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Psalm 106
New English Translation

Psalm 106[a]

106 Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.[b]
2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds?[c]
3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
5 so I may see the prosperity[d] of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation,[e]
and boast along with the people who belong to you.[f]
6 We have sinned like[g] our ancestors;[h]
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds.
They failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.[i]
8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation,[j]
that he might reveal his power.
9 He shouted at[k] the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
10 He delivered them from the power[l] of the one who hated them,
and rescued[m] them from the power[n] of the enemy.
11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived.[o]
12 They believed his promises;[p]
they sang praises to him.
13 They quickly forgot what he had done;[q]
they did not wait for his instructions.[r]
14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving[s] for meat;[t]
they challenged God[u] in the wastelands.
15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease.[v]
16 In the camp they resented[w] Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.[x]
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed[y] the group led by Abiram.[z]
18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked.[aa]
19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
20 They traded their majestic God[ab]
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They rejected[ac] the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty acts[ad] by the Red Sea.
23 He threatened[ae] to destroy them,
but[af] Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him[ag]
and turned back his destructive anger.[ah]
24 They rejected the fruitful land;[ai]
they did not believe his promise.[aj]
25 They grumbled in their tents;[ak]
they did not obey[al] the Lord.
26 So he made a solemn vow[am]
that he would make them die[an] in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants[ao] die[ap] among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands.[aq]
28 They worshiped[ar] Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.[as]
29 They made the Lord angry[at] by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened,[au]
and the plague subsided.
31 This was credited to Phinehas as a righteous act
for all generations to come.[av]
32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered[aw] because of them,
33 for they aroused[ax] his temper,[ay]
and he spoke rashly.[az]
34 They did not destroy the nations,[ba]
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways.[bb]
36 They worshiped[bc] their idols,
which became a snare to them.[bd]
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.[be]
38 They shed innocent blood—
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed.[bf]
39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions.[bg]
40 So the Lord was angry with his people[bh]
and despised the people who belonged to him.[bi]
41 He handed them over to[bj] the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority.[bk]
43 Many times he delivered[bl] them,
but they had a rebellious attitude,[bm]
and degraded themselves[bn] by their sin.
44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented[bo] because of his great loyal love.
46 He caused all their conquerors[bp]
to have pity on them.
47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God.
Gather us from among the nations.
Then we will give thanks[bq] to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.[br]
48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise,[bs]
in the future and forevermore.[bt]
Let all the people say, “We agree![bu] Praise the Lord!”[bv]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:1 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
  2. Psalm 106:1 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
  3. Psalm 106:2 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
  4. Psalm 106:5 tn Heb “good.”
  5. Psalm 106:5 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
  6. Psalm 106:5 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
  7. Psalm 106:6 tn Heb “with.”
  8. Psalm 106:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
  9. Psalm 106:7 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.sn They rebelled. The psalmist recalls the people’s complaint recorded in Exod 14:12.
  10. Psalm 106:8 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
  11. Psalm 106:9 tn Or “rebuked.”
  12. Psalm 106:10 tn Heb “hand.”
  13. Psalm 106:10 tn Or “redeemed.”
  14. Psalm 106:10 tn Heb “hand.”
  15. Psalm 106:11 tn Heb “remained.”
  16. Psalm 106:12 tn Heb “his words.”
  17. Psalm 106:13 tn Heb “his works.”
  18. Psalm 106:13 tn Heb “his counsel.”
  19. Psalm 106:14 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
  20. Psalm 106:14 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
  21. Psalm 106:14 tn Heb “they tested God.”
  22. Psalm 106:15 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”sn Disease. See Num 11:33-34, where this plague is described.
  23. Psalm 106:16 tn Or “envied.”
  24. Psalm 106:16 tn Heb “the holy one of the Lord.”
  25. Psalm 106:17 tn Or “covered.”
  26. Psalm 106:17 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
  27. Psalm 106:18 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
  28. Psalm 106:20 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the Lord states that his people (Israel) exchanged “their glory” (a reference to the Lord) for worthless idols.
  29. Psalm 106:21 tn Heb “forgot.”
  30. Psalm 106:22 tn Or “awe-inspiring acts.”
  31. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “and he said.”
  32. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
  33. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
  34. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”sn Verses 19-23 describe the events of Exod 32:1-35.
  35. Psalm 106:24 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
  36. Psalm 106:24 tn Heb “his word.”
  37. Psalm 106:25 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
  38. Psalm 106:25 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
  39. Psalm 106:26 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
  40. Psalm 106:26 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
  41. Psalm 106:27 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
  42. Psalm 106:27 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
  43. Psalm 106:27 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  44. Psalm 106:28 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”sn They worshiped Baal of Peor. See Num 25:3, 5. Baal of Peor was a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal located at Peor.
  45. Psalm 106:28 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
  46. Psalm 106:29 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew mss. Perhaps it was accidentally left off, an original וַיַּכְעִיסוּהוּ (vayyakhʿisuhu) being misread as וַיַּכְעִיסוּ (vayyakhʿisu). In the translation the referent of the pronominal suffix (the Lord) has been specified for clarity to avoid confusion with Baal of Peor (mentioned in the previous verse).
  47. Psalm 106:30 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
  48. Psalm 106:31 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsedaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God credits Abram’s faith as righteousness.
  49. Psalm 106:32 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
  50. Psalm 106:33 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
  51. Psalm 106:33 tn Heb “his spirit.”
  52. Psalm 106:33 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn Verses 32-33 allude to the events of Num 20:1-13.
  53. Psalm 106:34 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
  54. Psalm 106:35 tn Heb “their deeds.”
  55. Psalm 106:36 tn Or “served.”
  56. Psalm 106:36 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
  57. Psalm 106:37 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
  58. Psalm 106:38 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
  59. Psalm 106:39 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).
  60. Psalm 106:40 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”
  61. Psalm 106:40 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
  62. Psalm 106:41 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
  63. Psalm 106:42 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
  64. Psalm 106:43 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
  65. Psalm 106:43 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
  66. Psalm 106:43 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
  67. Psalm 106:45 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
  68. Psalm 106:46 tn Or “captors.”
  69. Psalm 106:47 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
  70. Psalm 106:47 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
  71. Psalm 106:48 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
  72. Psalm 106:48 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
  73. Psalm 106:48 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן,ʾamen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
  74. Psalm 106:48 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
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Psalm 106
New American Standard Bible

