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Psalm 103-107
The Message
Psalm 103-107
The Message
103 1-2 O my soul, bless God.
From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He’s the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
104 1-14 O my soul, bless God!
God, my God, how great you are!
beautifully, gloriously robed,
Dressed up in sunshine,
and all heaven stretched out for your tent.
You built your palace on the ocean deeps,
made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.
You commandeered winds as messengers,
appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.
You set earth on a firm foundation
so that nothing can shake it, ever.
You blanketed earth with ocean,
covered the mountains with deep waters;
Then you roared and the water ran away—
your thunder crash put it to flight.
Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out
in the places you assigned them.
You set boundaries between earth and sea;
never again will earth be flooded.
You started the springs and rivers,
sent them flowing among the hills.
All the wild animals now drink their fill,
wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Along the riverbanks the birds build nests,
ravens make their voices heard.
You water the mountains from your heavenly reservoirs;
earth is supplied with plenty of water.
You make grass grow for the livestock,
hay for the animals that plow the ground.
14-23 Oh yes, God brings grain from the land,
wine to make people happy,
Their faces glowing with health,
a people well-fed and hearty.
God’s trees are well-watered—
the Lebanon cedars he planted.
Birds build their nests in those trees;
look—the stork at home in the treetop.
Mountain goats climb about the cliffs;
badgers burrow among the rocks.
The moon keeps track of the seasons,
the sun is in charge of each day.
When it’s dark and night takes over,
all the forest creatures come out.
The young lions roar for their prey,
clamoring to God for their supper.
When the sun comes up, they vanish,
lazily stretched out in their dens.
Meanwhile, men and women go out to work,
busy at their jobs until evening.
24-30 What a wildly wonderful world, God!
You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.
Oh, look—the deep, wide sea,
brimming with fish past counting,
sardines and sharks and salmon.
Ships plow those waters,
and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them.
All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.
If you turned your back,
they’d die in a minute—
Take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.
31-32 The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.
33-35 Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him;
I’m so pleased to be singing to God.
But clear the ground of sinners—
no more godless men and women!
O my soul, bless God!
105 1-6 Hallelujah!
Thank God! Pray to him by name!
Tell everyone you meet what he has done!
Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
translate his wonders into music!
Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
you who seek God. Live a happy life!
Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works;
be alert for signs of his presence.
Remember the world of wonders he has made,
his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered—
O seed of Abraham, his servant,
O child of Jacob, his chosen.
7-15 He’s God, our God,
in charge of the whole earth.
And he remembers, remembers his Covenant—
for a thousand generations he’s been as good as his word.
It’s the Covenant he made with Abraham,
the same oath he swore to Isaac,
The very statute he established with Jacob,
the eternal Covenant with Israel,
Namely, “I give you the land.
Canaan is your hill-country inheritance.”
When they didn’t count for much,
a mere handful, and strangers at that,
Wandering from country to country,
drifting from pillar to post,
He permitted no one to abuse them.
He told kings to keep their hands off:
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on my anointed,
don’t hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets.”
16-22 Then he called down a famine on the country,
he broke every last blade of wheat.
But he sent a man on ahead:
Joseph, sold as a slave.
They put cruel chains on his ankles,
an iron collar around his neck,
Until God’s word came to the Pharaoh,
and God confirmed his promise.
God sent the king to release him.
The Pharaoh set Joseph free;
He appointed him master of his palace,
put him in charge of all his business
To personally instruct his princes
and train his advisors in wisdom.
23-42 Then Israel entered Egypt,
Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham.
God gave his people lots of babies;
soon their numbers alarmed their foes.
He turned the Egyptians against his people;
they abused and cheated God’s servants.
Then he sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he also chose.
They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland,
miracles in the Land of Ham.
He spoke, “Darkness!” and it turned dark—
they couldn’t see what they were doing.
He turned all their water to blood
so that all their fish died;
He made frogs swarm through the land,
even into the king’s bedroom;
He gave the word and flies swarmed,
gnats filled the air.
He substituted hail for rain,
he stabbed their land with lightning;
He wasted their vines and fig trees,
smashed their groves of trees to splinters;
With a word he brought in locusts,
millions of locusts, armies of locusts;
They consumed every blade of grass in the country
and picked the ground clean of produce;
He struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of their virile powers.
