Psalm 106:1-48 ICB

[1] Praise the Lord! Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever. [2] No one can tell all the mighty things the Lord has done. No one can speak all his praise. [3] Happy are those people who are fair, who do what is right at all times. [4] Lord, remember me when you are kind to your people. Help me when you save them. [5] Let me see the good things you do for your chosen people. Let me be happy along with your happy nation. Let me join your own people in praising you. [6] We have sinned just as our ancestors did. We have done wrong. We have done evil. [7] Our ancestors in Egypt did not learn from your miracles. They did not remember all your kindnesses. So they turned against you at the Red Sea. [8] But the Lord saved them for his own sake, to show his great power. [9] He commanded the Red Sea, and it dried up. He led them through the deep sea as if it were a desert. [10] He saved them from those who hated them. He saved them from their enemies. [11] And the water covered their enemies. Not one of them escaped. [12] Then the people believed what the Lord said. They sang praises to him. [13] But they quickly forgot what he had done. They did not wait for his advice. [14] They became greedy for food in the desert. And they tested God there. [15] So he gave them what they wanted. But he also sent a terrible disease among them. [16] The people in the camp became jealous of Moses and of Aaron, the holy priest of the Lord. [17] Then the ground opened up and swallowed Dathan. It closed over Abiram's group. [18] Then a fire burned among their followers. Flames burned up the wicked people. [19] The people made a gold calf at Mount Sinai. They worshiped a metal statue. [20] They exchanged their glorious God for a statue of a bull, which eats grass. [21] They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt. [22] He did miracles in Egypt. He did amazing things by the Red Sea. [23] So God said he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stood before him. He stopped God's anger from destroying them. [24] Then they refused to go into the beautiful land of Canaan. They did not believe what God promised. [25] They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. [26] So he swore to them that they would die in the desert. [27] He said their children would be killed by other nations and that they would be scattered among other countries. [28] They joined in worshiping Baal at Peor. They ate meat that had been sacrificed to lifeless statues. [29] They made the Lord angry by what they did. So many people became sick with a terrible disease. [30] But Phinehas prayed to the Lord, and the disease stopped. [31] The Lord will remember that Phinehas did what was right. And God will remember this from now on. [32] The people also made the Lord angry at Meribah. And Moses was in trouble because of them. [33] The people turned against the Spirit of God. So Moses spoke without stopping to think. [34] The people did not destroy the other nations as the Lord had told them to do. [35] Instead, they mixed with the other nations. And they learned their customs. [36] They worshiped other nations' idols. And they were trapped by them. [37] They even killed their sons and daughters as sacrifices to demons. [38] They killed innocent people. They killed their own sons and daughters as sacrifices to the idols of Canaan. So the land was made unholy by their blood. [39] The people became unholy by their sins. They were unfaithful to God in what they did. [40] So the Lord became angry with his people. He hated his own children. [41] He let other nations defeat them. He let their enemies rule over them. [42] Their enemies were cruel to them. Their enemies kept them under their power. [43] The Lord saved his people many times. But they continued to turn against him. So they became even more wicked. [44] But God saw their misery. He heard their cry. [45] He remembered his agreement with them. And he felt sorry for them because of his great love. [46] He caused them to be pitied by those who held them captive. [47] Lord our God, save us. Bring us back from other nations. Then we will thank you. Then we will gladly praise you. [48] Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He always was and always will be. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord!