1 H ear my teaching, my people. Turn 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 Yahweh, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.

We 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.

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 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, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,

That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare 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 may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But 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 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.

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

They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in 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 He did 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; And He made the waters stand up 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 the 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 the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.

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

He also brought streams 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.

But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

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

And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.

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 prepare 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 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?”

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

Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel,

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

Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation.

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

Yet He had 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.

Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

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

Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

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

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

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

He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;

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

And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

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

So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire.

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

They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still 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 against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel.

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

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

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

Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.

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

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

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

Then 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 mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;

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

For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in 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, 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;

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 breath that passes away and does not come again.

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

How often they provoked 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.

Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.

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

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

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

When He worked His signs 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.

Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink.

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 also gave 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.

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

He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning.

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

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

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

And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first 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 He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

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

And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; 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, 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 also drove out the nations before them, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

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

Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

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

But turned back and acted 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 engraved images.

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

59 W hen God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;

When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel,

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

So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

61 a nd delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’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 angry with his inheritance.

He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance.

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

The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage.

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

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

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

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

But 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, Like the earth which He has established forever.

70 H e also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

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