| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard 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. My people, hear my instruction; listen to what I say. |
| 2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, | 2I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past-- |
| 3Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. | 3things we have heard and known and that our fathers have passed down 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 must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the LORD, His might, and the wonderful works 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; | 5He established a testimony in Jacob and set up 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, | 6so that a future generation-- children yet to be born--might know. They were to rise and tell their children |
| 7That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; | 7so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God's works, but keep His commands. |
| 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 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 children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. | 9The Ephraimite archers turned back on the day of battle. |
| 10They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, | 10They did not 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 wonderful works 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 in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, 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 across; the water stood firm 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 fiery light throughout the night. |
| 15He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. | 15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the depths. |
| 16He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. | 16He brought streams out of 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 deliberately tested God, 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," Is God able to provide food 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?” | 20Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can He also provide bread or furnish meat for His people?" |
| 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 became furious; then fire broke out against Jacob, and anger flared up 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, | 23He gave a command to the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven. |
| 24Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. | 24He rained manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. |
| 25Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. | 25People ate the bread of angels. He sent them an abundant supply of food. |
| 26He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. | 26He made the east wind blow in the skies 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 seas. |
| 28And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. | 28He made them fall in His camp, all around His tent. |
| 29So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. | 29They ate and were completely satisfied, for He gave them what they craved. |
| 30They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths, | 30Before they had satisfied their desire, while the food was 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 up against them, and He killed some of their best men. He struck down Israel's choice young men. |
| 32In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. | 32Despite all this, they kept sinning and did not believe His wonderful works. |
| 33Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear. | 33He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster. |
| 34When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for 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 their Redeemer. | 35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer. |
| 36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue; | 36But they deceived Him with their mouths, they lied to Him with their tongues, |
| 37For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. | 37their hearts were insincere toward 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; | 38Yet He was compassionate; He atoned for their guilt and did not destroy them. He often turned His anger aside and did not unleash all His wrath. |
| 39For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again. | 39He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return. |
| 40How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! | 40How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert. |
| 41Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. | 41They constantly 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 shown on the day He redeemed them from the foe, |
| 43When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan; | 43when He performed His miraculous signs in Egypt and His wonders in the region of Zoan. |
| 44Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink. | 44He turned their rivers into blood, and they could not drink from their streams. |
| 45He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them. | 45He sent among them swarms of flies, which fed on them, and frogs, which devastated them. |
| 46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust. | 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 also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning. | 48He handed over their livestock to hail and their cattle to lightning bolts. |
| 49He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them. | 49He sent His burning anger against them: fury, indignation, and calamity-- a band of deadly messengers. |
| 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 in Egypt, the first progeny of 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 His people out 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, and they were not afraid; but the sea covered 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 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. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and 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 rebelliously tested the Most High God, 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 treacherously turned away like their fathers; they became warped 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 carved images. |
| 59When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, | 59God heard and became furious; He completely rejected Israel. |
| 60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, | 60He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where He resided among men. |
| 61And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand. | 61He gave up His strength to captivity and His splendor to the hand of a foe. |
| 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 with His heritage. |
| 63The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage. | 63Fire consumed His chosen young men, and His young women had no wedding songs. |
| 64Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation. | 64His priests fell by the sword, but the 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 if from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine. |
| 66And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach. | 66He beat back His foes; He gave them lasting shame. |
| 67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, | 67He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. |
| 68But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. | 68He chose instead 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 that He 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. | 71He brought him from tending ewes to be shepherd over His people Jacob-- over Israel, His inheritance. |
| 72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. | 72He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands. |
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