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Israel’s Rebelliousness and the Lord’s Deliverances.

106 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever!(A)

Who can put into words the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can proclaim all His praise [that is due Him]?

Blessed are those who observe justice [by honoring God’s precepts],
Who practice righteousness at all times.


Remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people.
Visit me with Your salvation [when You rescue them],

That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.


We have sinned like our fathers;
We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.(B)

Our fathers in Egypt did not understand nor appreciate Your miracles;
They did not remember the abundance of Your mercies nor imprint Your lovingkindnesses on their hearts,
But they were rebellious at the sea, at the [a]Red Sea.(C)

Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
That He might make His [supreme] power known.

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
And He led them through the depths as through a pasture.(D)
10 
So He saved them from the hand of the one that hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the [Egyptian] enemy.(E)
11 
And the waters covered their adversaries;
Not one of them was left.(F)
12 
Then Israel believed in [the validity of] His words;
They sang His praise.

13 
But they quickly forgot His works;
They did not [patiently] wait for His counsel and purpose [to be revealed regarding them],
14 
But lusted intensely in the wilderness
And tempted God [with their insistent desires] in the desert.(G)
15 
So He gave them their request,
But sent a wasting disease among them.(H)

16 
They envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron [the high priest], the holy one of the Lord,(I)
17 
Therefore the earth opened and swallowed Dathan,
And engulfed the company of Abiram.(J)
18 
And a fire broke out in their company;
The flame consumed the wicked.(K)

19 
They made a calf in Horeb (Sinai)
And worshiped a cast image.(L)
20 
Thus they exchanged [the true God who was] their glory
For the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 
They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done such great things in Egypt,
22 
Wonders in the land of Ham,
Awesome things at the Red Sea.
23 
Therefore He said He would destroy them,
[And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the gap before Him,
To turn away His wrath from destroying them.(M)
24 
Then they despised the pleasant land [of Canaan];
They did not believe in His word nor rely on it,
25 
But they sulked and complained in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26 
Therefore He lifted up His hand [swearing] to them,
That He would cause them to fall in the wilderness,
27 
And that He would cast out their descendants among the nations
And scatter them in the lands [of the earth].

28 
They joined themselves also to [the idol] Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 
Thus they provoked Him to anger with their practices,
And a plague broke out among them.
30 
Then Phinehas [the priest] stood up and [b]interceded,
And so the plague was halted.(N)
31 
And that was credited to him for righteousness,
To all generations forever.

32 
They provoked Him to anger at the waters of [c]Meribah,
So that it went hard with Moses on their account;(O)
33 
Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,
Moses spoke recklessly with his lips.

34 
They did not destroy the [pagan] peoples [in Canaan],
As the Lord commanded them,
35 
But they mingled with the [idolatrous] nations
And learned their ways,
36 
And served their idols,
Which became a [dreadful] snare to them.
37 
They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons(P)
38 
And shed innocent blood,
Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with their blood.
39 
In this way they became unclean in their practices;
They played the prostitute in their own deeds [by giving their worship, which belongs to God alone, to other “gods”].

40 
Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people
And He detested His own [d]inheritance.(Q)
41 
He gave them into the hands of the nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 
Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were subdued under the [powerful] hand of their enemies.
43 
Many times He rescued them;
But they were rebellious in their counsel,
And sank down in their wickedness.

44 
Nevertheless He looked [sympathetically] at their distress
When He heard their cry;
45 
And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented [rescinding their sentence] according to the greatness of His lovingkindness [when they cried out to Him],
46 
He also made them objects of compassion
Among those who had carried them away captive.(R)

47 
Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
That we may give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in praising You.
48 
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)(S)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:7 Lit Sea of Reeds; and so throughout.
  2. Psalm 106:30 The exact meaning of the Hebrew here has been debated since ancient times. The term interceded probably is best because it could refer to Phinehas’ intervention by executing the guilty couple (Num 25:7f), or to his interceding through prayer in behalf of Israel. No such prayer is recorded, but it is certainly possible that Phinehas prayed for relief before or after the execution. The ancient rabbis mostly understood the intercession as a prayer, but some of them took the meaning of the Hebrew to be that Phinehas interceded essentially by arguing with God as to whether it was fair to destroy so many people for the sins of two.
  3. Psalm 106:32 Lit strife.
  4. Psalm 106:40 I.e. people.

Remember Me, O Yahweh

106 [a]Praise Yah!
Oh (A)give thanks to Yahweh, for He (B)is good;
For (C)His lovingkindness endures forever.
Who can speak of the (D)mighty deeds of Yahweh,
Or can make all His praise to be heard?
How blessed are those who keep [b]justice,
[c]And he who (E)does righteousness at all times!

