Psalms 105

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

1Thank the LORD. Pray to him. Tell the nations what he has done.

2Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

2Sing to him. Sing songs of praise to him. Talk about all his wonderful works.

3Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

3Be glad that you belong to his holy name. Let those who look for the LORD be happy.

4Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

4Look for the LORD and the strength he gives. Always want to be near him.

5Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

5Remember the wonderful things he has done. Remember his wonders and the decisions he has spoken.

6O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

6You are the family of Abraham, who served God. You are the children of Jacob, whom God chose.

7He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

7He is the LORD our God. His decisions are for the whole earth.

8He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

8He never forgets his covenant, his solemn promise. He gave his word for a thousand generations.

9Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

9This is the promise he made with Abraham. He swore the same promise to Isaac.

10And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

10He said it again to Jacob as a rule. He gave it to Israel as a promise that lasts forever.

11Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

11He said, "I will give you the land of Canaan. It will be your very own land."

12When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

12At that time there were only a few of them. They were strangers living in that land.

13When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

13They moved from one nation to another. They went from one kingdom to another people.

14He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

14He did not let anyone hurt them. He even told kings off to keep them safe.

15Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

15He said, "Do not touch the people I have chosen. Do not hurt my prophets, who speak my words."

16Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

16Then he sent a famine on the land. He cut off the food they needed.

17He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

17He sent one man ahead of them. It was Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

18They hurt his feet with chains. They put iron around his neck.

19Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

19This lasted until what Joseph had said came true. The word of the LORD showed he was right.

20The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

20Then the king sent word and set him free. The ruler of the people let him go.

21He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

21He made Joseph the head of his house. Joseph took care of everything the king owned.

22To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

22Joseph could tell the king's leaders what to do. He taught the older leaders wise things.

23Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

23Then Israel came into Egypt. Jacob lived as a stranger in the land of Ham.

NoteThe "land of Ham" means Egypt. Ham was a son of Noah, and Egypt was said to come from his family.

24And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.

24God gave his people many children. They grew stronger than the people who hated them.

25He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.

25He turned the Egyptians' hearts to hate his people. They made sly plans against his servants.

26He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.

26So he sent Moses, who served him. He also sent Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

27They showed God's signs to the Egyptians. They did wonders in the land of Ham.

28He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

28He sent darkness, and the land went dark. They did not go against what he said.

NoteThe Hebrew here is not clear. Some Bibles read "they did not go against his word," meaning Moses and Aaron obeyed. Others read "they did not obey his words," meaning the Egyptians refused.

29He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

29He turned their water into blood. All their fish died.

30Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

30Their land was full of frogs. Frogs even got into the king's own rooms.

31He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

31He spoke, and swarms of flies came. Tiny biting bugs filled the whole country.

32He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.

32Instead of rain he sent them hail. Fire flashed across their land.

33He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.

33He struck their grapevines and their fig trees. He broke the trees all over their country.

34He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,

34He spoke, and locusts came. Young locusts came too, more than anyone could count.

NoteThe old word "caterpillers" here means young locusts, not the caterpillars that turn into butterflies.

35And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.

35They ate up every green plant in the land. They ate the food that grew in the ground.

36He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

36Then he struck down every oldest son in the land. They were the pride of each family's strength.

37He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

37He brought his people out with silver and gold. Not one of them was weak or stumbling.

38Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

38Egypt was glad when they left. The Egyptians had become afraid of them.

39He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

39He spread a cloud over them like a blanket. He gave fire to light up the night.

40The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

40The people asked for meat, and he brought them quails. He filled them with bread from the sky.

Note"Bread from the sky" is the food called manna. God sent it on the ground each morning while Israel walked through the desert.

41He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

41He opened a rock, and water poured out. It ran through the dry land like a river.

42For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.

42He did this because he remembered his holy promise. He remembered Abraham, who served him.

43And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

43He brought his people out, and they were full of joy. His chosen ones shouted with gladness.

44And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

44He gave them the lands of other nations. They received what other people had worked to build.

45That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

45He did this so they would follow his rules and obey his laws. Praise the LORD.