Psalm 90-106
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Fourth Book—Psalms 90–106
Psalm 90[a]
God’s Eternity and Human Frailty
1 A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
I
Lord, you have been our refuge
through all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born,
the earth and the world brought forth,
from eternity to eternity you are God.(A)
3 You turn humanity back into dust,[b]
saying, “Return, you children of Adam!”(B)
4 A thousand years in your eyes
are merely a day gone by,(C)
Before a watch passes in the night,
5 [c]you wash them away;(D)
They sleep,
and in the morning they sprout again like an herb.
6 In the morning it blooms only to pass away;
in the evening it is wilted and withered.[d](E)
II
7 Truly we are consumed by your anger,
filled with terror by your wrath.
8 You have kept our faults before you,
our hidden sins in the light of your face.(F)
9 Our life ebbs away under your wrath;(G)
our years end like a sigh.
10 Seventy is the sum of our years,
or eighty, if we are strong;
Most of them are toil and sorrow;
they pass quickly, and we are gone.
11 Who comprehends the strength of your anger?
Your wrath matches the fear it inspires.
12 Teach us to count our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
III
13 Relent, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Fill us at daybreak with your mercy,(H)
that all our days we may sing for joy.
15 Make us glad as many days as you humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.(I)
16 Show your deeds to your servants,
your glory to their children.
17 May the favor of the Lord our God be ours.(J)
Prosper the work of our hands!
Prosper the work of our hands!
Psalm 91[e]
Security Under God’s Protection
I
1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,[f]
who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
2 Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”(K)
3 He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
from the destroying plague,
4 He will shelter you with his pinions,
and under his wings you may take refuge;(L)
his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
5 You shall not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,(M)
6 Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
nor the plague that ravages at noon.(N)
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
near you it shall not come.
8 You need simply watch;
the punishment of the wicked you will see.(O)
9 Because you have the Lord for your refuge
and have made the Most High your stronghold,
10 No evil shall befall you,
no affliction come near your tent.(P)
11 [g]For he commands his angels with regard to you,(Q)
to guard you wherever you go.(R)
12 With their hands they shall support you,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.(S)
13 You can tread upon the asp and the viper,
trample the lion and the dragon.(T)
II
14 Because he clings to me I will deliver him;
because he knows my name I will set him on high.(U)
15 He will call upon me and I will answer;(V)
I will be with him in distress;(W)
I will deliver him and give him honor.
16 With length of days I will satisfy him,
and fill him with my saving power.(X)
Psalm 92[h]
A Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Fidelity
1 A psalm. A sabbath song.
I
2 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,(Y)
3 To proclaim your love at daybreak,
your faithfulness in the night,
4 With the ten-stringed harp,
with melody upon the lyre.(Z)
5 For you make me jubilant, Lord, by your deeds;
at the works of your hands I shout for joy.
II
6 How great are your works, Lord!(AA)
How profound your designs!
7 A senseless person cannot know this;
a fool cannot comprehend.
8 Though the wicked flourish like grass(AB)
and all sinners thrive,
They are destined for eternal destruction;
9 but you, Lord, are forever on high.
10 Indeed your enemies, Lord,
indeed your enemies shall perish;
all sinners shall be scattered.(AC)
III
11 You have given me the strength of a wild ox;(AD)
you have poured rich oil upon me.(AE)
12 My eyes look with glee on my wicked enemies;
my ears shall hear what happens to my wicked foes.(AF)
13 The just shall flourish like the palm tree,
shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.(AG)
14 [i]Planted in the house of the Lord,
they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
15 They shall bear fruit even in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
16 To proclaim: “The Lord is just;
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.”(AH)
Psalm 93[j]
God Is a Mighty King
1 The Lord is king,[k] robed with majesty;
the Lord is robed, girded with might.(AI)
The world will surely stand in place,
never to be moved.(AJ)
2 Your throne stands firm from of old;
you are from everlasting.(AK)
3 [l]The flood has raised up, Lord;
the flood has raised up its roar;
the flood has raised its pounding waves.
4 More powerful than the roar of many waters,
more powerful than the breakers of the sea,
powerful in the heavens is the Lord.
5 Your decrees are firmly established;
holiness befits your house, Lord,
for all the length of days.
