A Nation Asks for Forgiveness
1 We will celebrate
and praise you, Lord!
You are good to us,
and your love never fails.
2 No one can praise you enough
for all the mighty things
you have done.
3 You bless those people
who are honest and fair
in everything they do.
4 Remember me, Lord,
when you show kindness
by saving your people.
5 Let me prosper with the rest
of your chosen ones,
as they celebrate with pride
because they belong to you.
6 We and our ancestors
have sinned terribly.
7 When they were in Egypt,
they paid no attention
to your marvelous deeds
or your wonderful love.
And they turned against you
at the Red Sea.
8 But you were true to your name,
and you rescued them to prove
how mighty you are.
9 You said to the Red Sea,
“Dry up!”
Then you led your people across
on land as dry as a desert.
10 You saved all of them
11 and drowned every one
of their enemies.
12 Then your people trusted you
and sang your praises.
13 But they soon forgot
what you had done
and rejected your advice.
14 They became greedy for food
and tested you there
in the desert.
15 So you gave them
what they wanted,
but later you destroyed them
with a horrible disease.
16 Everyone in camp was jealous
of Moses and of Aaron,
your chosen priest.
17 Dathan and Abiram rebelled,
and the earth opened up
and swallowed them.
18 Then fire broke out
and destroyed all
of their followers.
19 At Horeb your people
made and worshiped the statue
20 of a bull, instead of you,
their glorious God.
21 You worked powerful miracles
to save them from Egypt,
but they forgot about you
22 and the fearsome things
you did at the Red Sea.
23 You were angry and started
to destroy them,
but Moses, your chosen leader,
begged you not to do it.
24 They would not trust
you, Lord,
and they did not like
the promised land.
25 They would not obey you,
and they grumbled
in their tents.
26 So you threatened them
by saying, “I'll kill you
out here in the desert!
27 I'll scatter your children
everywhere in the world.”
28 Your people became followers
of a god named Baal Peor,
and they ate sacrifices
offered to the dead.
29 They did such terrible things
that you punished them
with a deadly disease.
30 But Phinehas helped them,
and the sickness stopped.
31 Now he will always
be highly honored.
32 At Meribah Spring
they turned against you
and made you furious.
33 Then Moses got into trouble
for speaking in anger.
34 Our Lord, they disobeyed you
by refusing to destroy
the nations.
35 Instead they were friendly
with those foreigners
and followed their customs.
36 Then they fell into the trap
of worshiping idols.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons
38 and to the gods of Canaan.
Then they poured out the blood
of these innocent children
and made the land filthy.
39 By doing such gruesome things,
they also became filthy.
40 Finally, Lord, you were angry
and terribly disgusted
with your people.
41 So you put them in the power
of nations that hated them.
42 They were mistreated and abused
by their enemies,
43 but you saved them
time after time.
They were determined to rebel,
and their sins caused
their downfall.
44 You answered their prayers
when they were in trouble.
45 You kept your agreement
and were so merciful
46 that their enemies
had pity on them.
47 Save us, Lord God!
Bring us back
from among the nations.
Let us celebrate and shout
in praise of your holy name.
48 Lord God of Israel,
you deserve to be praised
forever and ever.
Let everyone say, “Amen!
Shout praises to the Lord!”
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord because he is good, for his mercie endureth for euer. 2 Who can expresse the noble actes of the Lord, or shewe forth all his prayse? 3 Blessed are they that keepe iudgement, and doe righteousnesse at all times. 4 Remember me, O Lord, with the fauour of thy people: visite me with thy saluation, 5 That I may see the felicitie of thy chosen, and reioyce in the ioy of thy people, and glorie with thine inheritance. 6 We haue sinned with our fathers: we haue committed iniquitie, and done wickedly. 7 Our fathers vnderstoode not thy wonders in Egypt, neither remembred they the multitude of thy mercies, but rebelled at the Sea, euen at the red sea. 8 Neuerthelesse he saued them for his Names sake, that he might make his power to be knowen. 9 And he rebuked the red Sea, and it was dryed vp, and he led them in the deepe, as in the wildernesse. 10 And he saued them from ye aduersaries hand, and deliuered them from ye hand of the enemie. 11 And the waters couered their oppressours: not one of them was left. 12 Then beleeued they his wordes, and sang prayse vnto him. 13 But incontinently they forgate his workes: they wayted not for his counsell, 14 But lusted with concupiscence in the wildernes, and tempted God in the desert. 15 Then he gaue them their desire: but he sent leannesse into their soule. 16 They enuied Moses also in the tentes, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord. 17 Therefore the earth opened and swallowed vp Dathan, and couered the companie of Abiram. 18 And the fire was kindled in their assembly: the flame burnt vp the wicked. 19 They made a calfe in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. 20 Thus they turned their glory into the similitude of a bullocke, that eateth grasse. 21 They forgate God their Sauiour, which had done great things in Egypt, 22 Wonderous woorkes in the lande of Ham, and fearefull things by the red Sea. 23 Therefore he minded to destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stand in the breach before him to turne away his wrath, least he shoulde destroy them. 24 Also they contemned that pleasant land, and beleeued not his worde, 25 But murmured in their tentes, and hearkened not vnto the voice of the Lord. 26 Therefore hee lifted vp his hande against them, to destroy them in the wildernesse, 27 And to destroy their seede among the nations, and to scatter them throughout the countries. 28 They ioyned themselues also vnto Baalpeor, and did eate the offrings of the dead. 29 Thus they prouoked him vnto anger with their owne inuentions, and the plague brake in vpon them. 30 But Phinehas stoode vp, and executed iudgement, and the plague was staied. 31 And it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes from generation to generation for euer. 32 They angred him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was punished for their sakes, 33 Because they vexed his spirite, so that hee spake vnaduisedly with his lippes. 34 Neither destroied they the people, as the Lord had commanded them, 35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their workes, 36 And serued their idoles, which were their ruine. 37 Yea, they offered their sonnes, and their daughters vnto deuils, 38 And shed innocent blood, euen the blood of their sonnes, and of their daughters, whome they offred vnto the idoles of Canaan, and the lande was defiled with blood. 39 Thus were they steined with their owne woorkes, and went a whoring with their owne inuentions. 40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he abhorred his owne inheritance. 41 And hee gaue them into the hande of the heathen: and they that hated them, were lordes ouer them. 42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were humbled vnder their hand. 43 Many a time did hee deliuer them, but they prouoked him by their counsels: therefore they were brought downe by their iniquitie. 44 Yet hee sawe when they were in affliction, and he heard their crie. 45 And he remembred his couenant towarde them and repented according to the multitude of his mercies, 46 And gaue them fauour in the sight of all them that lead them captiues. 47 Saue vs, O Lord our God, and gather vs from among the heathen, that we may praise thine holy Name, and glorie in thy praise. 48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer, and let all the people say, So be it. Praise yee the Lord.