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

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

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

4 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 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 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 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 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 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

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

20 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 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 Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

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

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

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

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

27 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 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

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

31 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 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

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

35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

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

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

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

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

42 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 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

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

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

46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

55 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 But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

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

58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

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

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

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

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

71 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 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

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.