Book Four
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A s Prayer of Moses, the t man of God.
PSALM 90 [†] Lord, you have been our u dwelling place [1]
in all generations.
2 v Before the w mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
x from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3[†] You return man to dust
and say, y “Return, z O children of man!” [2]
4 For a a thousand years in your sight
are but as b yesterday when it is past,
or as c a watch in the night.
5 You d sweep them away as with a flood; they are like e a dream,
like f grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in i the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it j fades and k withers.
7[†] For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have l set our iniquities before you,
our m secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span [3] is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12[†] n So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13[†] o Return, O LORD! p How long?
Have q pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the s morning with your steadfast love,
that we may t rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have u afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16[†] Let your v work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the x favor [4] of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish y the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
My Refuge and My Fortress
PSALM 91 [†] He who dwells in a the shelter of the Most High
will abide in b the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say [1] to the LORD, “My c refuge and my d fortress,
my God, in whom I e trust.”
3[†] For he will deliver you from f the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will g cover you with his pinions,
and under his h wings you will i find refuge;
his j faithfulness is k a shield and buckler.
5 l You will not fear m the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and n see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your o dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my c refuge [2]—
10[†] p no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
q no plague come near your tent.
11 r For he will command his s angels concerning you
to t guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you u strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on v the lion and the w adder;
the young lion and x the serpent you will y trample underfoot.
14[†] “Because he z holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he a knows my name.
15 When he b calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and c honor him.
16 With d long life I will satisfy him
and e show him my salvation.”
How Great Are Your Works
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.
PSALM 92 [†] f It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, g O Most High;
2 to declare your h steadfast love in i the morning,
and your h faithfulness by i night,
3 to the music of j the lute and j the harp,
to the melody of j the lyre.
4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your k work;
at l the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How m great are your works, O LORD!
Your n thoughts are very o deep!
6[†] The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
7 that though p the wicked sprout like grass
and all q evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O LORD, are r on high forever.
9[†] For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be s scattered.
10[†] But you have exalted my t horn like that of u the wild ox;
you have v poured over me [1] fresh oil.
11 My w eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12[†] x The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the LORD;
they flourish in y the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 z to declare that the LORD is upright;
he is my a rock, and there is b no unrighteousness in him.
The LORD Reigns
PSALM 93 [†] c The LORD reigns; he is d robed in majesty;
the LORD is e robed; he has f put on strength as his belt.
g Yes, the world is established; h it shall never be moved.
2 i Your throne is established from of old;
j you are from everlasting.
3[†] k The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
l the LORD m on high is mighty!
5[†] Your n decrees are very trustworthy;
o holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore.
The LORD Will Not Forsake His People
PSALM 94 [†] O LORD, God of p vengeance,
O God of vengeance, q shine forth!
2[†] r Rise up, O s judge of the earth;
repay to the t proud what they deserve!
3 O LORD, u how long shall the wicked,
how long shall v the wicked exult?
4[†] They pour out their w arrogant words;
all x the evildoers boast.
5 They y crush your people, O LORD,
and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill z the widow and the sojourner,
and murder z the fatherless;
7 a and they say, “The LORD does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8[†] b Understand, O dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 c He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who d disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who e teaches man knowledge—
11 f the LORD—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are g but a breath. [1]
12[†] h Blessed is the man whom you i discipline, O LORD,
and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him j rest from k days of trouble,
until l a pit is dug for the wicked.
14[†] m For the LORD will not forsake his n people;
he will not abandon his n heritage;
15 for o justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will p follow it.
16[†] q Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 r If the LORD had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of s silence.
18 When I thought, t “My foot slips,”
your steadfast love, O LORD, u held me up.
19[†] When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
20[†] Can w wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who frame injustice by x statute?
21 They y band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn z the innocent to death. [2]
22[†] But the LORD has become my a stronghold,
and my God b the rock of my c refuge.
