New International Version NIV
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
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<Maschil. Of Asaph.> Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
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Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
3 things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.
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Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
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We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,
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He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
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So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
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So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
8 They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.
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And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;
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The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
10 they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law.
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They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.
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They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
12 He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
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He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall.
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The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
14 He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.
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In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
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The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.
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He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
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And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
18 They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
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Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
19 They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?
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They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
20 True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?”
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See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
21 When the LORD heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,
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So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
22 for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.
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Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;
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And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
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And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.
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Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow.
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He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore.
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He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
28 He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents.
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And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged— he had given them what they craved.
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So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
30 But before they turned from what they craved, even while the food was still in their mouths,
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But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
31 God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.
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The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.
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For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
33 So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.
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So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again.
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When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.
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In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;
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But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.
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And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
38 Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.
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But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.
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So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland!
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How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
41 Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.
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Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power— the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,
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They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
43 the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.
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How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 He turned their river into blood; they could not drink from their streams.
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So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.
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He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust.
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He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
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He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.
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Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility— a band of destroying angels.
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He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
50 He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague.
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He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.
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He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
52 But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
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But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies.
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He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken.
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And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
55 He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
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Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
56 But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.
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But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
57 Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.
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Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
58 They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
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They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
59 When God heard them, he was furious; he rejected Israel completely.
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When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among humans.
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So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
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And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
62 He gave his people over to the sword; he was furious with his inheritance.
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He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
63 Fire consumed their young men, and their young women had no wedding songs;
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Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
64 their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.
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Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
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Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame.
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His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
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And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.
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But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.
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And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
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He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
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From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
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So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.