Book Four (Psalms 90–106)

Psalm 90

The Brevity of Life

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1Lord, through all the generations

you have been our home!

2Before the mountains were born,

before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

from beginning to end, you are God.

3You turn people back to dust, saying,

“Return to dust, you mortals!”

4For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,

as brief as a few night hours.

5You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.

They are like grass that springs up in the morning.

6In the morning it blooms and flourishes,

but by evening it is dry and withered.

7We wither beneath your anger;

we are overwhelmed by your fury.

8You spread out our sins before you—

our secret sins—and you see them all.

9We live our lives beneath your wrath,

ending our years with a groan.

10Seventy years are given to us!

Some even live to eighty.

But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;

soon they disappear, and we fly away.

11Who can comprehend the power of your anger?

Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.

12Teach us to realize the brevity of life,

so that we may grow in wisdom.

13O Lord, come back to us!

How long will you delay?

Take pity on your servants!

14Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,

so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.

15Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!

Replace the evil years with good.

16Let us, your servants, see you work again;

let our children see your glory.

17And may the Lord our God show us his approval

and make our efforts successful.

Yes, make our efforts successful!

Psalm 91

The Lord’s Promise of Protection

1Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2This I declare about the Lord:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

he is my God, and I trust him.

3For he will rescue you from every trap

and protect you from deadly disease.

4He will cover you with his feathers.

He will shelter you with his wings.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

5Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,

nor the arrow that flies in the day.

6Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,

nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

7Though a thousand fall at your side,

though ten thousand are dying around you,

these evils will not touch you.

8Just open your eyes,

and see how the wicked are punished.

9If you make the Lord your refuge,

if you make the Most High your shelter,

10no evil will conquer you;

no plague will come near your home.

11For he will order his angels

to protect you wherever you go.

12They will hold you up with their hands

so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

13You will trample upon lions and cobras;

you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

15When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them.

16I will reward them with a long life

and give them my salvation.”

Psalm 92

The Godly Will Flourish

A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.

1It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to the Most High.

2It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,

your faithfulness in the evening,

3accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp,

and the melody of a lyre.

4You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!

I sing for joy because of what you have done.

5O Lord, what great works you do!

And how deep are your thoughts.

6Only a simpleton would not know,

and only a fool would not understand this:

7Though the wicked sprout like weeds

and evildoers flourish,

they will be destroyed forever.

8But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.

9Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;

all evildoers will be scattered.

10But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.

You have anointed me with the finest oil.

11My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;

my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.

12But the godly will flourish like palm trees

and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.

13For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.

They flourish in the courts of our God.

14Even in old age they will still produce fruit;

they will remain vital and green.

15They will declare, “The Lord is just!

He is my rock!

There is no evil in him!”

Psalm 93

The Lord’s Eternal Reign

1The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.

Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.

The world stands firm

and cannot be shaken.

2Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.

You yourself are from the everlasting past.

3The floods have risen up, O Lord.

The floods have roared like thunder;

the floods have lifted their pounding waves.

4But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,

mightier than the breakers on the shore—

the Lord above is mightier than these!

5Your royal laws cannot be changed.

Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.

Psalm 94

A Plea for Judgment on Oppressors

1O Lord, the God of vengeance,

O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!

2Arise, O Judge of the earth.

Give the proud what they deserve.

3How long, O Lord?

How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?

4How long will they speak with arrogance?

How long will these evil people boast?

5They crush your people, Lord,

hurting those you claim as your own.

6They kill widows and foreigners

and murder orphans.

7“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say,

“and besides, the God of Israel*94:7 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 44:4. doesn’t care.”

8Think again, you fools!

When will you finally catch on?

9Is he deaf—the one who made your ears?

Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?

10He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?

He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?

11The Lord knows people’s thoughts;

he knows they are worthless!

12Joyful are those you discipline, Lord,

those you teach with your instructions.

13You give them relief from troubled times

until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.

