But there is one discordant note in creation's full-toned hymn, "the fair music that all creatures made." There are sinners on earth; and the last prayer of the psalmist is that that blot may be removed, and so nothing may mar the realisation of God's ideal, nor be left to lessen the completeness of His delight in His work. And so the psalm ends, as it began, with the singer's call to his own soul to bless Jehovah.
This is the first psalm which closes with Hallelujah (Praise Jehovah). It is appended to the two following psalms, which close Book IV., and is again found in Book V., in Psalms cxi.-cxiii., cxv.-cxvii., and in the final group, Psalms cxlvi.-cl. It is probably a liturgical addition.
1 Give thanks to Jehovah, call on His name, Make known among the peoples His deeds. 2 Sing to Him, harp to Him, Speak musingly of all His wonders. 3 Glory in His holy name, Glad be the heart of them that seek Jehovah! 4 Inquire after Jehovah and His strength, Seek His face continually. 5 Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments of His mouth. 6 O seed of Abraham His servant, Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones.
7 He, Jehovah, is our God, In all the earth are His judgments. 8 He remembers His covenant for ever, The word which He commanded for a thousand generations; 9 Which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. 10 And He established it with Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant, 11 Saying, "To thee will I give the land of Canaan, [As] your measured allotment;" 12 Whilst they were easily counted, Very few, and but sojourners therein; 13 And they went about from nation to nation, From [one] kingdom to another people. 14 He suffered no man to oppress them, And reproved kings for their sakes; 15 [Saying], "Touch not Mine anointed ones, And to My prophets do no harm."
16 And He called for a famine on the land, Every staff of bread He broke. 17 He sent before them a man, For a slave was Joseph sold. 18 They afflicted his feet with the fetter, He was put in irons. 19 Till the time [when] his word came [to pass], The promise of Jehovah tested him. 20 The king sent and loosed him, The ruler of peoples, and let him go. 21 He made him lord over his house, And ruler over all his substance; 22 To bind princes at his pleasure, And to make his elders wise.
23 So Israel came to Egypt, And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24 And He made His people fruitful exceedingly, And made them stronger than their foes. 25 He turned their heart to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants. 26 He sent Moses His servant, [And] Aaron whom He had chosen. 27 They set [forth] among them His signs, And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark, And they rebelled not against His words. 29 He turned their waters to blood, And slew their fish. 30 Their land swarmed [with] frogs, In the chambers of their kings. 31 He spake and the gad-fly came, Gnats in all their borders. 32 He gave hail [for] their rains, Flaming fire in their land. 33 And He smote their vine and their fig-tree, And broke the trees of their borders. 34 He spoke and the locust came, And caterpillar-locusts without number, 35 And ate up every herb in their land, And ate up the fruit of their ground. 36 And He smote every first-born in their land, The firstlings of all their strength. 37 And He brought them out with silver and gold, And there was not one among His tribes who stumbled. 38 Glad was Egypt at their departure, For the fear of them had fallen upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to light the night. 40 They asked and He brought quails, And [with] bread from heaven He satisfied them. 41 He opened the rock and forth gushed waters, They flowed through the deserts, a river. 42 For He remembered His holy word, [And] Abraham His servant; 43 And He brought out His people [with] joy, With glad cries His chosen [ones]; 44 And He gave them the lands of the nations, And they took possession of the toil of the peoples, 45 To the end that they might observe His statutes, And keep His laws. Hallelujah!