Psalms 106:1-23

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Everyone thank God, for he is good and easy to please. Your tender love for us, Lord, continues on forever. Who could ever fully describe your glorious miracles? YAHWEH, who could ever praise you enough? The happiest one on earth is the one who keeps your word and clings to righteousness every moment. So remember me, Lord, as you take joy in your people. And when you come to bring the blessings of salvation, don’t forget me! Let me share in the wealth and beauty of all your devoted lovers, rejoice with your nation in all their joys, and let me share in the glory you give to your chosen ones. We have all sinned so much, just like our fathers. “Guilty” is written over our lives. Our fathers who were delivered from Egypt didn’t fully understand your wonders, and they took you for granted. Over and over you showed them such tender love and mercy! Yet they were barely beyond the Red Sea when they rebelled against you. Nonetheless, you saved them more than once so they would know how powerful you are, showing them the honor of your name. You roared over the waters of the Red Sea, making a dry path for your people to cross through. You freed them from the strong power of those who oppressed them and rescued them from bondage. Then the waters rushed over their enemies and drowned them all— not one survived. Seeing this, the people believed your words, and they all broke out with songs of praise! Yet how quickly they forgot your miracles of power. They wouldn’t wait for you to act when they were hungry, but demanded you satisfy their cravings and give them food! They tested you to the breaking point. So you gave them what they wanted to eat, but their souls starved away to nothing. They became envious of Moses and Aaron, your holy ones. You split open the earth, and it swallowed up Dathan and Abiram along with their followers. Fire fell from heaven and burnt up all the band of rebels, turning them to ashes. They made an idol of a calf at Sinai and bowed to worship their man-made statue. They preferred the image of a grass-eating ox to the presence of the glory-filled God. They totally forgot it was you who saved them by the wonders and awesome miracles you worked in Egypt. So you decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all.