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1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
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2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
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3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
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4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
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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:
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6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
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7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
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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.
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9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
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10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
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11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
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12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
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13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
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14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
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15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
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16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
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17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
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18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
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19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
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20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
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21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
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22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
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23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
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24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
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25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
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26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
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27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
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28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
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29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
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30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
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31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
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32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
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33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
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34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
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35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
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36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
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37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
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38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
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39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
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40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
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41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
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42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
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43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
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44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
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45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
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46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
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47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
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48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
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49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
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50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
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51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
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52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
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53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
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54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
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55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
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56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
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57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
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58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
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59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
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60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
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61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
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62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
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63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
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64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
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65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
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66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
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67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
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68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
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69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.
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70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
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71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
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72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
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- 1 Listen, O my people, to my instruction; 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 conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.
- 5 For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children,
- 6 That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children,
- 7 That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments,
- 8 And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
- 9 The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, Yet they turned back in the day of battle.
- 10 They did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His law;
- 11 They forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them.
- 12 He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
- 13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
- 14 Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire.
- 15 He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
- 16 He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.
- 17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
- 18 And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.
- 19 Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
- 20 “Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?”
- 21 Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,
- 22 Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.
- 23 Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven;
- 24 He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven.
- 25 Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.
- 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.
- 27 When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
- 28 Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.
- 29 So they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them.
- 30 Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths,
- 31 The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.
- 32 In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.
- 33 So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror.
- 34 When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;
- 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.
- 36 But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.
- 37 For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
- 38 But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.
- 39 Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.
- 40 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!
- 41 Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.
- 42 They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,
- 43 When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,
- 44 And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, 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 crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.
- 47 He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost.
- 48 He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning.
- 49 He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels.
- 50 He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,
- 51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first issue of their virility 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 He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.
- 54 So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained.
- 55 He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
- 56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,
- 57 But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow.
- 58 For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.
- 59 When God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel;
- 60 So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,
- 61 And gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary.
- 62 He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
- 63 Fire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs.
- 64 His priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep.
- 65 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.
- 66 He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.
- 67 He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
- 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.
- 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.
- 70 He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;
- 71 From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.
- 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.
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