Psalm 94[m]
A Prayer for Deliverance from the Wicked
I
1 Lord, avenging God,
avenging God, shine forth!(AL)
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
give the proud what they deserve!(AM)
II
3 How long, Lord, shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked glory?(AN)
4 How long will they mouth haughty speeches,
go on boasting, all these evildoers?(AO)
5 They crush your people, Lord,
torment your very own.
6 They kill the widow and alien;
the orphan they murder.(AP)
7 They say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob takes no notice.”(AQ)
III
8 Understand, you stupid people!
You fools, when will you be wise?(AR)
9 Does the one who shaped the ear not hear?
The one who formed the eye not see?(AS)
10 Does the one who guides nations not rebuke?
The one who teaches man not have knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the plans of man;
they are like a fleeting breath.(AT)
IV
12 Blessed the one whom you guide, Lord,(AU)
whom you teach by your instruction,
13 To give rest from evil days,
while a pit is being dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people,
nor abandon his inheritance.(AV)
15 Judgment shall again be just,
and all the upright of heart will follow it.
V
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord were not my help,
I would long have been silent in the grave.(AW)
18 When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, Lord, holds me up.(AX)
19 When cares increase within me,
your comfort gives me joy.
VI
20 Can unjust judges be your allies,
those who create burdens by decree,
21 Those who conspire against the just
and condemn the innocent to death?
22 No, the Lord is my secure height,
my God, my rock of refuge,
23 (AY)Who will turn back their evil upon them(AZ)
and destroy them for their wickedness.
Surely the Lord our God will destroy them!
Psalm 95[n]
A Call to Praise and Obedience
I
1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
cry out to the rock of our salvation.(BA)
2 Let us come before him with a song of praise,
joyfully sing out our psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
the great king over all gods,(BB)
4 Whose hand holds the depths of the earth;
who owns the tops of the mountains.
5 The sea and dry land belong to God,
who made them, formed them by hand.(BC)
II
6 Enter, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the Lord who made us.
7 For he is our God,
we are the people he shepherds,
the sheep in his hands.(BD)
III
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:(BE)
8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on the day of Massah in the desert.[o]
9 There your ancestors tested me;
they tried me though they had seen my works.(BF)
10 Forty years I loathed that generation;
I said: “This people’s heart goes astray;
they do not know my ways.”(BG)
11 Therefore I swore in my anger:
“They shall never enter my rest.”[p]
Psalm 96[q]
God of the Universe
I
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;(BH)
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his marvelous deeds.(BI)
II
4 [r]For great is the Lord and highly to be praised,
to be feared above all gods.(BJ)
5 For the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.(BK)
6 Splendor and power go before him;
power and grandeur are in his holy place.
III
7 Give to the Lord, you families of nations,
give to the Lord glory and might;
8 give to the Lord the glory due his name!(BL)
Bring gifts and enter his courts;
9 bow down to the Lord, splendid in holiness.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
10 (BM)declare among the nations: The Lord is king.
The world will surely stand fast, never to be shaken.
He rules the peoples with fairness.
IV
11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;(BN)
12 let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice
13 before the Lord who comes,
who comes to govern the earth,(BO)
To govern the world with justice
and the peoples with faithfulness.
Psalm 97[s]
The Divine Ruler of All
I
1 The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.(BP)
2 Cloud and darkness surround him;
justice and right are the foundation of his throne.(BQ)
3 Fire goes before him,
consuming his foes on every side.
4 His lightening illumines the world;
the earth sees and trembles.(BR)
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.(BS)
6 The heavens proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory.(BT)
II
7 All who serve idols are put to shame,
who glory in worthless things;
all gods[t] bow down before him.(BU)
8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments, O Lord.(BV)
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth,(BW)
exalted far above all gods.
10 You who love the Lord, hate evil,
he protects the souls of the faithful,(BX)
rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light dawns for the just,
and gladness for the honest of heart.(BY)
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you just,
and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.(BZ)
Psalm 98[u]
The Coming of God
1 A psalm.
I
Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done marvelous deeds.(CA)
His right hand and holy arm
have won the victory.[v](CB)
2 The Lord has made his victory known;
has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations,
3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
II
4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth;
break into song; sing praise.
