English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

1A Maskil of Asaph. Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

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

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

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

3Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told 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 conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

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

5For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children,

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

6That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children,

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

7That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments,

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.

8And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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

9The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, Yet they turned back in the day of battle.

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

10They did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His law;

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

11They forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them.

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

12He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

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

13He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

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

14Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire.

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

15He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.

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

16He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.

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

17Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

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

18And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.

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

19Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table 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?”

20"Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide 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 was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,

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

22Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.

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

23Yet He commanded 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 down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven.

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

25Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

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

26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.

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

27When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

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

28Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.

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

29So they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them.

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

30Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was 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.

31The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

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

32In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.

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

33So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror.

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

34When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;

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

35And they remembered that God was their rock, And 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 mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.

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

37For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in 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.

38But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.

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

39Thus He remembered that they were but 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.

41Again and again they tempted God, And pained 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, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,

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

43When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

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

44And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink.

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

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

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

46He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.

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

47He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost.

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

48He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning.

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

49He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels.

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

50He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,

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

51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.

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

52But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

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

53He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.

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

54So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained.

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

55He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

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

56Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

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

57But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow.

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

58For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.

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

59When God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel;

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

60So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,

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

61And gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary.

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

62He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

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

63Fire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs.

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

64His priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep.

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 overcome by wine.

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

66He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

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

67He also 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.

68But chose 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.

69And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.

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

70He also 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.

71From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

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

72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.

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