1 G ive ear, O my people, to my law; 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 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 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 make them known 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 them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare 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 may set their hope 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 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 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 children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, 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; They refused to walk in His law,

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

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

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

12 M arvelous things He did in the sight of 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 I n the daytime also He led them with the cloud, 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 drink in abundance like the depths.

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

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

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

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

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

19 Y es, 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 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?”

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 this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up 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 had 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 ad rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 A nd He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around 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, For He gave them their own desire.

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

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

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

31 T he wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down 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 this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works.

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

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

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

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

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

35 T hen 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 N evertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they 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 with 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 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;

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

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

40 H ow often they provoked 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 Y es, again and again they tempted God, And limited 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 enemy,

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

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

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

45 H e sent swarms of flies among them, 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 also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And 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 hail, And their sycamore trees with frost.

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength 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 made His own people go forth 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 A nd He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

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

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

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, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, 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 tested and provoked 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 unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful 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 to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

67 M oreover He 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 established 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 following the ewes that had young 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 by the skillfulness of his hands.

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