Psalm 106

1 Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD, or fully declare all his praise?

3 Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times.

4 Remember me, LORD, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation,

5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.

7 Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt. They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; so he led them through the depths, as through a desert.

10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 The waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left.

12 Then they believed his words. They sang his praise.

13 They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel,

14 but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.

15 He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.

16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, the LORD’s saint.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

18 A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image.

20 Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass.

21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea.

23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them.

24 Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word,

25 but murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to the LORD’s voice.

26 Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness,

27 that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them.

30 Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped.

31 That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come.

32 They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes;

33 because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They didn’t destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,

35 but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works.

36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

38 They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.

39 Thus they were defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds.

40 Therefore the LORD burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance.

41 He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.

45 He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

46 He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive.

47 Save us, LORD, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise!

48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!

Around Psalm 106

Book context

PsalmsEditorial draft

Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers used in Israel’s worship, written by several people over a long period. Headings name David most often, along with Asaph, the sons of Korah and others. The collection falls into five books, each ending with a short blessing of the LORD (41:13, 72:19, 89:52, 106:48), and it closes with a call for everything that has breath to praise the LORD (150:6). The psalms hold praise, lament, thanksgiving, confession and trust, so readers find words for nearly every season of life.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · broad consensus · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

About Psalms as a whole · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this book is about

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?” A prayer can begin like that, and in the Psalms it does. Four times the poet asks how long, and then, in the same short song, comes the turn: “But I trust in your loving kindness.”

That honesty runs through the whole book. Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers, and it holds praise, thanksgiving, lament, confession, songs for the king, and reflections on wisdom and on God's law. It is arranged in five books and moves, on the whole, from many laments at the start to pure praise at the end.

Joy, fear, anger, guilt and doubt are all spoken to God directly.

Background

The psalms were written and gathered over several centuries. Their headings link about half of them with David and others with Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon and Moses. They were sung in the worship of the temple and later in synagogues and churches.

How Christians read it

Jews and Christians have prayed the Psalms daily for well over two thousand years. The New Testament quotes them more than any other book and reads many as speaking of Christ, among them Psalms 2, 22 and 110. The psalms that call for judgment on enemies are hard to read. Many understand them as handing vengeance over to God instead of taking it oneself.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes