
that we may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
    that we may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
    that we may glory in your heritage.(E)

Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
    we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.(F)
Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt,
    did not consider your wonderful works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love
    but rebelled against the Most High[c] at the Red Sea.[d](G)
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
    so that he might make known his mighty power.(H)
He rebuked the Red Sea,[e] and it became dry;
    he led them through the deep as through a desert.(I)
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe
    and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.(J)
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them was left.(K)
12 Then they believed his words;
    they sang his praise.(L)

13 But they soon forgot his works;
    they did not wait for his counsel.(M)
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness
    and put God to the test in the desert;(N)
15 he gave them what they asked
    but sent a wasting disease among them.(O)

16 They were jealous of Moses in the camp
    and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.(P)
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan
    and covered the faction of Abiram.(Q)
18 Fire also broke out in their company;
    the flame burned up the wicked.(R)

19 They made a calf at Horeb
    and worshiped a cast image.(S)
20 They exchanged the glory of God[f]
    for the image of an ox that eats grass.(T)
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt,(U)
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.[g](V)
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
    to turn away his wrath from destroying them.(W)

24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
    having no faith in his promise.(X)
25 They grumbled in their tents
    and did not obey the voice of the Lord.(Y)
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness(Z)
27 and would disperse[h] their descendants among the nations,
    scattering them over the lands.(AA)

28 Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor
    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;(AB)
29 they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
    and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,
    and the plague was stopped.(AC)
31 And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
    from generation to generation forever.(AD)

32 They angered the Lord[i] at the waters of Meribah,
    and it went ill with Moses on their account,(AE)
33 for they made his spirit bitter,
    and he spoke words that were rash.(AF)

34 They did not destroy the peoples,
    as the Lord had commanded them,(AG)
35 but they mingled with the nations
    and learned to do as they did.(AH)
36 They served their idols,
    which became a snare to them.(AI)
37 They sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to the demons;(AJ)
38 they poured out innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was polluted with blood.(AK)
39 Thus they became unclean by their acts
    and prostituted themselves in their doings.(AL)

40 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
    and he abhorred his heritage;(AM)
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations,
    so that those who hated them ruled over them.(AN)
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
    and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
    but they were rebellious in their purposes
    and were brought low through their iniquity.(AO)
44 Nevertheless, he regarded their distress
    when he heard their cry.(AP)
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant
    and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.(AQ)
46 He caused them to be pitied
    by all who held them captive.(AR)

47 Save us, O Lord our God,
    and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.(AS)

48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
    Praise the Lord!(AT)

Footnotes

  1. 106.4 Heb mss Gk: MT me
  2. 106.4 Heb mss Gk: MT me
  3. 106.7 Cn: Heb rebelled at the sea
  4. 106.7 Or Sea of Reeds
  5. 106.9 Or Sea of Reeds
  6. 106.20 Compare Gk mss: Heb exchanged their glory
  7. 106.22 Or Sea of Reeds
  8. 106.27 Syr: Heb cause to fall
  9. 106.32 Heb him