5 Sing praise to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious song.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy to the King, the Lord.(CC)
III
7 Let the sea and what fills it resound,(CD)
the world and those who dwell there.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy,(CE)
9 (CF)Before the Lord who comes,
who comes to govern the earth,(CG)
To govern the world with justice
and the peoples with fairness.
Psalm 99[w]
The Holy King
I
1 The Lord is king, the peoples tremble;
he is enthroned on the cherubim,[x] the earth quakes.(CH)
2 Great is the Lord in Zion,
exalted above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name:
Holy is he!(CI)
II
4 O mighty king, lover of justice,
you have established fairness;
you have created just rule in Jacob.(CJ)
5 Exalt the Lord, our God;
bow down before his footstool;[y](CK)
holy is he!
III
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord, and he answered them.(CL)
7 From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his decrees, the law he had given them.(CM)
8 O Lord, our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
though you punished their offenses.(CN)
9 Exalt the Lord, our God;
bow down before his holy mountain;
holy is the Lord, our God.
Psalm 100[z]
Processional Hymn
1 A psalm of thanksgiving.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
2 serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
3 [aa]Know that the Lord is God,
he made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the flock he shepherds.(CO)
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name;(CP)
5 good indeed is the Lord,
His mercy endures forever,
his faithfulness lasts through every generation.
Psalm 101[ab]
Norm of Life for Rulers
1 A psalm of David.
I
I sing of mercy and justice;
to you, Lord, I sing praise.
2 I study the way of integrity;(CQ)
when will you come to me?
I act with integrity of heart
within my household.[ac](CR)
3 I do not allow into my presence anything base.
I hate wrongdoing;
I will have no part of it.(CS)
4 May the devious heart keep far from me;
the wicked I will not acknowledge.
5 Whoever slanders a neighbor in secret
I will reduce to silence.(CT)
Haughty eyes and arrogant hearts(CU)
I cannot endure.
II
6 I look to the faithful of the land[ad]
to sit at my side.
Whoever follows the way of integrity(CV)
is the one to enter my service.
7 No one who practices deceit
can remain within my house.
No one who speaks falsely
can last in my presence.(CW)
8 [ae]Morning after morning I clear all the wicked from the land,
to rid the city of the Lord of all doers of evil.
Psalm 102[af]
Prayer in Time of Distress
1 The prayer of one afflicted and wasting away whose anguish is poured out before the Lord.
I
2 Lord, hear my prayer;
let my cry come to you.
3 Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress.(CX)
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
4 For my days vanish like smoke;(CY)
my bones burn away as in a furnace.
5 My heart is withered, dried up like grass,
too wasted to eat my food.
6 From my loud groaning
I become just skin and bones.
7 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.
8 I lie awake and moan,
like a lone sparrow on the roof.
9 All day long my enemies taunt me;
in their rage, they make my name a curse.[ag]
10 I eat ashes like bread,
mingle my drink with tears.(CZ)
11 Because of your furious wrath,
you lifted me up just to cast me down.
12 (DA)My days are like a lengthening shadow;(DB)
I wither like the grass.
II
13 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;
your renown is for all generations.(DC)
14 You will again show mercy to Zion;
now is the time for pity;
the appointed time has come.
15 Its stones are dear to your servants;
its dust moves them to pity.
16 The nations shall fear your name, Lord,
all the kings of the earth, your glory,(DD)
17 Once the Lord has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in glory,
18 Heeding the plea of the lowly,
not scorning their prayer.
19 Let this be written for the next generation,
for a people not yet born,
that they may praise the Lord:(DE)
20 [ah]“The Lord looked down from the holy heights,
viewed the earth from heaven,(DF)
21 To attend to the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”(DG)
22 Then the Lord’s name will be declared on Zion,
his praise in Jerusalem,
23 When peoples and kingdoms gather
to serve the Lord.(DH)
III
24 He has shattered my strength in mid-course,
has cut short my days.
25 I plead, O my God,
do not take me in the midst of my days.[ai](DI)
Your years last through all generations.
26 Of old you laid the earth’s foundations;(DJ)
the heavens are the work of your hands.
27 They perish, but you remain;
they all wear out like a garment;
Like clothing you change them and they are changed,
28 but you are the same, your years have no end.
