Maschil of Asaph
. Give ear
, O my people
, to my law
: incline
your ears
to the words
of my mouth
.
I will open my mouth
in a parable
: I will utter
dark sayings
of old
:
Which we have heard and known
, and our fathers
have told
us.
We will not hide them from their children
, shewing
to the generation
to come
the praises
of the LORD
, and his strength
, and his wonderful works
that he hath done
.
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
:
That the generation to come
might know
them, even the children
which should be born
; who should arise
and declare
them to their children
:
That they might set their hope
in God
, and not forget
the works
of God
, but keep
his commandments
:
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 stedfast
with God
.
The children of Ephraim
, being armed
, and carrying
bows
, turned back
in the day
of battle
.
They kept not the covenant
of God
, and refused
to walk
in his law
;
And forgat his works
, and his wonders
that he had shewed
them.
Marvellous things did
he in the sight
of their fathers
, in the land
of Egypt
, in the field
of Zoan
.
He divided the sea
, and caused them to pass through
; and he made the waters
to stand
as an heap
.
In the daytime also he led
them with a cloud
, and all the night
with a light
of fire
.
He clave the rocks
in the wilderness
, and gave them drink
as out of the great
depths
.
He brought streams
also out of the rock
, and caused waters
to run down
like rivers
.
And they sinned yet more
against him by provoking
the most High
in the wilderness
.
And they tempted God
in their heart
by asking
meat
for their lust
.
Yea, they spake against God
; they said
, Can
God
furnish
a table
in the wilderness
?
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
?
Therefore the LORD heard
this , and was wroth
: so a fire
was kindled
against Jacob
, and anger
also came up
against Israel
;
Because they believed not in God
, and trusted
not in his salvation
:
Though he had commanded the clouds
from above
, and opened
the doors
of heaven
,
And had rained down manna
upon them to eat
, and had given
them of the corn
of heaven
.
Man did eat
angels
' food
: he sent
them meat
to the full
.
He caused an east wind to blow
in the heaven
: and by his power
he brought in
the south wind
.
He rained flesh
also upon them as dust
, and feathered
fowls
like as the sand
of the sea
:
And he let it fall in the midst
of their camp
, round about
their habitations
.
So they did eat, and were well
filled
: for he gave
them their own desire
;
They were not estranged from their lust
. But while their meat
was yet in their mouths
,
The wrath of God
came
upon them, and slew
the fattest
of them, and smote down
the chosen
men of Israel
.
For all this they sinned still, and believed
not for his wondrous works
.
Therefore their days did he consume
in vanity
, and their years
in trouble
.
When he slew them, then they sought
him: and they returned
and enquired early
after God
.
And they remembered that God
was their rock
, and the high
God
their redeemer
.
Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth
, and they lied
unto him with their tongues
.
For their heart was not right
with him, neither were they stedfast
in his covenant
.
But he, being full of compassion, forgave
their iniquity
, and destroyed
them not: yea, many a time
turned
he his anger
away
, and did not stir up
all his wrath
.
For he remembered that they were but flesh
; a wind
that passeth away
, and cometh not again
.
How oft did they provoke
him in the wilderness
, and grieve
him in the desert
!
Yea, they turned back and tempted
God
, and limited
the Holy One
of Israel
.
They remembered not his hand
, nor the day
when he delivered
them from the enemy
.
How he had wrought his signs
in Egypt
, and his wonders
in the field
of Zoan
:
And had turned their rivers
into blood
; and their floods
, that they could not drink
.
He sent divers sorts of flies
among them, which devoured
them; and frogs
, which destroyed
them.
He gave also their increase
unto the caterpiller
, and their labour
unto the locust
.
He destroyed their vines
with hail
, and their sycomore trees
with frost
.
He gave up their cattle
also to the hail
, and their flocks
to hot thunderbolts
.
He cast upon them the fierceness
of his anger
, wrath
, and indignation
, and trouble
, by sending
evil
angels
among them .
He made a way
to his anger
; he spared
not their soul
from death
, but gave
their life
over
to the pestilence
;
And smote all the firstborn
in Egypt
; the chief
of their strength
in the tabernacles
of Ham
:
But made his own people to go forth
like sheep
, and guided
them in the wilderness
like a flock
.
And he led them on safely
, so that they feared
not: but the sea
overwhelmed
their enemies
.
And he brought them to the border
of his sanctuary
, even to this mountain
, which his right hand
had purchased
.
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
.
Yet they tempted and provoked
the most high
God
, and kept
not his testimonies
:
But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully
like their fathers
: they were turned aside
like a deceitful
bow
.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places
, and moved him to jealousy
with their graven images
.
When God heard
this , he was wroth
, and greatly
abhorred
Israel
:
So that he forsook the tabernacle
of Shiloh
, the tent
which he placed
among men
;
And delivered his strength
into captivity
, and his glory
into the enemy's
hand
.
He gave his people
over
also unto the sword
; and was wroth
with his inheritance
.
The fire consumed
their young men
; and their maidens
were not given to marriage
.
Their priests fell
by the sword
; and their widows
made no lamentation
.
Then the Lord awaked
as one out of sleep
, and like a mighty man
that shouteth
by reason of wine
.
And he smote his enemies
in the hinder parts
: he put
them to a perpetual
reproach
.
Moreover he refused the tabernacle
of Joseph
, and chose
not the tribe
of Ephraim
:
But chose the tribe
of Judah
, the mount
Zion
which he loved
.
And he built his sanctuary
like high
palaces , like the earth
which he hath established
for ever
.
He chose David
also his servant
, and took
him from the sheepfolds
:
From following the ewes great with young
he brought
him to feed
Jacob
his people
, and Israel
his inheritance
.
So he fed them according to the integrity
of his heart
; and guided
them by the skilfulness
of his hands
.