23 He will bring back on them d their iniquity
and e wipe them out for their wickedness;
the LORD our God will wipe them out.
Let Us Sing Songs of Praise
PSALM 95 [†] Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us f make a joyful noise to g the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us h come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us f make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the LORD is i a great God,
and a great King j above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for k he made it,
and his hands formed k the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us l kneel before the LORD, our m Maker!
and we are the people of his o pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
p Today, if you q hear his voice,
8 r do not harden your hearts, as at s Meribah,
as on the day at t Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers put me to the u test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my v work.
10 w For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known x my ways.”
11[†] Therefore I y swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter z my rest.”
Worship in the Splendor of Holiness
PSALM 96 [†] a Oh sing to the LORD b a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
c tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4[†] For d great is the LORD, and e greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above f all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD g made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
h strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7[†] Ascribe to the LORD, O i families of the peoples,
j ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD k the glory due his name;
bring l an offering, and m come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in n the splendor of holiness; [1]
o tremble before him, all the earth!
10[†] Say among the nations, p “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will q judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let r the heavens be glad, and let s the earth rejoice;
let t the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let u the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all v the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes w to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
The LORD Reigns
PSALM 97 [†] x The LORD reigns, y let the earth rejoice;
let the many z coastlands be glad!
2 a Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
b righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 c Fire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His d lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and e trembles.
5 The mountains f melt like g wax before the LORD,
before h the Lord of all the earth.
6[†] i The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all j the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are k put to shame,
who make their boast in l worthless idols;
m worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and n is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are o most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above p all gods.
10[†] O you who love the LORD, q hate evil!
He r preserves the lives of his s saints;
he t delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11[†] u Light v is sown [1] for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 w Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and x give thanks to his holy name!
Make a Joyful Noise to the LORD
A Psalm.
PSALM 98 [†] Oh sing to the LORD y a new song,
for he has done z marvelous things!
His a right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has b made known his salvation;
he has c revealed his righteousness in d the sight of the nations.
3 He has e remembered his f steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All g the ends of the earth have seen
h the salvation of our God.
4[†] i Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
j break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the k sound of melody!
6 With l trumpets and the sound of m the horn
i make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
7[†] n Let the sea roar, and o all that fills it;
o the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers p clap their hands;
let q the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes
to r judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
The LORD Our God Is Holy
PSALM 99 [†] s The LORD reigns; t let the peoples tremble!
He u sits enthroned upon the cherubim; v let the earth quake!
2 The LORD is w great in Zion;
he is x exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your y great and awesome name!
z Holy is he!
4[†] a The King in his might b loves justice. [1]
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 c Exalt the LORD our God;
z Holy is he!
6[†] f Moses and Aaron were among his g priests,
Samuel also was among those who h called upon his name.
They i called to the LORD, and he answered them.
7 In j the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they k kept his testimonies
and the statute that he gave them.
8[†] O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were l a forgiving God to them,
but m an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Exalt the LORD our God,
and worship at his n holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy!
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
A Psalm for o giving thanks.
PSALM 100 [†] p Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 q Serve the LORD with gladness!
r Come into his presence with singing!
3[†] Know that s the LORD, he is God!
It is he who t made us, and u we are his; [1]
we are his v people, and w the sheep of his pasture.
4[†] x Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his y courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; z bless his name!
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his b faithfulness to all generations.
I Will Walk with Integrity
A Psalm of David.
PSALM 101 [†] I will sing of c steadfast love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will make music.
2 I will d ponder the way e that is blameless.
Oh when will you f come to me?
I will g walk with h integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything i that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who j fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 k A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will l know nothing of evil.
5[†] Whoever slanders his neighbor m secretly
I will n destroy.
Whoever has a o haughty look and an p arrogant heart
I will not endure.
6[†] I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in q the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.
7 No one who r practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall s continue before my eyes.
8 t Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
u cutting off all v the evildoers
from w the city of the LORD.
