New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
1A Contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. | 1A Maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth. |
2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, | 2I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning, |
3Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. | 3that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. |
4We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. | 4We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed. |
5For 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; | 5For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, |
6That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, | 6that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children |
7That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; | 7that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments. |
8And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God. | 8Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God. |
9The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. | 9The archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle. |
10They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, | 10They failed to keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law. |
11And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. | 11They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them. |
12Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. | 12He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. |
13He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. | 13He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall. |
14In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. | 14He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night. |
15He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. | 15He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. |
16He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. | 16He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers. |
17But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. | 17But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. |
18And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. | 18They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved. |
19Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? | 19They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? |
20Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?” | 20When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?” |
21Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel, | 21Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel, |
22Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. | 22because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation. |
23Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, | 23Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens. |
24Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. | 24He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. |
25Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. | 25Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. |
26He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. | 26He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might. |
27He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; | 27He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea. |
28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. | 28He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. |
29So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. | 29So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved. |
30They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths, | 30Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths, |
31The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. | 31God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel. |
32In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. | 32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe. |
33Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear. | 33So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror. |
34When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. | 34When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God. |
35Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. | 35And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. |
36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue; | 36But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues. |
37For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. | 37Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant. |
38But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; | 38And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath. |
39For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again. | 39He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. |
40How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! | 40How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! |
41Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. | 41Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel. |
42They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, | 42They did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from the adversary, |
43When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan; | 43when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan. |
44Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink. | 44He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink. |
45He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them. | 45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. |
46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And 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 sycamore trees with frost. | 47He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. |
48He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning. | 48He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning. |
49He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them. | 49He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity—a band of destroying angels. |
50He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave their life over to the plague, | 50He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague. |
51And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham. | 51He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham. |
52But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; | 52He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness. |
53And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. | 53He led them safely, so they did not fear, but the sea engulfed their enemies. |
54And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired. | 54He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired. |
55He also drove out the nations before them, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. | 55He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. |
56Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies, | 56But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees. |
57But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. | 57They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow. |
58For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images. | 58They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols. |
59When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, | 59On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely. |
60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, | 60He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men. |
61And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand. | 61He delivered His strength to captivity, and His splendor to the hand of the adversary. |
62He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance. | 62He surrendered His people to the sword because He was enraged by His heritage. |
63The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage. | 63Fire consumed His young men, and their maidens were left without wedding songs. |
64Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation. | 64His priests fell by the sword, but their widows could not lament. |
65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. | 65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty warrior overcome by wine. |
66And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach. | 66He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame. |
67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, | 67He rejected the tent of Joseph and refused the tribe of Ephraim. |
68But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. | 68But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved. |
69And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever. | 69He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth He has established forever. |
70He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; | 70He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; |
71From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. | 71from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance. |
72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. | 72So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands. |
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