1 Give ear, O my people, to my law:
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah,
And his strength, and his wondrous works that he hath done.
5 For 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;
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children that should be born;
Who should arise and tell them to their children,
7 That they might set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep his commandments,
8 And 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.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
10 They kept not the covenant of God,
And refused to walk in his law;
11 And they forgat his doings,
And his wondrous works that he had showed them.
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through;
And he made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 Yet went they on still to sin against him,
To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 And they tempted God in their heart
By asking food according to their desire.
19 Yea, they spake against God;
They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out,
And streams overflowed;
Can he give bread also?
Will he provide flesh for his people?
21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth;
And a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also went up against Israel;
22 Because they believed not in God,
And trusted not in his salvation.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above,
And opened the doors of heaven;
24 And he rained down manna upon them to eat,
And gave them food from heaven.
25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty:
He sent them food to the full.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by his power he guided the south wind.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as the dust,
And winged birds as the sand of the seas:
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp,
Round about their habitations.
29 So they did eat, and were well filled;
And he gave them their own desire.
30 They were not estranged from that which they desired,
Their food was yet in their mouths,
31 When the anger of God went up against them,
And slew of the fattest of them,
And smote down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still,
And believed not in his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity,
And their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, then they inquired after him;
And they returned and sought God earnestly.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth,
And lied unto him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not right with him,
Neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38 But he, being merciful, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not:
Yea, many a time turned he his anger away,
And did not stir up all his wrath.
39 And he remembered that they were but flesh,
A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness,
And grieve him in the desert!
41 And they turned again and tempted God,
And provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand,
Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
43 How he set his signs in Egypt,
And his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 And turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them;
And frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar,
And their labor unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycomore-trees with frost.
48 He gave over their cattle also to the hail,
And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,
Wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
A band of angels of evil.
50 He made a path for his anger;
He spared not their soul from death,
But gave their life over to the pestilence,
51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt,
The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But he led forth his own people like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them safely, so that they feared not;
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.
55 He drove out the nations also before them,
And allotted them for an inheritance by line,
And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God,
And kept not his testimonies;
57 But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers:
They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
And moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, he was wroth,
And greatly abhorred Israel;
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent which he placed among men;
61 And delivered his strength into captivity,
And his glory into the adversary’s hand.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword,
And was wroth with his inheritance.
63 Fire devoured their young men;
And their virgins had no marriage-song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword;
And their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep,
Like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his adversaries backward:
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph,
And chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
The mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which he hath established for ever.
70 He chose David also his servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds:
71 From following the ewes that have their young he brought him,
To be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
1 Masquil de Asaph. ESCUCHA, pueblo mío, mi ley: Inclinad vuestro oído á las palabras de mi boca.
2 Abriré mi boca en parábola; Hablaré cosas reservadas de antiguo:
3 Las cuales hemos oído y entendido; Que nuestros padres nos las contaron.
4 No las encubriremos á sus hijos, Contando á la generación venidera las alabanzas de Jehová, Y su fortaleza, y sus maravillas que hizo.
5 El estableció testimonio en Jacob, Y pusó ley en Israel; La cual mandó á nuestros padres Que la notificasen á sus hijos;
6 Para que lo sepa la generación venidera, y los hijos que nacerán; Y los que se levantarán, lo cuenten á sus hijos;
7 A fin de que pongan en Dios su confianza, Y no se olviden de las obras de Dios, Y guarden sus mandamientos:
8 Y no sean como sus padres, Generación contumaz y rebelde; Generación que no apercibió su corazón, Ni fué fiel para con Dios su espíritu.
9 Los hijos de Ephraim armados, flecheros, Volvieron las espaldas el día de la batalla.
10 No guardaron el pacto de Dios, Ni quisieron andar en su ley:
11 Antes se olvidaron de sus obras, Y de sus maravillas que les había mostrado.
12 Delante de sus padres hizo maravillas En la tierra de Egipto, en el campo de Zoán.
13 Rompió la mar, é hízolos pasar; E hizo estar las aguas como en un montón.
14 Y llevólos de día con nube, Y toda la noche con resplandor de fuego.
15 Hendió las peñas en el desierto: Y dióles á beber como de grandes abismos;
16 Pues sacó de la peña corrientes, E hizo descender aguas como ríos.
17 Empero aun tornaron á pecar contra él, Enojando en la soledad al Altísimo.
18 Pues tentaron á Dios en su corazón, Pidiendo comida á su gusto.
19 Y hablaron contra Dios, Diciendo: ¿Podrá poner mesa en el desierto?
20 He aquí ha herido la peña, y corrieron aguas, Y arroyos salieron ondeando: ¿Podrá también dar pan? ¿Aparejará carne á su pueblo?
