1
Maschil[H4905] of Asaph[H623]. Give ear[H238], O my people[H5971], to my law[H8451]: incline[H5186] your ears[H241] to the words[H561] of my mouth[H6310].
2
I will open[H6605] my mouth[H6310] in a parable[H4912]: I will utter[H5042] dark sayings[H2420] of old[H6924]:
3
Which we have heard[H8085] and known[H3045], and our fathers[H1] have told[H5608] us.
4
We will not hide[H3582] them from their children[H1121], shewing[H5608] to the generation[H1755] to come[H314] the praises[H8416] of the LORD[H3068], and his strength[H5807], and his wonderful works[H6381] that he hath done[H6213].
5
For he established[H6965] a testimony[H5715] in Jacob[H3290], and appointed[H7760] a law[H8451] in Israel[H3478], which he commanded[H6680] our fathers[H1], that they should make them known[H3045] to their children[H1121]:
6
That the generation[H1755] to come[H314] might know[H3045] them, even the children[H1121] which should be born[H3205]; who should arise[H6965] and declare[H5608] them to their children[H1121]:
7
That they might set[H7760] their hope[H3689] in God[H430], and not forget[H7911] the works[H4611] of God[H410], but keep[H5341] his commandments[H4687]:
8
And might not be as their fathers[H1], a stubborn[H5637] and rebellious[H4784] generation[H1755]; a generation[H1755] that set[H3559] not their heart[H3820] aright[H3559], and whose spirit[H7307] was not stedfast[H539] with God[H410].
9
The children[H1121] of Ephraim[H669], being armed[H5401], and carrying[H7411] bows[H7198], turned back[H2015] in the day[H3117] of battle[H7128].
10
They kept[H8104] not the covenant[H1285] of God[H430], and refused[H3985] to walk[H3212] in his law[H8451];
11
And forgat[H7911] his works[H5949], and his wonders[H6381] that he had shewed[H7200] them.
12
Marvellous things[H6382] did[H6213] he in the sight[H5048] of their fathers[H1], in the land[H776] of Egypt[H4714], in the field[H7704] of Zoan[H6814].
13
He divided[H1234] the sea[H3220], and caused them to pass through[H5674]; and he made the waters[H4325] to stand[H5324] as an heap[H5067].
14
In the daytime[H3119] also he led[H5148] them with a cloud[H6051], and all the night[H3915] with a light[H216] of fire[H784].
15
He clave[H1234] the rocks[H6697] in the wilderness[H4057], and gave them drink[H8248] as out of the great[H7227] depths[H8415].
16
He brought[H3318] streams[H5140] also out of the rock[H5553], and caused waters[H4325] to run down[H3381] like rivers[H5104].
17
And they sinned[H2398] yet more[H3254] against him by provoking[H4784] the most High[H5945] in the wilderness[H6723].
18
And they tempted[H5254] God[H410] in their heart[H3824] by asking[H7592] meat[H400] for their lust[H5315].
19
Yea, they spake[H1696] against God[H430]; they said[H559], Can[H3201] God[H410] furnish[H6186] a table[H7979] in the wilderness?[H4057]
20
Behold, he smote[H5221] the rock[H6697], that the waters[H4325] gushed out[H2100], and the streams[H5158] overflowed[H7857]; can[H3201] he give[H5414] bread[H3899] also? can[H3201] he provide[H3559] flesh[H7607] for his people?[H5971]
21
Therefore the LORD[H3068] heard[H8085] this, and was wroth[H5674]: so a fire[H784] was kindled[H5400] against Jacob[H3290], and anger[H639] also came up[H5927] against Israel[H3478];
22
Because they believed[H539] not in God[H430], and trusted[H982] not in his salvation[H3444]:
23
Though he had commanded[H6680] the clouds[H7834] from above[H4605], and opened[H6605] the doors[H1817] of heaven[H8064],
24
And had rained down[H4305] manna[H4478] upon them to eat[H398], and had given[H5414] them of the corn[H1715] of heaven[H8064].
25
Man[H376] did eat[H398] angels[H47]' food[H3899]: he sent[H7971] them meat[H6720] to the full[H7648].
26
He caused an east wind[H6921] to blow[H5265] in[H5090] the heaven[H8064]: and by his power[H5797] he brought in[H5090] the south wind[H8486].
27
He rained[H4305] flesh[H7607] also upon them as dust[H6083], and feathered[H3671] fowls[H5775] like as the sand[H2344] of the sea[H3220]:
28
And he let it fall[H5307] in the midst[H7130] of their camp[H4264], round about[H5439] their habitations[H4908].
29
So they did eat[H398], and were well[H3966] filled[H7646]: for he gave[H935] them their own desire[H8378];
30
They were not estranged[H2114] from their lust[H8378]. But while their meat[H400] was yet in their mouths[H6310],
31
The wrath[H639] of God[H430] came[H5927] upon them, and slew[H2026] the fattest[H4924] of them, and smote down[H3766] the chosen[H970] men of Israel[H3478].
32
For all this they sinned[H2398] still, and believed[H539] not for his wondrous works[H6381].
33
Therefore their days[H3117] did he consume[H3615] in vanity[H1892], and their years[H8141] in trouble[H928].
34
When he slew[H2026] them, then they sought[H1875] him: and they returned[H7725] and enquired early[H7836] after God[H410].
35
And they remembered[H2142] that God[H430] was their rock[H6697], and the high[H5945] God[H410] their redeemer[H1350].
