^{1 Ref} An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.

^{2 Ref} I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,

^{3 Ref} That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.

^{4 Ref} We do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that He hath done.

^{5 Ref} And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.

^{6 Ref} So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,

^{7 Ref} And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.

^{8 Ref} And they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God `is' its spirit.

^{9 Ref} Sons of Ephraim -- armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.

^{10 Ref} They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,

^{11 Ref} And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.

^{12 Ref} Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt -- the field of Zoan.

^{13 Ref} He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.

^{14 Ref} And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.

^{15 Ref} He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink -- as the great deep.

^{16 Ref} And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.

^{17 Ref} And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.

^{18 Ref} And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.

^{19 Ref} And they speak against God -- they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'

^{20 Ref} Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also -- bread `is' He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'

^{21 Ref} Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,

^{22 Ref} For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

^{23 Ref} And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.

^{24 Ref} And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.

^{25 Ref} Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.

^{26 Ref} He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,

^{27 Ref} And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas -- winged fowl,

²⁸ And causeth `it' to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.

^{29 Ref} And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.

^{30 Ref} They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet `is' their food in their mouth,

^{31 Ref} And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.

^{32 Ref} With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.

^{33 Ref} And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.

^{34 Ref} If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,

^{35 Ref} And they remember that God `is' their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.

^{36 Ref} And -- they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,

^{37 Ref} And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.

^{38 Ref} And He -- the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.

^{39 Ref} And He remembereth that they `are' flesh, A wind going on -- and it returneth not.

^{40 Ref} How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?

^{41 Ref} Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.

^{42 Ref} They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.

^{43 Ref} When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,

^{44 Ref} And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.

^{45 Ref} He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,

^{46 Ref} And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.

^{47 Ref} He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,

^{48 Ref} And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.

^{49 Ref} He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress -- A discharge of evil messengers.

^{50 Ref} He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.

^{51 Ref} And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.

^{52 Ref} And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,

^{53 Ref} And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.

^{54 Ref} And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,

^{55 Ref} And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,

^{56 Ref} And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.

^{57 Ref} And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,

^{58 Ref} And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,

^{59 Ref} God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.

^{60 Ref} And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

^{61 Ref} And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,

^{62 Ref} And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.

^{63 Ref} His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.

^{64 Ref} His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.

^{65 Ref} And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.

^{66 Ref} And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,

^{67 Ref} And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.

^{68 Ref} And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,

^{69 Ref} And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.

^{70 Ref} And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,

^{71 Ref} From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.

^{72 Ref} And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!

^{1 Ref} <Maschil. Of Asaph.> Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

^{2 Ref} Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

^{3 Ref} Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

^{4 Ref} We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.

^{5 Ref} He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;

^{6 Ref} So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;

^{7 Ref} So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

^{8 Ref} And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

^{9 Ref} The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

^{10 Ref} They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

^{11 Ref} They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

^{12 Ref} He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

^{13 Ref} The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

^{14 Ref} In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

^{15 Ref} The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

^{16 Ref} He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

^{17 Ref} And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

^{18 Ref} Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

^{19 Ref} They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

^{20 Ref} See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?

^{21 Ref} So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;

^{22 Ref} Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

^{23 Ref} And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

^{24 Ref} And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

^{25 Ref} Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

^{26 Ref} He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

^{27 Ref} He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

²⁸ And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

^{29 Ref} So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

^{30 Ref} But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

^{31 Ref} The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

^{32 Ref} For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

^{33 Ref} So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

^{34 Ref} When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

^{35 Ref} In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

^{36 Ref} But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

^{37 Ref} And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

^{38 Ref} But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.

^{39 Ref} So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

^{40 Ref} How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

^{41 Ref} Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

^{42 Ref} They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

^{43 Ref} How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

^{44 Ref} So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

^{45 Ref} He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

^{46 Ref} He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

^{47 Ref} He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

^{48 Ref} Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

^{49 Ref} He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

^{50 Ref} He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

^{51 Ref} He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

^{52 Ref} But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

^{53 Ref} He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

^{54 Ref} And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

^{55 Ref} Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.

^{56 Ref} But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

^{57 Ref} Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

^{58 Ref} They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

^{59 Ref} When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

^{60 Ref} So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

^{61 Ref} And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

^{62 Ref} He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

^{63 Ref} Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

^{64 Ref} Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

^{65 Ref} Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

^{66 Ref} His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

^{67 Ref} And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

^{68 Ref} But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

^{69 Ref} And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

^{70 Ref} He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

^{71 Ref} From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.

^{72 Ref} So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.