| 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. |
