1 Escutai a minha lei, povo meu; inclinai os ouvidos às palavras da minha boca. 2 Abrirei a boca numa parábola; proporei enigmas da antiguidade, 3 os quais temos ouvido e sabido, e nossos pais no-los têm contado. 4 Não os encobriremos aos seus filhos, mostrando à geração futura os louvores do Senhor, assim como a sua força e as maravilhas que fez.

5 Porque ele estabeleceu um testemunho em Jacó, e pôs uma lei em Israel, e ordenou aos nossos pais que a fizessem conhecer a seus filhos, 6 para que a geração vindoura a soubesse, e os filhos que nascessem se levantassem e a contassem a seus filhos; 7 para que pusessem em Deus a sua esperança e se não esquecessem das obras de Deus, mas guardassem os seus mandamentos 8 e não fossem como seus pais, geração contumaz e rebelde, geração que não regeu o seu coração, e cujo espírito não foi fiel para com Deus.

9 Os filhos de Efraim, armados e trazendo arcos, retrocederam no dia da peleja. 10 Não guardaram o concerto de Deus e recusaram andar na sua lei. 11 E esqueceram-se das suas obras e das maravilhas que lhes fizera ver, 12 maravilhas que ele fez à vista de seus pais na terra do Egito, no campo de Zoã. 13 Dividiu o mar, e os fez passar por ele; fez com que as águas parassem como num montão. 14 De dia os guiou com uma nuvem, e toda a noite, com um clarão de fogo. 15 Fendeu as penhas no deserto e deu-lhes de beber como de grandes abismos. 16 Fez sair fontes da rocha e fez correr as águas como rios.

17 E ainda prosseguiram em pecar contra ele, provocando ao Altíssimo na solidão. 18 E tentaram a Deus no seu coração, pedindo carne para satisfazerem o seu apetite. 19 E falaram contra Deus e disseram: Poderá Deus, porventura, preparar-nos uma mesa no deserto? 20 Eis que feriu a penha, e águas correram dela; rebentaram ribeiros em abundância; poderá também dar-nos pão ou preparar carne para o seu povo?

21 Pelo que o Senhor os ouviu e se indignou; e acendeu um fogo contra Jacó, e furor também subiu contra Israel, 22 porquanto não creram em Deus, nem confiaram na sua salvação, 23 posto que tivesse mandado às altas nuvens, e tivesse aberto as portas dos céus, 24 e fizesse chover sobre eles o maná para comerem, e lhes tivesse dado do trigo do céu. 25 Cada um comeu o pão dos poderosos; ele lhes mandou comida com abundância. 26 Fez soprar o vento do Oriente nos céus e trouxe o Sul com a sua força. 27 E choveu sobre eles carne como pó, e aves de asas como a areia do mar. 28 E as fez cair no meio do seu arraial, ao redor de suas habitações. 29 Então, comeram e se fartaram bem; pois lhes satisfez o desejo. 30 Não refrearam o seu apetite. Ainda lhes estava a comida na boca, 31 quando a ira de Deus desceu sobre eles, e matou os mais fortes deles, e feriu os escolhidos de Israel.

32 Com tudo isto, ainda pecaram e não deram crédito às suas maravilhas. 33 Pelo que consumiu os seus dias na vaidade e os seus anos, na angústia. 34 Pondo-os ele à morte, então, o procuravam; e voltavam, e de madrugada buscavam a Deus. 35 E lembravam-se de que Deus era a sua rocha, e o Deus Altíssimo, o seu Redentor. 36 Todavia, lisonjeavam-no com a boca e com a língua lhe mentiam. 37 Porque o seu coração não era reto para com ele, nem foram fiéis ao seu concerto. 38 Mas ele, que é misericordioso, perdoou a sua iniquidade e não os destruiu; antes, muitas vezes desviou deles a sua cólera e não deixou despertar toda a sua ira, 39 porque se lembrou de que eram carne, um vento que passa e não volta.

