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Psalm 105

1  O give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; ♦︎
   make known his deeds among the peoples.
2  Sing to him, sing praises, ♦︎
   and tell of all his marvellous works.
3  Rejoice in the praise of his holy name; ♦︎
   let the hearts of them rejoice who seek the Lord.
4  Seek the Lord and his strength; ♦︎
   seek his face continually.
5  Remember the marvels he has done, ♦︎
   his wonders and the judgements of his mouth,
6  O seed of Abraham his servant, ♦︎
   O children of Jacob his chosen.
7  He is the Lord our God; ♦︎
   his judgements are in all the earth.
8  He has always been mindful of his covenant, ♦︎
   the promise that he made for a thousand generations:
9  The covenant he made with Abraham, ♦︎
   the oath that he swore to Isaac,
10  Which he established as a statute for Jacob, ♦︎
   an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11  Saying, ‘To you will I give the land of Canaan ♦︎
   to be the portion of your inheritance.’
12  When they were but few in number, ♦︎
   of little account, and sojourners in the land,
13  Wandering from nation to nation, ♦︎
   from one kingdom to another people,
14  He suffered no one to do them wrong ♦︎
   and rebuked even kings for their sake,
15  Saying, ‘Touch not my anointed ♦︎
   and do my prophets no harm.’
16  Then he called down famine over the land ♦︎
   and broke every staff of bread.
17  But he had sent a man before them, ♦︎
   Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18  They shackled his feet with fetters; ♦︎
   his neck was ringed with iron.
19  Until all he foretold came to pass, ♦︎
   the word of the Lord tested him.
20  The king sent and released him; ♦︎
   the ruler of peoples set him free.
21  He appointed him lord of his household ♦︎
   and ruler of all he possessed,
22  To instruct his princes as he willed ♦︎
   and to teach his counsellors wisdom.

⁶ For children born of unlawful unions
are witnesses of evil against their parents when God examines them.^*
7 But the righteous, though they die early, will be at rest.
⁸ For old age is not honoured for length of time,
or measured by number of years;
⁹ but understanding is grey hair for anyone,
and a blameless life is ripe old age.

¹⁰ There were some who pleased God and were loved by him,
and while living among sinners were taken up.
¹¹ They were caught up so that evil might not change their understanding
or guile deceive their souls.
¹² For the fascination of wickedness obscures what is good,
and roving desire perverts the innocent mind.
¹³ Being perfected in a short time, they fulfilled long years;
¹⁴ for their souls were pleasing to the Lord,
therefore he took them quickly from the midst of wickedness.
¹⁵ Yet the peoples saw and did not understand,
or take such a thing to heart,
that God’s grace and mercy are with his elect,
and that he watches over his holy ones.

The Triumph of the Righteous

¹⁶ The righteous who have died will condemn the ungodly who are living,
and youth that is quickly perfected^* will condemn the prolonged old age of the unrighteous.
¹⁷ For they will see the end of the wise,
and will not understand what the Lord purposed for them,
and for what he kept them safe.
¹⁸ The unrighteous^* will see, and will have contempt for them,
but the Lord will laugh them to scorn.
After this they will become dishonoured corpses,
and an outrage among the dead for ever;
¹⁹ because he will dash them speechless to the ground,
and shake them from the foundations;
they will be left utterly dry and barren,
and they will suffer anguish,
and the memory of them will perish.

The Final Judgement

²⁰ They will come with dread when their sins are reckoned up,
and their lawless deeds will convict them to their face.

5Then the righteous will stand with great confidence
in the presence of those who have oppressed them
and those who make light of their labours.
² When the unrighteous^* see them, they will be shaken with dreadful fear,
and they will be amazed at the unexpected salvation of the righteous.
³ They will speak to one another in repentance,
and in anguish of spirit they will groan, and say,
⁴ ‘These are persons whom we once held in derision
and made a byword of reproach—fools that we were!
We thought that their lives were madness
and that their end was without honour.
⁵ Why have they been numbered among the children of God?
And why is their lot among the saints?
⁶ So it was we who strayed from the way of truth,
and the light of righteousness did not shine on us,
and the sun did not rise upon us.
⁷ We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction,
and we journeyed through trackless deserts,
but the way of the Lord we have not known.
⁸ What has our arrogance profited us?
And what good has our boasted wealth brought us?

²⁸ In the path of righteousness there is life,
   in walking its path there is no death.

13A wise child loves discipline,^*
   but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
² From the fruit of their words good people eat good things,
   but the desire of the treacherous is for wrongdoing.
³ Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives;
   those who open wide their lips come to ruin.
⁴ The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing,
   while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.
⁵ The righteous hate falsehood,
   but the wicked act shamefully and disgracefully.
⁶ Righteousness guards one whose way is upright,
   but sin overthrows the wicked.
⁷ Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing;
   others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.
⁸ Wealth is a ransom for a person’s life,
   but the poor get no threats.
⁹ The light of the righteous rejoices,
   but the lamp of the wicked goes out.
¹⁰ By insolence the heedless make strife,
   but wisdom is with those who take advice.
¹¹ Wealth hastily gained^* will dwindle,
   but those who gather little by little will increase it.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
   but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
¹³ Those who despise the word bring destruction on themselves,
   but those who respect the commandment will be rewarded.
¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
   so that one may avoid the snares of death.
¹⁵ Good sense wins favour,
   but the way of the faithless is their ruin.^*
16 The clever do all things intelligently,
   but the fool displays folly.
¹⁷ A bad messenger brings trouble,
   but a faithful envoy, healing.
¹⁸ Poverty and disgrace are for the one who ignores instruction,
   but one who heeds reproof is honoured.
¹⁹ A desire realized is sweet to the soul,
   but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
²⁰ Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
   but the companion of fools suffers harm.
²¹ Misfortune pursues sinners,
   but prosperity rewards the righteous.
²² The good leave an inheritance to their children’s children,
   but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Love for Enemies

27 ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.^* Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’