14The Lord will not reject his people;

he will not abandon his special possession.

15Judgment will again be founded on justice,

and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.

16Who will protect me from the wicked?

Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

17Unless the Lord had helped me,

I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.

18I cried out, “I am slipping!”

but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.

19When doubts filled my mind,

your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

20Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—

leaders whose decrees permit injustice?

21They gang up against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the Lord is my fortress;

my God is the mighty rock where I hide.

23God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.

He will destroy them for their sins.

The Lord our God will destroy them.

Psalm 95

A Call to Praise and Listen to the Lord

1Come, let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2Let us come to him with thanksgiving.

Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

3For the Lord is a great God,

a great King above all gods.

4He holds in his hands the depths of the earth

and the mightiest mountains.

5The sea belongs to him, for he made it.

His hands formed the dry land, too.

6Come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,

7for he is our God.

We are the people he watches over,

the flock under his care.

If only you would listen to his voice today!

8The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah,

as they did at Massah in the wilderness.

9For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience,

even though they saw everything I did.

10For forty years I was angry with them, and I said,

‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me.

They refuse to do what I tell them.’

11So in my anger I took an oath:

‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

Psalm 96

Proclaim the Good News in All Nations

1Sing a new song to the Lord!

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

4Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

He is to be feared above all gods.

5The gods of other nations are mere idols,

but the Lord made the heavens!

6Honor and majesty surround him;

strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

7O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;

recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

8Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

Let all the earth tremble before him.

10Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

He will judge all peoples fairly.

11Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

12Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

Let the trees of the forest sing for joy

13before the Lord, for he is coming!

He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with his truth.

Psalm 97

The Lord Is Exalted above All Gods

1The Lord is king!

Let the earth rejoice!

Let the farthest coastlands be glad.

2Dark clouds surround him.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3Fire spreads ahead of him

and burns up all his foes.

4His lightning flashes out across the world.

The earth sees and trembles.

5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

6The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

every nation sees his glory.

7Those who worship idols are disgraced—

all who brag about their worthless gods—

for every god must bow to him.

8Jerusalem*97:8 Hebrew Zion. has heard and rejoiced,

and all the towns of Judah are glad

because of your justice, O Lord!

9For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

10You who love the Lord, hate evil!

He protects the lives of his godly people

and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

11Light shines on the godly,

and joy on those whose hearts are right.

12May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord

and praise his holy name!

Psalm 98

Praise for the Lord’s Victory

A psalm.

1Sing a new song to the Lord,

for he has done wonderful deeds.

His right hand has won a mighty victory;

his holy arm has shown his saving power!

2The Lord has announced his victory

and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!

3He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.

The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4Shout to the Lord, all the earth;

break out in praise and sing for joy!

5Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and melodious song,

6with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.

Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!

7Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the earth and all living things join in.

8Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

Let the hills sing out their songs of joy

9before the Lord,

for he is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with fairness.

Psalm 99

The Lord Is Enthroned in Jerusalem

1The Lord is king!

Let the nations tremble!

He sits on his throne between the cherubim.

Let the whole earth quake!

2The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem,*99:2 Hebrew Zion.

exalted above all the nations.

3Let them praise your great and awesome name.

Your name is holy!

4Mighty King, lover of justice,

you have established fairness.

You have acted with justice

and righteousness throughout Israel.*99:4 Hebrew Jacob. See note on 44:4.

5Exalt the Lord our God!

Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

6Moses and Aaron were among his priests;

Samuel also called on his name.

They cried to the Lord for help,

and he answered them.

7He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud,

and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.

8O Lord our God, you answered them.

You were a forgiving God to them,

but you punished them when they went wrong.

9Exalt the Lord our God,

and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem,

for the Lord our God is holy!

Psalm 100

Shout with Joy to the Lord

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

2Worship the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy.

3Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

He made us, and we are his.*100:3 As in an alternate reading in the Masoretic Text; the other alternate and some ancient versions read and not we ourselves.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and praise his name.