40 Quantas vezes o provocaram no deserto e o ofenderam na solidão! 41 Voltaram atrás, e tentaram a Deus, e duvidaram do Santo de Israel. 42 Não se lembraram do poder da sua mão, nem do dia em que os livrou do adversário; 43 como operou os seus sinais no Egito e as suas maravilhas no campo de Zoã; 44 e converteu em sangue os seus rios e as suas correntes, para que não pudessem beber. 45 E lhes mandou enxames de moscas que os consumiram, e rãs que os destruíram. 46 Deu, também, ao pulgão a sua novidade, e o seu trabalho, aos gafanhotos. 47 Destruiu as suas vinhas com saraiva, e os seus sicômoros, com pedrisco. 48 Também entregou o seu gado à saraiva, e aos coriscos, os seus rebanhos. 49 E atirou para o meio deles, quais mensageiros de males, o ardor da sua ira: furor, indignação e angústia. 50 Abriu caminho à sua ira; não poupou a alma deles à morte, nem a vida deles à pestilência. 51 E feriu todo primogênito no Egito, primícias da sua força nas tendas de Cam, 52 mas fez com que o seu povo saísse como ovelhas e os guiou pelo deserto, como a um rebanho. 53 E os guiou com segurança, e não temeram; mas o mar cobriu os seus inimigos.

54 E conduziu-os até ao limite do seu santuário, até este monte que a sua destra adquiriu, 55 e expulsou as nações de diante deles, e, dividindo suas terras, lhas deu por herança, e fez habitar em suas tendas as tribos de Israel.

56 Contudo, tentaram, e provocaram o Deus Altíssimo, e não guardaram os seus testemunhos. 57 Mas tornaram atrás e portaram-se aleivosamente como seus pais; viraram-se como um arco traiçoeiro, 58 pois lhe provocaram a ira com os seus altos e despertaram-lhe o zelo com as suas imagens de escultura. 59 Deus ouviu isto e se indignou; e sobremodo aborreceu a Israel, 60 pelo que desamparou o tabernáculo em Siló, a tenda que estabelecera como sua morada entre os homens, 61 e deu a sua força ao cativeiro, e a sua glória, à mão do inimigo, 62 e entregou o seu povo à espada, e encolerizou-se contra a sua herança. 63 Aos seus jovens, consumiu-os o fogo, e as suas donzelas não tiveram festa nupcial. 64 Os seus sacerdotes caíram à espada, e suas viúvas não se lamentaram.

65 Então, o Senhor despertou como de um sono, como um valente que o vinho excitasse. 66 E feriu os seus adversários, que fugiram, e os pôs em perpétuo desprezo. 67 Além disto, rejeitou a tenda de José e não elegeu a tribo de Efraim. 68 Antes, elegeu a tribo de Judá, o monte Sião, que ele amava. 69 E edificou o seu santuário como aos lugares elevados, como a terra que fundou para sempre. 70 Também elegeu a Davi, seu servo, e o tirou dos apriscos das ovelhas. 71 De após as ovelhas pejadas o trouxe, para apascentar a Jacó, seu povo, e a Israel, sua herança. 72 Assim, os apascentou, segundo a integridade do seu coração, e os guiou com a perícia de suas mãos.

1 A Maskil of Assaph. Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy ear to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;

3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.

4 We will not conceal them from their children, relating to the latest generation the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful deeds which he hath done.

5 Yea, he established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

6 In order that the latest generation might know them, even the children that are to be born; that they may arise and relate them to their children;

7 That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;

8 And that they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that had not directed their heart firmly, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The children of Ephraim, like well–armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,

10 Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;

11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.

12 In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo’an.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.

14 And he led them with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty deep.

16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.

17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.

19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed: shall he also be able to give bread? or can he provide flesh for his people?

21 Therefore, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,

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

23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;

24 And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.

25 Angels’ bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.

26 He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.

27 And he let rain upon them flesh as plentiful as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;

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

29 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.

30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:

31 When the wrath of God ascended against them, and he slew some of the fattest of them, and the young men of Israel did he strike down.

32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.

33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.

34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.

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

36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.

37 For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not faithful in his covenant.

38 But he, being merciful, forgave the iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not awaken all his fury.

39 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.

40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!

41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;

43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo’an.

44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink of them.

45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.

47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore–trees with ice–bolts.

48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning’s flashes.

49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.

50 He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered to the pestilence;

51 And he smote all the first–born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;

52 But he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.

53 And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.

54 And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.

55 And he drove out from before them nations, and divided them by the measuring–line as an inheritance, and he caused to dwell in their tents the tribes of Israel.

56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;

57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.

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

59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;

60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;

61 And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary’s hand.

62 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.

63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.

64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.

65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

66 And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.

67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;

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

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

70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep–folds:

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

72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.