Psalms  ◦   Chapter 105

1Give thanks to the Lord, proclaim his character of love;
teach the people throughout the world
his methods of love built right into nature.

2Sing to him, sing of his wonderful ways,
tell of all his incredible acts.

3Boast of his perfection — his character of infinite love and truth,
for the hearts of those who seek the Lord will rejoice.

4Seek the Lord and the strength of character he gives;
seek his presence continually.

5Remember the surpassing excellence
of what he has created,
the miracles he has performed,
and the perfection of his pronouncements.

6You, who are like his servant Abraham in character,
you chosen ones, who overcome with God like Israel did:

7he is the Lord our God;
his design-laws govern the entire earth.

8He will honor the agreement he made —
the promise he spoke to show mercy to a thousand generations,

9that he made with Abraham;
the vow he affirmed to Isaac —

10the promised Messiah he reaffirmed to Jacob as a decree;
to Israel as an everlasting vow:

11"To you I will give the land of Canaan
as a pledge to your heritage."

12When they were few in number —
a tiny group of strangers in the land —

13they moved from one nation to another,
from one kingdom to the next.

14He let no one oppress them
and rebuked kings for their sake:

15"Do not touch my chosen ones;
do not harm my spokesperson."

16He foretold the famine to come upon the land
and the destruction of all their food;

17and he sent a man ahead of them —
Joseph — sold as a slave.

18They wounded his feet with shackles
and put an iron collar around his neck,

19until what he predicted came to pass
and the word of the Lord proved him right.

20The king of Egypt sent for him and set him free —
the ruler of the nation released him.

21He made Joseph ruler of his palace
and governor over the nation,

22with authority to bind all other princes and leaders to his will
and teach the senior staff his wisdom.

23Then Israel moved to Egypt;
Jacob lived as a guest in the land of Ham.

24The Lord blessed his helpers and they multiplied greatly;
they became too numerous for their enemies,

25whose hearts became fearful and they hated his helpers;
they plotted against his spokespeople.

26He sent Moses his spokesman,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27They revealed God’s power
showing miraculous signs among them —
the evidence in the land of Ham
that Yahweh is the true God.

28He showed that their sun-god was false
by sending darkness upon the land —
for not all the people were beyond reach,
not all persisted in rebelling against the truth.

29He showed that the Nile god was false
by turning their water into blood,
causing the fish to die.

30Their land was overrun with frogs,
even invading the bedrooms of their kings.

31He spoke, and flies swarmed the land,
and gnats invaded their nation.

32He sent them hail instead of rain,
and fierce lightning fell throughout their countryside;

33their grapevines and fig trees were destroyed,
and all the great trees in their land were shattered.

34He spoke, and locust appeared —
swarms of uncountable locusts plundered the land;

35they ate up everything green in their land,
and all their crops were consumed.

36He put the firstborn of their nation to sleep in the grave —
the firstfruits of their procreative power.

37Then he brought Israel out of Egypt, laden with silver and gold,
and none of the people became exhausted or stumbled.

38Egyptians were glad they had left,
because they had become terrified of Israel.

39God spread out a cloud to cover them during the day,
and a pillar of fire to give them warmth and light at night.

40They begged, so he brought them quail,
but God provided manna — bread of heaven —
to satisfy all their nutritional needs.

41He opened a rock and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river into the desert.

42For he remembered his sacred promise
given to his spokesman Abraham.

43He brought his helpers out with rejoicing,
the ones he chose as the avenue for the Messiah,
with shouts of joy.

44He gave them the lands of those who refused to help God,
and they took possession of the labor of others,

45so that they might follow God’s prescription
and live in harmony with his design-laws for life.
Praise the Lord!