Remember me, O Yahweh, in Your (F)favor [d]toward Your people;
Visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the (G)goodness of Your chosen ones,
That I may (H)rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may (I)boast with Your [e]inheritance.

(J)We have sinned (K)with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly.
Our fathers in Egypt did not consider Your wondrous deeds;
They (L)did not remember Your abundant lovingkindnesses,
But they (M)rebelled by the sea, at the [f]Red Sea.
Yet He saved them (N)for the sake of His name,
That He might (O)make His might known.
Thus He (P)rebuked the [g]Red Sea and it (Q)dried up,
And He (R)led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness.
10 So He (S)saved them from the [h]hand of the one who hated them,
And (T)redeemed them from the [i]hand of the enemy.
11 (U)The waters covered their adversaries;
Not one of them was left.
12 Then they (V)believed His words;
They (W)sang His praise.

13 They quickly (X)forgot His works;
They (Y)did not wait for His counsel,
14 But (Z)craved intensely in the wilderness,
And (AA)put God to the test in the wasteland.
15 So He (AB)gave them their request,
But (AC)sent a [j]wasting disease against their lives.

16 Then they became (AD)envious of Moses in the camp,
And of Aaron, the holy one of Yahweh,
17 The (AE)earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
And covered up the [k]company of Abiram.
18 And a (AF)fire burned up in their company;
The flame consumed the wicked.

19 They (AG)made a calf in Horeb
And worshiped a molten image.
20 Thus they (AH)exchanged their glory
For the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They (AI)forgot God their Savior,
Who had done (AJ)great things in Egypt,
22 (AK)Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham
And awesome things by the [l]Red Sea.
23 Therefore (AL)He said that He would destroy them,
Had not (AM)Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him,
To turn away His wrath from [m]eradicating them.
24 Then they (AN)despised the (AO)pleasant land;
They (AP)did not believe in His word,
25 But (AQ)grumbled in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of Yahweh.
26 So He [n](AR)swore to them
To make them fall in the wilderness,
27 And to (AS)make their seed fall among the nations
And to (AT)scatter them in the lands.

28 They then (AU)joined themselves to [o]Baal-peor,
And ate (AV)sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 Thus they (AW)provoked Him to anger with their actions,
And the plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas (AX)stood up and interceded,
And so the (AY)plague was checked.
31 And it was (AZ)counted to him for righteousness,
From generation to generation forever.

32 They also (BA)provoked Him to wrath at the waters of [p]Meribah,
So that it (BB)went badly with Moses on their account;
33 Because they (BC)were rebellious against [q]His Spirit,
He spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They (BD)did not destroy the peoples,
As (BE)Yahweh commanded them,
35 But (BF)they mingled with the nations
And learned their works,
36 And (BG)served their idols,
(BH)Which became a snare to them.
37 They (BI)sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the (BJ)demons,
38 And they shed (BK)innocent blood,
The blood of their (BL)sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was (BM)polluted with the blood.
39 Thus they became (BN)unclean in their works,
And (BO)played the harlot in their actions.

40 So the (BP)anger of Yahweh was kindled against His people
And He (BQ)abhorred His [r](BR)inheritance.
41 Then (BS)He gave them into the hand of the [s]nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies (BT)oppressed them,
And they were subdued under their hand.
43 Many times He would (BU)deliver them;
But they were rebellious in their (BV)counsel,
And so they (BW)sank down in their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress
When He (BX)heard their cry of lamentation;
45 And He (BY)remembered for them His covenant,
And [t](BZ)relented (CA)according to the abundance of His lovingkindness.
46 He also made them (CB)objects of compassion
In the presence of all their captors.

47 (CC)Save us, O Yahweh our God,
And (CD)gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And (CE)revel in Your praise.
48 (CF)Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
[u]Praise Yah!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 106:3 Lit judgment
  3. Psalm 106:3 Many Heb mss The one who performs
  4. Psalm 106:4 Lit of
  5. Psalm 106:5 People
  6. Psalm 106:7 Lit Sea of Reeds
  7. Psalm 106:9 Lit Sea of Reeds
  8. Psalm 106:10 Or power
  9. Psalm 106:10 Or power
  10. Psalm 106:15 Or leanness into their soul
  11. Psalm 106:17 Or assembly, band
  12. Psalm 106:22 Lit Sea of Reeds
  13. Psalm 106:23 Or bringing them to ruin
  14. Psalm 106:26 Or swore against; lit lifted up His hand
  15. Psalm 106:28 Or Baal of Peor
  16. Psalm 106:32 Lit strife
  17. Psalm 106:33 Or his spirit
  18. Psalm 106:40 People
  19. Psalm 106:41 Or Gentiles
  20. Psalm 106:45 Lit was sorry
  21. Psalm 106:48 Or Hallelujah!

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