The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 375

Psalms Chapter 105

Confitemini Domino.

A confession of the manifold sins and ingrat.i.tudes of the Israelites.

Alleluia.

105:1. Give glory to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

105:2. Who shall declare the powers of the Lord? who shall set forth all his praises?

105:3. Blessed are they that keep judgment, and do justice at all times.

105:4. Remember us, O Lord, in the favour of thy people: visit us with thy salvation.

105:5. That we may see the good of thy chosen, that we may rejoice in the joy of thy nation: that thou mayst be praised with thy inheritance.

105:6. We have sinned with our fathers: we have acted unjustly, we have wrought iniquity.

105:7. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt: they remembered not the mult.i.tude of thy mercies: And they provoked to wrath going up to the sea, even the Red Sea.

105:8. And he saved them for his own name's sake: that he might make his power known.

105:9. And he rebuked the Red Sea and it was dried up: and he led them through the depths, as in a wilderness.

105:10. And he saved them from the hand of them that hated them: and he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

105:11. And the water covered them that afflicted them: there was not one of them left.

105:12. And they believed his words: and they sang his praises.

105:13. They had quickly done, they forgot his works: and they waited not for his counsel.

105:14. And they coveted their desire in the desert: and they tempted G.o.d in the place without water.

105:15. And he gave them their request: and sent fulness into their souls.

105:16. And they provoked Moses in the camp, Aaron the holy one of the Lord.

105:17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan: and covered the congregation of Abiron.

105:18. And a fire was kindled in their congregation: the flame burned the wicked.

105:19. They made also a calf in h.o.r.eb: and they adored the graven thing.

105:20. And they changed their glory into the likeness of a calf that eateth gra.s.s.

105:21. They forgot G.o.d, who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,

105:22. Wondrous works in the land of Cham: terrible things in the Red Sea.

105:23. And he said that he would destroy them: had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach: To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

105:24. And they set at nought the desirable land. They believed not his word,

105:25. And they murmured in their tents: they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord.

105:26. And he lifted up his hand over them: to overthrow them in the desert;

105:27. And to cast down their seed among the nations, and to scatter them in the countries.

105:28. They also were initiated to Beelphegor: and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

Initiated... That is, they dedicated, or consecrated themselves to the idol of the Moabites and Madianites, called Beelphegor, or Baal-Peor.

Num. 25.3.-Ibid. The dead... Viz., idols without life.

105:29. And they provoked him with their inventions: and destruction was multiplied among them.

105:30. Then Phinees stood up, and pacified him: and the slaughter ceased.

105:31. And it was reputed to him unto justice, to generation and generation for evermore.

105:32. They provoked him also at the waters of contradiction: and Moses was afflicted for their sakes:

105:33. Because they exasperated his spirit. And he distinguished with his lips.

He distinguished with his lips... Moses, by occasion of the people's rebellion and incredulity, was guilty of distinguis.h.i.+ng with his lips; when, instead of speaking to the rock, as G.o.d had commanded, he said to the people, with a certain hesitation in his faith, Hear ye, rebellious and incredulous: Can we from this rock bring out water for you? Num.

20.10.

105:34. They did not destroy the nations of which the Lord spoke unto them.

105:35. And they were mingled among the heathens, and learned their works:

105:36. And served their idols, and it became a stumblingblock to them.

105:37. And they sacrificed their sons, and their daughters to devils.

105:38. And they shed innocent blood: the blood of their sons and of their daughters which they sacrificed to the idols of Chanaan. And the land was polluted with blood,

105:39. And was defiled with their works: and they went aside after their own inventions.

105:40. And the Lord was exceedingly angry with his people: and he abhorred his inheritance.

105:41. And he delivered them into the hands of the nations: and they that hated them had dominion over them.

105:42. And their enemies afflicted them: and they were humbled under their hands:

105:43. Many times did he deliver them. But they provoked him with their counsel: and they were brought low by their iniquities.