New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears 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 in a parable; I will utter dark sayings 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 that we have heard and known, that 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 children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that 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 established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to 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 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to 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 so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;
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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 and that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
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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 Ephraimites, armed with the bow, 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, but refused to walk according to 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, and the miracles that 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 In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels in the land of Egypt, in the fields 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 let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.
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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 In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all night long with a fiery light.
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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 rocks open in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
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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 made streams come out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
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He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
17 Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
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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 tested God in their heart 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, saying, "Can God 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 Even though he struck the rock so that water gushed out and torrents overflowed, can he also give bread, or provide 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 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of rage; a fire was kindled against Jacob, his anger mounted 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 because they had no faith in God, and did not trust his saving power.
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Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;
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And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
24 he rained down on them manna to eat, and 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 Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.
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Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;
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He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
27 he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;
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He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
28 he let them fall within their camp, all around their dwellings.
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And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
29 And they ate and were well filled, for he gave 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 had satisfied their craving, 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 the anger of God rose against them and he killed the strongest of them, and laid low the flower 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 still sinned; they did not believe in his wonders.
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For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
33 So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.
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So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
34 When he killed them, they sought for him; they repented and sought God earnestly.
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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, the Most High God their redeemer.
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In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
36 But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied 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 heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not true 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, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them; often he restrained his anger, and did not stir up all his 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 wind that passes and does not come again.
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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 desert!
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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 They tested God again and again, and provoked 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 keep in mind his power, or the day when he redeemed them from the foe;
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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 when he displayed his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the fields 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 rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of 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 among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed 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 caterpillar, and the fruit of their labor 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 sycamores with frost.
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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, and their flocks to thunderbolts.
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Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
49 He let loose on them his fierce anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company 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 made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives 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 all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their strength 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 Then he led out his people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
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But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid; but the sea overwhelmed 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 he brought them to his holy hill, to the mountain that his right hand had won.
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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; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
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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 Yet they tested the Most High God, and rebelled against him. They did not observe his decrees,
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But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
57 but turned away and were faithless like their ancestors; they twisted like a treacherous 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 For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to 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, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.
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When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
60 He abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mortals,
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So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
61 and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe.
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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 to the sword, and vented his wrath on his heritage.
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He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
63 Fire devoured their young men, and their girls had no marriage song.
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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 fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
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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, like a warrior shouting because 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 put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting disgrace.
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His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
67 He rejected the tent 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 loves.
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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 high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded 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 his servant David, and took him from the sheepfolds;
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He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
71 from tending the nursing ewes 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 With upright heart he tended them, and guided them with skillful hand.
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So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.