Add parallel Print Page Options

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

Praise to Yahweh for His Faithfulness in Israel’s History

106 Praise Yah.[a] Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loyal love is forever.
Who can utter the mighty deeds of Yahweh,
or proclaim all his praise?
Blessed are those who observe justice,
he who does righteousness at all times.
Remember me, O Yahweh, when you show favor to your people.
Look after me when you deliver,
that I may see the good done your chosen ones,
to be glad in the joy of your nation,
to glory together with your inheritance.
We have sinned along with our ancestors.[b]
We have committed iniquity; we have incurred guilt.
Our ancestors[c] in Egypt did not understand your wonderful works.
They did not remember your many acts of loyal love,
and so they rebelled by the sea at the Red Sea.[d]
Yet he saved them for the sake of his name,
to make known his might.
So he rebuked the Red Sea,[e] and it dried up,
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 Thus he saved them from the hand of the hater
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 But waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
13 They quickly forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14 And they craved intensely[f] in the wilderness,
and tested God in the desert.
15 So he gave to them their request,
but he sent leanness into their souls.[g]
16 And they were jealous of Moses in the camp,
and of Aaron, the holy one of Yahweh.
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and it covered over the gang of Abiram.
18 Also fire burned in their assembly;
the flame devoured the wicked.
19 They made a calf at Horeb
and bowed down to a cast image.
20 And so they exchanged their glory
for an image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wonders in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds by the Red Sea.[h]
23 So he said he would exterminate them,
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to reverse his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they refused the desirable land;
they did not believe his word,
25 but grumbled in their tents.
They did not obey the voice of Yahweh.
26 So he made an oath[i] against them,
to make them drop in the wilderness,
27 and to disperse[j] their descendants[k] among the nations
and to scatter them among the lands.
28 They also attached themselves to Baal of Peor,
and they ate sacrifices offered to the dead.[l]
29 Thus they provoked to anger by their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and so the plague was stopped,
31 and it was reckoned to him as righteousness
throughout all generations.[m]
32 They also angered God at the waters of Meribah,
and it went badly for Moses on account of them,
33 because they rebelled against his Spirit,[n]
and he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips.
34 They did not exterminate the peoples,
as Yahweh had commanded them, [o]
35 but they mingled with the nations
and learned their works,
36 and served their idols,
which became[p] a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and daughters
to the demons,
38 and they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and so the land was defiled with the blood.[q]
39 And they became unclean by their works,
and were unfaithful in their deeds.
40 So Yahweh’s anger burned against his people,
and he abhorred his inheritance.
41 Then he gave them into the hand of the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 And their enemies oppressed them,
and they were subdued under their hand.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they rebelled in their counsel,
and were brought low by their iniquity.
44 Yet he looked upon their distress
when he heard their cry.
45 And he remembered his covenant with them,
and relented based on the abundance of his loyal love.
46 And he let them find compassion[r]
before all their captors.
47 Save us, O Yahweh our God,
and gather us from the nations,
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and boast in your praise.
48 Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel,
from everlasting and to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise Yah.[s]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:1 Hebrew hallelujah
  2. Psalm 106:6 Or “fathers”
  3. Psalm 106:7 Or “fathers”
  4. Psalm 106:7 Literally “sea of reed”
  5. Psalm 106:9 Literally “sea of reed”
  6. Psalm 106:14 Literally “craved a craving”
  7. Psalm 106:15 Hebrew “soul” or “inner self”
  8. Psalm 106:22 Literally “sea of reed”
  9. Psalm 106:26 Literally “he lifted his hand,” an act accompanying an oath
  10. Psalm 106:27 Or “let drop”
  11. Psalm 106:27 Literally “seed”
  12. Psalm 106:28 Hebrew “sacrifices of dead”
  13. Psalm 106:31 Literally “for a generation and a generation”
  14. Psalm 106:33 A slightly different verbal form yields “they embittered his spirit”
  15. Psalm 106:34 Hebrew “said to them”
  16. Psalm 106:36 Hebrew “and they became”
  17. Psalm 106:38 Hebrew “bloods,” that is, bloodshed
  18. Psalm 106:46 Literally “gave them to have mercies”
  19. Psalm 106:48 Hebrew hallelujah