1 G ive ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

¶ Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old —

I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter enigmas of old,

3 W hich we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 W e will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.

We will not hide them from their sons, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and his strength and his wonderful works that he has done.

5 F or He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make known to their children,

For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their sons:

6 T hat the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children,

That the generation to come might know them, even the sons which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their sons

7 T hat they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments

that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments

8 A nd might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set their heart aright and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

9 T he children of Ephraim were armed and carrying bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle.

¶ The sons of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

10 T hey kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk according to His law

They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law

11 A nd forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.

and forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them.

12 M arvelous things did He in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 H e divided the Sea and caused them to pass through it, and He made the waters stand like a heap.

He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as a heap.

14 I n the daytime also He led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.

15 H e split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as out of the deep.

He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 H e brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.

He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Y et they still went on to sin against Him by provoking and rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness (in the land of drought).

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

18 A nd they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their desire and appetite.

And they tempted God in their heart by asking for food according to the desires of their soul.

19 Y es, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

And they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 B ehold, He did smite the rock so that waters gushed out and the streams overflowed; but can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?

Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21 T herefore, when the Lord heard, He was wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel,

Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth, so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel

22 B ecause in God they believed not, and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save).

because they had not believed God, nor had they trusted in his saving health;

23 Y et He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven;

and he commanded the clouds of above and opened the doors of the heavens

24 A nd He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven’s grain.

and caused manna to rain upon them to eat and gave them wheat of the heavens.

25 E veryone ate the bread of the mighty; God sent them meat in abundance.

Man did eat the food of the strong; he sent them food to the full.

26 H e let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind.

He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven, and by his power he brought in the south wind.

27 H e rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

He rained flesh also upon them as dust and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

28 A nd He let fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29 S o they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after.

So they did eat and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire;

30 B ut scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths,

they were not estranged from their lust. But while their food was yet in their mouths,

31 T he wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel’s chosen youth.

the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen of Israel.

32 I n spite of all this, they sinned still more, for they believed not in (relied not on and adhered not to Him for) His wondrous works.

For all this they sinned still and did not give him credit for his wondrous works.

33 T herefore their days He consumed like a breath and their years in terror and sudden haste.

Therefore he consumed their days in vanity and their years in tribulation.

34 W hen He slew them, inquired after Him diligently, and they repented and sincerely sought God.

When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and enquired early after God.

35 A nd they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.

And they remembered that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer.

36 N evertheless they flattered Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues.

Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37 F or their hearts were not right or sincere with Him, neither were they faithful and steadfast to His covenant.

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

38 B ut He, full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not; yes, many a time He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath and indignation.

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 F or He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that goes and does not return.

For he remembered that they were but flesh: a wind that passes away and does not come again.

40 H ow often they defied and rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

¶ How often did they provoke him in the wilderness and grieve him in the desert!

41 A nd time and again they turned back and tempted God, provoking and incensing the Holy One of Israel.

And they turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.

42 T hey remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,

They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he ransomed them from anguish.

43 H ow He wrought His miracles in Egypt and His wonders in the field of Zoan

How he had wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan

44 A nd turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink from them.

and had turned their rivers into blood and their floods, that they could not drink.

45 H e sent swarms of flies among them which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them.

He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 H e gave also their crops to the caterpillar and their labor to the locust.

He gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar and their works unto the locust.

47 H e destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost and ice.

He destroyed their vines with hail and their wild fig trees with stones.

48 H e gave them up also to the hail and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

He gave up their cattle also to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts of fire.

49 H e let loose upon them the fierceness of His anger, His wrath and indignation and distress, by sending angels of calamity and woe among them.

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation and trouble by sending evil angels among them.

50 H e leveled and made a straight path for His anger; He did not spare from death but gave their beasts over to the pestilence and the life over to the plague.

He made a way to his anger; he did not spare their soul from death but gave their life over to the pestilence

51 H e smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham:

52 B ut led His own people forth like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

But made his own people to go forth like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 A nd He led them on safely and in confident trust, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 A nd He brought them to His holy border, the border of His sanctuary, even to this mountain which His right hand had acquired.

And he brought them into the borders of his holiness, into this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

55 H e drove out the nations also before and allotted their land as a heritage, measured out and partitioned; and He made the tribes of Israel to dwell in the tents of those dispossessed.

He cast out the Gentiles also before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their habitations.

56 Y et they tempted and provoked and rebelled against the Most High God and kept not His testimonies.

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God and did not keep his testimonies:

57 B ut they turned back and dealt unfaithfully and treacherously like their fathers; they were twisted like a warped and deceitful bow.

But turned back and rebelled like their fathers; they became like a deceitful bow.

58 F or they provoked Him to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.

For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59 W hen God heard this, He was full of wrath; and He utterly rejected Israel, greatly abhorring and loathing,

God heard this and was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 S o that He forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent in which He had dwelt among men,

For this reason he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent in which he dwelt among men

61 A nd delivered His strength and power (the ark of the covenant) into captivity, and His glory into the hands of the foe (the Philistines).

and delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemy’s hand.

62 H e gave His people over also to the sword and was wroth with His heritage.

He gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance.

63 T he fire devoured their young men, and their bereaved virgins were not praised in a wedding song.

The fire consumed their young men; and their virgins were not honored in marriage songs.

64 T heir priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

65 T hen the Lord awakened as from sleep, as a strong man whose consciousness of power is heightened by wine.

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.

66 A nd He smote His adversaries in the back; He put them to lasting shame and reproach.

And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.

67 M oreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim.

Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim:

68 B ut He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.

But chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved.

69 A nd He built His sanctuary like the heights and like the earth which He established forever.

And he built his sanctuary in preeminence like the earth which he has established for ever.

70 H e chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;

He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds,

71 F rom tending the ewes that had their young He brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob His people, of Israel His inheritance.

from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.

72 S o was their shepherd with an upright heart; he guided them by the discernment and skillfulness his hands.

So he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.