1Maschil4905 of Asaph623. Give ear238, O my people5971, to my law8451: incline5186 your ears241 to the words561 of my mouth6310.
2I will open6605 my mouth6310 in a parable4912: I will utter5042 dark sayings2420 of old6924:
3Which we have heard8085 and known3045, and our fathers1 have told5608 us.
4We will not hide3582 them from their children1121, shewing5608 to the generation1755 to come314 the praises8416 of the LORD3068, and his strength5807, and his wonderful works6381 that he hath done6213.
5For he established6965 a testimony5715 in Jacob3290, and appointed7760 a law8451 in Israel3478, which he commanded6680 our fathers1, that they should make them known3045 to their children1121:
6That the generation1755 to come314 might know3045 them, even the children1121 which should be born3205; who should arise6965 and declare5608 them to their children1121:
7That they might set7760 their hope3689 in God430, and not forget7911 the works4611 of God410, but keep5341 his commandments4687:
8And might not be as their fathers1, a stubborn5637 and rebellious4784 generation1755; a generation1755 that set3559 not their heart3820 aright3559, and whose spirit7307 was not stedfast539 with God410.
9The children1121 of Ephraim669, being armed5401, and carrying7411 bows7198, turned back2015 in the day3117 of battle7128.
10They kept8104 not the covenant1285 of God430, and refused3985 to walk3212 in his law8451;
11And forgat7911 his works5949, and his wonders6381 that he had shewed7200 them.
12Marvellous things6382 did6213 he in the sight5048 of their fathers1, in the land776 of Egypt4714, in the field7704 of Zoan6814.
13He divided1234 the sea3220, and caused them to pass through5674; and he made the waters4325 to stand5324 as an heap5067.
14In the daytime3119 also he led5148 them with a cloud6051, and all the night3915 with a light216 of fire784.
15He clave1234 the rocks6697 in the wilderness4057, and gave them drink8248 as out of the great7227 depths8415.
16He brought3318 streams5140 also out of the rock5553, and caused waters4325 to run down3381 like rivers5104.
17And they sinned2398 yet more3254 against him by provoking4784 the most High5945 in the wilderness6723.
18And they tempted5254 God410 in their heart3824 by asking7592 meat400 for their lust5315.
19Yea, they spake1696 against God430; they said559, Can3201 God410 furnish6186 a table7979 in the wilderness4057?
20Behold, he smote5221 the rock6697, that the waters4325 gushed out2100, and the streams5158 overflowed7857; can3201 he give5414 bread3899 also? can3201 he provide3559 flesh7607 for his people5971?
21Therefore the LORD3068 heard8085 this, and was wroth5674: so a fire784 was kindled5400 against Jacob3290, and anger639 also came up5927 against Israel3478;
22Because they believed539 not in God430, and trusted982 not in his salvation3444:
23Though he had commanded6680 the clouds7834 from above4605, and opened6605 the doors1817 of heaven8064,
24And had rained down4305 manna4478 upon them to eat398, and had given5414 them of the corn1715 of heaven8064.
25Man376 did eat398 angels'47 food3899: he sent7971 them meat6720 to the full7648.
26He caused an east wind6921 to blow5265 in the heaven8064: and by his power5797 he brought in5090 the south wind8486.
27He rained4305 flesh7607 also upon them as dust6083, and feathered3671 fowls5775 like as the sand2344 of the sea3220:
28And he let it fall5307 in the midst7130 of their camp4264, round about5439 their habitations4908.
29So they did eat398, and were well3966 filled7646: for he gave935 them their own desire8378;
30They were not estranged2114 from their lust8378. But while their meat400 was yet in their mouths6310,
31The wrath639 of God430 came5927 upon them, and slew2026 the fattest4924 of them, and smote down3766 the chosen970 men of Israel3478.
32For all this they sinned2398 still, and believed539 not for his wondrous works6381.
33Therefore their days3117 did he consume3615 in vanity1892, and their years8141 in trouble928.
34When he slew2026 them, then they sought1875 him: and they returned7725 and enquired early7836 after God410.
35And they remembered2142 that God430 was their rock6697, and the high5945 God410 their redeemer1350.
36Nevertheless they did flatter6601 him with their mouth6310, and they lied3576 unto him with their tongues3956.
