1 H ear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; 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 (in instruction by numerous examples); 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 Yahweh, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.

We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.

5 F or he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make known to their children,

6 t hat the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,

That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children,

7 t hat they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,

That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments

8 a nd might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

And might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

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

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

10 T hey didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.

They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk according to His law

11 T hey forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.

And forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.

12 H e did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Marvelous things did He in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 H e split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.

He divided the Sea and caused them to pass through it, and He made the waters stand like a heap.

14 I n the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all 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 rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.

He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as out of the deep.

16 H e brought streams also 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 Y et they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.

Yet they still went on to sin against Him by provoking and rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness (in the land of drought).

18 T hey tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.

And they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their desire and appetite.

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

Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 B ehold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?”

Behold, He did smite the rock so that waters gushed out and the streams overflowed; but can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?

21 T herefore Yahweh heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,

Therefore, when the Lord heard, He was wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel,

22 b ecause they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.

Because in God they believed not, and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save).

23 Y et he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.

Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven;

24 H e rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.

And He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven’s grain.

25 M an ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.

Everyone ate the bread of the mighty; God sent them meat in abundance.

26 H e caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.

He let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind.

27 H e rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.

He rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

28 H e let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.

And He let fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

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

So they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after.

30 T hey didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,

But scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 w hen the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their fattest, and struck down the young men of Israel.

The wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel’s chosen youth.

32 F or all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.

In spite of all this, they sinned still more, for they believed not in (relied not on and adhered not to Him for) His wondrous works.

33 T herefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

Therefore their days He consumed like a breath and their years in terror and sudden haste.

34 W hen he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.

When He slew them, inquired after Him diligently, and they repented and sincerely sought God.

35 T hey remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.

And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.

36 B ut they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues.

37 F or their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.

For their hearts were not right or sincere with Him, neither were they faithful and steadfast to His covenant.

38 B ut he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.

But He, full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not; yes, many a time He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath and indignation.

39 H e remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.

For He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that goes and does not return.

40 H ow often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!

How often they defied and rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

41 T hey turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

And time and again they turned back and tempted God, provoking and incensing the Holy One of Israel.

42 T hey didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

They remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,

43 h ow he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,

How He wrought His miracles in Egypt and His wonders in the field of Zoan

44 h e turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.

And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink from them.

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

He sent swarms of flies among them which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them.

46 H e gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.

He gave also their crops to the caterpillar and their labor to the locust.

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

He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost and ice.

48 H e gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

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

49 H e threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.

He let loose upon them the fierceness of His anger, His wrath and indignation and distress, by sending angels of calamity and woe among them.

50 H e made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,

He leveled and made a straight path for His anger; He did not spare from death but gave their beasts over to the pestilence and the life over to the plague.

51 a nd struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 B ut he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

But led His own people forth like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

53 H e led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

And He led them on safely and in confident trust, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 H e brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.

And He brought them to His holy border, the border of His sanctuary, even to this mountain which His right hand had acquired.

55 H e also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

He drove out the nations also before and allotted their land as a heritage, measured out and partitioned; and He made the tribes of Israel to dwell in the tents of those dispossessed.

56 Y et they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies;

Yet they tempted and provoked and rebelled against the Most High God and kept not His testimonies.

57 b ut turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

But they turned back and dealt unfaithfully and treacherously like their fathers; they were twisted like a warped and deceitful bow.

58 F or they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved 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 angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;

When God heard this, He was full of wrath; and He utterly rejected Israel, greatly abhorring and loathing,

60 S o that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

So that He forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent in which He had dwelt among men,

61 a nd delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.

And delivered His strength and power (the ark of the covenant) into captivity, and His glory into the hands of the foe (the Philistines).

62 H e also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.

He gave His people over also to the sword and was wroth with His heritage.

63 F ire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.

The fire devoured their young men, and their bereaved virgins were not praised in a wedding song.

64 T heir priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.

Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

65 T hen the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.

Then the Lord awakened as from sleep, as a strong man whose consciousness of power is heightened by wine.

66 H e struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.

And He smote His adversaries in the back; He put them to lasting shame and reproach.

67 M oreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,

Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim.

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

But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.

69 H e built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.

And He built His sanctuary like the heights and like the earth which He established 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 sheepfolds;

71 f rom following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.

From tending the ewes that had their young He brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob His people, of Israel His inheritance.

72 S o he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

So was their shepherd with an upright heart; he guided them by the discernment and skillfulness his hands.