NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1A well-written song by Asaph. Pay attention, my people, to my instruction! Listen to the words I speak!

1A Maskil of Asaph. Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2I will sing a song that imparts wisdom; I will make insightful observations about the past.

2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,

3What we have heard and learned--that which our ancestors have told us--

3Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.

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.

4We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

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,

5For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should 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.

6That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children,

7Then they will place their confidence in God. They will not forget the works of God, and they will obey his commands.

7That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments,

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.

8And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9The Ephraimites were armed with bows, but they retreated in the day of battle.

9The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, Yet they turned back in the day of battle.

10They did not keep their covenant with God, and they refused to obey his law.

10They did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His law;

11They forgot what he had done, the amazing things he had shown them.

11They forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them.

12He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

12He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13He divided the sea and led them across it; he made the water stand in a heap.

13He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

14He led them with a cloud by day, and with the light of a fire all night long.

14Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire.

15He broke open rocks in the wilderness, and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.

15He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.

16He caused streams to flow from the rock, and made the water flow like rivers.

16He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.

17Yet they continued to sin against him, and rebelled against the sovereign One in the desert.

17Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

18They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.

18And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.

19They insulted God, saying, "Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?

19Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

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?"

20"Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?"

21When the LORD heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel,

21Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,

22because they did not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them.

22Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.

23He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky.

23Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven;

24He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven.

24He rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them food from heaven.

25Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat.

25Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

26He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind.

26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.

27He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.

27When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

28He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes.

28Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.

29They ate until they were stuffed; he gave them what they desired.

29So they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them.

30They were not yet filled up, their food was still in their mouths,

30Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths,

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.

31The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

32Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things.

32In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.

33So he caused them to die unsatisfied and filled with terror.

33So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror.

34When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God.

34When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;

35They remembered that God was their protector, and that the sovereign God was their deliverer.

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

36But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him.

36But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.

37They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

37For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

38Yet he is compassionate. He forgives sin and does not destroy. He often holds back his anger, and does not stir up his fury.

38But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.

39He remembered that they were made of flesh, and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.

39Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and insulted him in the desert!

40How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!

41They again challenged God, and offended the Holy One of Israel.

41Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not remember what he had done, how he delivered them from the enemy,

42They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,

43when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt, and his acts of judgment in the region of Zoan.

43When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

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

44And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink.

45He sent swarms of biting insects against them, as well as frogs that overran their land.

45He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, And frogs which destroyed them.

46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

46He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.

47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.

47He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost.

48He rained hail down on their cattle, and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock.

48He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning.

49His raging anger lashed out against them, He sent fury, rage, and trouble as messengers who bring disaster.

49He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels.

50He sent his anger in full force; he did not spare them from death; he handed their lives over to destruction.

50He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,

51He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham.

51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.

52Yet he brought out his people like sheep; he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

52But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

53He guided them safely along, while the sea covered their enemies.

53He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.

54He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land which his right hand acquired.

54So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained.

55He drove the nations out from before them; he assigned them their tribal allotments and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.

55He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

56Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God, and did not obey his commands.

56Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

57They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors; they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow.

57But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow.

58They made him angry with their pagan shrines, and made him jealous with their idols.

58For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.

59God heard and was angry; he completely rejected Israel.

59When God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel;

60He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh, the tent where he lived among men.

60So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,

61He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured; he gave the symbol of his splendor into the hand of the enemy.

61And gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary.

62He delivered his people over to the sword, and was angry with his chosen nation.

62He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

63Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins remained unmarried.

63Fire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs.

64Their priests fell by the sword, but their widows did not weep.

64His priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep.

65But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.

65Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.

66He drove his enemies back; he made them a permanent target for insults.

66He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

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

67He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

68He chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loves.

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

69He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; as secure as the earth, which he established permanently.

69And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.

70He chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.

70He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;

71He took him away from following the mother sheep, and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his chosen nation.

71From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

72David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill.

72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.

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