1Give praise and thanks unto the Lord, for bountiful is he; His tender mercy doth endure unto eternity. | 2God’s mighty works who can express? or shew forth all his praise? 3Blessed are they that judgment keep, and justly do always. | 4Remember me, Lord, with that love which thou to thine dost bear; With thy salvation, O my God, to visit me draw near: | 5That I thy chosen’s good may see, and in their joy rejoice; And may with thine inheritance triumph with cheerful voice. | 6We with our fathers sinned have, and of iniquity Too long we have the workers been; we have done wickedly. | 7The wonders great, which thou, O Lord, didst work in Egypt land, Our fathers, though they saw, yet them they did not understand: | And they thy mercies’ multitude kept not in memory; But at the sea, ev’n the Red sea, provok’d him grievously. | 8Nevertheless he saved them, ev’n for his own name’s sake; That so he might to be well known his mighty power make. | 9When he the Red sea did rebuke, then dried up it was: Through depths, as through the wilderness, he safely made them pass. | 10From hands of those that hated them he did his people save; And from the en’my’s cruel hand to them redemption gave. | 11The waters overwhelm’d their foes; not one was left alive. 12Then they believ’d his word, and praise to him in songs did give. | 13But soon did they his mighty works forget unthankfully, And on his counsel and his will did not wait patiently; | 14But much did lust in wilderness, and God in desert tempt. 15He gave them what they sought, but to their soul he leanness sent. | 16And against Moses in the camp their envy did appear; At Aaron they, the saint of God, envious also were. | 17Therefore the earth did open wide, and Dathan did devour, And all Abiram’s company did cover in that hour. | 18Likewise among their company a fire was kindled then; And so the hot consuming flame burnt up these wicked men. | 19Upon the hill of Horeb they an idol-calf did frame, A molten image they did make, and worshipped the same. | 20And thus their glory, and their God, most vainly changed they Into the likeness of an ox that eateth grass or hay. | 21They did forget the mighty God, that had their saviour been, By whom such great things brought to pass they had in Egypt seen. | 22In Ham’s land he did wondrous works, things terrible did he, When he his mighty hand and arm stretch’d out at the Red sea. | 23Then said he, He would them destroy, had not, his wrath to stay, His chosen Moses stood in breach, that them he should not slay. | 24Yea, they despis’d the pleasant land, believed not his word: 25But in their tents they murmured, not heark’ning to the Lord. | 26Therefore in desert them to slay he lifted up his hand: 27’Mong nations to o’erthrow their seed, and scatter in each land. | 28They unto Baal-peor did themselves associate; The sacrifices of the dead they did profanely eat. | 29Thus, by their lewd inventions, they did provoke his ire; And then upon them suddenly the plague brake in as fire. | 30Then Phin’has rose, and justice did, and so the plague did cease; 31That to all ages counted was to him for righteousness. | 32And at the waters, where they strove, they did him angry make, In such sort, that it fared ill with Moses for their sake: | 33Because they there his spirit meek provoked bitterly, So that he utter’d with his lips words unadvisedly. | 34Nor, as the Lord commanded them, did they the nations slay: 35But with the heathen mingled were, and learn’d of them their way. | 36And they their idols serv’d, which did a snare unto them turn. 37Their sons and daughters they to dev’ls in sacrifice did burn. | 38In their own children’s guiltless blood their hands they did imbrue, Whom to Canaan’s idols they for sacrifices slew: | So was the land defil’d with blood. 39They stain’d with their own way, And with their own inventions a whoring they did stray. | 40Against his people kindled was the wrath of God therefore, Insomuch that he did his own inheritance abhor. | 41He gave them to the heathen’s hand; their foes did them command. 42Their en’mies them oppress’d, they were made subject to their hand. | 43He many times deliver’d them; but with their counsel so They him provok’d, that for their sin they were brought very low. | 44Yet their affliction he beheld, when he did hear their cry: 45And he for them his covenant did call to memory; | After his mercies’ multitude 46he did repent: And made Them to be pity’d of all those who did them captive lead. | 47O Lord our God, us save, and gather the heathen from among, That we thy holy name may praise in a triumphant song. | 48Bless’d be Jehovah, Isr’el’s God, to all eternity: Let all the people say, Amen. Praise to the Lord give ye. | |