1 ¶ 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; I will utter enigmas of old,

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

4 W e 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 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, 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 keep his commandments

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

10 T hey 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 showed them.

12 H e 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, 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.

15 H e 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.

17 A nd they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

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

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

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

22 b ecause they had not believed God, nor had they trusted in his saving health;

23 a nd he commanded the clouds of above and opened the doors of the heavens

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

25 M an did eat the food of the strong; he sent them food to the full.

26 H e 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 as dust and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

28 A nd he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29 S o they did eat and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire;

30 t hey 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 fattest of them and smote down the chosen of Israel.

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

33 T herefore he consumed their days in vanity and their years in tribulation.

34 W hen 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 high God their redeemer.

36 N evertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

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

38 B ut 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 passes away and does not come again.

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

41 A nd they turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.

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

43 H ow he had wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan

44 a nd 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.

46 H e gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar and their works unto the locust.

47 H e destroyed their vines with hail and their wild fig trees with stones.

48 H e gave up their cattle also to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts of fire.

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

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

51 a nd smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham:

52 B ut 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, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

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

55 H e 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 the most high God and did not keep his testimonies:

57 B ut 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.

59 G od heard this and was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 F or this reason he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent in which he dwelt among men

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

62 H e gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance.

63 T he 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.

65 T hen 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 enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.

67 M oreover he refused the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim:

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

69 A nd he built his sanctuary in preeminence like the earth which he has established for ever.

70 H e chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds,

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

72 S o he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.