29 May the children of your servants live on;
may their descendants live in your presence.(DK)
Psalm 103[aj]
Praise of Divine Goodness
1 Of David.
I
Bless the Lord, my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, my soul;
and do not forget all his gifts,
3 Who pardons all your sins,
and heals all your ills,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,(DL)
and crowns you with mercy and compassion,
5 Who fills your days with good things,
so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.[ak]
II
6 The Lord does righteous deeds,
brings justice to all the oppressed.(DM)
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
to the Israelites his deeds.
8 Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy.(DN)
9 He will not always accuse,
and nurses no lasting anger;
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins merit,
nor requited us as our wrongs deserve.
III
11 For as the heavens tower over the earth,
so his mercy towers over those who fear him.(DO)
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we are formed,
remembers that we are dust.(DP)
15 As for man, his days are like the grass;
he blossoms like a flower in the field.(DQ)
16 A wind sweeps over it and it is gone;
its place knows it no more.
17 But the Lord’s mercy is from age to age,
toward those who fear him.
His salvation is for the children’s children
18 of those who keep his covenant,
and remember to carry out his precepts.
IV
19 The Lord has set his throne in heaven;
his dominion extends over all.
20 Bless the Lord, all you his angels,(DR)
mighty in strength, acting at his behest,
obedient to his command.
21 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts,
his ministers who carry out his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his creatures,
everywhere in his domain.
Bless the Lord, my soul!
Psalm 104[al]
Praise of God the Creator
I
1 Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and splendor,
2 robed in light as with a cloak.
You spread out the heavens like a tent;(DS)
3 setting the beams of your chambers upon the waters.[am]
You make the clouds your chariot;
traveling on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers;
flaming fire, your ministers.(DT)
II
5 [an]You fixed the earth on its foundation,
so it can never be shaken.
6 The deeps covered it like a garment;
above the mountains stood the waters.
7 At your rebuke they took flight;
at the sound of your thunder they fled.(DU)
8 They rushed up the mountains, down the valleys
to the place you had fixed for them.
9 You set a limit they cannot pass;
never again will they cover the earth.(DV)
III
10 You made springs flow in wadies
that wind among the mountains.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;(DW)
here wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of heaven nest;
among the branches they sing.
13 You water the mountains from your chambers;
from the fruit of your labor the earth abounds.
14 You make the grass grow for the cattle
and plants for people’s work
to bring forth food from the earth,
15 wine to gladden their hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread to sustain the human heart.
16 [ao]The trees of the Lord drink their fill,
the cedars of Lebanon, which you planted.
17 There the birds build their nests;
the stork in the junipers, its home.(DX)
18 The high mountains are for wild goats;
the rocky cliffs, a refuge for badgers.
IV
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,(DY)
the sun that knows the hour of its setting.
20 You bring darkness and night falls,
then all the animals of the forest wander about.
21 Young lions roar for prey;
they seek their food from God.(DZ)
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
and settle down in their dens.
23 People go out to their work,
to their labor till evening falls.
V
24 How varied are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.(EA)
25 There is the sea, great and wide!
It teems with countless beings,
living things both large and small.(EB)
26 There ships ply their course
and Leviathan,[ap] whom you formed to play with.(EC)
VI
27 All of these look to you
to give them food in due time.(ED)
28 When you give it to them, they gather;
when you open your hand, they are well filled.
29 [aq]When you hide your face, they panic.
Take away their breath, they perish
and return to the dust.(EE)
30 Send forth your spirit, they are created
and you renew the face of the earth.
VII
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord be glad in his works!
32 Who looks at the earth and it trembles,
touches the mountains and they smoke!(EF)
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.(EG)
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him;
I will rejoice in the Lord.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth,
and the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Hallelujah![ar]
Psalm 105[as]
God’s Fidelity to the Promise
I
1 Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;(EH)
make known among the peoples his deeds!(EI)
2 Sing praise to him, play music;
proclaim all his wondrous deeds!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let hearts that seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek out the Lord and his might;
constantly seek his face.(EJ)
5 Recall the wondrous deeds he has done,
his wonders and words of judgment,
6 You descendants of Abraham his servant,
offspring of Jacob the chosen one!
II
7 He the Lord, is our God
whose judgments reach through all the earth.
