Psalm 106
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 106
A Confession of Israel’s Sins
1 Praise the Lord!
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.(A)
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord
or declare all his praise?(B)
3 Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.(C)
4 Remember us,[a] O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
help us[b] when you deliver them,(D)
5 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)
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.(F)
7 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)
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
so that he might make known his mighty power.(H)
9 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)
Psalm 106
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
106 Give glory to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let them say so that have been redeemed by the Lord, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy: and gathered out of the countries.
3 From the rising and the setting of the sun, from the north and from the sea.
4 They wandered in a wilderness, in a place without water: they found not the way of a city for their habitation.
5 They were hungry and thirsty: their soul fainted in them.
6 And they cried to the Lord in their tribulation: and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And he led them into the right way: that they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him: and his wonderful works to the children of men.
9 For he hath satisfied the empty soul, and hath filled the hungry soul with good things.
10 Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death: bound in want and in iron.
11 Because they had exasperated the words of God: and provoked the counsel of the most High:
12 And their heart was humbled with labours: they were weakened, and their was none to help them.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction: and he delivered them out of their distresses.
14 And he brought them out of darkness, and the shadow of death; and broke their bonds in sunder.
15 Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him, and his wonderful works to the children of men.
16 Because he hath broken gates of brass, and burst the iron bars.
17 He took them out of the way of their iniquity: for they were brought low for their injustices.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of meat: and they drew nigh even to the gates of death.
19 And they cried to the Lord in their affliction: and he delivered them out of their distresses.
20 He sent his word, and healed them: and delivered them from their destructions.
21 Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him: and his wonderful works to the children of men.
22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of praise: and declare his works with joy.
23 They that go down to the sea in ships, doing business in the great waters:
24 These have seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
25 He said the word, and there arose a storm of wind: and the waves thereof were lifted up.
26 They mount up to the heavens, and they go down to the depths: their soul pined away with evils.
27 They were troubled, and reeled like a drunken man; and all their wisdom was swallowed up.
28 And they cried to the Lord in their affliction: and he brought them out of their distresses.
29 And he turned the storm into a breeze: and its waves were still.
30 And they rejoiced because they were still: and he brought them to the haven which they wished for.
31 Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him, and his wonderful works to the children of men.
32 And let them exalt him in the church of the people: and praise him in the chair of the ancients.
33 He hath turned rivers into a wilderness: and the sources of water into dry ground:
34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
35 He hath turned a wilderness into pools of water, and a dry land into water springs.
36 And hath placed there the hungry; and they made a city for their habitation.
37 And they sowed fields, and planted vineyards: and they yielded fruit of birth.
38 And he blessed them, and they were multiplied exceedingly: and their cattle he suffered not to decrease.
39 Then they were brought to be few: and they were afflicted through the trouble of evils and sorrow.
40 Contempt was poured forth upon their princes: and he caused them to wander where there was no passing, and out of the way.
41 And he helped the poor out of poverty: and made him families like a flock of sheep.
42 The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop their mouth.
43 Who is wise, and will keep these things: and will understand the mercies of the Lord?
Psalm 106
The Message
106 1-3 Hallelujah!
Thank God! And why?
Because he’s good, because his love lasts.
But who on earth can do it—
declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises?
You’re one happy man when you do what’s right,
one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.
4-5 Remember me, God, when you enjoy your people;
include me when you save them;
I want to see your chosen succeed,
celebrate with your celebrating nation,
join the Hallelujahs of your pride and joy!
6-12 We’ve sinned a lot, both we and our parents;
We’ve fallen short, hurt a lot of people.
After our parents left Egypt,
they took your wonders for granted,
forgot your great and wonderful love.
They were barely beyond the Red Sea
when they defied the High God
—the very place he saved them!
—the place he revealed his amazing power!
He rebuked the Red Sea so that it dried up on the spot
—he paraded them right through!
—no one so much as got wet feet!
He saved them from a life of oppression,
pried them loose from the grip of the enemy.
Then the waters flowed back on their oppressors;
there wasn’t a single survivor.
Then they believed his words were true
and broke out in songs of praise.
13-18 But it wasn’t long before they forgot the whole thing,
wouldn’t wait to be told what to do.
They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert,
provoked God with their insistent demands.
He gave them exactly what they asked for—
but along with it they got an empty heart.
One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses,
also of Aaron, holy priest of God.
The ground opened and swallowed Dathan,
then buried Abiram’s gang.
Fire flared against that rebel crew
and torched them to a cinder.
19-22 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb
and worshiped the statue they’d made.
They traded the Glory
for a cheap piece of sculpture—a grass-chewing bull!
They forgot God, their very own Savior,
who turned things around in Egypt,
Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham,
who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.
23-27 Fed up, God decided to get rid of them—
and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have.
But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God’s anger,
prevented it from destroying them utterly.
They went on to reject the Blessed Land,
didn’t believe a word of what God promised.
They found fault with the life they had
and turned a deaf ear to God’s voice.
Exasperated, God swore
that he’d lay them low in the desert,
Scattering their children here and there,
strewing them all over the earth.
28-31 Then they linked up with Baal Peor,
attending funeral banquets and eating idol food.
That made God so angry
that a plague spread through their ranks;
Phinehas stood up and pled their case
and the plague was stopped.
This was counted to his credit;
his descendants will never forget it.
32-33 They angered God again at Meribah Springs;
this time Moses got mixed up in their evil;
Because they defied God yet again,
Moses exploded and lost his temper.
34-39 They didn’t wipe out those godless cultures
as ordered by God;
Instead they intermarried with the heathen,
and in time became just like them.
They worshiped their idols,
were caught in the trap of idols.
They sacrificed their sons and daughters
at the altars of demon gods.
They slit the throats of their babies,
murdered their infant girls and boys.
They offered their babies to Canaan’s gods;
the blood of their babies stained the land.
Their way of life reeked;
they lived like prostitutes.
40-43 And God was furious—a wildfire anger;
he couldn’t stand even to look at his people.
He turned them over to the heathen
so that the people who hated them ruled them.
Their enemies made life hard for them;
they were tyrannized under that rule.
Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned—
until finally their sins destroyed them.
44-46 Still, when God saw the trouble they were in
and heard their cries for help,
He remembered his Covenant with them,
and, immense with love, took them by the hand.
He poured out his mercy on them
while their captors looked on, amazed.
47-48 Save us, God, our God!
Gather us back out of exile
So we can give thanks to your holy name
and join in the glory when you are praised!
Blessed be God, Israel’s God!
Bless now, bless always!
Oh! Let everyone say Amen!
Hallelujah!
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson