Maschil{H8688)} of Asaph. Give ear{H8685)}, O my people, to my law: incline{H8685)} your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open{H8799)} my mouth in a parable: I will utter{H8686)} dark sayings of old:

Which we have heard{H8804)} and known{H8799)}, and our fathers have told{H8765)} us.

We will not hide{H8762)} them from their children, shewing{H8764)} to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works{H8737)} that he hath done{H8804)}.

For he established{H8686)} a testimony in Jacob, and appointed{H8804)} a law in Israel, which he commanded{H8765)} our fathers, that they should make them known{H8687)} to their children:

That the generation to come might know{H8799)} them, even the children which should be born{H8735)}; who should arise{H8799)} and declare{H8762)} them to their children:

That they might set{H8799)} their hope in God, and not forget{H8799)} the works of God, but keep{H8799)} his commandments:

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn{H8802)} and rebellious{H8802)} generation; a generation that set not their heart aright{H8689)}, and whose spirit was not stedfast{H8738)} with God.

The children of Ephraim, being armed{H8802)}, and carrying{H8802)} bows, turned back{H8804)} in the day of battle.

They kept{H8804)} not the covenant of God, and refused{H8765)} to walk{H8800)} in his law;

And forgat{H8799)} his works, and his wonders{H8737)} that he had shewed{H8689)} them.

Marvellous things did{H8804)} he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

He divided{H8804)} the sea, and caused them to pass through{H8686)}; and he made the waters to stand{H8686)} as an heap.

In the daytime also he led{H8686)} them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

He clave{H8762)} the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink{H8686)} as out of the great depths.

He brought{H8686)} streams{H8802)} also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down{H8686)} like rivers.

And they sinned{H8800)} yet more{H8686)} against him by provoking{H8687)} the most High in the wilderness.

And they tempted{H8762)} God in their heart by asking{H8800)} meat for their lust.

Yea, they spake{H8762)} against God; they said{H8804)}, Can{H8799)} God furnish{H8800)} a table in the wilderness?

Behold, he smote{H8689)} the rock, that the waters gushed out{H8799)}, and the streams overflowed{H8799)}; can{H8799)} he give{H8800)} bread also? can{H8799)} he provide{H8686)} flesh for his people?

Therefore the LORD heard{H8804)} this, and was wroth{H8691)}: so a fire was kindled{H8738)} against Jacob, and anger also came up{H8804)} against Israel;

Because they believed{H8689)} not in God, and trusted{H8804)} not in his salvation:

Though he had commanded{H8762)} the clouds from above, and opened{H8804)} the doors of heaven,

And had rained down{H8686)} manna upon them to eat{H8800)}, and had given{H8804)} them of the corn of heaven.

Man did eat{H8804)} angels' food: he sent{H8804)} them meat to the full.

He caused an east wind to blow{H8686)} in the heaven: and by his power he brought in{H8762)} the south wind.

He rained{H8686)} flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

And he let it fall{H8686)} in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

So they did eat{H8799)}, and were well filled{H8799)}: for he gave{H8686)} them their own desire;

They were not estranged{H8804)} from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

The wrath of God came{H8804)} upon them, and slew{H8799)} the fattest of them, and smote down{H8689)} the chosen men of Israel.

For all this they sinned{H8804)} still, and believed{H8689)} not for his wondrous works{H8737)}.

Therefore their days did he consume{H8762)} in vanity, and their years in trouble.

When he slew{H8804)} them, then they sought{H8804)} him: and they returned{H8804)} and enquired early{H8765)} after God.

And they remembered{H8799)} that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer{H8802)}.

Nevertheless they did flatter{H8762)} him with their mouth, and they lied{H8762)} unto him with their tongues.

For their heart was not right{H8737)} with him, neither were they stedfast{H8738)} in his covenant.

But he, being full of compassion, forgave{H8762)} their iniquity, and destroyed{H8686)} them not: yea, many a time{H8689)} turned he his anger away{H8687)}, and did not stir up{H8686)} all his wrath.

For he remembered{H8799)} that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away{H8802)}, and cometh not again{H8799)}.

How oft did they provoke{H8686)} him in the wilderness, and grieve{H8686)} him in the desert!

Yea, they turned back{H8799)} and tempted{H8762)} God, and limited{H8689)} the Holy One of Israel.

They remembered{H8804)} not his hand, nor the day when he delivered{H8804)} them from the enemy.

How he had wrought{H8804)} his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

And had turned{H8799)} their rivers into blood; and their floods{H8802)}, that they could not drink{H8799)}.

He sent{H8762)} divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured{H8799)} them; and frogs, which destroyed{H8686)} them.

He gave{H8799)} also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

He destroyed{H8799)} their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

He gave up{H8686)} their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

He cast{H8762)} upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

He made{H8762)} a way to his anger; he spared{H8804)} not their soul from death, but gave their life over{H8689)} to the pestilence;

And smote{H8686)} all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

But made his own people to go forth{H8686)} like sheep, and guided{H8762)} them in the wilderness like a flock.

And he led{H8686)} them on safely, so that they feared{H8804)} not: but the sea overwhelmed{H8765)} their enemies{H8802)}.

And he brought{H8686)} them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased{H8804)}.

He cast out{H8762)} the heathen also before them, and divided{H8686)} them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell{H8686)} in their tents.

Yet they tempted{H8762)} and provoked{H8686)} the most high God, and kept{H8804)} not his testimonies:

But turned back{H8735)}, and dealt unfaithfully{H8799)} like their fathers: they were turned aside{H8738)} like a deceitful bow.

For they provoked him to anger{H8686)} with their high places, and moved him to jealousy{H8686)} with their graven images.

When God heard{H8804)} this, he was wroth{H8691)}, and greatly abhorred{H8799)} Israel:

So that he forsook{H8799)} the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed{H8765)} among men;

And delivered{H8799)} his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

He gave his people over{H8686)} also unto the sword; and was wroth{H8694)} with his inheritance.

The fire consumed{H8804)} their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage{H8795)}.

Their priests fell{H8804)} by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation{H8799)}.

Then the Lord awaked{H8799)} as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth{H8711)} by reason of wine.

And he smote{H8686)} his enemies in the hinder parts: he put{H8804)} them to a perpetual reproach.

Moreover he refused{H8799)} the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose{H8804)} not the tribe of Ephraim:

But chose{H8799)} the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved{H8804)}.

And he built{H8799)} his sanctuary like high{H8802)} palaces, like the earth which he hath established{H8804)} for ever.

He chose{H8799)} David also his servant, and took{H8799)} him from the sheepfolds:

From following the ewes great with young{H8802)} he brought{H8689)} him to feed{H8800)} Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

So he fed{H8686)} them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided{H8686)} them by the skilfulness of his hands.