8 He remembers forever his covenant,
the word he commanded for a thousand generations,
9 Which he made with Abraham,
and swore to Isaac,(EK)
10 And ratified in a statute for Jacob,
an everlasting covenant for Israel:
11 “To you I give the land of Canaan,
your own allotted inheritance.”(EL)
III
12 When they were few in number,(EM)
a handful, and strangers there,
13 Wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14 He let no one oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:[at]
15 [au]“Do not touch my anointed ones,
to my prophets do no harm.”
IV
16 Then he called down a famine on the land,
destroyed the grain that sustained them.[av](EN)
17 He had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.(EO)
18 They shackled his feet with chains;
collared his neck in iron,(EP)
19 Till his prediction came to pass,
and the word of the Lord proved him true.(EQ)
20 The king sent and released him;
the ruler of peoples set him free.(ER)
21 He made him lord over his household,
ruler over all his possessions,(ES)
22 To instruct his princes as he desired,
to teach his elders wisdom.
V
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;(ET)
Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.[aw]
24 God greatly increased his people,
made them more numerous than their foes.(EU)
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people,
to treat his servants deceitfully.(EV)
26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron whom he had chosen.(EW)
27 [ax]They worked his signs in Egypt(EX)
and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and it grew dark,
but they rebelled against his word.
29 He turned their waters into blood
and killed their fish.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
even the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke and there came swarms of flies,
gnats through all their country.
32 For rain he gave them hail,
flashes of lightning throughout their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke and the locusts came,
grasshoppers without number.(EY)
35 They devoured every plant in the land;
they devoured the crops of their fields.
36 He struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of all their vigor.
37 He brought his people out,
laden with silver and gold;(EZ)
no one among the tribes stumbled.
38 Egypt rejoiced when they left,
for fear had seized them.
VI
39 He spread a cloud out as a cover,
and made a fire to light up the night.(FA)
40 They asked and he brought them quail;
with bread from heaven he filled them.(FB)
41 He split the rock and water gushed forth;
it flowed through the desert like a river.(FC)
42 For he remembered his sacred promise
to Abraham his servant.
43 He brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with shouts of triumph.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations,
they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,(FD)
45 That they might keep his statutes
and observe his teachings.(FE)
Hallelujah!
Psalm 106[ay]
Israel’s Confession of Sin
1 Hallelujah!
A
Give thanks to the Lord, who is good,
whose mercy endures forever.(FF)
2 Who can recount the mighty deeds of the Lord,
proclaim in full God’s praise?
3 Blessed those who do what is right,
whose deeds are always just.(FG)
4 Remember me, Lord, as you favor your people;
come to me with your saving help,(FH)
5 That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your heritage.
B
6 We have sinned like our ancestors;(FI)
we have done wrong and are guilty.
I
7 Our ancestors in Egypt
did not attend to your wonders.
They did not remember your manifold mercy;
they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake
to make his power known.(FJ)
9 He roared at the Red Sea and it dried up.
He led them through the deep as through a desert.(FK)
10 He rescued them from hostile hands,
freed them from the power of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their oppressors;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his words
and sang his praise.(FL)
II
13 But they soon forgot all he had done;
they had no patience for his plan.
14 In the desert they gave in to their cravings,
tempted God in the wasteland.(FM)
15 So he gave them what they asked
and sent a wasting disease against them.(FN)
III
16 In the camp they challenged Moses(FO)
and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan,
it closed on the followers of Abiram.
18 Against their company the fire blazed;
flames consumed the wicked.
IV
19 At Horeb they fashioned a calf,(FP)
worshiped a metal statue.
20 They exchanged their glory[az]
for the image of a grass-eating bull.
21 They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,(FQ)
22 Amazing deeds in the land of Ham,
fearsome deeds at the Red Sea.
23 He would have decreed their destruction,
had not Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach[ba]
to turn back his destroying anger.(FR)
V
24 Next they despised the beautiful land;(FS)
they did not believe the promise.
25 In their tents they complained;
they did not heed the voice of the Lord.
26 So with raised hand he swore
he would destroy them in the desert,
27 And scatter their descendants among the nations,
disperse them in foreign lands.
VI
28 They joined in the rites of Baal of Peor,(FT)
ate food sacrificed to the dead.
29 They provoked him by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas rose to intervene,
and the plague was brought to a halt.
