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Psalm 106-108
Contemporary English Version
Psalm 106-108
Contemporary English Version
A Nation Asks for Forgiveness
1 (A) We will celebrate
and praise you, Lord!
You are good to us,
and your love never fails.
2 No one can praise you enough
for all the mighty things
you have done.
3 You bless those people
who are honest and fair
in everything they do.
4 Remember me, Lord,
when you show kindness
by saving your people.
5 Let me prosper with the rest
of your chosen ones,
as they celebrate with pride
because they belong to you.
6 We and our ancestors
have sinned terribly.
7 (B) When they were in Egypt,
they paid no attention
to your marvelous deeds
or your wonderful love.
And they turned against you
at the Red Sea.[a]
8 But you were true to your name,
and you rescued them to prove
how mighty you are.
9 (C) You said to the Red Sea,[b]
“Dry up!”
Then you led your people across
on land as dry as a desert.
10 You saved all of them
11 and drowned every one
of their enemies.
12 (D) Then your people trusted you
and sang your praises.
13 But they soon forgot
what you had done
and rejected your advice.
14 (E) They became greedy for food
and tested you there
in the desert.
15 So you gave them
what they wanted,
but later you destroyed them
with a horrible disease.
16 (F) Everyone in camp was jealous
of Moses and of Aaron,
your chosen priest.
17 Dathan and Abiram rebelled,
and the earth opened up
and swallowed them.
18 Then fire broke out
and destroyed all
of their followers.
19 (G) At Horeb your people
made and worshiped the statue
20 of a bull, instead of you,
their glorious God.
21 You worked powerful miracles
to save them from Egypt,
but they forgot about you
22 and the fearsome things
you did at the Red Sea.[c]
23 You were angry and started
to destroy them,
but Moses, your chosen leader,
begged you not to do it.
24 (H) They would not trust
you, Lord,
and they did not like
the promised land.
25 They would not obey you,
and they grumbled
in their tents.
26 So you threatened them
by saying, “I'll kill you
out here in the desert!
27 (I) I'll scatter your children
everywhere in the world.”
28 (J) Your people became followers
of a god named Baal Peor,
and they ate sacrifices
offered to the dead.[d]
29 They did such terrible things
that you punished them
with a deadly disease.
30 But Phinehas[e] helped them,
and the sickness stopped.
31 Now he will always
be highly honored.
32 (K) At Meribah Spring[f]
they turned against you
and made you furious.
33 Then Moses got into trouble
for speaking in anger.
34 (L) Our Lord, they disobeyed you
by refusing to destroy
the nations.
35 Instead they were friendly
with those foreigners
and followed their customs.
36 Then they fell into the trap
of worshiping idols.
37 (M) They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons
38 (N) and to the gods of Canaan.
Then they poured out the blood
of these innocent children
and made the land filthy.
39 By doing such gruesome things,
they also became filthy.
40 (O) Finally, Lord, you were angry
and terribly disgusted
with your people.
41 So you put them in the power
of nations that hated them.
42 They were mistreated and abused
by their enemies,
43 but you saved them
time after time.
They were determined to rebel,
and their sins caused
their downfall.
44 You answered their prayers
when they were in trouble.
45 You kept your agreement
and were so merciful
46 that their enemies
had pity on them.
47 (P) Save us, Lord God!
Bring us back
from among the nations.
Let us celebrate and shout
in praise of your holy name.
48 Lord God of Israel,
you deserve to be praised
forever and ever.
Let everyone say, “Amen!
Shout praises to the Lord!”
BOOK V
(Psalms 107–150)
The Lord Is Good to His People
1 (Q) Shout praises to the Lord!
He is good to us,
and his love never fails.
2 Everyone the Lord has rescued
from trouble
should praise him,
3 everyone he has brought
from the east and the west,
the north and the south.[g]
4 Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
far from a town.
5 You were hungry and thirsty
and about to give up.
