Add parallel Print Page Options

106 Praise Yahweh!
    Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
    for his loving kindness endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of Yahweh,
    or fully declare all his praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice.
    Blessed is one who does what is right at all times.
Remember me, Yahweh, with the favor that you show to your people.
    Visit me with your salvation,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen,
    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
    that I may glory with your inheritance.

We have sinned with our fathers.
    We have committed iniquity.
    We have done wickedly.
Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt.
    They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses,
    but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake,
    that he might make his mighty power known.
He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up;
    so he led them through the depths, as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them,
    and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries.
    There was not one of them left.
12 Then they believed his words.
    They sang his praise.

13 They soon forgot his works.
    They didn’t wait for his counsel,
14     but gave in to craving in the desert,
    and tested God in the wasteland.
15 He gave them their request,
    but sent leanness into their soul.
16 They envied Moses also in the camp,
    and Aaron, Yahweh’s saint.
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
    and covered the company of Abiram.
18 A fire was kindled in their company.
    The flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb,
    and worshiped a molten image.
20 Thus they exchanged their glory
    for an image of a bull that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
22     wondrous works in the land of Ham,
    and awesome things by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them,
    had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach,
    to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them.
24 Yes, they despised the pleasant land.
    They didn’t believe his word,
25     but murmured in their tents,
    and didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice.
26 Therefore he swore to them
    that he would overthrow them in the wilderness,
27     that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations,
    and scatter them in the lands.
28 They joined themselves also to Baal Peor,
    and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds.
    The plague broke in on them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment,
    so the plague was stopped.
31 That was credited to him for righteousness,
    for all generations to come.
32 They angered him also at the waters of Meribah,
    so that Moses was troubled for their sakes;
33 because they were rebellious against his spirit,
    he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They didn’t destroy the peoples,
    as Yahweh commanded them,
35     but mixed themselves with the nations,
    and learned their works.
36 They served their idols,
    which became a snare to them.
37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
38     They shed innocent blood,
    even the blood of their sons and of their daughters,
    whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
    The land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they were defiled with their works,
    and prostituted themselves in their deeds.
40 Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people.
    He abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hand of the nations.
    Those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them.
    They were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 He rescued them many times,
    but they were rebellious in their counsel,
    and were brought low in their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress,
    when he heard their cry.
45 He remembered for them his covenant,
    and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
46 He made them also to be pitied
    by all those who carried them captive.

47 Save us, Yahweh, our God,
    gather us from among the nations,
    to give thanks to your holy name,
    to triumph in your praise!

48 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting even to everlasting!
Let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise Yah!

The Unfaithfulness of God’s People

106 Hallelujah!

Give thanks to the Lord,
    since he is good,
        for his gracious love exists forever.

Who can fully describe the mighty acts of the Lord
    or proclaim all his praises?
How happy are those who enforce justice,
    who live righteously all the time.
Remember me, Lord,
    when you show favor to your people.
Visit us with your deliverance,
to witness the prosperity of your chosen ones,
to rejoice in your nation’s joy,
    to glory in your inheritance.

We have sinned, along with our ancestors;
    we have committed iniquity and wickedness.
In Egypt, our ancestors neither comprehended your awesome deeds
    nor remembered your abundant gracious love.
        Instead, they rebelled beside the sea, the Reed[a] Sea.
He delivered for the sake of his name,[b]
    to make his power known.
He shouted at the Reed[c] Sea and it dried up;
    and led them through the sea as though through a desert.
10 He delivered them from the power of their foe;
    redeeming them from the power of their enemy.
11 The water overwhelmed their enemies,
    so that not one of them survived.[d]
12 Then they believed his word
    and sung his praise.

13 But they quickly forgot his deeds
    and did not wait for his counsel.
14 They were overwhelmed with craving in the wilderness,
    so God tested them in the wasteland.
15 God granted them their request,
    but sent leanness into their lives.

16 They were envious of Moses in the camp,
    and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan,
    closing over Abiram’s clan.
18 Then a fire burned among their company,
    a flame that set the wicked ablaze.

19 They fashioned a calf at Horeb
    and worshipped a carved image.
20 They exchanged their glory[e]
    with the image of a grass-eating bull.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
    who performed great things in Egypt—
22 awesome deeds in the land of Ham,[f]
    astonishing deeds at the Reed[g] Sea.
23 He would have destroyed them
    but for Moses, his chosen one,
who stood in the breach before him
    to avert[h] his destructive wrath.

24 They rejected the desirable land,
    and they didn’t trust his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
    and didn’t listen to the voice of the Lord.
26 So he swore an oath concerning them—
    that he would cause them to die in the wilderness,
27 to cause their children to perish among the nations
    and be scattered among many[i] lands.
28 For they adopted the worship[j] of Baal Peor
    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 They had provoked anger by their deeds,
    so that a plague broke out against them.
30 But Phinehas intervened and prayed
    so that the plague was restrained.
31 And it was credited to him as a righteous act,
    from generation to generation—to eternity.
32 They provoked wrath at the waters of Meribah,
    and Moses suffered[k] on account of them.
33 For they rebelled against him,[l]
    so that he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips.

34 They never destroyed the people,
    as the Lord had commanded them.
35 Instead, they mingled among the nations
    and learned their ways.[m]
36 They worshipped[n] their idols,
    and this became a trap for them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38 They shed innocent blood—
    the blood of their sons and daughters—
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    thereby polluting the land with blood.
39 Therefore, they became unclean because of what they did;
    they have acted like whores by their evil deeds.
40 The Lord’s anger burned against his people,
    so that he despised his own inheritance.
41 He turned them over to domination by nations
    where those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
    so that they were humiliated by their power.
43 He delivered them many times,
    but they demonstrated rebellion by their evil plans;
        therefore they sunk deep in their sins.

44 Yet when he saw their distress
    and heard their cries for help,[o]
45 he remembered his covenant with them,
    and so relented
        according to the greatness of his gracious love.
46 He caused all their captors to show compassion toward them.

47 Deliver us, Lord our God,
    gather us from among the nations
so we may praise your holy name
    and rejoice in praising you.
48 Blessed are you, Lord God of Israel,
    from eternity to eternity;
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
    Hallelujah!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:7 So MT; LXX reads Red
  2. Psalm 106:8 Or reputation
  3. Psalm 106:9 So MT; LXX reads Red
  4. Psalm 106:11 Or remained
  5. Psalm 106:20 I.e. their God
  6. Psalm 106:22 I.e. Egypt
  7. Psalm 106:22 So MT; LXX reads Red
  8. Psalm 106:23 Or turn back
  9. Psalm 106:27 The Heb. lacks many
  10. Psalm 106:28 Lit. they attached themselves with Baal Peor
  11. Psalm 106:32 Lit. and it was evil for Moses
  12. Psalm 106:33 Lit. against his spirit
  13. Psalm 106:35 Lit. deeds
  14. Psalm 106:36 Lit. served
  15. Psalm 106:44 The Heb. lacks help