He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot,
and not one among his tribes even stumbled.
Egypt was glad to have them go—
they were scared to death of them.
God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day
and a fire to light their way through the night;
They prayed and he brought quail,
filled them with the bread of heaven;
He opened the rock and water poured out;
it flowed like a river through that desert—
All because he remembered his Covenant,
his promise to Abraham, his servant.
43-45 Remember this! He led his people out singing for joy;
his chosen people marched, singing their hearts out!
He made them a gift of the country they entered,
helped them seize the wealth of the nations
So they could do everything he told them—
could follow his instructions to the letter.
Hallelujah!
106 1-3 Hallelujah!
Thank God! And why?
Because he’s good, because his love lasts.
But who on earth can do it—
declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises?
You’re one happy man when you do what’s right,
one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.
4-5 Remember me, God, when you enjoy your people;
include me when you save them;
I want to see your chosen succeed,
celebrate with your celebrating nation,
join the Hallelujahs of your pride and joy!
6-12 We’ve sinned a lot, both we and our parents;
We’ve fallen short, hurt a lot of people.
After our parents left Egypt,
they took your wonders for granted,
forgot your great and wonderful love.
They were barely beyond the Red Sea
when they defied the High God
—the very place he saved them!
—the place he revealed his amazing power!
He rebuked the Red Sea so that it dried up on the spot
—he paraded them right through!
—no one so much as got wet feet!
He saved them from a life of oppression,
pried them loose from the grip of the enemy.
Then the waters flowed back on their oppressors;
there wasn’t a single survivor.
Then they believed his words were true
and broke out in songs of praise.
13-18 But it wasn’t long before they forgot the whole thing,
wouldn’t wait to be told what to do.
They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert,
provoked God with their insistent demands.
He gave them exactly what they asked for—
but along with it they got an empty heart.
One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses,
also of Aaron, holy priest of God.
The ground opened and swallowed Dathan,
then buried Abiram’s gang.
Fire flared against that rebel crew
and torched them to a cinder.
19-22 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb
and worshiped the statue they’d made.
They traded the Glory
for a cheap piece of sculpture—a grass-chewing bull!
They forgot God, their very own Savior,
who turned things around in Egypt,
Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham,
who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.
23-27 Fed up, God decided to get rid of them—
and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have.
But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God’s anger,
prevented it from destroying them utterly.
They went on to reject the Blessed Land,
didn’t believe a word of what God promised.
They found fault with the life they had
and turned a deaf ear to God’s voice.
Exasperated, God swore
that he’d lay them low in the desert,
Scattering their children here and there,
strewing them all over the earth.
28-31 Then they linked up with Baal Peor,
attending funeral banquets and eating idol food.
That made God so angry
that a plague spread through their ranks;
Phinehas stood up and pled their case
and the plague was stopped.
This was counted to his credit;
his descendants will never forget it.
32-33 They angered God again at Meribah Springs;
this time Moses got mixed up in their evil;
Because they defied God yet again,
Moses exploded and lost his temper.
34-39 They didn’t wipe out those godless cultures
as ordered by God;
Instead they intermarried with the heathen,
and in time became just like them.
They worshiped their idols,
were caught in the trap of idols.
They sacrificed their sons and daughters
at the altars of demon gods.
They slit the throats of their babies,
murdered their infant girls and boys.
They offered their babies to Canaan’s gods;
the blood of their babies stained the land.
Their way of life reeked;
they lived like prostitutes.
40-43 And God was furious—a wildfire anger;
he couldn’t stand even to look at his people.
He turned them over to the heathen
so that the people who hated them ruled them.
Their enemies made life hard for them;
they were tyrannized under that rule.
Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned—
until finally their sins destroyed them.
44-46 Still, when God saw the trouble they were in
and heard their cries for help,
He remembered his Covenant with them,
and, immense with love, took them by the hand.
He poured out his mercy on them
while their captors looked on, amazed.
47-48 Save us, God, our God!
Gather us back out of exile
So we can give thanks to your holy name
and join in the glory when you are praised!
Blessed be God, Israel’s God!
Bless now, bless always!
