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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.

106 Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?

Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.

18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.

26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:

35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.