1: Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the
words of my mouth. |
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2: I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings
of old: |
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3:
Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
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4: 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. |
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5: 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: |
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6: That the generation to come might know them, even the children
which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their
children: |
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7: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the
works of God, but keep his commandments: |
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8: 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. |
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9: The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows,
turned back in the day of battle. |
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10: They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his
law; |
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11: And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed
them. |
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12: Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in
the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. |
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13: He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he
made the waters to stand as an heap. |
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14: In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the
night with a light of fire. |
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15: He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as
out of the great depths. |
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16: He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to
run down like rivers. |
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17: And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most
High in the wilderness. |
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18: And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their
lust. |
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19: Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a
table in the wilderness? |
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20: 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? |
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21: Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was
kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; |
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22: Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his
salvation: |
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23: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the
doors of heaven, |
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24: And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given
them of the corn of heaven. |
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25: Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
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26: He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his
power he brought in the south wind. |
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27: He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls
like as the sand of the sea: |
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28: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about
their habitations. |
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29: So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their
own desire; |
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30: They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat
was yet in their mouths, |
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31: The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of
them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. |
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32: For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his
wondrous works. |
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33: Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their
years in trouble. |
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34: When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned
and inquired early after God. |
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35: And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God
their redeemer. |
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36: Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they
lied unto him with their tongues. |
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37: For their heart was not right with him, neither were they
stedfast in his covenant. |
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38: 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. |
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39: For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that
passeth away, and cometh not again. |
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40: How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve
him in the desert! |
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41: Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy
One of Israel. |
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42: They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered
them from the enemy. |
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43: How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the
field of Zoan: |
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44: And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods,
that they could not drink. |
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45: He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured
them; and frogs, which destroyed them. |
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46: He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their
labour unto the locust. |
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47: He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees
with frost. |
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48: He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to
hot thunderbolts. |
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49: He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and
indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. |
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50: He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from
death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; |
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51: And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their
strength in the tabernacles of Ham: |
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52: But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided
them in the wilderness like a flock. |
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53: And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the
sea overwhelmed their enemies. |
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54: And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to
this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. |
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55: 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. |
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56: Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not
his testimonies: |
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57: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers:
they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. |
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58: For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and
moved him to jealousy with their graven images. |
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59: When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred
Israel: |
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60: So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which
he placed among men; |
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61: And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into
the enemy's hand. |
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62: He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth
with his inheritance. |
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63: The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not
given to marriage. |
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64: Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no
lamentation. |
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65: Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty
man that shouteth by reason of wine. |
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66: And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to
a perpetual reproach. |
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67: Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not
the tribe of Ephraim: |
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68: But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
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69: And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth
which he hath established for ever. |
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70: He chose David also his servant, and took him from the
sheepfolds: |
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71: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to
feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. |
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72: So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and
guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. |