1 Aleluia. Louvai o Senhor porque ele é bom, porque a sua misericórdia é eterna.
2 Quem contará os poderosos feitos do Senhor? Quem poderá apregoar os seus louvores?
3 Felizes aqueles que observam os preceitos, aqueles que, em todo o tempo, fazem o que é reto.
4 Lembrai-vos de mim, Senhor, pela benevolência que tendes com o vosso povo. Assisti-me com o vosso socorro,
5 para que eu prove a felicidade de vossos eleitos, compartilhe do júbilo de vosso povo e me glorie com os que constituem vossa herança.
6 Como nossos pais, nós também pecamos, cometemos a iniqüidade, praticamos o mal.
7 Nossos pais, no Egito, não prezaram os vossos milagres, esqueceram a multidão de vossos benefícios e se revoltaram contra o Altíssimo no mar Vermelho.
8 Mas ele os poupou para a honra de seu nome, para tornar patente o seu poder.
9 Ameaçou o mar e ele se tornou seco, e os conduziu por entre as ondas como através de um deserto.
10 Livrou-os das mãos daquele que os odiava, e os salvou do poder inimigo.
11 As águas recobriram seus adversários, nenhum deles escapou.
12 Então acreditaram em sua palavra, e cantaram os seus louvores.
13 Depressa, porém, esqueceram suas obras, e não confiaram em seus desígnios.
14 Entregaram-se à concupiscência no deserto, e tentaram a Deus na solidão.
15 Ele lhes concedeu o que pediam, mas os feriu de um mal mortal.
16 Em seus acampamentos invejaram Moisés e Aarão, o eleito do Senhor.
17 Abriu-se a terra e tragou Datã, e sepultou os sequazes de Abiron.
18 Um fogo devassou as suas tropas e as chamas consumiram os ímpios.
19 Fabricaram um bezerro de ouro no sopé do Horeb, e adoraram um ídolo de ouro fundido.
20 Eles trocaram a sua glória pela estátua de um touro que come feno.
21 Esqueceram a Deus que os salvara, que obrara prodígios no Egito,
22 maravilhas na terra de Cam, estupendos feitos no mar Vermelho.
23 Já cogitava em exterminá-los se Moisés, seu eleito, não intercedesse junto dele para impedir que sua cólera os destruísse.
24 Depois, eles desprezaram uma terra de delícias, desconfiados de sua palavra.
25 Em suas tendas se puseram a murmurar, e desobedeceram ao Senhor.
26 Então, com a mão alçada, ele jurou que havia de prostrá-los no deserto
27 e dispersar sua descendência entre as nações pagãs, disseminando-os por toda a terra.
28 Aderiram também ao Baal de Fegor, comeram vítimas oferecidas a deuses sem vida.
29 E, provocando-o com seus crimes, uma peste irrompeu entre eles.
30 Mas levantou-se Finéias para fazer justiça; cessou a peste.
31 Seu zelo lhe foi imputado como mérito, de geração em geração, para sempre.
32 Em seguida, irritaram a Deus nas águas de Meribá, e adveio o mal a Moisés por causa deles.
33 Porque o provocaram tanto, palavras temerárias saíram-lhe dos lábios.
34 Não exterminaram os povos, como o Senhor lhes havia ordenado,
35 mas se misturaram com as nações pagãs e aprenderam seus costumes.
36 Prestaram culto aos seus ídolos, que se tornaram um laço para eles.
37 Imolaram os seus filhos e suas filhas aos demônios.
38 Derramaram o sangue inocente: o sangue de seus filhos e de suas filhas, que aos ídolos de Canaã sacrificaram; seu país ficou manchado com esse sangue.
39 Eles se contaminaram com homicídios, e se prostituíram com seus crimes.
40 Então se inflamou contra seu povo a cólera divina, e Deus teve aversão de sua herança.
41 Ele os entregou nas mãos das nações pagãs, e foram dominados pelos que os odiavam.
42 Oprimiram-nos os seus inimigos, foram submetidos ao seu jugo.
43 Muitas vezes ele os libertou; mas sua conduta o exasperou, de tal modo que foram abatidos por causa de suas iniqüidades.
