[1] Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
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[2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
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[3] Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
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[4] We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done.
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[5] For 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:
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[6] That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
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[7] That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
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[8] And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
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[9] The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
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[10] They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
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[11] And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.
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[12] Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
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[13] He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
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[14] In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
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[15] He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
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[16] He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
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[17] And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
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[18] And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
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[19] Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
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[20] Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
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[21] Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
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[22] Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
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[23] Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
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[24] And had rained down manna on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
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[25] Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.
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[26] He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
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[27] He rained flesh also on them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
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[28] And he let it fall in the middle of their camp, round about their habitations.
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[29] So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
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[30] They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
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[31] The wrath of God came on them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
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[32] For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
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[33] Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
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[34] When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.
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[35] And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
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[36] Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.
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[37] For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
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[38] But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
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[39] For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away, and comes not again.
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[40] How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
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[41] Yes, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
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[42] They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
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[43] How he had worked his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
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[44] And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
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[45] He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
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[46] He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
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[47] He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
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[48] He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
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[49] He cast on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
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[50] He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
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[51] And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
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[52] But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
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[53] And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
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[54] And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
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[55] He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
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[56] Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
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[57] But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
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[58] For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
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[59] When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
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[60] So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
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[61] And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
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[62] He gave his people over also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
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[63] The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
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[64] Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
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[65] Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.
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[66] And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
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[67] Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
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[68] But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
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[69] And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he has established for ever.
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[70] He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
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[71] From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
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[72] So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
