Hear my law, | O my people;
* incline your ears unto the | words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth | in a parable;
* I will declare hard | sentences of old;
3 Which we have | heard and known,
* and such | as our •fathers• have told us;
4 That we should not hide them from the children of the gener- | -ations to come;
* but to show the honour of the LORD, his mighty and wonderful | works that he hath done.
5 He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Isra- | -el a law,
* which he commanded our fore- | -fathers• to teach their children;
6 That their posteri- | -ty might know it,
* and the children | which were yet unborn;
7 To the intent that when | they came up,
* they might | show their •children• the same;
8 That they might put their | trust in God;
* and not to forget the works of God, but to | keep his commandments;
9 And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn | generation;
* a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit clave not | stedfast•ly unto God;
10 Like as the | children• of Ephraim;
* who being harnessed, and carrying bows, turned themselves back | in the day of battle.
11 They kept not the cove- | -nant of God,
* and would not | walk in his law;
12 But forgat what | he had done,
* and the wonderful works that | he had showed for them.
13 Marvellous things did he in the sight of our forefathers, in the | land of Egypt,
* even | in the field of Zoan.
14 He divided the sea, and let | them go through;
* he made the waters to | stand on an heap.
15 In the day-time also he led them | with a cloud,
* and all the night through | with a light of fire.
16 He clave the hard rocks | in the wilderness,
* and gave them drink thereof, as it had been | out •of the• great depth.
17 He brought waters out of the | stony rock,
* so that it gushed | out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned | more against him,
* and provoked the Most | Highest in the wilderness.
19 They tempted God | in their hearts,
* and required | meat for their lust.
20 They spake against God | also, saying,
* Shall God prepare a | table in the wilderness?
21 He smote the stony rock indeed, that the water gushed out, and the streams | flowed withal;
* but can he give bread also, or provide | flesh for his people?
22 When the LORD heard this, | he was wroth;
* so the fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavy dis- | -pleasure• against Israel;
23 Because they believed | not in God,
* and put not their | trust in his help.
24 So he commanded the | clouds above,
* and | opened• the doors of heaven.
25 He rained down manna also upon them | for to eat,
* and | gave them food from heaven.
26 So man did eat | angels' food;
* for he | sent them meat enough.
27 He caused the east-wind to blow | under heaven;
* and through his power he brought | in the southwest-wind.
28 He rained flesh upon them as | thick as dust,
* and feathered fowls like as the | sand of the sea.
29 He let it fall a- | -mong their tents,
* even round a- | -bout their habitation.
30 So they did eat, and were well filled; for he gave them their | own desire:
* they were not disap- | -pointed of their lust.
31 But while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the | wealthi•est of them;
* yea, and smote down the chosen | men that were in Israel.
32 But for all this they | sinned• yet more,
* and believed | not his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he con- | -sume in vanity,
* and their | years in trouble.
34 When he slew | them, they sought him,
* and turned them early, and in- | -quired after God.
35 And they remembered that God | was their strength,
* and that the High | God was their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless, they did but flatter him | with their mouth,
* and dissembled | with him in their tongue.
37 For their heart was not | whole with him,
* neither continued they | stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he was so merciful, that he forgave | their misdeeds,
* and de- | -stroyed them not.
39 Yea, many a time turned he his | wrath away,
* and would not suffer his whole dis- | -pleasure to arise.
40 For he considered that they | were but flesh,
* and that they were even a wind that passeth away, and | cometh not again.
41 Many a time did they provoke him | in the wilderness,
* and | grieved him in the desert.
42 They turned back, and | tempted God,
* and provoked the | Holy One in Israel.
43 They thought not | of his hand,
* and of the day when he delivered them from the | hand of the enemy;
44 How he had wrought his miracles | in Egypt,
* and his wonders | in the field of Zoan.
45 He turned their waters | into blood,
* so that they might not | drink of the rivers.
46 He sent flies among them, and de- | -voured them up;
* and | frogs to destroy them.
47 He gave their fruit unto the | caterpillar,
* and their | labour •unto• the grasshopper.
48 He destroyed their | vines with hailstones,
* and their mulberry- | trees with the frost.
49 He smote their cattle | also• with hailstones,
* and their | flocks with hot thunderbolts.
50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, dis- | -pleasure•, and trouble:
* and sent | evil •angels• among them.
51 He made a way to his indignation, and spared not their | soul from death;
* but gave their life | over to the pestilence;
52 And smote all the | first•born in• Egypt,
* the most principal and mightiest | in the •dwellings• of Ham.
53 But as for his own people, he led them | forth like sheep,
* and carried them in the | wilder•ness like a flock.
54 He brought them out safely, that they | should not fear,
* and overwhelmed their | ene•mies with the sea.
55 And brought them within the borders | of his sanctuary,
* even to this mountain, which he purchased | with his right hand.
56 He cast out the heathen | also• before them,
* caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes of Israel to | dwell in their tents.
57 Yet they tempted and displeased the | Most High God,
* and | kept not his testimonies.
58 They turned their backs, and fell away | like their forefathers;
* starting aside | like a broken bow.
59 For they grieved him with their | hill-altars,
* and provoked him to dis- | -pleasure with their images.
60 When God heard this, | he was wroth,
* and took | sore dis•pleasure• at Israel;
61 So that he forsook the taber- | -nacle• in Shiloh,
* even the tent that he had | pitched among men.
62 He delivered their power | into• captivity,
* and their beauty | into• the •ene•my's hand.
63 He gave his people over also | unto• the sword,
* and was | wroth with his inheritance.
64 The fire consumed their | young men,
* and their maidens | were not •given• in marriage.
65 Their priests were slain | with the sword,
* and there were no widows to | make lamentation.
66 So the Lord awaked as one | out of sleep,
* and like a | giant• refreshed with wine.
67 He drave his | ene•mies backward,
* and put them | to a• per•petu•al shame.
68 He refused the taber- | -nacle• of Joseph,
* and chose | not the tribe of Ephraim;
69 But chose the | tribe of Judah,
* even the hill of | Sion which he loved.
70 And there he built his | temple• on high,
* and laid the foundation of it like the ground which | he hath made continually.
71 He chose David | also• his servant,
* and took him a- | -way from the sheep-folds:
72 As he was following the ewes with their young | he took him,
* that he might feed Jacob his people, and | Is•rael• his inheritance.
73 So he fed them with a faithful and | true heart,
* and ruled them prudent- | -ly with all his power.
Glory be to the Father, and | to the Son,
* and | to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall be,
* world without | end. Amen.