⁷ The Lord—he is our God.
    His justice is everywhere throughout the whole world.
⁸ God remembers his covenant forever,
    the word he commanded to a thousand generations,
⁹         which he made with Abraham,
        the solemn pledge he swore to Isaac.
¹⁰ God set it up as binding law for Jacob,
    as an eternal covenant for Israel,
¹¹     promising, “I hereby give you the land of Canaan
    as your allotted inheritance.”

¹² When they were few in number—
        insignificant, just immigrants—
¹³         wandering from nation to nation,
        from one kingdom to the next,
¹⁴     God didn’t let anyone oppress them.
    God punished kings for their sake:
¹⁵     “Don’t touch my anointed ones;
    don’t harm my prophets!”

¹⁶ When God called for a famine in the land,
    destroying every source of food,
¹⁷         he sent a man ahead of them,
            who was sold as a slave: it was Joseph.
¹⁸ Joseph’s feet hurt in his shackles;
        his neck was in an iron collar,
¹⁹     until what he predicted actually happened,
        until what the Lord had said proved him true.
²⁰ The king sent for Joseph and set him free;
    the ruler of many people released him.
²¹ The king made Joseph master of his house and ruler over everything he owned,
²²     to make sure his princes acted according to his will,
    and to teach wisdom to his advisors.
²³ That’s how Israel came to Egypt,
    how Jacob became an immigrant in the land of Ham.

²⁴ God made his people very fruitful,
    more powerful than their enemies,
²⁵     whose hearts God changed so they hated his people
    and dealt shrewdly with his servants.
²⁶ God sent Moses his servant
    and the one he chose, Aaron.
²⁷ They put God’s signs on Egypt,
    his marvelous works on the land of Ham.
²⁸ God sent darkness, and it became dark,
    but the Egyptians rejected his word.
²⁹ God turned their waters into blood
    and killed their fish.
³⁰ God made their land swarm with frogs—
    even in the bedrooms of their king!
³¹ God spoke, and the insects came—
    gnats throughout their whole country!
³² God turned their rain into hail
    along with lightning flashes throughout their land.
³³ God destroyed their vines and their fig trees;
    shattered the trees of their countryside.
³⁴ God spoke, and the locusts came—
    countless grasshoppers came!
³⁵     They devoured all the plants in their land;
        they devoured the fruit of their soil.
³⁶ God struck down all the oldest sons throughout their land;
    struck down their very pride and joy.
³⁷ Then God brought Israel out, filled with silver and gold;
    not one of its tribes stumbled.
³⁸ Egypt celebrated when they left,
    because the dread of Israel had come upon them.

³⁹ God spread out clouds as a covering;
    gave lightning to provide light at night.
⁴⁰ The people asked, and God brought quail;
    God filled them full with food from heaven.
⁴¹ God opened the rock and out gushed water—
    flowing like a river through the desert!
⁴² Because God remembered his holy promise
    to Abraham his servant,
⁴³     God brought his people out with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with songs of joy.
⁴⁴ God gave them the lands of other nations;
    they inherited the wealth of many peoples—
⁴⁵         all so that they would keep his laws
        and observe his instructions.

Praise the Lord!