6 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
7 At once he brought you
to a town.
8 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
9 To everyone who is thirsty,
he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
he gives good things to eat.
10 Some of you were prisoners
suffering in deepest darkness
and bound by chains,
11 because you had rebelled
against God Most High
and refused his advice.
12 You were worn out
from working like slaves,
and no one came to help.
13 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
14 He brought you out
of the deepest darkness
and broke your chains.
15 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
16 He breaks down bronze gates
and shatters iron locks.
17 Some of you had foolishly
committed a lot of sins
and were in terrible pain.
18 The very thought of food
was disgusting to you,
and you were almost dead.
19 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
20 By the power of his own word,
he healed you and saved you
from destruction.
21 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
22 You should celebrate
by offering sacrifices
and singing joyful songs
to tell what he has done.
23 Some of you made a living
by sailing the mighty sea,
24 and you saw the miracles
the Lord performed there.
25 At his command a storm arose,
and waves covered the sea.
26 You were tossed to the sky
and to the ocean depths,
until things looked so bad
that you lost your courage.
27 You staggered like drunkards
and gave up all hope.
28 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
29 He made the storm stop
and the sea be quiet.
30 You were happy because of this,
and he brought you to the port
where you wanted to go.
31 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
32 Honor the Lord
when you and your leaders
meet to worship.
33 If you start doing wrong,
the Lord will turn rivers
into deserts,
34 (R) flowing streams
into scorched land,
and fruitful fields
into beds of salt.
35 But the Lord can also turn
deserts into lakes
and scorched land
into flowing streams.
36 If you are hungry,
you can settle there
and build a town.
37 You can plant fields
and vineyards that produce
a good harvest.
38 The Lord will bless you
with many children
and with herds of cattle.
39 Sometimes you may be crushed
by troubles and sorrows,
until only a few of you
are left to survive.
40 But the Lord will take revenge
on those who conquer you,
and he will make them wander
across desert sands.
41 When you are suffering
and in need,
he will come to your rescue,
and your families will grow
as fast as a herd of sheep.
42 You will see this because
you obey the Lord,
but everyone who is wicked
will be silenced.
43 Be wise! Remember this
and think about the kindness
of the Lord.
(A song and a psalm by David.)
With God on Our Side
1 Our God, I am faithful to you
with all my heart,
and you can trust me.
I will sing
and play music for you
with all that I am.
2 I will start playing my harps
before the sun rises.
3 I will praise you, Lord,
for everyone to hear;
I will sing hymns to you
in every nation.
4 Your love reaches higher
than the heavens,
and your loyalty extends
beyond the clouds.
5 Our God, may you be honored
above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.
6 Answer my prayers
and use your powerful arm
to give us victory.
Then the people you love
will be safe.
7 Our God, from your holy place
you made this promise:
“I will gladly divide up
the city of Shechem
and give away Succoth Valley
piece by piece.
8 The lands of Gilead
and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is my war helmet,
and Judah is my symbol
of royal power.
9 Moab is merely my washbasin,
and Edom belongs to me.
I shout with victory
over the Philistines.”
10 Our God, who will bring me
to the fortress
or lead me to Edom?
11 Have you rejected us?
You don't lead our armies.
12 Help us defeat our enemies!
No one else can rescue us.
13 Only you give us victory
and crush our enemies.
Footnotes
- 106.7 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, “Sea of Reeds,” one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17—14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 b.c., the “Sea of Reeds” was named “Red Sea.”
- 106.9 Red Sea: See the note at 106.7.
- 106.22 Red Sea: See the note at 106.7.
- 106.28 the dead: Or “lifeless idols.”
- 106.30 Phinehas: The grandson of Aaron, who put two people to death and kept the Lord from being angry with the rest of his people (see Numbers 25.1-13).
- 106.32 Meribah Spring: See the note at 81.7.
- 107.3 south: The Hebrew text has “sea,” probably referring to the Mediterranean Sea.