Israel’s Rebelliousness and the Lord’s Help.

106 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Oh (A)give thanks to the Lord, for He (B)is good;
For (C)His mercy is everlasting.
2 Who can speak of the (D)mighty deeds of the Lord,
Or can proclaim all His praise?
3 How blessed are those who maintain [c]justice,
[d]Who (E)practice righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, Lord, in Your (F)favor [e]toward Your people.
Visit me with Your salvation,
5 So that I may see the (G)prosperity of Your chosen ones,
That I may (H)rejoice in the joy of Your nation,
That I may (I)boast with Your [f]inheritance.

6 (J)We have sinned [g](K)like our fathers,
We have gone astray, we have behaved wickedly.
7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your [h]wonders;
They (L)did not remember [i]Your abundant kindnesses,
But (M)rebelled by the sea, at the [j]Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless He saved them (N)for the sake of His name,
So that He might (O)make His power known.
9 So He (P)rebuked the [k]Red Sea and it (Q)dried up,
And He (R)led them through the mighty waters, as through the wilderness.
10 So He (S)saved them from the [l]hand of one who hated them,
And (T)redeemed them from the [m]hand of the enemy.
11 (U)The waters covered their adversaries;
Not one of them was left.
12 Then they (V)believed His words;
They (W)sang His praise.

13 They quickly (X)forgot His works;
They (Y)did not wait for His plan,
14 But (Z)became lustfully greedy in the wilderness,
And (AA)put God to the test in the desert.
15 So He (AB)gave them their request,
But (AC)sent a [n]wasting disease among them.

16 When they became (AD)envious of Moses in the camp,
And of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord,
17 The (AE)earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
And engulfed the [o]company of Abiram.
18 And a (AF)fire blazed up in their [p]company;
The flame consumed the wicked.

