1 G ive ear, O my people, to my law; 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; I will utter dark sayings of old,

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings 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, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works 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 make them 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 children:

6 T hat the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,

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

7 T hat they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But 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 may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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

9 T he children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.

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

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

They kept not 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 forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

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

Marvellous things did he 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 stand up like a heap.

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

14 I n the daytime also He led them with the 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 the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.

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

16 H e also brought streams 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 B ut they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

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

18 A nd they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19 Y es, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 B ehold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat 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 the Lord heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came 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 they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation.

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

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

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24 H ad rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25 M en ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

26 H e caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in 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 also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl 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 them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

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

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

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

30 T hey were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths,

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 T he wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel.

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

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

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

33 T herefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

34 W hen He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

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

35 T hen 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 mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;

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

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

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

38 B ut He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, 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 breath that passes away and does not come again.

For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

40 H ow often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

41 Y es, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.

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

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

They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43 W hen He worked His signs 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 T urned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink.

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 divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

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

He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

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

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

48 H e also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning.

He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 H e cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction 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 made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave their life over to the plague,

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

51 A nd destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.

And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

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

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, so that they did not fear; 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, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

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

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

56 Y et they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

57 B ut turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

58 F or they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved 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 furious, And greatly abhorred Israel,

When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 S o that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61 A nd delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand.

And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

62 H e also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance.

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

63 T he fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage.

The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

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 awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.

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

66 A nd He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual 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 did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

68 B ut 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, Like the earth which He has established forever.

And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

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

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

71 F rom following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And 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 he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.