Psalm 106-108
New International Version
Psalm 106-108
New International Version
Psalm 106(A)
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts(E) of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,(F)
who always do what is right.(G)
4 Remember me,(H) Lord, when you show favor(I) to your people,
come to my aid(J) when you save them,
5 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.
6 We have sinned,(O) even as our ancestors(P) did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.(Q)
7 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]
8 Yet he saved them(U) for his name’s sake,(V)
to make his mighty power(W) known.
9 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.
BOOK V
Psalms 107–150
Psalm 107
2 Let the redeemed(CU) of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered(CV) from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.[d]
4 Some wandered in desert(CW) wastelands,
finding no way to a city(CX) where they could settle.
5 They were hungry(CY) and thirsty,(CZ)
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out(DA) to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way(DB)
to a city(DC) where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks(DD) to the Lord for his unfailing love(DE)
and his wonderful deeds(DF) for mankind,
9 for he satisfies(DG) the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.(DH)
10 Some sat in darkness,(DI) in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering(DJ) in iron chains,(DK)
11 because they rebelled(DL) against God’s commands
and despised(DM) the plans(DN) of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.(DO)
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them(DP) from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness,(DQ) the utter darkness,(DR)
and broke away their chains.(DS)
15 Let them give thanks(DT) to the Lord for his unfailing love(DU)
and his wonderful deeds(DV) for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some became fools(DW) through their rebellious ways(DX)
and suffered affliction(DY) because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food(DZ)
and drew near the gates of death.(EA)
19 Then they cried(EB) to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them(EC) from their distress.
20 He sent out his word(ED) and healed them;(EE)
he rescued(EF) them from the grave.(EG)
21 Let them give thanks(EH) to the Lord for his unfailing love(EI)
and his wonderful deeds(EJ) for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings(EK)
and tell of his works(EL) with songs of joy.(EM)
23 Some went out on the sea(EN) in ships;(EO)
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,(EP)
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke(EQ) and stirred up a tempest(ER)
that lifted high the waves.(ES)
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril(ET) their courage melted(EU) away.
27 They reeled(EV) and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried(EW) out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.(EX)
29 He stilled the storm(EY) to a whisper;
the waves(EZ) of the sea[e] were hushed.(FA)
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them(FB) to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks(FC) to the Lord for his unfailing love(FD)
and his wonderful deeds(FE) for mankind.
32 Let them exalt(FF) him in the assembly(FG) of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turned rivers into a desert,(FH)
flowing springs(FI) into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,(FJ)
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water(FK)
and the parched ground into flowing springs;(FL)
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards(FM)
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,(FN)
and he did not let their herds diminish.(FO)
39 Then their numbers decreased,(FP) and they were humbled(FQ)
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles(FR)
made them wander in a trackless waste.(FS)
41 But he lifted the needy(FT) out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.(FU)
42 The upright see and rejoice,(FV)
but all the wicked shut their mouths.(FW)
Psalm 108[f](FZ)(GA)
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;(GB)
I will sing(GC) and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!(GD)
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love,(GE) higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness(GF) reaches to the skies.(GG)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(GH)
let your glory be over all the earth.(GI)
6 Save us and help us with your right hand,(GJ)
that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken(GK) from his sanctuary:(GL)
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(GM)
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(GN)
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah(GO) is my scepter.
9 Moab(GP) is my washbasin,
on Edom(GQ) I toss my sandal;
over Philistia(GR) I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?(GS)
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.(GT)
13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down(GU) our enemies.
Footnotes
- Psalm 106:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 48
- Psalm 106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 22
- Psalm 106:33 Or against his spirit, / and rash words came from his lips
- Psalm 107:3 Hebrew north and the sea
- Psalm 107:29 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / their waves
- Psalm 108:1 In Hebrew texts 108:1-13 is numbered 108:2-14.
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