31 This was counted for him as a righteous deed
for all generations to come.
VII
32 At the waters of Meribah they angered God,(FU)
and Moses suffered because of them.[bb]
33 They so embittered his spirit
that rash words crossed his lips.
VIII
34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the Lord had commanded them,(FV)
35 But mingled with the nations
and imitated their ways.(FW)
36 They served their idols
and were ensnared by them.(FX)
37 They sacrificed to demons[bc]
their own sons and daughters,
38 Shedding innocent blood,
the blood of their own sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
desecrating the land with bloodshed.
39 They defiled themselves by their actions,
became adulterers by their conduct.
40 So the Lord grew angry with his people,
abhorred his own heritage.
41 He handed them over to the nations,
and their adversaries ruled over them.(FY)
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
kept them under subjection.
43 Many times did he rescue them,
but they kept rebelling and scheming
and were brought low by their own guilt.(FZ)
44 Still God had regard for their affliction
when he heard their wailing.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant
and relented in his abundant mercy,(GA)
46 Winning for them compassion
from all who held them captive.
C
47 Save us, Lord, our God;
gather us from among the nations
That we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in praising you.(GB)
48 [bd]Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, Amen!(GC)
Hallelujah!
Footnotes
- Psalm 90 A communal lament that describes only in general terms the cause of the community’s distress. After confidently invoking God (Ps 90:1), the Psalm turns to a complaint contrasting God’s eternity with the brevity of human life (Ps 90:2–6) and sees in human suffering the punishment for sin (Ps 90:7–12). The Psalm concludes with a plea for God’s intervention (Ps 90:13–17).
- 90:3 Dust: one word of God is enough to return mortals to the dust from which they were created. Human beings were created from earth in Gn 2:7; 3:19.
- 90:5 You wash them away: the Hebrew of Ps 90:4–5 is unclear.
- 90:6 It is wilted and withered: the transitory nature of the grass under the scorching sun was proverbial, cf. Ps 129:6; Is 40:6–8.
- Psalm 91 A prayer of someone who has taken refuge in the Lord, possibly within the Temple (Ps 91:1–2). The psalmist is confident that God’s presence will protect the people in every dangerous situation (Ps 91:3–13). The final verses are an oracle of salvation promising salvation to those who trust in God (Ps 91:14–16).
- 91:1 The shelter of the Most High: basically “hiding place” but in the Psalms a designation for the protected Temple precincts, cf. Ps 27:5; 31:21; 61:5. The shade of the Almighty: lit., “the shadow of the wings of the Almighty,” cf. Ps 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8. Ps 91:4 makes clear that the shadow is an image of the safety afforded by the outstretched wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies.
- 91:11–12 The words are cited in Lk 4:10–11; Mt 4:6, as Satan tempts Jesus in the desert.
- Psalm 92 A hymn of praise and thanks for God’s faithful deeds (Ps 92:2–5). The wicked, deluded by their prosperity (Ps 92:6–9), are punished (Ps 92:10), whereas the psalmist has already experienced God’s protection (Ps 92:11–15).
- 92:14 Planted: the just are likened to trees growing in the sacred precincts of the Temple, which is often seen as the source of life and fertility because of God’s presence, cf. Ps 36:9, 10; Ez 47:1–12.
- Psalm 93 A hymn celebrating the kingship of God, who created the world (Ps 93:1–2) by defeating the sea (Ps 93:3–4). In the ancient myth that is alluded to here, Sea completely covered the land, making it impossible for the human community to live. Sea, or Flood, roars in anger against God, who is personified in the storm. God’s utterances or decrees are given authority by the victory over Sea (Ps 93:5).
- 93:1 The Lord is king: lit., “the Lord reigns.” This Psalm, and Ps 47; 96–99, are sometimes called enthronement Psalms. They may have been used in a special liturgy during which God’s ascent to the throne was ritually reenacted. They have also been interpreted eschatologically, pointing to the coming of God as king at the end-time.
- 93:3 The flood: the primordial sea was tamed by God in the act of creation. It is a figure of chaos and rebellion, cf. Ps 46:4.
