International Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Listen, my people, to my instruction. Hear the words of my mouth.

1My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth.

2I will tell a parable, speaking riddles from long ago—

2I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past--

3things that we have heard and known and that our ancestors related to us.

3things we have heard and known and that our fathers have passed down to us.

4We will not withhold them from their descendants; we'll declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD— his might and awesome deeds that he has performed.

4We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.

5He established a decree in Jacob, and established the Law in Israel, that he commanded our ancestors to reveal to their children

5He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children

6in order that the next generation— children yet to be born— will know them and in turn teach them to their children.

6so that a future generation--children yet to be born--might know. They were to rise and tell their children

7Then they will put their trust in God and they will not forget his awesome deeds. Instead, they will keep his commandments.

7so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God's works, but keep his commands.

8They will not be like the rebellious generation of their ancestors, a rebellious generation, whose heart was not steadfast, and whose spirits were unfaithful to God.

8Then they would not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9The descendants of Ephraim were sharp shooters with the bow, but they retreated in the day of battle.

9The Ephraimite archers turned back on the day of battle.

10They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to live by his Law.

10They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law.

11They have forgotten what he has done, his awesome deeds that they witnessed.

11They forgot what he had done, the wondrous works he had shown them.

12He performed marvelous things in the presence of their ancestors in the land of Egypt— in the fields of Zoan.

12He worked wonders in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, the territory of Zoan.

13He divided the sea so that they were able to cross; he caused the water to stand in a single location.

13He split the sea and brought them across; the water stood firm like a wall.

14He led them with a cloud during the day, and during the night with light from the fire.

14He led them with a cloud by day and with a fiery light throughout the night.

15He caused the rocks to split in the wilderness, and gave them water as from an abundant sea.

15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the depths.

16He brought streams from rock, causing water to flow like a river.

16He brought streams out of the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

17But time and again, they sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

17But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18To test God was in their minds, when they demanded food to satisfy their cravings.

18They deliberately tested God, demanding the food they craved.

19They spoke against God by asking, "Is God able to prepare a feast in the desert?

19They spoke against God, saying, "Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?

20It's true that Moses struck the rock so that water flowed forth and torrents of water gushed out, but is he also able to give bread or to supply meat for his people?"

20Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can he also provide bread or furnish meat for his people?"

21Therefore, when the LORD heard this, he was angry, and fire broke out against Jacob. Moreover, his anger flared against Israel,

21Therefore, the LORD heard and became furious; then fire broke out against Jacob, and anger flared up against Israel

22because they didn't believe in God and didn't trust in his deliverance.

22because they did not believe God or rely on his salvation.

23Yet he commanded the skies above and the doors of the heavens to open,

23He gave a command to the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.

24so that manna rained down on them for food and he sent them the grain of heaven.

24He rained manna for them to eat; he gave them grain from heaven.

25Mortal men ate the food of angels; he sent provision to them in abundance.

25People ate the bread of angels. He sent them an abundant supply of food.

26He stirred up the east wind in the heavens and drove the south wind by his might.

26He made the east wind blow in the skies and drove the south wind by his might.

27He caused meat to rain on them like dust and winged birds as the sand of the sea.

27He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

28He caused these to fall in the middle of the camp and all around their tents.

28He made them fall in the camp, all around the tents.

29So they ate and were very satisfied, because he granted their desire.

29The people ate and were completely satisfied, for he gave them what they craved.

30However, before they had fulfilled their desire, while their food was still in their mouths,

30Before they had turned from what they craved, while the food was still in their mouths,

31the anger of God flared against them, and he killed the strongest men and humbled Israel's young men.

31God's anger flared up against them, and he killed some of their best men. He struck down Israel's fit young men.

32In spite of all of this, they kept on sinning and didn't believe in his marvelous deeds.

32Despite all this, they kept sinning and did not believe his wondrous works.

33So he made their days end in futility, and their years with sudden terror.

33He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster.

34When he struck them, they sought him; they repented, and eagerly sought God.

34When he killed some of them, the rest began to seek him; they repented and searched for God.

35Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God was their deliverer.

35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer.

36But they deceived him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.

36But they deceived him with their mouths, they lied to him with their tongues,

37For their hearts weren't committed to him, and they weren't faithful to his covenant.

37their hearts were insincere toward him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

38But he, being merciful, forgave their iniquity and didn't destroy them; He restrained his anger and didn't vent all his wrath.

38Yet he was compassionate; he atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often turned his anger aside and did not unleash all his wrath.

39For he remembered that they were only flesh, a passing wind that doesn't return.

39He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.

40How they rebelled against him in the desert, grieving him in the wilderness!

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert.

41They tested God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel.

41They constantly tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not remember his power— the day he delivered them from their adversary,

42They did not remember his power shown on the day he redeemed them from the foe,

43when he set his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the plain of Zoan.

43when he performed his miraculous signs in Egypt and his wonders in the territory of Zoan.

44He turned their rivers into blood and made their streams undrinkable.

44He turned their rivers into blood, and they could not drink from their streams.

45He sent swarms of insects to bite them and frogs to destroy them.

45He sent among them swarms of flies, which fed on them, and frogs, which devastated them.

46He gave their crops to caterpillars and what they worked for to locusts.

46He gave their crops to the caterpillar and the fruit of their labor to the locust.

47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost.

47He killed their vines with hail and their sycamore fig trees with a flood.

48He delivered their beasts to hail and their livestock to lightning bolts.

48He handed over their livestock to hail and their cattle to lightning bolts.

49He inflicted his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, sending destroying angels among them.

49He sent his burning anger against them: fury, indignation, and calamity--a band of deadly messengers.

50He blazed a path for his anger; he did not stop short from killing them, but handed them over to pestilence.

50He cleared a path for his anger. He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.

51He struck every firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their manhood in the tents of Ham.

51He struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first progeny of the tents of Ham.

52Yet he led out his people like sheep, guiding them like a flock in the desert.

52He led his people out like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

53He led them to safety so they would not fear. As for their enemies, the sea covered them.

53He led them safely, and they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies.

54He brought the people to the border of his holy mountain, which he acquired by his might.

54He brought them to his holy territory, to the mountain his right hand acquired.

55He drove out nations before them and allotted their tribal inheritance, settling the tribes of Israel in their tents.

55He drove out nations before them. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56But they tested the Most High God by rebelling against him, and they did not obey his statutes.

56But they rebelliously tested the Most High God, for they did not keep his decrees.

57They fell away and were as disloyal as their ancestors. They became unreliable, like a defective bow;

57They treacherously turned away like their fathers; they became warped like a faulty bow.

58they angered him with their high places and with their carved images they made him jealous.

58They enraged him with their high places and provoked his jealousy with their carved images.

59God heard and became furious, and he completely rejected Israel.

59God heard and became furious; he completely rejected Israel.

60He abandoned the tent at Shiloh, the tent that he established among mankind.

60He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he resided among mankind.

61Then he sent his might into captivity and his glory into the control of the adversary.

61He gave up his strength to captivity and his splendor to the hand of a foe.

62He delivered his people over to the sword and was angry with his possession.

62He surrendered his people to the sword because he was enraged with his heritage.

63The young men were consumed by fire, and the virgins had no marriage celebrations.

63Fire consumed his chosen young men, and his young women had no wedding songs.

64The priests fell by the sword, yet their widows couldn't weep.

64His priests fell by the sword, and the widows could not lament.

65The LORD awoke as though from sleep, like a mighty warrior stimulated by wine.

65The Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine.

66He beat back his adversaries, permanently disgracing them.

66He beat back his foes; he gave them lasting disgrace.

67He rejected the clan of Joseph; and the tribe of Ephraim he did not choose.

67He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

68But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mountain of Zion, which he loves.

68He chose instead the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.

69He built his sanctuary, high as the heavens, like the earth that he established forever.

69He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.

70Then he chose his servant David, whom he took from the sheepfold.

70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;

71He brought him from birthing sheep to care for Jacob, his people, Israel, his possession.

71he brought him from tending ewes to be shepherd over his people Jacob--over Israel, his inheritance.

72David shepherded them with a devoted heart, and led them with skillful hands.

72He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.