19 They (AG)made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped a cast metal image.
20 So they (AH)exchanged their glory
For the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They (AI)forgot God their Savior,
Who had done (AJ)great things in Egypt,
22 [q](AK)Wonders in the land of Ham,
And awesome things by the [r]Red Sea.
23 Therefore (AL)He said that He would destroy them,
If (AM)Moses, His chosen one, had not stood in the gap before Him,
To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they (AN)rejected the (AO)pleasant land;
They (AP)did not believe His word,
25 But (AQ)grumbled in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore He [s](AR)swore to them
That He would have them fall in the wilderness,
27 And that He would (AS)bring down their [t]descendants among the nations,
And (AT)scatter them in the lands.

28 They also (AU)followed [u]Baal-peor,
And ate (AV)sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 So they (AW)provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas (AX)stood up and [v]intervened,
And so the (AY)plague was brought to a halt.
31 And it was (AZ)credited to him as righteousness,
To all generations forever.

32 They also (BA)provoked Him to wrath at the waters of [w]Meribah,
So that it (BB)went badly for Moses on their account.
33 Because they (BC)were rebellious against [x]His Spirit,
He spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They (BD)did not destroy the peoples,
As (BE)the Lord had commanded them,
35 But (BF)they got involved with the nations
And learned their [y]practices,
36 And (BG)served their idols,
(BH)Which became a snare to them.
37 They even (BI)sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the (BJ)demons,
38 And shed (BK)innocent blood,
The blood of their (BL)sons and their daughters
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was (BM)defiled with the blood.
39 So they became (BN)unclean in their [z]practices,
And [aa](BO)were unfaithful in their deeds.

40 Therefore the (BP)anger of the Lord was kindled against His people,
And He (BQ)loathed His [ab](BR)inheritance.
41 So (BS)He handed them over to the [ac]nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also (BT)oppressed them,
And they were subdued under their [ad]power.
43 Many times He would (BU)rescue them;
They, however, were rebellious in their (BV)plan,
And they (BW)sank down into their guilt.

44 Nevertheless He looked at their distress
When He (BX)heard their cry;
45 And He (BY)remembered His covenant for their sake,
And [ae](BZ)relented (CA)according to the greatness of His mercy.
46 He also made them (CB)objects of compassion
In the presence of all their captors.

47 (CC)Save us, Lord our God,
And (CD)gather us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And (CE)glory in Your praise.
48 (CF)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
And all the people shall say, “Amen.”
[af]Praise [ag]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 106:1 Heb Yah
  3. Psalm 106:3 Or judgment
  4. Psalm 106:3 Many Heb mss The one who performs
  5. Psalm 106:4 Lit of
  6. Psalm 106:5 I.e., people
  7. Psalm 106:6 Lit with
  8. Psalm 106:7 I.e., wonderful acts
  9. Psalm 106:7 Lit the multitude of Your kindnesses
  10. Psalm 106:7 Lit Sea of Reeds
  11. Psalm 106:9 Lit Sea of Reeds
  12. Psalm 106:10 Or power
  13. Psalm 106:10 Or power
  14. Psalm 106:15 Or leanness into their soul
  15. Psalm 106:17 Or assembly, band
  16. Psalm 106:18 Or assembly, band
  17. Psalm 106:22 I.e., Wonderful acts
  18. Psalm 106:22 Lit Sea of Reeds
  19. Psalm 106:26 Lit lifted up His hand
  20. Psalm 106:27 Lit seed
  21. Psalm 106:28 Or Baal of Peor
  22. Psalm 106:30 Or pronounced judgment
  23. Psalm 106:32 Lit strife
  24. Psalm 106:33 Or his spirit
  25. Psalm 106:35 Lit works
  26. Psalm 106:39 Lit works
  27. Psalm 106:39 Or prostituted themselves
  28. Psalm 106:40 I.e., people
  29. Psalm 106:41 Or Gentiles
  30. Psalm 106:42 Lit hand
  31. Psalm 106:45 Lit was sorry
  32. Psalm 106:48 Or Hallelujah!
  33. Psalm 106:48 Heb Yah
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