- Psalm 94 A lament of an individual who is threatened by wicked people. The danger affects the whole community. Calling upon God as judge (Ps 94:1–2), the Psalm complains about oppression of the holy community by people within (Ps 94:3–7). Bold declarations of faith follow: denunciation of evildoers (Ps 94:8–11) and assurance to the just (Ps 94:12–15). The Psalm continues with further lament (Ps 94:16–19) and ends with strong confidence in God’s response (Ps 94:20–23).
- Psalm 95 Twice the Psalm calls the people to praise and worship God (Ps 95:1–2, 6), the king of all creatures (Ps 95:3–5) and shepherd of the flock (Ps 95:7a, 7b). The last strophe warns the people to be more faithful than were their ancestors in the journey to the promised land (Ps 95:7c–11). This invitation to praise God regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours.
- 95:8 Meribah: lit., “contention”; the place where the Israelites quarreled with God. Massah: “testing,” the place where they put God to the trial, cf. Ex 17:7; Nm 20:13.
- 95:11 My rest: the promised land as in Dt 12:9. Hb 4 applies the verse to the eternal rest of heaven.
- Psalm 96 A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Ps 96:11–13). This Psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Is 40–55, as does Ps 98. Another version of the Psalm is 1 Chr 16:23–33.
- 96:4 For references to other gods, see comments on Ps 58 and 82.
- Psalm 97 The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Hb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12).
- 97:7 All gods: divine beings thoroughly subordinate to Israel’s God. The Greek translates “angels,” an interpretation adopted by Hb 1:6.
- Psalm 98 A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9).
- 98:1 Marvelous deeds…victory: the conquest of all threats to the peaceful existence of Israel, depicted in the Psalms variously as a cosmic force such as sea, or nations bent on Israel’s destruction, or evildoers seemingly triumphant. His right hand and holy arm: God is pictured as a powerful warrior.
- Psalm 99 A hymn to God as the king whose grandeur is most clearly seen on Mount Zion (Ps 99:2) and in the laws given to Israel (Ps 99:4). Israel is special because of God’s word of justice, which was mediated by the revered speakers, Moses, Aaron, and Samuel (Ps 99:6–8). The poem is structured by the threefold statement that God is holy (Ps 99:3, 5, 9) and by the twice-repeated command to praise (Ps 99:5, 9).
- 99:1 Enthroned on the cherubim: cherubim were composite beings with animal and human features, common in ancient Near Eastern art. Two cherubim were placed on the ark (or box) of the covenant in the holy of holies. Upon them God was believed to dwell invisibly, cf. Ex 25:20–22; 1 Sm 4:4; 2 Sm 6:2; Ps 80:2.
- 99:5 Footstool: a reference to the ark, cf. 1 Chr 28:2; Ps 132:7.
- Psalm 100 A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.
- 100:3 Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God.
- Psalm 101 The king, grateful at being God’s chosen (Ps 101:1), promises to be a ruler after God’s own heart (Ps 101:2–3), allowing into the royal service only the God-fearing (Ps 101:3–8).
- 101:2 Within my household: the king promises to make his own household, i.e., the royal court, a model for Israel, banning all officials who abuse their power.
- 101:6 I look to the faithful of the land: the king seeks companions only among those faithful to God.
- 101:8 Morning after morning: the morning is the normal time for the administration of justice (2 Sm 15:2; Jer 21:12) and for the arrival of divine aid (Ps 59:17; 143:8; Is 33:2). I clear all the wicked from the land: the king, as God’s servant, is responsible for seeing that divine justice is carried out.
- Psalm 102 A lament, one of the Penitential Psalms. The psalmist, experiencing psychological and bodily disintegration (Ps 102:4–12), cries out to God (Ps 102:1–3). In the Temple precincts where God has promised to be present, the psalmist recalls God’s venerable promises to save the poor (Ps 102:13–23). The final part (Ps 102:24–28) restates the original complaint and prayer, and emphasizes God’s eternity.
- 102:9 They make my name a curse: enemies use the psalmist’s name in phrases such as, “May you be as wretched as this person!”
- 102:20–23 Both Ps 102:20–21 and Ps 102:22–23 depend on Ps 102:19.
- 102:25 In the midst of my days: when the normal span of life is but half completed, cf. Is 38:10; Jer 17:11.
