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1 Give the Lord thanks, worship his wonderful nature, let people know what he's done!
2 Sing to him, sing his praises; tell everyone the great things he's done!
3 Be proud of his holy character; be happy, all who come to the Lord!
4 Look for the Lord, and his strength; always look to be in his presence.
5 Remember all the wonderful things he's done, the miracles he's performed, and the judgments*In the context, probably referring to the judgments on heathen nations. he's carried out,
6 descendants of Abraham, children of Israel, his chosen people.
7 He is the Lord, our God, his judgments cover the whole earth.
8 He remembers his agreement forever, the promise he made lasts for a thousand generations;
9 the agreement he made with Abraham, the vow he gave to Isaac.
10 The Lord legally confirmed it with Jacob, he made this binding agreement with Israel:
11 saying to you, “I will give the land of Canaan for you to possess.”
12 He said this when they were only a few, just a small group of foreigners in the land.
13 They wandered from country to country, from one kingdom to the next.
14 He didn't let anyone one treat them badly; warning kings to leave them alone:
15 “Don't touch my chosen people; don't harm my prophets!”
16 He caused†Literally, “called.” a famine in the Land of Canaan so that there was no food.
17 Before that he sent a man, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.‡This refers to the story in Genesis of Joseph being sold as a slave and taken to Egypt.
18 They hurt his feet by placing them in shackles, and they put an iron collar around his neck,
19 until the time predicted came when the Lord tested him.
20 The king§Referring to the Pharaoh. sent for him and released him; the king of the people set him free.
21 He put Joseph in charge of the royal household, manager of everything he had,
22 to teach*Septuagint reading. the king's officials whatever he wanted, to make the king's advisors wise.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt—Jacob settled as a foreigner in the land of Ham.†“Land of Ham”: an old term for Egypt.
24 The Lord made his people more fertile and more powerful than their enemies.
25 He made the Egyptians‡Literally, “them.” In the context it is the people of Egypt, particularly the Pharaoh. change their minds and hate his people and act deceptively towards them.
26 He sent his servant Moses, together with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They§Or “he.” carried out his miraculous signs among the Egyptians, his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He plunged the country into darkness—for hadn't they defied what the Lord had said?*“For hadn't they defied what the Lord had said?” This applies to the Egyptians. Alternatively it could be translated, “for they had not defied what the Lord had said,” referring to Moses and Aaron.
29 He turned their water into blood, killing all the fish.
30 Then he sent a plague of frogs across the land that even entered the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He gave the command, and flies spread throughout their land; mosquitoes were everywhere.
32 He rained down hail on them, and lightning flashed across their land.
33 He struck down their grape vines, and tore down their trees.
34 He gave the command, and swarms of locusts came—countless locusts:
35 they ate up all the vegetation in their land; they consumed all the growing crops.
36 He killed all the firstborn in Egypt, the first to be produced in their vigor and strength.
37 Then he led his people out of Egypt, carrying silver and gold—not one among the tribes was stumbling along.
38 The Egyptians were delighted to see them go, for they were frightened of the Israelites.
39 He spread a cloud above them as a covering, and at night a fire to give them light.
40 He gave them quails to eat when they asked him; he fed them with the bread of heaven until they were full.
41 He split the rock open, and water gushed out—a river flowing through the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise to his servant Abraham.
43 So he led his people out, his chosen ones, as they sang for joy.
44 He gave them the lands of the heathen nations, and they inherited what other people had worked for.
45 The Lord did this so they could follow his instructions and keep his laws. Praise the Lord!
- a In the context, probably referring to the judgments on heathen nations.
- b Literally, “called.”
- c This refers to the story in Genesis of Joseph being sold as a slave and taken to Egypt.
- d Referring to the Pharaoh.
- e Septuagint reading.
- f “Land of Ham”: an old term for Egypt.
- g Literally, “them.” In the context it is the people of Egypt, particularly the Pharaoh.
- h Or “he.”
- i “For hadn't they defied what the Lord had said?” This applies to the Egyptians. Alternatively it could be translated, “for they had not defied what the Lord had said,” referring to Moses and Aaron.