Psalm 106 N.
Words: Sternhold and Hopkins, The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre
1 Praise ye the Lord for he is good,
his mercy lasts alway;
Who can express his noble acts,
or all his praise display?
2 They blessèd are that judgment keep,
and justly do alway:
With favor of thy people, Lord,
remember me, I pray;
3 And with thy saving health, O Lord,
vouchsafe to visit me,
That I the great felicity
of thine elect may see;
4 And with thy people's joy I may
a joyful mind possess,
And may with thine inheritance
a cheerful heart express.
5 Both we and our forefathers all
have sinèd every one;
We have committed wickedness,
and very lewdly done.
6 The wonders great which thou, O Lord,
hast done in Egypt s land
Our fathers, though they saw them all,
yet did not understand:
7 Nor yet thy mercies manifold
did keep in memory;
But at the sea, yea, the Red Sea,
Rebelled ungratefully.
8 Nevertheless he savèd them
for honor of his Name;
That he might make his power known,
and spread abroad his fame.
9 The Red Sea he did then rebuke,
and forthwith it was dried;
As in the wilderness, so through
the deep he did them guide.
10 He saved them from the cruel hand
of their most spiteful foe,
And from their enemies he did
deliver them also.
The Second Part.
11 The waters did them overthrow,
not one was left alive:
Then they believed his word, and praise
in song they did him give.
12 But very soon ungratefully
his works they quite forgot,
And for his counsel and his will
they did neglect to wait:
13 But sinèd in the wilderness
with fond and greedy lust,
And in the desert tempted God,
their only stay and trust.
14 Who all their wanton minds' desire
did suffer them to have;
But wasting leanness there withal
into their souls be gave.
15 Then when they lodgèd in their tents,
at Moses they did grutch;**
Aaron the holy of the Lord
they also envied much:
16 Therefore the earth did open wide,
and Dathan did devour,
And all Abiram's company
did cover in that hour.
17 In their assembly kindled was
a hot consuming fire,
And wasting flame did then burn up
the wicked in his ire.
18 Upon the hill of Horeb they
an idol calf did frame,
And there the molten image they
did worship of the same.
19 Thus to the likeness of a calf
which feedeth on the grass,
They turnèd all their glory, and
their honor did deface;
20 And God their only Savior they
un-thankfully forgot,
Who many great and mighty things
in Egypt's land had wrought.
The Third Part.
21 And in the land of Ham for them
most wondrous works had done,
And by the Red Sea dreadful things
Perform-ed long agone.
22 Therefore because they showed themselves
forgetful and unkind,
To bring destruction on them all
he purposed in his mind:
23 Had not his chosen Moses stood
before him in the way,
To turn away his wrath, lest he
should them destroy and slay.
24 They did despise the pleasant land
that he to them did give,
Yea, and the words that he had spoke
they did no whit believe;
25 But in their tents with grudging heart
they wickedly repined,
Nor to the voice of God the Lord
did give an heark'ning mind.
26 Therefore against them lifted he
his strong revenging hand,
Them to destroy in wilderness,
before they saw the land;
27 And to destroy their seed among
the nations with his rod,
And through the kingdoms of the world
to scatter them abroad.
28 To Baal-peor they did join
themselves most wickedly,
The sacrifices of the dead
eating most greedily.
29 Thus they with their inventions did
his anger much provoke;
And in his sore enkindled wrath
the plague upon them broke.
30 But Phinehas stood up with zeal
the sinners vile to slay;
And judgment he did execute,
and then the plague did stay.
The Fourth Part.
31 It was imputed unto him
for righteousness that day,
And from thenceforth so counted is
from race to race alway.
32 At waters call-ed Meribah
they did him angry make;
Yea, so far forth that Moses then
was punished for their sake:
33 Because they vexed his spirit so,
that in impatient heat
His lips spake unadvisedly,
his fervor was so great.
34 Nor as the Lord commanded them,
did they the people slay;
But were among the heathen mixed,
and learned their wicked way:
35 They did their idols serve, which was
their ruin and decay;
To devils sons and daughters did
they offer up and slay.
36 Yea, with unkind and murd'ring knife
the guiltless blood they spilt,
E'en their own sons' and daughters' blood
without all cause of guilt;
37 Whom they to Canaan's idols then
offered with wicked hand,
And so with blood of innocents
Defilèd was the land.
38 Thus they were stain-ed with the works
of their own filthy way,
And with their own inventions did
a whoring go astray.
39 Therefore against his people was
his anger kindled sore,
And e'en his own inheritance
he did abhor therefore.
40 Into the hands of heathen men
he gave them for a prey;
And made their foes their lords, whom they
were forcèd to obey.
The Fifth Part.
41 Yea, and their hateful enemies
oppressed them in their land,
And they were humbly made to stoop
as subject to their hand.
42 Full oftentimes from thrall had he
delivered them before;
But they rebelled against him, and
provoked him evermore;
43 Therefore they by their wickedness
were brought full low to lie;
Yet when he saw them in distress
he hearkened to their cry:
44 He called to mind his covenant,
which he to them had swore,
And by his mercies multitude
repented him therefore:
45 And favor he them made to find
before the sight of those
That led them captive from their land,
though they had been their foes.
46 Save us, O Lord, that art our God,
we do thee humbly pray,
And from among the heathen folk,
Lord, gather us away;
47 That we may triumph and rejoice
in thy most holy Name,
That we may glory in thy praise,
and sounding of thy fame.
48 The Lord the God of Israel
be blessèd evermore;
Let all the people say, Amen.
Praise ye the Lord therefore.
** archaic - from the same root as grudge. To feel dissatisfaction with or ill will toward.