44 Entretanto, vendo a sua aflição, ouviu-lhes as orações.
45 Em favor deles lembrou-se de sua aliança, e por sua misericórdia deles se apiedou.
46 E fez com que encontrassem a clemência junto aos que os tinham aprisionado.
47 Salvai-nos, Senhor, nosso Deus, e recolhei-nos de entre as nações, para que possamos celebrar o vosso santo nome e ter a satisfação de vos louvar.
48 Bendito seja o Senhor, Deus de Israel, pelos séculos dos séculos! E que todo o povo diga: Amém!
1 Let the Lord be praised. O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
2 Who is able to give an account of the great acts of the Lord, or to make clear all his praise?
3 Happy are they whose decisions are upright, and he who does righteousness at all times.
4 Keep me in mind, O Lord, when you are good to your people; O let your salvation come to me;
5 So that I may see the well-being of the people of your selection, and have a part in the joy of your nation, and take pride in your heritage.
6 We are sinners like our fathers, we have done wrong, our acts are evil.
7 Our fathers did not give thought to your wonders in Egypt; they did not keep in memory the great number of your mercies, but gave you cause for wrath at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
8 But he was their saviour because of his name, so that men might see his great power.
9 By his word the Red Sea was made dry: and he took them through the deep waters as through the waste land.
10 And he took them safely out of the hands of their haters, and kept them from the attacks of those who were against them.
11 And the waters went over their haters; all of them came to an end.
12 Then they had faith in his words; they gave him songs of praise.
13 But their memory of his works was short; not waiting to be guided by him,
14 They gave way to their evil desires in the waste land, and put God to the test in the dry places.
15 And he gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease into their souls.
16 They were full of envy against Moses among the tents, and against Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17 The earth opening put an end to Dathan, covering up Abiram and his band.
18 And a fire was lighted among their tents; the sinners were burned up by the flames.
19 They made a young ox in Horeb, and gave worship to an image of gold.
20 And their glory was changed into the image of an ox, whose food is grass.
21 They had no memory of God their saviour, who had done great things in Egypt;
22 Works of wonder in the land of Ham, and things of fear by the Red Sea.
23 And he was purposing to put an end to them if Moses, his special servant, had not gone up before him, between him and his people, turning back his wrath, to keep them from destruction.
24 They were disgusted with the good land; they had no belief in his word;
25 Talking against him secretly in their tents, they did not give ear to the voice of the Lord.
26 So he made an oath against them, to put an end to them in the waste land:
27 That their children might be mixed among the nations, and sent away into other lands.
28 And they were joined to Baal-peor, and took part in the offerings to the dead.
29 So they made him angry by their behaviour; and he sent disease on them.
30 Then Phinehas got up, and made prayer for them; and the disease went no farther.
31 And all the generations coming after him kept the memory of his righteousness for ever.
32 They made God angry again at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled because of them;
33 For they made his spirit bitter, and he said unwise things.
34 They did not put an end to the peoples, as the Lord had said;
35 But they were joined to the nations, learning their works.
36 And they gave worship to images; which were a danger to them:
37 They even made offerings of their sons and their daughters to evil spirits,
38 And gave the blood of their sons and their daughters who had done no wrong, offering them to the images of Canaan; and the land was made unclean with blood.
39 So they became unclean through their works, going after their evil desires.
40 Then the wrath of the Lord was burning against his people, and he was angry with his heritage.
41 And he gave them into the hands of the nations; and they were ruled by their haters.
42 By them they were crushed, and made low under their hands.
43 Again and again he made them free; but their hearts were turned against his purpose, and they were overcome by their sins.
44 But when their cry came to his ears, he had pity on their trouble:
45 And kept in mind his agreement with them, and in his great mercy gave them forgiveness.
46 He put pity into the hearts of those who made them prisoners.
47 Be our saviour, O Lord our God, and let us come back together from among the nations, so that we may give honour to your holy name, and have glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the Lord God of Israel for ever and for ever; and let all the people say, So be it. Give praise to the Lord.