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Israel’s Failure to Trust God

106 Praise the Lord!

Thank the Lord because he is good.
    His love continues forever.
No one can tell all the mighty things the Lord has done;
    no one can speak all his praise.
Happy are those who do right,
    who do what is fair at all times.

Lord, remember me when you are kind to your people;
    help me when you save them.
Let me see the good things you do for your chosen people.
    Let me be happy along with your happy nation;
    let me join your own people in praising you.

We have sinned just as our ancestors did.
    We have done wrong; we have done evil.
Our ancestors in Egypt
    did not learn from your miracles.
They did not remember all your kindnesses,
    so they turned against you at the Red Sea.
But the Lord saved them for his own sake,
    to show his great power.
He commanded the Red Sea, and it dried up.
    He led them through the deep sea as if it were a desert.
10 He saved them from those who hated them.
    He saved them from their enemies,
11 and the water covered their foes.
    Not one of them escaped.
12 Then the people believed what the Lord said,
    and they sang praises to him.

13 But they quickly forgot what he had done;
    they did not wait for his advice.
14 They became greedy for food in the desert,
    and they tested God there.
15 So he gave them what they wanted,
    but he also sent a terrible disease among them.

16 The people in the camp were jealous of Moses
    and of Aaron, the holy priest of the Lord.
17 Then the ground opened up and swallowed Dathan
    and closed over Abiram’s group.
18 A fire burned among their followers,
    and flames burned up the wicked.

19 The people made a gold calf at Mount Sinai
    and worshiped a metal statue.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
    for a statue of a bull that eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
22 who had done miracles in Egypt[a]
    and amazing things by the Red Sea.
23 So God said he would destroy them.
    But Moses, his chosen one, stood before him
    and stopped God’s anger from destroying them.

24 Then they refused to go into the beautiful land of Canaan;
    they did not believe what God promised.
25 They grumbled in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore to them
    that they would die in the desert.
27 He said their children would be killed by other nations
    and that they would be scattered among other countries.

28 They joined in worshiping Baal at Peor
    and ate meat that had been sacrificed to lifeless statues.
29 They made the Lord angry by what they did,
    so many people became sick with a terrible disease.
30 But Phinehas prayed to the Lord,
    and the disease stopped.
31 Phinehas did what was right,
    and it will be remembered from now on.

32 The people also made the Lord angry at Meribah,
    and Moses was in trouble because of them.
33 The people turned against the Spirit of God,
    so Moses spoke without stopping to think.

34 The people did not destroy the other nations
    as the Lord had told them to do.
35 Instead, they mixed with the other nations
    and learned their customs.
36 They worshiped other nations’ idols
    and were trapped by them.
37 They even killed their sons and daughters
    as sacrifices to demons.
38 They killed innocent people,
    their own sons and daughters,
as sacrifices to the idols of Canaan.
    So the land was made unholy by their blood.
39 The people became unholy by their sins;
    they were unfaithful to God in what they did.

40 So the Lord became angry with his people
    and hated his own children.
41 He handed them over to other nations
    and let their enemies rule over them.
42 Their enemies were cruel to them
    and kept them under their power.
43 The Lord saved his people many times,
    but they continued to turn against him.
    So they became even more wicked.

44 But God saw their misery
    when he heard their cry.
45 He remembered his agreement with them,
    and he felt sorry for them because of his great love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
    by those who held them captive.

47 Lord our God, save us
    and bring us back from other nations.
Then we will thank you
    and will gladly praise you.

48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel.
    He always was and always will be.
    Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 106:22 Egypt Literally, “the land of Ham.” The people in Egypt were descendants of Ham, one of Noah’s sons. See Genesis 10:6.

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