| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! | 1A Maskil of Asaph. My people, hear my instruction; listen to what I say. |
| 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 must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the LORD, His might, and the wonderful 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 wonderful 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 region 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 His camp, all around His tent. |
| 29And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. | 29They 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 satisfied their desire, 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 choice 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 wonderful 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 guilt 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 region 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 land, 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 men. |
| 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, but the widows could not lament. |
| 65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. | 65Then the 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 shame. |
| 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 sheepfolds; |
| 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. |
|