5For the Lord is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,

and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Psalm 101

Promises of a Godly Ruler

A psalm of David.

1I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.

I will praise you with songs.

2I will be careful to live a blameless life—

when will you come to help me?

I will lead a life of integrity

in my own home.

3I will refuse to look at

anything vile and vulgar.

I hate all who deal crookedly;

I will have nothing to do with them.

4I will reject perverse ideas

and stay away from every evil.

5I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.

I will not endure conceit and pride.

6I will search for faithful people

to be my companions.

Only those who are above reproach

will be allowed to serve me.

7I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,

and liars will not stay in my presence.

8My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked

and free the city of the Lord from their grip.

Psalm 102

A Plea for the Lord to Rebuild Jerusalem

A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the Lord.

1Lord, hear my prayer!

Listen to my plea!

2Don’t turn away from me

in my time of distress.

Bend down to listen,

and answer me quickly when I call to you.

3For my days disappear like smoke,

and my bones burn like red-hot coals.

4My heart is sick, withered like grass,

and I have lost my appetite.

5Because of my groaning,

I am reduced to skin and bones.

6I am like an owl in the desert,

like a little owl in a far-off wilderness.

7I lie awake,

lonely as a solitary bird on the roof.

8My enemies taunt me day after day.

They mock and curse me.

9I eat ashes for food.

My tears run down into my drink

10because of your anger and wrath.

For you have picked me up and thrown me out.

11My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows.

I am withering away like grass.

12But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever.

Your fame will endure to every generation.

13You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem*102:13 Hebrew Zion; also in 102:16.—

and now is the time to pity her,

now is the time you promised to help.

14For your people love every stone in her walls

and cherish even the dust in her streets.

15Then the nations will tremble before the Lord.

The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory.

16For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem.

He will appear in his glory.

17He will listen to the prayers of the destitute.

He will not reject their pleas.

18Let this be recorded for future generations,

so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.

19Tell them the Lord looked down

from his heavenly sanctuary.

He looked down to earth from heaven

20to hear the groans of the prisoners,

to release those condemned to die.

21And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion,

his praises in Jerusalem,

22when multitudes gather together

and kingdoms come to worship the Lord.

23He broke my strength in midlife,

cutting short my days.

24But I cried to him, “O my God, who lives forever,

don’t take my life while I am so young!

25Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth

and made the heavens with your hands.

26They will perish, but you remain forever;

they will wear out like old clothing.

You will change them like a garment

and discard them.

27But you are always the same;

you will live forever.

28The children of your people

will live in security.

Their children’s children

will thrive in your presence.”

Psalm 103

The Lord’s Goodness to His Children

A psalm of David.

1Let all that I am praise the Lord;

with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

2Let all that I am praise the Lord;

may I never forget the good things he does for me.

3He forgives all my sins

and heals all my diseases.

4He redeems me from death

and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

5He fills my life with good things.

My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

6The Lord gives righteousness

and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

7He revealed his character to Moses

and his deeds to the people of Israel.

8The Lord is compassionate and merciful,

slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

9He will not constantly accuse us,

nor remain angry forever.

10He does not punish us for all our sins;

he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

11For his unfailing love toward those who fear him

is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

12He has removed our sins as far from us

as the east is from the west.

13The Lord is like a father to his children,

tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

14For he knows how weak we are;

he remembers we are only dust.

15Our days on earth are like grass;

like wildflowers, we bloom and die.

16The wind blows, and we are gone—

as though we had never been here.

17But the love of the Lord remains forever

with those who fear him.

His salvation extends to the children’s children

18of those who are faithful to his covenant,

of those who obey his commandments!

19The Lord has made the heavens his throne;

from there he rules over everything.

20Praise the Lord, you angels,

you mighty ones who carry out his plans,

listening for each of his commands.

21Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels

who serve him and do his will!

