English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

1My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth.

2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,

2I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past--

3things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.

3things we have heard and known and that our fathers have passed down to us.

4We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

4We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.

5He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

5He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children

6that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,

6so that a future generation--children yet to be born--might know. They were to rise and tell their children

7so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

7so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God's works, but keep his commands.

8and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

8Then they would not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle.

9The Ephraimite archers turned back on the day of battle.

10They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law.

10They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law.

11They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them.

11They forgot what he had done, the wondrous works he had shown them.

12In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

12He worked wonders in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, the territory of Zoan.

13He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.

13He split the sea and brought them across; the water stood firm like a wall.

14In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light.

14He led them with a cloud by day and with a fiery light throughout the night.

15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.

15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the depths.

16He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

16He brought streams out of the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

17Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

17But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.

18They deliberately tested God, demanding the food they craved.

19They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

19They spoke against God, saying, "Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?

20He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?”

20Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can he also provide bread or furnish meat for his people?"

21Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel,

21Therefore, the LORD heard and became furious; then fire broke out against Jacob, and anger flared up against Israel

22because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.

22because they did not believe God or rely on his salvation.

23Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven,

23He gave a command to the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.

24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.

24He rained manna for them to eat; he gave them grain from heaven.

25Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.

25People ate the bread of angels. He sent them an abundant supply of food.

26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

26He made the east wind blow in the skies and drove the south wind by his might.

27he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;

27He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

28he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.

28He made them fall in the camp, all around the tents.

29And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.

29The people ate and were completely satisfied, for he gave them what they craved.

30But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths,

30Before they had turned from what they craved, while the food was still in their mouths,

31the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel.

31God's anger flared up against them, and he killed some of their best men. He struck down Israel's fit young men.

32In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.

32Despite all this, they kept sinning and did not believe his wondrous works.

33So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.

33He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster.

34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.

34When he killed some of them, the rest began to seek him; they repented and searched for God.

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

35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer.

36But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.

36But they deceived him with their mouths, they lied to him with their tongues,

37Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.

37their hearts were insincere toward him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

38Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

38Yet he was compassionate; he atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often turned his anger aside and did not unleash all his wrath.

39He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.

39He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert.

41They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

41They constantly tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,

42They did not remember his power shown on the day he redeemed them from the foe,

43when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.

43when he performed his miraculous signs in Egypt and his wonders in the territory of Zoan.

44He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams.

44He turned their rivers into blood, and they could not drink from their streams.

45He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

45He sent among them swarms of flies, which fed on them, and frogs, which devastated them.

46He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust.

46He gave their crops to the caterpillar and the fruit of their labor to the locust.

47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost.

47He killed their vines with hail and their sycamore fig trees with a flood.

48He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts.

48He handed over their livestock to hail and their cattle to lightning bolts.

49He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.

49He sent his burning anger against them: fury, indignation, and calamity--a band of deadly messengers.

50He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague.

50He cleared a path for his anger. He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.

51He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.

51He struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first progeny of the tents of Ham.

52Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

52He led his people out like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

53He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

53He led them safely, and they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies.

54And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won.

54He brought them to his holy territory, to the mountain his right hand acquired.

55He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

55He drove out nations before them. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies,

56But they rebelliously tested the Most High God, for they did not keep his decrees.

57but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow.

57They treacherously turned away like their fathers; they became warped like a faulty bow.

58For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols.

58They enraged him with their high places and provoked his jealousy with their carved images.

59When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.

59God heard and became furious; he completely rejected Israel.

60He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind,

60He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he resided among mankind.

61and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe.

61He gave up his strength to captivity and his splendor to the hand of a foe.

62He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage.

62He surrendered his people to the sword because he was enraged with his heritage.

63Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song.

63Fire consumed his chosen young men, and his young women had no wedding songs.

64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

64His priests fell by the sword, and the widows could not lament.

65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine.

65The Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine.

66And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.

66He beat back his foes; he gave them lasting disgrace.

67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

67He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

68but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.

68He chose instead the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.

69He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever.

69He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.

70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;

70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;

71from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance.

71he brought him from tending ewes to be shepherd over his people Jacob--over Israel, his inheritance.

72With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.

72He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.