1 ¶ Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak. Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

2 M y doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showers upon the grass.

My doctrine will drop as the rain. My speech will condense as the dew, as the misty rain on the tender grass, as the showers on the herb.

3 B ecause I will invoke the name of the LORD, ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

For I will proclaim Yahweh’s name. Ascribe greatness to our God!

4 T he strong One, whose work is perfect: for all his ways are right; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A God of faithfulness who does no wrong, just and right is he.

5 T hey have corrupted themselves, their spot is that they are not his sons; they are a perverse and crooked generation.

They have dealt corruptly with him. They are not his children, because of their defect. They are a perverse and crooked generation.

6 D o ye thus repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not thy father that has possessed thee? He made thee and established thee.

Is this the way you repay Yahweh, foolish and unwise people? Isn’t he your father who has bought you? He has made you and established you.

7 ¶ Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee;

Remember the days of old. Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you.

8 w hen the most High caused the Gentiles to be inherited, when he separated the sons of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.

9 F or the LORD’s portion is his people; Jacob is the measuring line of his inheritance.

For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

10 H e found him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He surrounded him. He cared for him. He kept him as the apple of his eye.

11 A s an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings,

As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, he spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bore them on his feathers.

12 s o the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

Yahweh alone led him. There was no foreign god with him.

13 H e made him ride on the high places of the earth that he might eat the fruits of the field; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the strong flint,

He made him ride on the high places of the earth. He ate the increase of the field. He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock;

14 b utter of cows and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the sons of Bashan (or fruitfulness) and goats with the fat of kidneys, of wheat; and thou didst drink the blood of the grape, pure wine.

butter from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the finest of the wheat. From the blood of the grape, you drank wine.

15 ¶ But Jeshurun (the upright one) waxed fat and kicked; (thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou hast covered thyself) and forsook the God who made him and lightly esteemed the strong One of his saving health.

But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked. You have grown fat. You have grown thick. You have become sleek. Then he abandoned God who made him, and rejected the Rock of his salvation.

16 T hey provoked him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger.

They moved him to jealousy with strange gods. They provoked him to anger with abominations.

17 T hey sacrificed unto devils, not to God, to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came from nearby, whom your fathers feared not.

They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods that they didn’t know, to new gods that came up recently, which your fathers didn’t dread.

18 O f the strong One that begat thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten the God that travailed for thee.

Of the Rock who became your father, you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth.

19 ¶ And when the LORD saw it, his wrath was kindled because of his sons and of his daughters.

Yahweh saw and abhorred, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.

20 A nd he said, I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end shall be: that they are a generation of perversities, sons without faith.

He said, “I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end will be; for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.

21 T hey have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities; and I also will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with foolish Gentiles.

They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

22 F or fire shall be kindled in my anger and shall burn unto the lowest part of Sheol and shall consume the earth with her fruit and burn up the foundations of the mountains.

For a fire is kindled in my anger, that burns to the lowest Sheol, devours the earth with its increase, and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire.

23 I will heap evils upon them; I will spend my arrows upon them.

“I will heap evils on them. I will spend my arrows on them.

24 T hey shall be consumed with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction; I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

They shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured with burning heat and bitter destruction. I will send the teeth of animals on them, with the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.

25 T he sword without and terror within shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

Outside the sword will bereave, and in the rooms, terror; on both young man and virgin, the nursing infant with the gray-haired man.

26 ¶ I said I would shatter them in pieces: I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men,

I said that I would scatter them afar. I would make their memory to cease from among men;

27 i f I did not fear the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should become vain and lest they should say, Our high hand has done this and not the LORD.

were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, ‘Our hand is exalted, Yahweh has not done all this.’”

28 F or they are a Gentile void of counsel, neither is there any intelligence in them.

For they are a nation void of counsel. There is no understanding in them.

29 O that they were wise, if they were prudent, they would understand their latter end!

Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

30 H ow could one chase a thousand and two put ten thousands to flight if their strong One had not sold them, and the LORD had not delivered them up?

How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and Yahweh had delivered them up?

31 F or their strong one is not as our strong One, and even our enemies are judges of this.

For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves concede.

32 T herefore, their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are very bitter.

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison grapes. Their clusters are bitter.

33 T heir wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of asps.

Their wine is the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps.

34 D o I not have this laid up in store, sealed up in my treasuries?

“Isn’t this laid up in store with me, sealed up among my treasures?

35 V engeance and recompense are mine, in the time when their foot shall slide; for the day of their calamity is at hand and that which is determined upon them makes haste.

Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. Their doom rushes at them.”

36 F or the LORD shall judge his people and repent himself for his slaves when he sees that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left.

For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone; that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large.

37 A nd he shall say, Where are their gods, their strong one in whom they trusted,

He will say, “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge;

38 w ho ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

which ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection.

39 ¶ See now that I, I am he, and there are no gods with me; I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; and there is not one that can deliver out of my hand.

“See now that I myself am he. There is no god with me. I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.

40 W hen I shall lift up my hand to the heavens and shall say, I live for ever,

For I lift up my hand to heaven and declare, as I live forever,

41 i f I whet the resplendence of my sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to my enemies and will recompense those that hate me.

if I sharpen my glittering sword, my hand grasps it in judgment; I will take vengeance on my adversaries, and will repay those who hate me.

42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh, in the blood of the slain and of the captives of the heads, in revenge as an enemy.

I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy.”

43 R ejoice, O ye Gentiles, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his slaves and will render vengeance to his enemies and will reconcile his land, to his people.

Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries, and will make atonement for his land and for his people.

44 ¶ And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hosea, the son of Nun.

Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun.

45 A nd Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel;

Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel.

46 a nd he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I protest against you today, to command them unto your children and keep and fulfil all the words of this law.

He said to them, “Set your heart to all the words which I testify to you today, which you shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.

47 F or it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life; and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, which ye shall pass the Jordan to inherit.

For it is no vain thing for you; because it is your life, and through this thing you shall prolong your days in the land, where you go over the Jordan to possess it.”

48 A nd the LORD spoke unto Moses that same day, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses that same day, saying,

49 C limb up into this mountain Abarim, unto Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho, and behold the land of Canaan, which I give as inheritance unto the sons of Israel,

“Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is across from Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession.

50 a nd die in the mountain which thou shalt climb and be gathered unto thy peoples, as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered unto his peoples,

Die on the mountain where you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor, and was gathered to his people;

51 b ecause ye trespassed against me among the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because ye did not sanctify me in the midst of the sons of Israel.

because you trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didn’t uphold my holiness among the children of Israel.

52 Y et thou shalt see the land before thee, but thou shalt not enter there to the land which I give the sons of Israel.

For you shall see the land from a distance; but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel.”