22Praise the Lord, everything he has created,

everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Psalm 104

The Lord’s Greatness in Creation

1Let all that I am praise the Lord.

O Lord my God, how great you are!

You are robed with honor and majesty.

2You are dressed in a robe of light.

You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;

3you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.

You make the clouds your chariot;

you ride upon the wings of the wind.

4The winds are your messengers;

flames of fire are your servants.*104:4 Greek version reads He sends his angels like the winds, / his servants like flames of fire. Compare Heb 1:7.

5You placed the world on its foundation

so it would never be moved.

6You clothed the earth with floods of water,

water that covered even the mountains.

7At your command, the water fled;

at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.

8Mountains rose and valleys sank

to the levels you decreed.

9Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,

so they would never again cover the earth.

10You make springs pour water into the ravines,

so streams gush down from the mountains.

11They provide water for all the animals,

and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds nest beside the streams

and sing among the branches of the trees.

13You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,

and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.

14You cause grass to grow for the livestock

and plants for people to use.

You allow them to produce food from the earth—

15wine to make them glad,

olive oil to soothe their skin,

and bread to give them strength.

16The trees of the Lord are well cared for—

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17There the birds make their nests,

and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.

18High in the mountains live the wild goats,

and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.*104:18 Or coneys, or rock badgers.

19You made the moon to mark the seasons,

and the sun knows when to set.

20You send the darkness, and it becomes night,

when all the forest animals prowl about.

21Then the young lions roar for their prey,

stalking the food provided by God.

22At dawn they slink back

into their dens to rest.

23Then people go off to their work,

where they labor until evening.

24O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!

In wisdom you have made them all.

The earth is full of your creatures.

25Here is the ocean, vast and wide,

teeming with life of every kind,

both large and small.

26See the ships sailing along,

and Leviathan,*104:26 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature. which you made to play in the sea.

27They all depend on you

to give them food as they need it.

28When you supply it, they gather it.

You open your hand to feed them,

and they are richly satisfied.

29But if you turn away from them, they panic.

When you take away their breath,

they die and turn again to dust.

30When you give them your breath,*104:30 Or When you send your Spirit. life is created,

and you renew the face of the earth.

31May the glory of the Lord continue forever!

The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!

32The earth trembles at his glance;

the mountains smoke at his touch.

33I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.

I will praise my God to my last breath!

34May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the Lord.

35Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;

let the wicked disappear forever.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 105

The Lord’s Greatness in the Exodus

1Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.

Let the whole world know what he has done.

2Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.

Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

3Exult in his holy name;

rejoice, you who worship the Lord.

4Search for the Lord and for his strength;

continually seek him.

5Remember the wonders he has performed,

his miracles, and the rulings he has given,

6you children of his servant Abraham,

you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7He is the Lord our God.

His justice is seen throughout the land.

8He always stands by his covenant—

the commitment he made to a thousand generations.

9This is the covenant he made with Abraham

and the oath he swore to Isaac.

10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,

and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:

11“I will give you the land of Canaan

as your special possession.”

12He said this when they were few in number,

a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.

13They wandered from nation to nation,

from one kingdom to another.

14Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.

He warned kings on their behalf:

15“Do not touch my chosen people,

and do not hurt my prophets.”

16He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,

cutting off its food supply.

17Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—

Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18They bruised his feet with fetters

and placed his neck in an iron collar.

19Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,*105:19 Hebrew his word.

the Lord tested Joseph’s character.

20Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;

the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.

21Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;

he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.

22He could instruct*105:22 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads bind or imprison. the king’s aides as he pleased

and teach the king’s advisers.

23Then Israel arrived in Egypt;

Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.

24And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel

until they became too mighty for their enemies.

25Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,

and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.

26But the Lord sent his servant Moses,

along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,

and wonders in the land of Ham.

28The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,

for they had defied*105:28 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads had not defied. his commands to let his people go.

29He turned their water into blood,

poisoning all the fish.

30Then frogs overran the land

and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.