Oh! Let everyone say Amen!
Hallelujah!
107 1-3 Oh, thank God—he’s so good!
His love never runs out.
All of you set free by God, tell the world!
Tell how he freed you from oppression,
Then rounded you up from all over the place,
from the four winds, from the seven seas.
4-9 Some of you wandered for years in the desert,
looking but not finding a good place to live,
Half-starved and parched with thirst,
staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.
He got you out in the nick of time;
He put your feet on a wonderful road
that took you straight to a good place to live.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
He poured great drafts of water down parched throats;
the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.
10-16 Some of you were locked in a dark cell,
cruelly confined behind bars,
Punished for defying God’s Word,
for turning your back on the High God’s counsel—
A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy,
and not a soul in sight to help.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He led you out of your dark, dark cell,
broke open the jail and led you out.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,
he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!
17-22 Some of you were sick because you’d lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn’t stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you’d be better off dead.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He spoke the word that healed you,
that pulled you back from the brink of death.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
tell the world what he’s done—sing it out!
23-32 Some of you set sail in big ships;
you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.
Out at sea you saw God in action,
saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean:
With a word he called up the wind—
an ocean storm, towering waves!
You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out;
your hearts were stuck in your throats.
You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk,
you didn’t know which end was up.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He quieted the wind down to a whisper,
put a muzzle on all the big waves.
And you were so glad when the storm died down,
and he led you safely back to harbor.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
Lift high your praises when the people assemble,
shout Hallelujah when the elders meet!
33-41 God turned rivers into wasteland,
springs of water into sunbaked mud;
Luscious orchards became alkali flats
because of the evil of the people who lived there.
Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water,
arid earth into springs of water,
Brought in the hungry and settled them there;
they moved in—what a great place to live!
They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards,
they reaped a bountiful harvest.
He blessed them and they prospered greatly;
their herds of cattle never decreased.
But abuse and evil and trouble declined
as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away.
He gave the poor a safe place to live,
treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep.
42-43 Good people see this and are glad;
bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks.
If you are really wise, you’ll think this over—
it’s time you appreciated God’s deep love.
Psalm 103-107
New International Version
Psalm 103-107
New International Version
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord,(A) my soul;(B)
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(C)
2 Praise the Lord,(D) my soul,
and forget not(E) all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins(F)
and heals(G) all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life(H) from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,(I)
5 who satisfies(J) your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed(K) like the eagle’s.(L)
7 He made known(O) his ways(P) to Moses,
his deeds(Q) to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,(R)
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;(S)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve(T)
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love(U) for those who fear him;(V)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions(W) from us.
13 As a father has compassion(X) on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,(Y)
he remembers that we are dust.(Z)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,(AA)
they flourish like a flower(AB) of the field;
16 the wind blows(AC) over it and it is gone,
and its place(AD) remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children(AE)—
18 with those who keep his covenant(AF)
and remember(AG) to obey his precepts.(AH)
20 Praise the Lord,(AK) you his angels,(AL)
you mighty ones(AM) who do his bidding,(AN)
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,(AO)
you his servants(AP) who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works(AQ)
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.(AR)
Psalm 104
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.(AS)
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.(AT)
2 The Lord wraps(AU) himself in light(AV) as with a garment;
he stretches(AW) out the heavens(AX) like a tent(AY)
3 and lays the beams(AZ) of his upper chambers on their waters.(BA)
He makes the clouds(BB) his chariot(BC)
and rides on the wings of the wind.(BD)
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a](BE)
flames of fire(BF) his servants.
5 He set the earth(BG) on its foundations;(BH)
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it(BI) with the watery depths(BJ) as with a garment;
the waters stood(BK) above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke(BL) the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder(BM) they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned(BN) for them.
9 You set a boundary(BO) they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs(BP) pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water(BQ) to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys(BR) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(BS) nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.(BT)
13 He waters the mountains(BU) from his upper chambers;(BV)
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(BW)
14 He makes grass grow(BX) for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food(BY) from the earth:
15 wine(BZ) that gladdens human hearts,
oil(CA) to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains(CB) their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord(CC) are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon(CD) that he planted.
