A Nation Asks for Forgiveness

1 We will celebrate

and praise you, Lord!

You are good to us,

and your love never fails.

2No one can praise you enough

for all the mighty things

you have done.

3You bless those people

who are honest and fair

in everything they do.

4Remember me, Lord,

when you show kindness

by saving your people.

5Let me prosper with the rest

of your chosen ones,

as they celebrate with pride

because they belong to you.

6We and our ancestors

have sinned terribly.

7 When they were in Egypt,

they paid no attention

to your marvelous deeds

or your wonderful love.

And they turned against you

at the Red Sea.+

8But you were true to your name,

and you rescued them to prove

how mighty you are.

9 You said to the Red Sea,+

“Dry up!”

Then you led your people across

on land as dry as a desert.

10You saved all of them

11and drowned every one

of their enemies.

12 Then your people trusted you

and sang your praises.

13But they soon forgot

what you had done

and rejected your advice.

14 They became greedy for food

and tested you there

in the desert.

15So you gave them

what they wanted,

but later you destroyed them

with a horrible disease.

16 Everyone in camp was jealous

of Moses and of Aaron,

your chosen priest.

17Dathan and Abiram rebelled,

and the earth opened up

and swallowed them.

18Then fire broke out

and destroyed all

of their followers.

19 At Horeb your people

made and worshiped the statue

20of a bull, instead of you,

their glorious God.

21You worked powerful miracles

to save them from Egypt,

but they forgot about you

22and the fearsome things

you did at the Red Sea.+

23You were angry and started

to destroy them,

but Moses, your chosen leader,

begged you not to do it.

24 They would not trust

you, Lord,

and they did not like

the promised land.

25They would not obey you,

and they grumbled

in their tents.

26So you threatened them

by saying, “I'll kill you

out here in the desert!

27 I'll scatter your children

everywhere in the world.”

28 Your people became followers

of a god named Baal Peor,

and they ate sacrifices

offered to the dead.+

29They did such terrible things

that you punished them

with a deadly disease.

30But Phinehas+ helped them,

and the sickness stopped.

31Now he will always

be highly honored.

32 At Meribah Spring+

they turned against you

and made you furious.

33Then Moses got into trouble

for speaking in anger.

34 Our Lord, they disobeyed you

by refusing to destroy

the nations.

35Instead they were friendly

with those foreigners

and followed their customs.

36Then they fell into the trap

of worshiping idols.

37 They sacrificed their sons

and their daughters to demons

38 and to the gods of Canaan.

Then they poured out the blood

of these innocent children

and made the land filthy.

39By doing such gruesome things,

they also became filthy.

40 Finally, Lord, you were angry

and terribly disgusted

with your people.

41So you put them in the power

of nations that hated them.

42They were mistreated and abused

by their enemies,

43but you saved them

time after time.

They were determined to rebel,

and their sins caused

their downfall.

44You answered their prayers

when they were in trouble.

45You kept your agreement

and were so merciful

46that their enemies

had pity on them.

47 Save us, Lord God!

Bring us back

from among the nations.

Let us celebrate and shout

in praise of your holy name.

48Lord God of Israel,

you deserve to be praised

forever and ever.

Let everyone say, “Amen!

Shout praises to the Lord!”