31When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,

and gnats swarmed across Egypt.

32He sent them hail instead of rain,

and lightning flashed over the land.

33He ruined their grapevines and fig trees

and shattered all the trees.

34He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—

young locusts beyond number.

35They ate up everything green in the land,

destroying all the crops in their fields.

36Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,

the pride and joy of each family.

37The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;

and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.

38Egypt was glad when they were gone,

for they feared them greatly.

39The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering

and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.

40They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;

he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.

41He split open a rock, and water gushed out

to form a river through the dry wasteland.

42For he remembered his sacred promise

to his servant Abraham.

43So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,

his chosen ones with rejoicing.

44He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,

and they harvested crops that others had planted.

45All this happened so they would follow his decrees

and obey his instructions.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 106

A Confession of Israel’s Sins

1Praise the Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?

Who can ever praise him enough?

3There is joy for those who deal justly with others

and always do what is right.

4Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people;

come near and rescue me.

5Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.

Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;

let me praise you with those who are your heritage.

6Like our ancestors, we have sinned.

We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!

7Our ancestors in Egypt

were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.

They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.

Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.*106:7 Hebrew at the sea, the sea of reeds.

8Even so, he saved them—

to defend the honor of his name

and to demonstrate his mighty power.

9He commanded the Red Sea*106:9 Hebrew sea of reeds; also in 106:22. to dry up.

He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.

10So he rescued them from their enemies

and redeemed them from their foes.

11Then the water returned and covered their enemies;

not one of them survived.

12Then his people believed his promises.

Then they sang his praise.

13Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!

They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!

14In the wilderness their desires ran wild,

testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.

15So he gave them what they asked for,

but he sent a plague along with it.

16The people in the camp were jealous of Moses

and envious of Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.

17Because of this, the earth opened up;

it swallowed Dathan

and buried Abiram and the other rebels.

18Fire fell upon their followers;

a flame consumed the wicked.

19The people made a calf at Mount Sinai*106:19 Hebrew at Horeb, another name for Sinai.;

they bowed before an image made of gold.

20They traded their glorious God

for a statue of a grass-eating bull.

21They forgot God, their savior,

who had done such great things in Egypt—

22such wonderful things in the land of Ham,

such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.

23So he declared he would destroy them.

But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people.

He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.

24The people refused to enter the pleasant land,

for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.

25Instead, they grumbled in their tents

and refused to obey the Lord.

26Therefore, he solemnly swore

that he would kill them in the wilderness,

27that he would scatter their descendants*106:27 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads he would cause their descendants to fall. among the nations,

exiling them to distant lands.

28Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor;

they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead!

29They angered the Lord with all these things,

so a plague broke out among them.

30But Phinehas had the courage to intervene,

and the plague was stopped.

31So he has been regarded as a righteous man

ever since that time.

32At Meribah, too, they angered the Lord,

causing Moses serious trouble.

33They made Moses angry,*106:33 Hebrew They embittered his spirit.

and he spoke foolishly.

34Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land,

as the Lord had commanded them.

35Instead, they mingled among the pagans

and adopted their evil customs.

36They worshiped their idols,

which led to their downfall.

37They even sacrificed their sons

and their daughters to the demons.

38They shed innocent blood,

the blood of their sons and daughters.

By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,

they polluted the land with murder.

39They defiled themselves by their evil deeds,

and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight.

40That is why the Lord’s anger burned against his people,

and he abhorred his own special possession.

41He handed them over to pagan nations,

and they were ruled by those who hated them.

42Their enemies crushed them

and brought them under their cruel power.

43Again and again he rescued them,

but they chose to rebel against him,

and they were finally destroyed by their sin.

44Even so, he pitied them in their distress

and listened to their cries.

45He remembered his covenant with them

and relented because of his unfailing love.

46He even caused their captors

to treat them with kindness.

47Save us, O Lord our God!

Gather us back from among the nations,

so we can thank your holy name

and rejoice and praise you.

48Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!