Psalm 105 – The Inspiration of the Past

105 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name:

make known his deeds among the nations.

2 Sing to him, make music to him,

tell of all his wondrous works.

3 Make your boast in his holy name,

be glad at heart, you who seek the Lord.

4 Seek after the Lord and his strength,

seek his face evermore.

5 Remember the wonders he did,

his portents, the judgments he uttered,

6 you who are offspring of Abraham, his servant,

the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7 He is the Lord our God:

in all the earth are his judgments.

8 He remembers forever his covenant,

his promise for a thousand generations

9 The covenant he made with Abraham,

the oath he swore to Isaac,

10 and confirmed as a statute to Jacob,

a pact everlasting to Israel

11 to give them the land of Canaan

as the lot which they should inherit.

12 And when they were very few,

few and but pilgrims therein,

13 wandering from nation to nation,

journeying from people to people,

14 he allowed no one to oppress them,

even punishing kings for their sakes.

15 He forbade them to touch his anointed,

or do any hurt to his prophets.

16 When he called down famine on the land,

and cut off the bread which sustained them,

17 he sent before them a man,

Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18 His feet were galled with fetters,

he was laid in chains of iron,

19 till the time that his word came to pass,

the word of the Lord that had tried him.

20 The king sent and freed him,

the ruler of nations released him.

21 He made him lord of his household,

and ruler of all his possessions,

22 to admonish his princes at will

and instruct his elders in wisdom.

23 Thus Israel came into Egypt,

Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

24 His people he made very fruitful,

and mightier than their foes.

25 He inspired them to hate his people,

and to deal with his servants craftily.

26 He sent his servant Moses,

and Aaron whom he had chosen,

27 portents he wrought in Egypt,

and signs in the land of Ham.

28 Darkness he sent, and it fell:

yet they gave no heed to his word.

29 He turned their waters into blood,

thus causing their fish to die.

30 Their land was alive with frogs,

swarming even in the royal chambers.

31 At his command came flies,

and lice in all their borders.

32 He gave them hail for rain

and fire that flashed through the land,

33 smiting their vines and figs,

breaking the trees of their border.

34 At his command came locusts,

young locusts beyond all counting,

35 which ate every herb in the land,

ate up, too, the fruit of their ground.

36 He struck down in their land all the firstborn,

the firstlings of all their strength

37 Then forth he led Israel with silver and gold,

and among his tribes no one was weary.

38 Egypt was glad when they left,

for terror had fallen upon them.

39 He spread out a cloud to screen them,

and fire to give light in the night.

40 He sent quails at their entreaty,

and heavenly bread in abundance.

41 He opened the rock; waters gushed:

in the desert they ran like a river.

42 For he remembered his holy promise

to Abraham his servant.

43 So he led out his people with joy,

his elect with a ringing cry.

44 And he gave them the lands of the nations,

the fruit of their toil for possession,

45 that so they might keep his statutes,

and be of his laws observant.

Hallelujah.