Do Not Hide Your Face from Me
A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is x faint and y pours out his complaint before the LORD.
PSALM 102 [†] z Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry a come to you!
2 b Do not hide your face from me
in c the day of my distress!
d Incline your ear to me;
e answer me speedily f in the day when I call!
3[†] For my days g pass away like smoke,
and my h bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is i struck down like grass and j has withered;
I k forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning
my l bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like m a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl [1] of the waste places;
7 I n lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who o deride me p use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread
and q mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
for you have r taken me up and s thrown me down.
11 My days are like t an evening shadow;
I j wither away like grass.
12[†] But you, O LORD, are u enthroned forever;
you v are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will w arise and have x pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
y the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her z stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
15 Nations will a fear the name of the LORD,
and all b the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16 For the LORD c builds up Zion;
he d appears in his glory;
17 he e regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.
18[†] Let this be f recorded for g a generation to come,
so that h a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
19 that he i looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20 to hear j the groans of the prisoners,
to set free k those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may l declare in Zion the name of the LORD,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when m peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.
23[†] He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he n has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” o I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days—
p you whose years endure
throughout all generations!”
25[†] q Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and r the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 s They will perish, but t you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but u you are the same, and your years have no end.
28[†] v The children of your servants w shall dwell secure;
x their offspring shall be established before you.
Bless the LORD, O My Soul
Of David.
PSALM 103 [†] y Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 y Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and z forget not all his benefits,
3[†] who a forgives all your iniquity,
who b heals all your diseases,
4 who c redeems your life from the pit,
who d crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who e satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like f the eagle’s.
6[†] The LORD works g righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7[†] He made known his h ways to Moses,
his i acts to the people of Israel.
8[†] The LORD is j merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 k He will not always chide,
nor will he l keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us m according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For n as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his o steadfast love toward p those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he q remove our transgressions from us.
13 As r a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion p to those who fear him.
14[†] For he knows our frame; [1]
he s remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like t grass;
he flourishes like u a flower of the field;
16 for v the wind passes over it, and w it is gone,
and x its place knows it no more.
17[†] But y the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on p those who fear him,
and his righteousness to z children’s children,
18 to those who a keep his covenant
and b remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has c established his throne in the heavens,
and his d kingdom rules over all.
20[†] Bless the LORD, O you e his angels,
you f mighty ones who g do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the LORD, all his h hosts,
his i ministers, who do his will!
22 j Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
k Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD My God, You Are Very Great
PSALM 104 [†] l Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are m very great!
n You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment,
o stretching out the heavens p like a tent.
3 He q lays the beams of his r chambers on the waters;
he makes s the clouds his chariot;
he rides on t the wings of the wind;
4 he u makes his messengers winds,
his v ministers w a flaming fire.
5[†] He x set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
6 You y covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At z your rebuke they fled;
at a the sound of your thunder they b took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you c appointed for them.
9 You set d a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they e might not again cover the earth.
10[†] You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
11 they f give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
13 g From your lofty abode you h water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
14[†] You cause i the grass to grow for the livestock
and j plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth k food from the earth
15[†] and l wine to gladden the heart of man,
m oil to make his face shine
and bread to n strengthen man’s heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,
o the cedars of Lebanon p that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for q the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for r the rock badgers.
19[†] He made the moon to mark the s seasons; [1]
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 t You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 u The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
and lie down in their v dens.
23 w Man goes out to his work
and to his labor until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In x wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25[†] Here is the sea, great and wide,
y which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
and z Leviathan, which you formed to a play in it. [2]
27[†] These b all look to you,
to c give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you d open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you e hide your face, they are f dismayed;
when you g take away their breath, they die
and h return to their dust.
30 When you i send forth your Spirit, [3] they are created,
and you j renew the face of the ground.
31[†] May the glory of the LORD k endure forever;
may the LORD l rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it m trembles,
who n touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the LORD o as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my p meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
35 Let q sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!
r Bless the LORD, O my soul!
s Praise the LORD!
