| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Listen, my people, to my instruction. Hear 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 tell a parable, speaking riddles from long ago— | 2I will sing a song that imparts wisdom; I will make insightful observations about the past. |
| 3things that we have heard and known and that our ancestors related to us. | 3What we have heard and learned--that which our ancestors have told 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 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 decree in Jacob, and established the Law in Israel, that he commanded our ancestors to reveal 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, |
| 6in order that the next generation— children yet to be born— will know them and in turn teach 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. |
| 7Then they will put their trust in God and they will not forget his awesome deeds. Instead, they will 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. |
| 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 will not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that was not committed and faithful to God. |
| 9The descendants of Ephraim were sharp shooters with the bow, but they retreated in 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, and refused to live by his Law. | 10They did not keep their covenant with God, and they refused to obey his law. |
| 11They have forgotten what he has done, his awesome deeds that they witnessed. | 11They forgot what he had done, the amazing things 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 did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. |
| 13He divided the sea so that they were able to cross; he caused the water to stand in a single location. | 13He divided the sea and led them across it; he made the water stand in a heap. |
| 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 the light of a fire all night long. |
| 15He caused the rocks to split in the wilderness, and gave them water as from an abundant sea. | 15He broke open rocks in the wilderness, and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. |
| 16He brought streams from rock, causing water to flow like a river. | 16He caused streams to flow from the rock, and made the water flow like rivers. |
| 17But time and again, they sinned 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. |
| 18To test God was in their minds, when they demanded food to satisfy their cravings. | 18They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite. |
| 19They spoke against God by asking, "Is God able to prepare a feast in the desert? | 19They insulted God, saying, "Is God really able to give us 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?" | 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 this, he was angry, and fire broke out against Jacob. Moreover, his anger flared 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 didn't believe in God and didn't trust in his deliverance. | 22because they did not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them. |
| 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 in the sky. |
| 24so that manna rained down on them for food and he sent them the grain of heaven. | 24He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven. |
| 25Mortal men ate the food of angels; he sent provision to them in abundance. | 25Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat. |
| 26He stirred up the east wind in the heavens and drove the south wind by his might. | 26He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind. |
| 27He caused meat to rain on them like dust and winged birds as the sand of the sea. | 27He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores. |
| 28He caused these to fall in the middle of the camp and all around their tents. | 28He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes. |
| 29So they ate and were very satisfied, because he granted their desire. | 29They ate until they were stuffed; he gave them what they desired. |
| 30However, before they had fulfilled their desire, while their food was still in their mouths, | 30They were not yet filled up, their 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. | 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 of this, they kept on sinning and didn't believe in his marvelous deeds. | 32Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things. |
| 33So he made their days end in futility, and their years with sudden terror. | 33So he caused them to die unsatisfied and filled with terror. |
| 34When he struck them, they sought him; they repented, and eagerly sought God. | 34When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God. |
| 35Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God was their deliverer. | 35They remembered that God was their protector, and that the sovereign God was their deliverer. |
| 36But they deceived him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. | 36But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him. |
| 37For their hearts weren't committed to him, and they weren't faithful to his covenant. | 37They were not really committed to 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 is compassionate. He forgives sin and does not destroy. He often holds back his anger, and does not stir up his fury. |
| 39For he remembered that they were only flesh, a passing wind that doesn't return. | 39He remembered that they were made of flesh, and were like a wind that blows past 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 insulted him in the desert! |
| 41They tested God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel. | 41They again challenged God, and offended the Holy One of Israel. |
| 42They did not remember his power— the day he delivered them from their adversary, | 42They did not remember what he had done, how he delivered them from the enemy, |
| 43when he set his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the plain of Zoan. | 43when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt, and his acts of judgment in the region 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 swarms of biting insects against them, as well as frogs that overran their land. |
| 46He gave their crops to caterpillars and what they worked for to locusts. | 46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust. |
| 47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost. | 47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain. |
| 48He delivered their beasts to hail and their livestock to lightning bolts. | 48He rained hail down on their cattle, and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock. |
| 49He inflicted his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, sending destroying angels among them. | 49His raging anger lashed out against them, He sent fury, rage, and trouble as messengers who bring disaster. |
| 50He blazed a path for his anger; he did not stop short from killing them, but handed them over to pestilence. | 50He sent his anger in full force; he did not spare them from death; he handed their lives over to destruction. |
| 51He struck every firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their manhood in the tents of Ham. | 51He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham. |
| 52Yet he led out his people like sheep, guiding them like a flock in the desert. | 52Yet he brought out his people like sheep; he led them through the wilderness like a flock. |
| 53He led them to safety so they would not fear. As for their enemies, the sea covered them. | 53He guided them safely along, while 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 the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land which 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 the nations out from before them; he assigned them their tribal allotments and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down. |
| 56But they tested the Most High God by rebelling against him, and they did not obey his statutes. | 56Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God, and did not obey his commands. |
| 57They fell away and were as disloyal as their ancestors. They became unreliable, like a defective bow; | 57They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors; they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. |
| 58they angered him with their high places and with their carved images they made him jealous. | 58They made him angry with their pagan shrines, and made him jealous with their idols. |
| 59God heard and became furious, and he completely rejected Israel. | 59God heard and was angry; he completely rejected Israel. |
| 60He abandoned the tent at Shiloh, the tent that he established among mankind. | 60He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh, the tent where he lived among men. |
| 61Then he sent his might into captivity and his glory into the control of the adversary. | 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 delivered his people over to the sword and was angry with his possession. | 62He delivered his people over to the sword, and was angry with his chosen nation. |
| 63The young men were consumed by fire, and the virgins had no marriage celebrations. | 63Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins remained unmarried. |
| 64The priests fell by the sword, yet their widows couldn't weep. | 64Their priests fell by the sword, but their widows did not weep. |
| 65The LORD awoke as though from sleep, like a mighty warrior stimulated by wine. | 65But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage. |
| 66He beat back his adversaries, permanently disgracing them. | 66He drove his enemies back; he made them a permanent target for insults. |
| 67He rejected the clan of Joseph; and the tribe of Ephraim he did not choose. | 67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. |
| 68But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mountain of Zion, which he loves. | 68He chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loves. |
| 69He built his sanctuary, high as the heavens, like the earth that he established forever. | 69He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; as secure as the earth, which he established permanently. |
| 70Then he chose his servant David, whom he took from the sheepfold. | 70He chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds. |
| 71He brought him from birthing sheep to care for Jacob, his people, Israel, his possession. | 71He took him away from following the mother sheep, and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his chosen nation. |
| 72David shepherded them with a devoted heart, and led them with skillful hands. | 72David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill. |
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