21 Por tanto oyó Jehová, é indignóse: Y encendióse el fuego contra Jacob, Y el furor subió también contra Israel;
22 Por cuanto no habían creído á Dios, Ni habían confiado en su salud:
23 A pesar de que mandó á las nubes de arriba, Y abrió las puertas de los cielos,
24 E hizo llover sobre ellos maná para comer, Y dióles trigo de los cielos.
25 Pan de nobles comió el hombre: Envióles comida á hartura.
26 Movió el solano en el cielo, Y trajo con su fortaleza el austro.
27 E hizo llover sobre ellos carne como polvo, Y aves de alas como arena de la mar.
28 E hízolas caer en medio de su campo, Alrededor de sus tiendas.
29 Y comieron, y hartáronse mucho: Cumplióles pues su deseo.
30 No habían quitado de sí su deseo, Aun estaba su vianda en su boca,
31 Cuando vino sobre ellos el furor de Dios, Y mató los más robustos de ellos, Y derribo los escogidos de Israel.
32 Con todo esto pecaron aún, Y no dieron crédito á sus maravillas.
33 Consumió por tanto en nada sus días, Y sus años en la tribulación.
34 Si los mataba, entonces buscaban á Dios; Entonces se volvían solícitos en busca suya.
35 Y acordábanse que Dios era su refugio. Y el Dios Alto su redentor.
36 Mas le lisonjeaban con su boca, Y con su lengua le mentían:
37 Pues sus corazones no eran rectos con él, Ni estuvieron firmes en su pacto.
38 Empero él misericordioso, perdonaba la maldad, y no los destruía: Y abundó para apartar su ira, Y no despertó todo su enojo.
39 Y acordóse que eran carne; Soplo que va y no vuelve.
40 Cuántas veces lo ensañaron en el desierto, Lo enojaron en la soledad!
41 Y volvían, y tentaban á Dios, Y ponían límite al Santo de Israel.
42 No se acordaron de su mano, Del día que los redimió de angustia;
43 Cuando puso en Egipto sus señales, Y sus maravillas en el campo de Zoán;
44 Y volvió sus ríos en sangre, Y sus corrientes, porque no bebiesen.
45 Envió entre ellos una mistura de moscas que los comían, Y ranas que los destruyeron.
46 Dió también al pulgón sus frutos, Y sus trabajos á la langosta.
47 Sus viñas destruyó con granizo, Y sus higuerales con piedra;
48 Y entregó al pedrisco sus bestias, Y al fuego sus ganados.
49 Envió sobre ellos el furor de su saña, Ira y enojo y angustia, Con misión de malos ángeles.
50 Dispuso el camino á su furor; No eximió la vida de ellos de la muerte, Sino que entregó su vida á la mortandad.
51 E hirió á todo primogénito en Egipto, Las primicias de las fuerzas en las tiendas de Châm.
52 Empero hizo salir á su pueblo como ovejas, Y llevólos por el desierto, como un rebaño.
53 Y guiólos con seguridad, que no tuvieron miedo; Y la mar cubrió á sus enemigos.
54 Metiólos después en los términos de su santuario, En este monte que ganó su mano derecha.
55 Y echó las gentes de delante de ellos, Y repartióles una herencia con cuerdas; E hizo habitar en sus moradas á las tribus de Israel.
56 Mas tentaron y enojaron al Dios Altísimo, Y no guardaron sus testimonios;
57 Sino que se volvieron, y se rebelaron como sus padres: Volviéronse como arco engañoso.
58 Y enojáronlo con sus altos, Y provocáronlo á celo con sus esculturas.
59 Oyólo Dios, y enojóse, Y en gran manera aborreció á Israel.
60 Dejó por tanto el tabernáculo de Silo, La tienda en que habitó entre los hombres;
61 Y dió en cautividad su fortaleza, Y su gloria en mano del enemigo.
62 Entregó también su pueblo á cuchillo, Y airóse contra su heredad.
63 El fuego devoró sus mancebos, Y sus vírgenes no fueron loadas en cantos nupciales.
64 Sus sacerdotes cayeron á cuchillo, Y sus viudas no lamentaron.
65 Entonces despertó el Señor á la manera del que ha dormido, Como un valiente que grita excitado del vino:
66 E hirió á sus enemigos en las partes posteriores: Dióles perpetua afrenta.
67 Y desechó el tabernáculo de José, Y no escogió la tribu de Ephraim.
68 Sino que escogió la tribu de Judá, El monte de Sión, al cual amó.
69 Y edificó su santuario á manera de eminencia, Como la tierra que cimentó para siempre.
70 Y eligió á David su siervo, Y tomólo de las majadas de las ovejas:
71 De tras las paridas lo trajo, Para que apacentase á Jacob su pueblo, y á Israel su heredad.
72 Y apacentólos con entereza de su corazón; Y pastoreólos con la pericia de sus manos.