| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1A Contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. | 1A maskil of Asaph. My people, hear my teaching; listen 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 with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old-- |
| 3Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. | 3things we have heard and known, things our ancestors 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 descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has 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; | 5He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach 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, | 6so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. |
| 7That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; | 7Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. |
| 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. | 8They would not be like their ancestors-- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. |
| 9The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. | 9The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; |
| 10They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, | 10they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. |
| 11And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. | 11They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. |
| 12Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. | 12He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region 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 led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. |
| 14In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. | 14He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. |
| 15He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. | 15He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; |
| 16He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. | 16he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. |
| 17But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. | 17But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High. |
| 18And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. | 18They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. |
| 19Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? | 19They spoke against God; they said, "Can God really spread 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?” | 20True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat 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, | 21When the LORD heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, |
| 22Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. | 22for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. |
| 23Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, | 23Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; |
| 24Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. | 24he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. |
| 25Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. | 25Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. |
| 26He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. | 26He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow. |
| 27He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; | 27He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore. |
| 28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. | 28He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. |
| 29So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. | 29They ate till they were gorged-- he had given them what they craved. |
| 30They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths, | 30But before they turned from what they craved, even while the food was still in their mouths, |
| 31The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. | 31God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. |
| 32In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. | 32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. |
| 33Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear. | 33So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. |
| 34When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. | 34Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. |
| 35Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. | 35They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. |
| 36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue; | 36But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; |
| 37For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. | 37their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to 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; | 38Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. |
| 39For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again. | 39He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. |
| 40How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! | 40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland! |
| 41Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. | 41Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. |
| 42They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, | 42They did not remember his power-- the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, |
| 43When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan; | 43the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. |
| 44Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink. | 44He turned their river into blood; they could not drink from their streams. |
| 45He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them. | 45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. |
| 46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust. | 46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. |
| 47He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore trees with frost. | 47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. |
| 48He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning. | 48He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. |
| 49He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them. | 49He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility-- a band of destroying angels. |
| 50He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave their life over to the plague, | 50He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. |
| 51And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham. | 51He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. |
| 52But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; | 52But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness. |
| 53And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. | 53He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. |
| 54And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired. | 54And so he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. |
| 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 drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. |
| 56Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies, | 56But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes. |
| 57But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. | 57Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. |
| 58For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images. | 58They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. |
| 59When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, | 59When God heard them, he was furious; he rejected Israel completely. |
| 60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, | 60He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among humans. |
| 61And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand. | 61He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. |
| 62He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance. | 62He gave his people over to the sword; he was furious with his inheritance. |
| 63The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage. | 63Fire consumed their young men, and their young women had no wedding songs; |
| 64Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation. | 64their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep. |
| 65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. | 65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine. |
| 66And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach. | 66He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. |
| 67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, | 67Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; |
| 68But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. | 68but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. |
| 69And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever. | 69He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. |
| 70He also 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 ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. | 71from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. |
| 72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. | 72And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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