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

O my people, hear my teaching. Listen 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 picture-stories. I will tell things which have been kept secret from long ago,

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

which we have heard and known because 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. But we will tell the children-to-come the praises of the Lord, and of His power and the great things 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 children;

For He has made His will known to Jacob. He made the Law in Israel, which He told our fathers to teach 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,

So the children-to-come might know, even the children yet to be born. So they may rise up and tell it to their children.

7 T hat they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

Then they would put their trust in God and not forget the works of God. And they would keep His Law.

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.

They would not be like their fathers, who were not right with God and would not obey Him or be faithful to Him.

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

The sons of Ephraim were ready with their bows. But they turned away in the day of fighting.

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

They did not keep the agreement of God. And they would not walk in His Law.

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

They forgot what He had done and His great works that He had shown them.

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

He did powerful works in front 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 made them pass through it. He made the water stand up like a wall.

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

He led them with the cloud during the day, and with a light of fire during the night.

15 H e split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.

He broke the rocks in the desert, and gave them water as if it flowed from the sea.

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

He made water come out of the rock. He made the water flow down like rivers.

17 B ut they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

But they still kept on sinning against Him. They did not obey the Most High in the desert.

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

They tested God in their hearts by asking for the food they wanted.

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

Then they spoke against God, saying, “Can God set a table in the desert?

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?”

See, He hit the rock and water poured out and rivers flowed over. Can He give bread also? Will He give meat to 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,

The Lord was full of anger when He heard them. And a fire was set against Jacob. His anger went up against Israel,

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

because they did not believe in God. They did not trust in Him to save them.

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

Yet He spoke to the clouds 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.

He sent down bread from heaven for them to eat. He gave them food from heaven.

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

Men ate the bread of angels. He sent them all the food they could eat.

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

He made the east wind blow in the heavens. And He brought in the south wind by His power.

27 H e also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;

He sent meat down on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the sea.

28 A nd He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

He let them fall in the place where they were staying, all around their tents.

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

So they ate until they were full. He gave them what they wanted.

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

But before they had eaten all they wanted, even while it was still 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 anger of God came upon them. And He killed the strongest of them. He cut down the young men of Israel.

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

But still they kept on sinning. They did not believe in His powerful works.

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

So He made their days come to nothing. He made their years end in fear all at once.

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

When He killed some of them, the others would look for Him. They returned and looked for God.

35 T hen they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

They remembered that God was their rock, and that the Most High God was the One Who set them free.

36 N evertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;

But they gave Him false honor with their mouth. They lied to Him with their tongue.

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

For their heart was not right toward Him. They were not faithful to His agreement.

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 showed them loving-kindness and forgave their sins. He did not destroy them. He held back His anger many times. He did not let all of His anger loose.

39 F or He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.

He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.

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

How many times they went against Him in the desert, and gave Him sorrow in that empty land!

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

They put God to the test again and again, and troubled the Holy One of Israel.

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

They did not remember His power and the day He saved them from those who hated them,

43 W hen He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

when He did His powerful works in Egypt and showed His greatness in the field of Zoan.

44 T urned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink.

He changed their rivers into blood. They could not drink from their rivers.

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

He sent many flies among them that ate them, and frogs that destroyed them.

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

He gave their fields of food to the grasshopper, and all they worked for to the locust.

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

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with cold.

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

He killed their cattle with hail and lightning.

49 H e cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them.

He sent them His burning anger and trouble. He sent a group of angels to bring trouble and sorrow to 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 straight path for His anger. He did not save their soul from death. But He gave their lives over to all these troubles.

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

He killed all the first-born in Egypt, the first children of their strength in the tents of Ham.

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

But He brought His people out like sheep. And He led them like a flock in the desert.

53 A nd He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

He led them and kept them safe, so they were not afraid. But the sea covered those who hated them.

54 A nd He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.

He brought them to His holy land, to the hill country His right hand had taken.

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 drove out the nations before them. He gave them parts of the land for a gift. And He made the families of Israel live in their tents.

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

But they tempted and went against the Most High God. They did not keep His Law.

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

They turned away and acted without faith like their fathers. They were like a bow that cannot be trusted.

58 F or they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

They made Him angry with their sinful places of worship. And they made Him jealous with their false gods.

59 W hen God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel,

God was very angry when He heard them, and He hated Israel.

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

He left the holy tent at Shiloh, the tent He had set up among men.

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

And He let His strength be taken. He put His greatness into the hands of those who hated Israel.

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

He allowed His people to be killed with the sword. And He was very angry with those who belong to Him.

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

Fire burned up their young men. And their young women had no wedding songs.

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

Their religious leaders fell by the sword. And the women who lost their husbands could not cry.

65 T hen the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.

Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, like a strong man wild with wine.

66 A nd He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach.

He beat back those who hated Him. And He put them to shame forever.

67 M oreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

He turned away from the tent of Joseph. He did not choose the family of Ephraim,

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

but chose the family of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.

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

He built His holy place like the high mountains, like the earth He has built forever.

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

He chose David, His servant and took him from the flocks of sheep.

71 F rom following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

He brought him from caring for the sheep and their lambs to being the shepherd of Jacob His people, and Israel who belongs to Him.

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

So David was their shepherd with a heart that was right, and led them with good hands and wisdom.