Psalms

¹Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. ²Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD, or fully declare all his praise? ³Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times. ⁴Remember me, LORD, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation, ⁵that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. ⁶We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. ⁷Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt. They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea. ⁸Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known. ⁹He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; so he led them through the depths, as through a desert. ¹⁰He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. ¹¹The waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left. ¹²Then they believed his words. They sang his praise. ¹³They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel, ¹⁴but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland. ¹⁵He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. ¹⁶They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, the LORD’s saint. ¹⁷The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. ¹⁸A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked. ¹⁹They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image. ²⁰Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass. ²¹They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, ²²wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea. ²³Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them. ²⁴Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word, ²⁵but murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to the LORD’s voice. ²⁶Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness, ²⁷that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands. ²⁸They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. ²⁹Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them. ³⁰Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped. ³¹That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come. ³²They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes; ³³because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips. ³⁴They didn’t destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, ³⁵but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works. ³⁶They served their idols, which became a snare to them. ³⁷Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. ³⁸They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood. ³⁹Thus they were defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds. ⁴⁰Therefore the LORD burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance. ⁴¹He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them. ⁴²Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand. ⁴³He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity. ⁴⁴Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. ⁴⁵He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. ⁴⁶He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive. ⁴⁷Save us, LORD, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise! ⁴⁸Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!