17 There the birds(CE) make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;(CF)
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.(CG)
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,(CH)
and the sun(CI) knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,(CJ) it becomes night,(CK)
and all the beasts of the forest(CL) prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey(CM)
and seek their food from God.(CN)
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.(CO)
23 Then people go out to their work,(CP)
to their labor until evening.(CQ)
24 How many are your works,(CR) Lord!
In wisdom you made(CS) them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.(CT)
25 There is the sea,(CU) vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.(CV)
26 There the ships(CW) go to and fro,
and Leviathan,(CX) which you formed to frolic(CY) there.(CZ)
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food(DA) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied(DB) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(DC)
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.(DD)
30 When you send your Spirit,(DE)
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord(DF) endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works(DG)—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(DH)
who touches the mountains,(DI) and they smoke.(DJ)
33 I will sing(DK) to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice(DL) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(DM) from the earth
and the wicked be no more.(DN)
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Psalm 105(DP)
1 Give praise to the Lord,(DQ) proclaim his name;(DR)
make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him,(DS) sing praise to him;(DT)
tell of all his wonderful acts.(DU)
3 Glory in his holy name;(DV)
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face(DW) always.
5 Remember the wonders(DX) he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,(DY)
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,(DZ)
his chosen(EA) ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant(EB) forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,(EC)
the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it(ED) to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:(EE)
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan(EF)
as the portion you will inherit.”(EG)
12 When they were but few in number,(EH)
few indeed, and strangers in it,(EI)
13 they wandered from nation to nation,(EJ)
from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress(EK) them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:(EL)
15 “Do not touch(EM) my anointed ones;
do my prophets(EN) no harm.”
16 He called down famine(EO) on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.(EP)
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,(EQ)
his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold(ER) came to pass,
till the word(ES) of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.(ET)
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes(EU) as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.(EV)
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;(EW)
Jacob resided(EX) as a foreigner in the land of Ham.(EY)
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous(EZ) for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned(FA) to hate his people,
to conspire(FB) against his servants.
26 He sent Moses(FC) his servant,
and Aaron,(FD) whom he had chosen.(FE)
27 They performed(FF) his signs(FG) among them,
his wonders(FH) in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness(FI) and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against(FJ) his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,(FK)
causing their fish to die.(FL)
30 Their land teemed with frogs,(FM)
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke,(FN) and there came swarms of flies,(FO)
and gnats(FP) throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,(FQ)
with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines(FR) and fig trees(FS)
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke,(FT) and the locusts came,(FU)
grasshoppers(FV) without number;(FW)
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn(FX) in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,(FY)
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel(FZ) had fallen on them.
39 He spread out a cloud(GA) as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.(GB)
40 They asked,(GC) and he brought them quail;(GD)
he fed them well with the bread of heaven.(GE)
41 He opened the rock,(GF) and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise(GG)
given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,(GH)
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,(GI)
and they fell heir to what others had toiled(GJ) for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.(GK)
Psalm 106(GM)
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts(GQ) of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,(GR)
who always do what is right.(GS)
4 Remember me,(GT) Lord, when you show favor(GU) to your people,
come to my aid(GV) when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity(GW) of your chosen ones,(GX)
that I may share in the joy(GY) of your nation
and join your inheritance(GZ) in giving praise.
6 We have sinned,(HA) even as our ancestors(HB) did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.(HC)
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought(HD) to your miracles;
they did not remember(HE) your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea,(HF) the Red Sea.[e]
8 Yet he saved them(HG) for his name’s sake,(HH)
to make his mighty power(HI) known.
9 He rebuked(HJ) the Red Sea, and it dried up;(HK)
he led them through(HL) the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them(HM) from the hand of the foe;(HN)
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.(HO)
11 The waters covered(HP) their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.(HQ)
13 But they soon forgot(HR) what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.(HS)
14 In the desert(HT) they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness(HU) they put God to the test.(HV)
15 So he gave them(HW) what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease(HX) among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious(HY) of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened(HZ) up and swallowed Dathan;(IA)
it buried the company of Abiram.(IB)
18 Fire blazed(IC) among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf(ID)
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God(IE)
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God(IF) who saved them,
who had done great things(IG) in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham(IH)
and awesome deeds(II) by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy(IJ) them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach(IK) before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised(IL) the pleasant land;(IM)
they did not believe(IN) his promise.
