New King James Version

King James Bible

1A Contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

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

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

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

3Which we have heard and known, And 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, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that 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.

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;

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:

6That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,

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

7That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

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

8And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not 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 children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back 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 the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law,

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

11And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them.

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

12Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field 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 caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

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

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

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

15He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.

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

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

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

17But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

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

18And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.

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

19Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

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

20Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can 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?

21Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came 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 believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation.

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

23Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven,

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

24Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

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

25Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

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

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

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

27He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;

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

28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

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

29So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire.

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

30They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths,

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

31The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel.

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

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

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

33Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.

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

34When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

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

35Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

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

36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;

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

37For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

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

38But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;

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.

39For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.

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

40How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

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

41Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.

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

42They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,

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

43When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

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

44Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink.

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

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

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

46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And 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 trees with frost.

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

48He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning.

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

49He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them.

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

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

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

51And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.

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

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

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

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

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

54And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.

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

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

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 tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

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

57But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

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

58For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

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

59When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel,

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

60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

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

61And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand.

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

62He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance.

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

63The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage.

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

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

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

65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.

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

66And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach.

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

67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

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

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

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

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

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

70He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;

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

71From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

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

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

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

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.