Thank the Lord because he is good!
His love is forever!
<2> No one can describe how great the Lord really is.
No one can praise him enough.
<3> Those who obey his commands are happy.
They do good things all the time.
<4> Lord, remember me when you are kind to your people.
Remember to save me too!
<5> Let me share in the good things
that you do for your chosen people.
Let me rejoice with your nation.
Let me join with your people in praise.
<6> We sinned just as our ancestors[554] did.
We were wrong, we did bad things!
<7> Lord, our ancestors learned nothing
from the miracles you did in Egypt.
They forgot your kindness at the Red Sea
and rebelled against you.
<8> But the Lord saved our ancestors
for his own name's sake.
He saved them to show his great power.
<9> He gave the command,
and the Red Sea became dry.
He led our ancestors through the deep sea,
on land as dry as the desert.
<10> He saved our ancestors
and rescued them from their enemies.
<11> He covered their enemies with the sea.
Not one of them escaped!
<12> Then our ancestors believed the Lord.
They sang praises to him.
<13> But our ancestors quickly forgot about what he did.
They did not listen to his advice.
<14> Our ancestors became hungry in the desert,
and they tested him in the wilderness.
<15> He gave them what they asked for,
but he also gave them a terrible disease.
<16> The people became jealous of Moses.
They became jealous of Aaron, the Lord's holy priest.
<17> So the Lord punished those jealous people.
The ground opened up and swallowed Dathan.
Then the ground closed up and covered Abiram's group.
<18> Then a fire burned that mob of people.
It burned those wicked people.
<19> The people made a golden calf at Mount Horeb.
They worshiped a statue!
<20> They traded their glorious God,
for a statue of a grass-eating bull!
<21> He saved our ancestors,
but they forgot all about him.
They forgot the God
who did the miracles in Egypt.
<22> He did amazing things in Ham's country![555]
He did awesome things at the Red Sea!
<23> God wanted to destroy those people,
but Moses, the man he chose, stopped him.
He was very angry,
but Moses blocked the way, so God did not destroy the people.[556]
<24> But then those people refused to go
into the wonderful land of Canaan.
They did not believe that God would help them
defeat the people living in that land.
<25> Our ancestors complained in their tents
and refused to obey the Lord.
<26> So he swore that they would die in the desert.
<27> He promised to scatter them among the nations
and to let other people defeat their descendants.
<28> At Baal Peor,
God's people joined in worshiping Baal and ate sacrifices to honor the dead.[557]
<29> The Lord became very angry with his people and made them sick.
<30> But Phinehas prayed[558] to God,
and God stopped the sickness.
<31> He considered what Phinehas did a good work,
and it will be remembered forever and ever.
<32> At Meribah, the people made God angry
and created trouble for Moses.
<33> They upset Moses,
and he spoke without stopping to think.
<34> The Lord told the people to destroy
the other nations living in Canaan.
But the Israelites did not obey him.
<35> They mixed with the other people
and did what those people were doing.
<36> God's people began worshiping the gods
that those other people worshiped.
And those idols became a trap.
<37> They even killed their own children
and offered them to those devils.
<38> They killed their own innocent children
and offered them to those false gods.
So the land was polluted
with the sin of murder.
<39> They were unfaithful to him,
and they became dirty
with the sins of other nations.
<40> So God became angry with his people.
He rejected those who belonged to him!
<41> He gave his people to other nations
and let their enemies rule over them.
<42> Their enemies controlled them
and made life hard for them.
<43> God saved his people many times,
but they turned against him
and did what they wanted to do.
His people did many bad things.
<44> But whenever they were in trouble,
he listened to their prayers.
<45> He always remembered his agreement,
and because of his faithful love, he comforted them.
<46> Other nations took them as prisoners,
but God made them be kind to his people.
<47> Lord our God, save us!
Bring us back from those nations,
so that we may give thanks
and sing praises to your holy name.
<48> Praise the Lord, the God of Israel.
He has always lived, and he will live forever.
Let all the people say, "Amen[559]!"
Praise the Lord!.
© Copyright 2004 World Bible Translation Center.