1 L isten, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,

I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,

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

That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.

4 W e will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

We do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that He hath done.

5 F or He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children,

And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.

6 T hat the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children,

So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,

7 T hat they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments,

And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.

8 A nd not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

And they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God its spirit.

9 T he sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, Yet they turned back in the day of battle.

Sons of Ephraim -- armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.

10 T hey did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His law;

They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,

11 T hey forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them.

And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.

12 H e wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt -- the field of Zoan.

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

He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.

14 T hen He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire.

And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.

15 H e split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.

He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink -- as the great deep.

16 H e brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.

And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.

17 Y et they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.

18 A nd in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.

And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.

19 T hen they spoke against God; They said, “ Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

And they speak against God -- they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'

20 “ Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?”

Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also -- bread He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'

21 T herefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,

Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,

22 B ecause they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.

For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

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

And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.

24 H e rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven.

And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.

25 M an did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.

26 H e caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.

He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,

27 W hen He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas -- winged fowl,

28 T hen He let them fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.

And causeth to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.

29 S o they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them.

And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.

30 B efore they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths,

They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet their food in their mouth,

31 T he anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.

32 I n spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.

With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.

33 S o He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror.

And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.

34 W hen He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;

If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,

35 A nd they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

And they remember that God their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.

36 B ut they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.

And -- they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,

37 F or their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.

38 B ut He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.

And He -- the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.

39 T hus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.

And He remembereth that they flesh, A wind going on -- and it returneth not.

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

How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?

41 A gain and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.

Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.

42 T hey did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,

They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.

43 W hen He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,

44 A nd turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink.

And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.

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

He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,

46 H e gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.

And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.

47 H e destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost.

He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,

48 H e gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning.

And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.

49 H e sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels.

He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress -- A discharge of evil messengers.

50 H e leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,

He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.

51 A nd smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.

And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.

52 B ut He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,

53 H e led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.

And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.

54 S o He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained.

And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,

55 H e also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,

56 Y et they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.

57 B ut turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow.

And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,

58 F or they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.

And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,

59 W hen God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel;

God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.

60 S o that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,

And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

61 A nd gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary.

And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,

62 H e also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.

63 F ire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs.

His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.

64 H is priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep.

His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.

65 T hen the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.

And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.

66 H e drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,

67 H e also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.

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

And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,

69 A nd He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.

And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.

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

And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,

71 F rom the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.

72 S o he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.

And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!