Tell of All His Wonderful Works
PSALM 105 [†] t Oh give thanks to the LORD; u call upon his name;
v make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
w tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4 Seek the LORD and his x strength;
y seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the z wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and a the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of b Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his c chosen ones!
7[†] He is the LORD our God;
his d judgments are in all the earth.
8[†] He e remembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for f a thousand generations,
9 g the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his h sworn promise to Isaac,
10[†] which he confirmed to i Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, j “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as k your portion for an inheritance.”
12[†] When they were l few in number,
of little account, and m sojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14 he n allowed no one to oppress them;
he o rebuked kings on their account,
15[†] saying, p “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”
16[†] When he q summoned a famine on the land
and r broke all supply [1] of bread,
17 he had s sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was t sold as a slave.
18 His u feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until v what he had said came to pass,
the word of the LORD w tested him.
20 x The king sent and y released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he z made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind [2] his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then a Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob b sojourned in c the land of Ham.
24[†] And the LORD d made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He e turned their hearts to hate his people,
to f deal craftily with his servants.
26 He g sent Moses, his servant,
and Aaron, h whom he had chosen.
27 i They performed his signs among them
and miracles in c the land of Ham.
28 He j sent darkness, and made the land dark;
they k did not rebel [3] against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
and l caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in m the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came n swarms of flies,
o and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
and fiery p lightning bolts through their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
and q shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the r locusts came,
young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36[†] He s struck down all the firstborn in their land,
s the firstfruits of all their strength.
37 Then he brought out Israel with t silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 u Egypt was glad when they departed,
for v dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He w spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
40 x They asked, and he y brought quail,
and gave them z bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and a water gushed out;
it flowed through b the desert like a river.
42[†] For he c remembered his holy promise,
and d Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy,
his d chosen ones with e singing.
44 And he f gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
45 that they might g keep his statutes
and h observe his laws.
i Praise the LORD!
Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good
PSALM 106 [†] i Praise the LORD!
j Oh give thanks to the LORD, k for he is good,
l for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice,
who m do righteousness at all times!
4[†] n Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you save them, [1]
5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your o chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory with your inheritance.
6[†] p Both we and q our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
7[†] Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they r did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but s rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them t for his name’s sake,
u that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He v rebuked the Red Sea, and it w became dry,
and he x led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he y saved them from the hand of the foe
and z redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 And a the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12 Then b they believed his words;
they c sang his praise.
13[†] But they soon d forgot his works;
they did not wait for e his counsel.
14 But they had f a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and g put God to the test in the desert;
15 he h gave them what they asked,
but sent i a wasting disease among them.
16[†] When men in the camp j were jealous of Moses
and Aaron, k the holy one of the LORD,
17 l the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
18 m Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19[†] They n made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20 They o exchanged the glory of God [2]
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They p forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in q the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore r he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his s chosen one,
t stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24[†] Then they u despised v the pleasant land,
having w no faith in his promise.
25 They x murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
26 Therefore he y raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
z scattering them among the lands.
28[†] Then they a yoked themselves to the a Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to b the dead;
29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then c Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was d counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32[†] They e angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they f made his spirit bitter, [3]
and he g spoke rashly with his lips.
34[†] They did not h destroy the peoples,
i as the LORD commanded them,
35 but they j mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols,
which became k a snare to them.
37 They l sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to m the demons;
38 they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was n polluted with blood.
39 Thus they o became unclean by their acts,
and p played the whore in their deeds.
40 Then q the anger of the LORD was kindled against r his people,
and he abhorred his r heritage;
41 he s gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies t oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 u Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their v purposes
and were w brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he x heard their cry.
45 For their sake he y remembered his covenant,
and z relented according to a the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be b pitied
by all those who held them captive.
47 c Save us, O LORD our God,
and d gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48[†] e Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
e And let all the people say, “Amen!”
f Praise the LORD!