- Psalm 103 The speaker in this hymn begins by praising God for personal benefits (Ps 103:1–5), then moves on to God’s mercy toward all the people (Ps 103:6–18). Even sin cannot destroy that mercy (Ps 103:11–13), for the eternal God is well aware of the people’s human fragility (Ps 103:14–18). The psalmist invites the heavenly beings to join in praise (Ps 103:19–22).
- 103:5 Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s: because of the eagle’s long life it was a symbol of perennial youth and vigor, cf. Is 40:31.
- Psalm 104 A hymn praising God who easily and skillfully made rampaging waters and primordial night into a world vibrant with life. The psalmist describes God’s splendor in the heavens (Ps 104:1–4), how the chaotic waters were tamed to fertilize and feed the world (Ps 104:5–18), and how primordial night was made into a gentle time of refreshment (Ps 104:19–23). The picture is like Gn 1:1–2: a dark and watery chaos is made dry and lighted so that creatures might live. The psalmist reacts to the beauty of creation with awe (Ps 104:24–34). May sin not deface God’s work (Ps 104:35)!
- 104:3 Your chambers upon the waters: God’s heavenly dwelling above the upper waters of the sky, cf. Gn 1:6–7; Ps 29:10.
- 104:5–9 God places the gigantic disk of the earth securely on its foundation and then, as a warrior, chases away the enveloping waters and confines them under, above, and around the earth.
- 104:16–18 Even the exotic flora and fauna of the high mountains of the Lebanon range receive adequate water.
- 104:26 Leviathan: a sea monster symbolizing primeval chaos, cf. Ps 74:14; Is 27:1; Jb 40:25. God does not destroy chaos but makes it part of the created order.
- 104:29–30 On one level, the spirit (or wind) of God is the fall and winter rains that provide food for all creatures. On another, it is the breath (or spirit) of God that makes beings live.
- 104:35 Hallelujah: a frequent word in the last third of the Psalter. The word combines the plural imperative of praise (hallelu) with an abbreviated form of the divine name Yah(weh).
- Psalm 105 A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants.
- 105:14 Kings: Pharaoh and Abimelech of Gerar, cf. Gn 12:17; 20:6–7.
- 105:15 My anointed ones…my prophets: the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were “anointed” in the sense of being consecrated and recipients of God’s revelation.
- 105:16 The grain that sustained them: lit., every “staff of bread.”
- 105:23, 27 The land of Ham: a synonym for Egypt, cf. Gn 10:6.
- 105:27–38 This Psalm and Ps 78:43–51 have an account of the plagues differing in number or in order from Ex 7:14–12:30. Several versions of the exodus story were current.
- Psalm 106 Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5). Confident of God’s mercy, the speaker invites national repentance (Ps 106:6) by reciting from Israel’s history eight instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness. The sins are the rebellion at the Red Sea (Ps 106:6–12; see Ex 14–15), the craving for meat in the desert (Ps 106:13–15; see Nm 11), the challenge to Moses’ authority (Ps 106:16–18; see Nm 16), the golden calf episode (Ps 106:19–23; see Ex 32–34), the refusal to take Canaan by the southern route (Ps 106:24–27; see Nm 13–14 and Dt 1–2), the rebellion at Baal-Peor (Ps 106:28–31; see Nm 25:1–10), the anger of Moses (Ps 106:32–33; see Nm 20:1–13), and mingling with the nations (Ps 106:34–47). The last, as suggested by its length and generalized language, may be the sin that invites the repentance of the present generation. The text gives the site of each sin: Egypt (Ps 106:7), the desert (Ps 106:14), the camp (Ps 106:16), Horeb (Ps 106:19), in their tents (Ps 106:25), Baal-Peor (Ps 106:28), the waters of Meribah (Ps 106:32), Canaan (Ps 106:38).
- 106:20 Their glory: meant as a reference to God.
- 106:23 Withstood him in the breach: the image is that of Moses standing in a narrow break made in the wall to keep anyone from entering.
- 106:32 Moses suffered because of them: Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land because of his rash words (Nm 20:12). According to Dt 1:37, Moses was not allowed to cross because of the people’s sin, not his own.
- 106:37 Demons: Hebrew shedim occurs in parallelism with “gods” in an important inscription from Transjordan and hence can also be translated “the gods.”
- 106:48 A doxology ending Book IV of the Psalter. It is not part of the Psalm.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.