NET Bible

King James Bible

1A well-written song by Asaph. Pay attention, my people, to my instruction! Listen to the words I speak!

1Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2I will sing a song that imparts wisdom; I will make insightful observations about the past.

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

3What we have heard and learned--that which our ancestors have told us--

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

4we will not hide from their descendants. We will tell the next generation about the LORD's praiseworthy acts, about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

4We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

5He established a rule in Jacob; he set up a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make his deeds known to their descendants,

5For 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:

6so that the next generation, children yet to be born, might know about them. They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.

6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7Then they will place their confidence in God. They will not forget the works of God, and they will obey his commands.

7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8Then they will not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that was not committed and faithful to God.

8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

9The Ephraimites were armed with bows, but they retreated in the day of battle.

9The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

10They did not keep their covenant with God, and they refused to obey his law.

10They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

11They forgot what he had done, the amazing things he had shown them.

11And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

12He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

12Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13He divided the sea and led them across it; he made the water stand in a heap.

13He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14He led them with a cloud by day, and with the light of a fire all night long.

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

15He broke open rocks in the wilderness, and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.

15He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16He caused streams to flow from the rock, and made the water flow like rivers.

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

17Yet they continued to sin against him, and rebelled against the sovereign One in the desert.

17And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

18They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.

18And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19They insulted God, saying, "Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?

19Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out, streams gushed forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his people?"

20Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21When the LORD heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel,

21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

22because they did not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them.

22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

23He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky.

23Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven.

24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat.

25Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

26He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind.

26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

27He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.

27He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

28He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes.

28And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29They ate until they were stuffed; he gave them what they desired.

29So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

30They were not yet filled up, their food was still in their mouths,

30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31when the anger of God flared up against them. He killed some of the strongest of them; he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.

31The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

32Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things.

32For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

33So he caused them to die unsatisfied and filled with terror.

33Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

34When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God.

34When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.

35They remembered that God was their protector, and that the sovereign God was their deliverer.

35And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

36But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him.

36Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

37For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

38Yet he is compassionate. He forgives sin and does not destroy. He often holds back his anger, and does not stir up his fury.

38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39He remembered that they were made of flesh, and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.

39For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

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

40How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

41They again challenged God, and offended the Holy One of Israel.

41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not remember what he had done, how he delivered them from the enemy,

42They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt, and his acts of judgment in the region of Zoan.

43How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

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

44And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

45He sent swarms of biting insects against them, as well as frogs that overran their land.

45He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

46He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.

47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

48He rained hail down on their cattle, and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock.

48He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49His raging anger lashed out against them, He sent fury, rage, and trouble as messengers who bring disaster.

49He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

50He sent his anger in full force; he did not spare them from death; he handed their lives over to destruction.

50He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

51He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham.

51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

52Yet he brought out his people like sheep; he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

52But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53He guided them safely along, while the sea covered their enemies.

53And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land which his right hand acquired.

54And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

55He drove the nations out from before them; he assigned them their tribal allotments and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.

55He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God, and did not obey his commands.

56Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

57They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors; they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow.

57But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

58They made him angry with their pagan shrines, and made him jealous with their idols.

58For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59God heard and was angry; he completely rejected Israel.

59When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh, the tent where he lived among men.

60So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured; he gave the symbol of his splendor into the hand of the enemy.

61And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

62He delivered his people over to the sword, and was angry with his chosen nation.

62He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

63Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins remained unmarried.

63The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

64Their priests fell by the sword, but their widows did not weep.

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

65But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.

65Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

66He drove his enemies back; he made them a permanent target for insults.

66And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

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

67Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

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

68But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

69He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; as secure as the earth, which he established permanently.

69And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

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

70He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

71He took him away from following the mother sheep, and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his chosen nation.

71From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

72David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill.

72So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

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King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.