Psalms 106:18-48

106:18 Fire burned their group;

the flames scorched the wicked.

106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,

and worshiped a metal idol.

106:20 They traded their majestic God

for the image of an ox that eats grass.

106:21 They rejected the God who delivered them,

the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,

106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,

mighty acts by the Red Sea.

106:23 He threatened to destroy them,

but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him

and turned back his destructive anger.

106:24 They rejected the fruitful land;

they did not believe his promise.

106:25 They grumbled in their tents;

they did not obey the Lord.

106:26 So he made a solemn vow

that he would make them die in the desert,

106:27 make their descendants die among the nations,

and scatter them among foreign lands.

106:28 They worshiped Baal of Peor,

and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.

106:29 They made the Lord angry by their actions,

and a plague broke out among them.

106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened,

and the plague subsided.

106:31 This brought him a reward,

an eternal gift.

106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,

and Moses suffered because of them,

106:33 for they aroused his temper,

and he spoke rashly.

106:34 They did not destroy the nations,

as the Lord had commanded them to do.

106:35 They mixed in with the nations

and learned their ways.

106:36 They worshiped their idols,

which became a snare to them.

106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.

106:38 They shed innocent blood –

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.

The land was polluted by bloodshed.

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions.

106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people

and despised the people who belong to him.

106:41 He handed them over to the nations,

and those who hated them ruled over them.

106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;

they were subject to their authority.

106:43 Many times he delivered them,

but they had a rebellious attitude,

and degraded themselves by their sin.

106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,

when he heard their cry for help.

106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,

and relented because of his great loyal love.

106:46 He caused all their conquerors

to have pity on them.

106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!

Gather us from among the nations!

Then we will give thanks to your holy name,

and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.

106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise,

in the future and forevermore.

Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”