Psalms
Chapter 105
1
1 Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the peoples his deeds!
2
Sing praise, play music; proclaim all his wondrous deeds!
3
Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
4
Rely on the mighty LORD; constantly seek his face.
5
Recall the wondrous deeds he has done, his signs and his words of judgment,
6
You descendants of Abraham his servant, offspring of Jacob the chosen one!
7
The LORD is our God who rules the whole earth.
8
He remembers forever his covenant, the pact imposed for a thousand generations,
9
Which was made with Abraham, confirmed by oath to Isaac,
10
And ratified as binding for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel:
11
"To you I give the land of Canaan, your own allotted heritage."
12
When they were few in number, a handful, and strangers there,
13
Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another,
14
2 He let no one oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
15
" 3 Do not touch my anointed, to my prophets do no harm."
16
Then he called down a famine on the land, destroyed the grain that sustained them.
17
He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, sold as a slave.
18
They shackled his feet with chains; collared his neck in iron,
19
Till his prediction came to pass, and the word of the LORD proved him true.
20
The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free.
21
He made him lord over his palace, ruler over all his possessions,
22
To instruct his princes by his word, to teach his elders wisdom.
23
4 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived in the land of Ham.
24
God greatly increased his people, made them too many for their foes.
25
He turned their hearts to hate his people, to treat his servants unfairly.
26
He sent his servant Moses, Aaron whom he had chosen.
27
5 They worked his signs in Egypt and wonders in the land of Ham.
28
He sent darkness and it grew dark, but they rebelled against his word.
29
He turned their waters into blood and killed all their fish.
30
Their land swarmed with frogs, even the chambers of their kings.
31
He spoke and there came swarms of flies, gnats through all their country.
32
For rain he gave them hail, flashes of lightning throughout their land.
33
He struck down their vines and fig trees, shattered the trees of their country.
34
He spoke and the locusts came, grass hoppers without number.
35
They devoured every plant in the land; they ravaged the crops of their fields.
36
He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of all their vigor.
37
He brought his people out, laden with silver and gold; no stragglers among the tribes.
38
Egypt rejoiced when they left, for panic had seized them.
39
He spread a cloud as a cover, and made a fire to light up the night.
40
They asked and he brought them quail; with bread from heaven he filled them.
41
He split the rock and water gushed forth; it flowed through the desert like a river.
42
For he remembered his sacred word to Abraham his servant.
43
He brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of triumph.
44
He gave them the lands of the nations, the wealth of the peoples to own,
45
That they might keep his laws and observe his teachings. Hallelujah!
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Footnotes

1 [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people. Cf Psalm 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Psalm 105:1-6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Psalm 105:7-11). In every phase of the national story--the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Psalm 105:12-15), Joseph in Egypt (Psalm 105:16-22), Israel in Egypt (Psalm 105:23-38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Psalm 105:39-45)--God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants.

2 [14] Kings: Pharaoh and Abimelech of Gerar. Cf Genesis 12:17; 20:6-7.

3 [15] My anointed . . . my prophets: the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were "anointed" in the sense of being consecrated and recipients of God's revelation.

4 [23,27] The land of Ham: a synonym for Egypt. Cf Genesis 10:6.

5 [27-38] This psalm and Psalm 78:43-51 have an account of the plagues differing in number or in order from Exodus 7:14-12:30. Several versions of the exodus story were current.


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