36
Nevertheless they did flatter[H6601] him with their mouth[H6310], and they lied[H3576] unto him with their tongues[H3956].
37
For their heart[H3820] was not right[H3559] with him, neither were they stedfast[H539] in his covenant[H1285].
38
But he, being full of compassion[H7349], forgave[H3722] their iniquity[H5771], and destroyed[H7843] them not: yea, many a time[H7235] turned[H7725] he his anger[H639] away[H7725], and did not stir up[H5782] all his wrath[H2534].
39
For he remembered[H2142] that they were but flesh[H1320]; a wind[H7307] that passeth away[H1980], and cometh not again[H7725].
40
How[H4100] oft did they provoke[H4784] him in the wilderness[H4057], and grieve[H6087] him in the desert[H3452]!
41
Yea, they turned back[H7725] and tempted[H5254] God[H410], and limited[H8428] the Holy One[H6918] of Israel[H3478].
42
They remembered[H2142] not his hand[H3027], nor the day[H3117] when he delivered[H6299] them from the enemy[H6862].
43
How he had wrought[H7760] his signs[H226] in Egypt[H4714], and his wonders[H4159] in the field[H7704] of Zoan[H6814]:
44
And had turned[H2015] their rivers[H2975] into blood[H1818]; and their floods[H5140], that they could not drink[H8354].
45
He sent[H7971] divers sorts of flies[H6157] among them, which devoured[H398] them; and frogs[H6854], which destroyed[H7843] them.
46
He gave[H5414] also their increase[H2981] unto the caterpiller[H2625], and their labour[H3018] unto the locust[H697].
47
He destroyed[H2026] their vines[H1612] with hail[H1259], and their sycomore trees[H8256] with frost[H2602].
48
He gave up[H5462] their cattle[H1165] also to the hail[H1259], and their flocks[H4735] to hot thunderbolts[H7565].
49
He cast[H7971] upon them the fierceness[H2740] of his anger[H639], wrath[H5678], and indignation[H2195], and trouble[H6869], by sending[H4917] evil[H7451] angels[H4397] among them.
50
He made[H6424] a way[H5410] to his anger[H639]; he spared[H2820] not their soul[H5315] from death[H4194], but gave[H5462] their life[H2416] over[H5462] to the pestilence[H1698];
51
And smote[H5221] all the firstborn[H1060] in Egypt[H4714]; the chief[H7225] of their strength[H202] in the tabernacles[H168] of Ham[H2526]:
52
But made his own people[H5971] to go forth[H5265] like sheep[H6629], and guided[H5090] them in the wilderness[H4057] like a flock[H5739].
53
And he led[H5148] them on safely[H983], so that they feared[H6342] not: but the sea[H3220] overwhelmed[H3680] their enemies[H341].
54
And he brought[H935] them to the border[H1366] of his sanctuary[H6944], even to this mountain[H2022], which his right hand[H3225] had purchased[H7069].
55
He cast out[H1644] the heathen[H1471] also before[H6440] them, and divided[H5307] them an inheritance[H5159] by line[H2256], and made the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478] to dwell[H7931] in their tents[H168].
56
Yet they tempted[H5254] and provoked[H4784] the most high[H5945] God[H430], and kept[H8104] not his testimonies[H5713]:
57
But turned back[H5472], and dealt unfaithfully[H898] like their fathers[H1]: they were turned aside[H2015] like a deceitful[H7423] bow[H7198].
58
For they provoked him to anger[H3707] with their high places[H1116], and moved him to jealousy[H7065] with their graven images[H6456].
59
When God[H430] heard[H8085] this, he was wroth[H5674], and greatly[H3966] abhorred[H3988] Israel[H3478]:
60
So that he forsook[H5203] the tabernacle[H4908] of Shiloh[H7887], the tent[H168] which he placed[H7931] among men[H120];
61
And delivered[H5414] his strength[H5797] into captivity[H7628], and his glory[H8597] into the enemy's hand[H3027].
62
He gave[H5462] his people[H5971] over[H5462] also unto the sword[H2719]; and was wroth[H5674] with his inheritance[H5159].
63
The fire[H784] consumed[H398] their young men[H970]; and their maidens[H1330] were not given to marriage[H1984].
64
Their priests[H3548] fell[H5307] by the sword[H2719]; and their widows[H490] made no lamentation[H1058].
65
Then the Lord[H136] awaked[H3364] as one out of sleep[H3463], and like a mighty man[H1368] that shouteth[H7442] by reason of wine[H3196].
66
And he smote[H5221] his enemies[H6862] in the hinder parts[H268]: he put[H5414] them to a perpetual[H5769] reproach[H2781].
67
Moreover he refused[H3988] the tabernacle[H168] of Joseph[H3130], and chose[H977] not the tribe[H7626] of Ephraim[H669]:
68
But chose[H977] the tribe[H7626] of Judah[H3063], the mount[H2022] Zion[H6726] which he loved[H157].
69
And he built[H1129] his sanctuary[H4720] like high[H7311] palaces, like the earth[H776] which he hath established[H3245] for ever[H5769].
70
He chose[H977] David[H1732] also his servant[H5650], and took[H3947] him from the sheepfolds[H4356]:
71
From following[H310] the ewes great with young[H5763] he brought[H935] him to feed[H7462] Jacob[H3290] his people[H5971], and Israel[H3478] his inheritance[H5159].
72
So he fed[H7462] them according to the integrity[H8537] of his heart[H3824]; and guided[H5148] them by the skilfulness[H8394] of his hands[H3709].