1 O my people, hear my teaching. Listen to the words of my mouth.

2 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 because our fathers have told us.

4 W e 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 has made His will known to Jacob. He made the Law in Israel, which He told our fathers to teach their children.

6 S o 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 hen they would put their trust in God and not forget the works of God. And they would keep His Law.

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

10 T hey did not keep the agreement of God. And they would not walk in His Law.

11 T hey forgot what He had done and His great works that He had shown them.

12 H e 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 made them pass through it. He made the water stand up like a wall.

14 H e led them with the cloud during the day, and with a light of fire during the night.

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

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

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

18 T hey tested God in their hearts by asking for the food they wanted.

19 T hen they spoke against God, saying, “Can God set a table in the desert?

20 S ee, 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 he 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. They did not trust in Him to save them.

23 Y et He spoke to the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven.

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

25 M en ate the bread of angels. He sent them all the food they could eat.

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

27 H e sent meat down on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the sea.

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

29 S o they ate until they were full. He gave them what they wanted.

30 B ut before they had eaten all they wanted, even while it was still in their mouths,

31 t he anger of God came upon them. And He killed the strongest of them. He cut down the young men of Israel.

32 B ut still they kept on sinning. They did not believe in His powerful works.

33 S o He made their days come to nothing. He made their years end in fear all at once.

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

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

36 B ut they gave Him false honor with their mouth. They lied to Him with their tongue.

37 F or their heart was not right toward Him. They were not faithful to His agreement.

38 B ut 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 H e remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.

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

41 T hey put God to the test again and again, and troubled the Holy One of Israel.

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

43 w hen He did His powerful works in Egypt and showed His greatness in the field of Zoan.

44 H e changed their rivers into blood. They could not drink from their rivers.

45 H e sent many flies among them that ate them, and frogs that destroyed them.

46 H e 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 cold.

48 H e killed their cattle with hail and lightning.

49 H e 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 straight path for His anger. He did not save their soul from death. But He gave their lives over to all these troubles.

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

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

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

54 H e brought them to His holy land, to the hill country His right hand had taken.

55 H e 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 B ut they tempted and went against the Most High God. They did not keep His Law.

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

58 T hey made Him angry with their sinful places of worship. And they made Him jealous with their false gods.

59 G od was very angry when He heard them, and He hated Israel.

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

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

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

63 F ire burned up their young men. And their young women had no wedding songs.

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

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

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

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

68 b ut chose the family of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.

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

70 H e chose David, His servant and took him from the flocks of sheep.

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