1 A n Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.

2 I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,

3 T hat we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.

4 W e 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 A nd 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 S o that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,

7 A nd place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.

8 A nd 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 S ons of Ephraim -- armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.

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

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

12 B efore their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt -- the field of Zoan.

13 H e cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.

14 A nd leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.

15 H e cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink -- as the great deep.

16 A nd bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.

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

18 A nd they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.

19 A nd they speak against God -- they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'

20 L o, 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 hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,

22 F or they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

23 A nd He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.

24 A nd He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.

25 F ood of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.

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

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

28 A nd causeth to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.

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

30 T hey have not been estranged from their desire, Yet their food in their mouth,

31 A nd 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 W ith all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.

33 A nd He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.

34 I f He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,

35 A nd they remember that God their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.

36 A nd -- they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,

37 A nd their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.

38 A nd He -- the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.

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

40 H ow often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?

41 Y ea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.

42 T hey have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.

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

44 A nd He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.

45 H e sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,

46 A nd giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.

47 H e destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,

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

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

50 H e 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 He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.

52 A nd causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,

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

54 A nd He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,

55 A nd 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 A nd they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.

57 A nd they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,

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

59 G od hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.

60 A nd He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

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

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

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

64 H is priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.

65 A nd the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.

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

67 A nd He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.

68 A nd He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,

69 A nd buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.

70 A nd He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,

71 F rom behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.

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