37For their heart3820 was not right3559 with him, neither were they stedfast539 in his covenant1285.
38But he, being full of compassion7349, forgave3722 their iniquity5771, and destroyed7843 them not: yea, many a time7235 turned7725 he his anger639 away7725, and did not stir up5782 all his wrath2534.
39For he remembered2142 that they were but flesh1320; a wind7307 that passeth away1980, and cometh not again7725.
40How4100 oft did they provoke4784 him in the wilderness4057, and grieve6087 him in the desert3452!
41Yea, they turned back7725 and tempted5254 God410, and limited8428 the Holy One6918 of Israel3478.
42They remembered2142 not his hand3027, nor the day3117 when he delivered6299 them from the enemy6862.
43How he had wrought7760 his signs226 in Egypt4714, and his wonders4159 in the field7704 of Zoan6814:
44And had turned2015 their rivers2975 into blood1818; and their floods5140, that they could not drink8354.
45He sent7971 divers sorts of flies6157 among them, which devoured398 them; and frogs6854, which destroyed7843 them.
46He gave5414 also their increase2981 unto the caterpiller2625, and their labour3018 unto the locust697.
47He destroyed2026 their vines1612 with hail1259, and their sycomore trees8256 with frost2602.
48He gave up5462 their cattle1165 also to the hail1259, and their flocks4735 to hot thunderbolts7565.
49He cast7971 upon them the fierceness2740 of his anger639, wrath5678, and indignation2195, and trouble6869, by sending4917 evil7451 angels4397 among them.
50He made6424 a way5410 to his anger639; he spared2820 not their soul5315 from death4194, but gave5462 their life2416 over5462 to the pestilence1698;
51And smote5221 all the firstborn1060 in Egypt4714; the chief7225 of their strength202 in the tabernacles168 of Ham2526:
52But made his own people5971 to go forth5265 like sheep6629, and guided5090 them in the wilderness4057 like a flock5739.
53And he led5148 them on safely983, so that they feared6342 not: but the sea3220 overwhelmed3680 their enemies341.
54And he brought935 them to the border1366 of his sanctuary6944, even to this mountain2022, which his right hand3225 had purchased7069.
55He cast out1644 the heathen1471 also before6440 them, and divided5307 them an inheritance5159 by line2256, and made the tribes7626 of Israel3478 to dwell7931 in their tents168.
56Yet they tempted5254 and provoked4784 the most high5945 God430, and kept8104 not his testimonies5713:
57But turned back5472, and dealt unfaithfully898 like their fathers1: they were turned aside2015 like a deceitful7423 bow7198.
58For they provoked him to anger3707 with their high places1116, and moved him to jealousy7065 with their graven images6456.
59When God430 heard8085 this, he was wroth5674, and greatly3966 abhorred3988 Israel3478:
60So that he forsook5203 the tabernacle4908 of Shiloh7887, the tent168 which he placed7931 among men120;
61And delivered5414 his strength5797 into captivity7628, and his glory8597 into the enemy's6862 hand3027.
62He gave5462 his people5971 over5462 also unto the sword2719; and was wroth5674 with his inheritance5159.
63The fire784 consumed398 their young men970; and their maidens1330 were not given to marriage1984.
64Their priests3548 fell5307 by the sword2719; and their widows490 made no lamentation1058.
65Then the Lord136 awaked3364 as one out of sleep3463, and like a mighty man1368 that shouteth7442 by reason of wine3196.
66And he smote5221 his enemies6862 in the hinder parts268: he put5414 them to a perpetual5769 reproach2781.
67Moreover he refused3988 the tabernacle168 of Joseph3130, and chose977 not the tribe7626 of Ephraim669:
68But chose977 the tribe7626 of Judah3063, the mount2022 Zion6726 which he loved157.
69And he built1129 his sanctuary4720 like high7311 palaces, like the earth776 which he hath established3245 for ever5769.
70He chose977 David1732 also his servant5650, and took3947 him from the sheepfolds4356 6629:
71From following310 the ewes great with young5763 he brought935 him to feed7462 Jacob3290 his people5971, and Israel3478 his inheritance5159.
72So he fed7462 them according to the integrity8537 of his heart3824; and guided5148 them by the skilfulness8394 of his hands3709.