| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! | 1A well-written song by Asaph. Pay attention, my people, to my instruction! Listen to the words I speak! |
| 2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, | 2I will sing a song that imparts wisdom; I will make insightful observations about the past. |
| 3things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. | 3What we have heard and learned--that which our ancestors have told us-- |
| 4We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. | 4we will not hide from their descendants. We will tell the next generation about the LORD's praiseworthy acts, about his strength and the amazing things he has done. |
| 5He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, | 5He established a rule in Jacob; he set up a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make his deeds known to their descendants, |
| 6that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, | 6so that the next generation, children yet to be born, might know about them. They will grow up and tell their descendants about them. |
| 7so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; | 7Then they will place their confidence in God. They will not forget the works of God, and they will obey his commands. |
| 8and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. | 8Then they will not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that was not committed and faithful to God. |
| 9The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. | 9The Ephraimites were armed with bows, but they retreated in the day of battle. |
| 10They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. | 10They did not keep their covenant with God, and they refused to obey his law. |
| 11They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. | 11They forgot what he had done, the amazing things he had shown them. |
| 12In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. | 12He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. |
| 13He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. | 13He divided the sea and led them across it; he made the water stand in a heap. |
| 14In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. | 14He led them with a cloud by day, and with the light of a fire all night long. |
| 15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. | 15He broke open rocks in the wilderness, and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. |
| 16He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. | 16He caused streams to flow from the rock, and made the water flow like rivers. |
| 17Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. | 17Yet they continued to sin against him, and rebelled against the sovereign One in the desert. |
| 18They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. | 18They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite. |
| 19They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? | 19They insulted God, saying, "Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness? |
| 20He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” | 20Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out, streams gushed forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his people?" |
| 21Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, | 21When the LORD heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel, |
| 22because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. | 22because they did not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them. |
| 23Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, | 23He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky. |
| 24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. | 24He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven. |
| 25Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. | 25Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat. |
| 26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; | 26He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind. |
| 27he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; | 27He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores. |
| 28he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. | 28He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes. |
| 29And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. | 29They ate until they were stuffed; he gave them what they desired. |
| 30But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, | 30They were not yet filled up, their food was still in their mouths, |
| 31the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. | 31when the anger of God flared up against them. He killed some of the strongest of them; he brought the young men of Israel to their knees. |
| 32In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. | 32Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things. |
| 33So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. | 33So he caused them to die unsatisfied and filled with terror. |
| 34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. | 34When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God. |
| 35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. | 35They remembered that God was their protector, and that the sovereign God was their deliverer. |
| 36But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. | 36But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him. |
| 37Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. | 37They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant. |
| 38Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. | 38Yet he is compassionate. He forgives sin and does not destroy. He often holds back his anger, and does not stir up his fury. |
| 39He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. | 39He remembered that they were made of flesh, and were like a wind that blows past and does not return. |
| 40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! | 40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and insulted him in the desert! |
| 41They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. | 41They again challenged God, and offended the Holy One of Israel. |
| 42They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, | 42They did not remember what he had done, how he delivered them from the enemy, |
| 43when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan. | 43when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt, and his acts of judgment in the region of Zoan. |
| 44He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams. | 44He turned their rivers into blood, and they could not drink from their streams. |
| 45He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. | 45He sent swarms of biting insects against them, as well as frogs that overran their land. |
| 46He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust. | 46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust. |
| 47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost. | 47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain. |
| 48He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts. | 48He rained hail down on their cattle, and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock. |
| 49He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. | 49His raging anger lashed out against them, He sent fury, rage, and trouble as messengers who bring disaster. |
| 50He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague. | 50He sent his anger in full force; he did not spare them from death; he handed their lives over to destruction. |
| 51He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. | 51He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham. |
| 52Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. | 52Yet he brought out his people like sheep; he led them through the wilderness like a flock. |
| 53He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. | 53He guided them safely along, while the sea covered their enemies. |
| 54And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. | 54He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land which his right hand acquired. |
| 55He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. | 55He drove the nations out from before them; he assigned them their tribal allotments and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down. |
| 56Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, | 56Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God, and did not obey his commands. |
| 57but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. | 57They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors; they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. |
| 58For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. | 58They made him angry with their pagan shrines, and made him jealous with their idols. |
| 59When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. | 59God heard and was angry; he completely rejected Israel. |
| 60He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, | 60He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh, the tent where he lived among men. |
| 61and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe. | 61He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured; he gave the symbol of his splendor into the hand of the enemy. |
| 62He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. | 62He delivered his people over to the sword, and was angry with his chosen nation. |
| 63Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. | 63Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins remained unmarried. |
| 64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. | 64Their priests fell by the sword, but their widows did not weep. |
| 65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. | 65But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage. |
| 66And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame. | 66He drove his enemies back; he made them a permanent target for insults. |
| 67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, | 67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. |
| 68but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. | 68He chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loves. |
| 69He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. | 69He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; as secure as the earth, which he established permanently. |
| 70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; | 70He chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds. |
| 71from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. | 71He took him away from following the mother sheep, and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his chosen nation. |
| 72With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. | 72David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill. |
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