Psalm - The Old Testament

¹ Alleluia! Give thanks to Yahweh, call on his name, proclaim his deeds to the peoples!

² Sing to him, make music for him, recount all his wonders!

³ Glory in his holy name, let the hearts that seek Yahweh rejoice!

⁴ Seek Yahweh and his strength, tirelessly seek his presence!

⁵ Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders, the judgements he has spoken.

⁶ Stock of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob whom he chose!

⁷ He is Yahweh our God, his judgements touch the whole world.

⁸ He remembers his covenant for ever, the promise he laid down for a thousand generations,

⁹ which he concluded with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

¹⁰ He established it as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant with Israel,

¹¹ saying, 'To you I give a land, Canaan, your allotted birthright.'

¹² When they were insignificant in numbers, a handful of strangers in the land,

¹³ wandering from country to country, from one kingdom and nation to another,

¹⁴ he allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he instructed kings,

¹⁵ 'Do not touch my anointed ones, to my prophets you may do no harm.'

¹⁶ He called down famine on the land, he took away their food supply;

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

¹⁸ So his feet were weighed down with shackles, his neck was put in irons.

¹⁹ In due time his prophecy was fulfilled, the word of Yahweh proved him true.

²⁰ The king sent orders to release him, the ruler of nations set him free;

²¹ he put him in charge of his household, the ruler of all he possessed,

²² to instruct his princes as he saw fit, to teach his counsellors wisdom.

²³ Then Israel migrated to Egypt, Jacob settled in the country of Ham.

²⁴ He made his people increase in numbers, he gave them more strength than their enemies,

²⁵ whose heart he turned to hate his own people, to double-cross his servants.

²⁶ He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, the man of his choice.

²⁷ They worked there the wonders he commanded, marvels in the country of Ham.

²⁸ Darkness he sent, and darkness fell, but that nation defied his orders.

²⁹ He turned their rivers to blood, and killed all the fish in them.

³⁰ Their country was overrun with frogs, even in the royal apartments;

³¹ at his word came flies, and mosquitoes throughout the country.

³² He gave them hail as their rain, flames of fire in their land;

³³ he blasted their vine and their fig tree, and shattered the trees of the country.

³⁴ At his word came locusts, hoppers beyond all counting;

³⁵ they devoured every green thing in the land, devoured all the produce of the soil.

³⁶ He struck all the first-born in their land, the flower of all their manhood;

³⁷ he led Israel out with silver and gold; in their tribes there was none who stumbled.

³⁸ Egypt was glad at their leaving, for terror of Israel had seized them.

³⁹ He spread out a cloud to cover them, and fire to light up the night.

⁴⁰ They asked and he brought them quails, food from heaven to their hearts' content;

⁴¹ he opened a rock, the waters gushed out, and flowed in dry ground as a river.

⁴² Faithful to his sacred promise, given to his servant Abraham,

⁴³ he led out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy.

⁴⁴ He gave them the territories of nations, they reaped the fruit of other people's labours,

⁴⁵ on condition that they kept his statutes, and remained obedient to his laws.