Psalms

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

1Listen, my people, to what I teach you. Turn your ears to the words I speak.

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

2I will speak in a parable, a story with a meaning inside it. I will tell riddles from long ago.

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

3These are things we have heard and know, because our fathers told them to us.

4We 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.

4We will not hide them from their children. We will tell the next generation how the LORD is praised, how strong he is, and the wonderful things he has done.

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 set up rules for Jacob and gave a law to Israel. He told our fathers to teach it to their children.

6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

6Then the next generation would know it, even children not yet born. They would grow up and tell their own children.

7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

7That way they would put their hope in God. They would remember what he has done and keep his commands.

8And 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.

8Then they would not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious group. Those fathers' hearts were not loyal, and their spirits were not faithful to God.

9The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

9The men of Ephraim were armed and carried bows. But on the day of battle they turned back.

10They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

10They did not keep their agreement with God. They refused to live by his law.

11And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

11They forgot what he had done and the wonders he had shown them.

12Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

12He did amazing things while their fathers watched, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

13He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

13He split the sea open and brought them through. He made the water stand up in a heap.

14In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

14By day he led them with a cloud. All night long he led them with a light like fire.

15He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

15He split rocks open in the desert. He gave them water, as much as if it came from the deep sea.

16He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

16He brought streams out of the rock and made water run down like rivers.

17And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

17But they kept on sinning against him. Out in the desert they rebelled against God Most High.

18And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

18They tested God on purpose. They demanded the food they were craving.

NoteIn the KJV, "meat" means food of any kind, not just animal flesh.

19Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

19They spoke against God. They said, "Can God really set a table out here in the desert?

20Behold, 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?

20Yes, he struck the rock, and water gushed out until streams overflowed. But can he give us bread too? Can he give his people meat?"

21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

21So the LORD heard them and was angry. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger rose against Israel.

22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

22This was because they did not believe God or trust him to save them.

23Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

23Yet he had given orders to the clouds above and opened the doors of the sky.

24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

24He had rained down manna for them to eat. He gave them grain from heaven.

25Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

25People ate the bread of angels. He sent them all the food they could eat.

26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

26He made an east wind blow across the sky. By his power he drove the south wind.

27He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

27He rained meat on them as thick as dust, and birds as many as the sand on the shore.

28And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

28He let the birds fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.

29So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

29So they ate until they were full. He gave them exactly what they had wanted.

30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

30They were still greedy for more. But while the food was still in their mouths,

31The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

31God's anger came down on them. He killed their strongest men and struck down the young men of Israel.

32For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

32Even after all this, they kept on sinning. They saw his wonders and still did not believe.

33Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

33So he ended their days with nothing to show for them, and their years in trouble.

34When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

34Whenever he killed some of them, the rest looked for him. They turned back and searched hard for God.

35And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

35They remembered that God was their rock, and that God Most High was the one who rescued them.

36Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

36But they only flattered him with their mouths. They lied to him with their tongues.

37For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

37Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not stay true to their agreement with him.

38But 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.

38But he was full of pity. He forgave their sin and did not destroy them. Again and again he held his anger back.

39For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

39He remembered that they were only human, a puff of wind that blows past and does not come back.

40How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and made him sad in the desert!

41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

41Again and again they tested God and caused pain to the Holy One of Israel.

Note"Limited the Holy One" does not mean they put limits on God. The old wording means they hurt or provoked him.

42They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

42They did not remember his power, or the day he saved them from their enemy.

43How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

43They forgot how he did his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the region of Zoan.

44And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

44He turned the rivers of Egypt into blood, so the people could not drink from their streams.

45He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

45He sent swarms of flies that ate at them, and frogs that ruined their land.

46He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

46He gave their crops to the grasshoppers. Everything they had worked for went to the locusts.

47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

47He killed their grapevines with hail and their fig trees with frost.

48He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

48He left their cattle out in the hail and their flocks in the lightning.

49He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

49He poured out his burning anger on them: rage, fury, trouble, and a band of angels sent to destroy.

Note"Evil angels" here means messengers sent to bring disaster, not wicked beings.

50He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

50He cleared a path for his anger. He did not spare them from death, but handed their lives over to a deadly sickness.

51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

51He struck down every firstborn son in Egypt, the first sign of strength in the tents of Ham.

52But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

52But he brought his own people out like sheep. He guided them through the desert like a flock.

53And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

53He led them safely, so they were not afraid. But the sea covered their enemies.

54And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

54He brought them to the edge of his holy land, to this mountain that his own right hand had won.

55He 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.

55He drove out the nations ahead of them. He measured out the land and gave each tribe of Israel a share.

56Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

56Yet they tested God Most High and rebelled against him. They did not keep his rules.

57But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

57They turned away and broke their word, just like their fathers. They were crooked, like a bow that shoots wrong.

58For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

58They made him angry with their worship places on the hills. They made him jealous with their carved idols.

59When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

59When God heard this, he was furious, and he turned away from Israel completely.

60So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

60So he left his tent at Shiloh, the worship tent he had set up among people.

61And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.

61He let the sign of his strength be carried off, and his glory fall into enemy hands.

62He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

62He handed his people over to the sword. He was angry with the people who belonged to him.

63The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

63Fire burned up their young men. Their young women had no wedding songs.

64Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

64Their priests were killed by the sword. Their widows could not even cry for them.

65Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

65Then the Lord woke up, like a man waking from sleep, like a strong warrior shouting after wine.

66And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

66He drove his enemies back and struck them down. He put them to shame forever.

Note"Smote his enemies in the hinder parts" means he struck them from behind as they ran away.

67Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

67He turned down the tent of Joseph. He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

68But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

68Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loved.

69And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

69He built his holy place high and strong, like the earth that he set in place forever.

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

70He also chose David to serve him. He took him from the sheep pens.

71From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

71He brought him from caring for the mother sheep to be shepherd over Jacob, his people, and Israel, his own.

72So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

72So David cared for them with an honest heart. He led them with skillful hands.