25 They grumbled(IO) in their tents
and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore(IP) to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,(IQ)
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter(IR) them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor(IS)
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the Lord’s anger(IT) by their wicked deeds,(IU)
and a plague(IV) broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas(IW) stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.(IX)
31 This was credited to him(IY) as righteousness
for endless generations(IZ) to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah(JA) they angered the Lord,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled(JB) against the Spirit(JC) of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[f](JD)
34 They did not destroy(JE) the peoples
as the Lord had commanded(JF) them,
35 but they mingled(JG) with the nations
and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,(JH)
which became a snare(JI) to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons(JJ)
and their daughters to false gods.(JK)
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons(JL) and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves(JM) by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted(JN) themselves.
40 Therefore the Lord was angry(JO) with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.(JP)
41 He gave them into the hands(JQ) of the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed(JR) them
and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,(JS)
but they were bent on rebellion(JT)
and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;(JU)
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant(JV)
and out of his great love(JW) he relented.(JX)
46 He caused all who held them captive
to show them mercy.(JY)
47 Save us,(JZ) Lord our God,
and gather us(KA) from the nations,
that we may give thanks(KB) to your holy name(KC)
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!”(KD)
Praise the Lord.
BOOK V
Psalms 107–150
Psalm 107
2 Let the redeemed(KG) of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered(KH) from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.[g]
4 Some wandered in desert(KI) wastelands,
finding no way to a city(KJ) where they could settle.
5 They were hungry(KK) and thirsty,(KL)
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out(KM) to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way(KN)
to a city(KO) where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks(KP) to the Lord for his unfailing love(KQ)
and his wonderful deeds(KR) for mankind,
9 for he satisfies(KS) the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.(KT)
10 Some sat in darkness,(KU) in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering(KV) in iron chains,(KW)
11 because they rebelled(KX) against God’s commands
and despised(KY) the plans(KZ) of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.(LA)
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them(LB) from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness,(LC) the utter darkness,(LD)
and broke away their chains.(LE)
15 Let them give thanks(LF) to the Lord for his unfailing love(LG)
and his wonderful deeds(LH) for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some became fools(LI) through their rebellious ways(LJ)
and suffered affliction(LK) because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food(LL)
and drew near the gates of death.(LM)
19 Then they cried(LN) to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them(LO) from their distress.
20 He sent out his word(LP) and healed them;(LQ)
he rescued(LR) them from the grave.(LS)
21 Let them give thanks(LT) to the Lord for his unfailing love(LU)
and his wonderful deeds(LV) for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings(LW)
and tell of his works(LX) with songs of joy.(LY)
23 Some went out on the sea(LZ) in ships;(MA)
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,(MB)
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke(MC) and stirred up a tempest(MD)
that lifted high the waves.(ME)
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril(MF) their courage melted(MG) away.
27 They reeled(MH) and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried(MI) out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.(MJ)
29 He stilled the storm(MK) to a whisper;
the waves(ML) of the sea[h] were hushed.(MM)
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them(MN) to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks(MO) to the Lord for his unfailing love(MP)
and his wonderful deeds(MQ) for mankind.
32 Let them exalt(MR) him in the assembly(MS) of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turned rivers into a desert,(MT)
flowing springs(MU) into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,(MV)
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water(MW)
and the parched ground into flowing springs;(MX)
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards(MY)
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,(MZ)
and he did not let their herds diminish.(NA)
39 Then their numbers decreased,(NB) and they were humbled(NC)
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles(ND)
made them wander in a trackless waste.(NE)
41 But he lifted the needy(NF) out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.(NG)
42 The upright see and rejoice,(NH)
but all the wicked shut their mouths.(NI)
Footnotes
- Psalm 104:4 Or angels
- Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.
- Psalm 105:45 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
- 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 103-107
King James Version
Psalm 103-107
King James Version
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.
104 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.
105 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.
106 Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:
35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.
107 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
15 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
19 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
24 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.
28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
39 Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
40 He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.
41 Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
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