1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

2 Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

3 Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

4 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 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 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 might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

8 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 children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

10 They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

11 They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

12 He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

13 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 was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

15 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 waters came flowing down like rivers.

17 And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

19 They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

20 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 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 no hope in his salvation.

23 And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

24 And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

26 He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

27 He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

28 And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

29 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

30 But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

31 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 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

34 When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

37 And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

38 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 So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

40 How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

41 Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

42 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 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

44 So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

45 He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

47 He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

48 Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

49 He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

50 He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

51 He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

52 But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

53 He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

54 And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

55 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 were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

57 Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

59 When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

60 So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

61 And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

62 He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

63 Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

64 Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

65 Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

67 And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

68 But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

69 And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

70 He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

71 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 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

1 Maschil di Asaf. ASCOLTA, o popol mio, la mia dottrina; Porgete gli orecchi alle parole della mia bocca.

2 Io aprirò la mia bocca in sentenza; Io sgorgherò detti notevoli di cose antiche;

3 Le quali noi abbiamo udite, e sappiamo, E le quali i nostri padri ci han raccontate.

4 Noi non le celeremo a’ lor figliuoli, alla generazione a venire; Noi racconteremo le lodi del Signore, E la sua forza, e le sue maraviglie ch’egli ha fatte.

5 Egli ha fermata la testimonianza in Giacobbe, Ed ha posta la Legge in Israele; Le quali egli comandò a’ nostri padri di fare assapere a’ lor figliuoli;

6 Acciocchè la generazione a venire, i figliuoli che nascerebbero, le sapessero, E si mettessero a narrarle a’ lor figliuoli;

7 E ponessero in Dio la loro speranza, E non dimenticassero le opere di Dio. Ed osservassero i suoi comandamenti;

8 E non fossero come i lor padri, Generazione ritrosa e ribella; Generazione che non dirizzò il cuor suo, Il cui spirito non fu leale inverso Dio

9 I figliuoli di Efraim, gente di guerra, buoni arcieri, Voltarono le spalle al dì della battaglia.

10 Non avevano osservato il patto di Dio, Ed avevano ricusato di camminar nella sua Legge;

11 Ed avevano dimenticate le sue opere, E le maraviglie ch’egli aveva lor fatte vedere.

12 Egli aveva fatti miracoli in presenza de’ padri loro, Nel paese di Egitto, nel territorio di Soan.

13 Egli aveva fesso il mare, e li aveva fatti passare per mezzo; Ed aveva fermate le acque come un mucchio.

14 E li aveva condotti di giorno colla nuvola, E tutta notte colla luce del fuoco.

15 Egli aveva schiantate le rupi nel deserto, E li aveva copiosamente abbeverati, come di gorghi;

16 Ed aveva fatto uscir de’ ruscelli della roccia, E colare acque, a guisa di fiumi.

17 Ma essi continuarono a peccar contro a lui, Provocando l’Altissimo a sdegno nel deserto;

18 E tentarono Iddio nel cuor loro, Chiedendo vivanda a lor voglia;

19 E parlarono contro a Dio, E dissero: Potrebbe Iddio Metterci tavola nel deserto?

20 Ecco, egli percosse la roccia, e ne colarono acque, E ne traboccarono torrenti; Potrebbe egli eziandio dar del pane, O apparecchiar della carne al suo popolo?

21 Perciò, il Signore, avendoli uditi, si adirò fieramente; Ed un fuoco si accese contro a Giacobbe, Ed anche l’ira gli montò contro ad Israele;

22 Perciocchè non avevano creduto in Dio, E non si erano confidati nella sua salvazione;

23 E pure egli aveva comandato alle nuvole di sopra, Ed aveva aperte le porte del cielo;

24 Ed aveva fatta piovere sopra loro la manna da mangiare, Ed aveva loro dato del frumento del cielo.

25 L’uomo mangiò del pane degli Angeli; Egli mandò loro della vivanda a sazietà.

26 Egli fece levar nel cielo il vento orientale, E per la sua forza addusse l’Austro;

27 E fece piover sopra loro della carne, a guisa di polvere; Ed uccelli, a guisa della rena del mare.

28 E li fece cadere in mezzo al lor campo, D’intorno a’ lor padiglioni.

29 Ed essi mangiarono, e furono grandemente satollati; E Iddio fece lor venire ciò che desideravano.

30 Essi non si erano ancora stolti dalla lor cupidigia; Avevano ancora il cibo loro nella bocca,

31 Quando l’ira montò a Dio contro a loro, Ed uccise i più grassi di loro, Ed abbattè la scelta d’Israele.

32 Con tutto ciò peccarono ancora, E non credettero alle sue maraviglie.

33 Laonde egli consumò i lor giorni in vanità, E gli anni loro in ispaventi.

34 Quando egli li uccideva, essi lo richiedevano, E ricercavano di nuovo Iddio.

35 E si ricordavano che Iddio era la lor Rocca, E che l’Iddio altissimo era il lor Redentore.

36 Ma lo lusingavano colla lor bocca, E gli mentivano colla lor lingua;

37 E il cuor loro non era diritto inverso lui, E non erano leali nel suo patto.

38 E pure egli, che è pietoso, purgò la loro iniquità, e non li distrusse; E più e più volte racquetò l’ira sua, e non commosse tutto il suo cruccio;

39 E si ricordò ch’erano carne; Un fiato che passa, e non ritorna

40 Quante volte lo provocarono essi a sdegno nel deserto, E lo contristarono nella solitudine!

41 E tornarono a tentare Iddio, E limitarono il Santo d’Israele.

42 Essi non si erano ricordati della sua mano, Nè del giorno nel quale li aveva riscossi dal nemico.

43 Come egli aveva eseguiti i suoi segni in Egitto, E i suoi miracoli nel territorio di Soan.

44 Ed aveva cangiati i fiumi, e i rivi degli Egizi in sangue, Talchè essi non ne potevano bere.

45 Ed aveva mandata contro a loro una mischia d’insetti che li mangiarono; E rane, che li distrussero.

46 Ed aveva dati i lor frutti a’ bruchi, E le lor fatiche alle locuste.

47 Ed aveva guastate le lor vigne colla gragnuola, E i lor sicomori colla tempesta.

48 Ed aveva dati alla grandine i lor bestiami, E le lor gregge a’ folgori.

49 Ed aveva mandato sopra loro l’ardore della sua ira, Indegnazione, cruccio e distretta; Una mandata d’angeli maligni.

50 Ed aveva appianato il sentiero alla sua ira, E non aveva scampata l’anima loro dalla morte, Ed aveva dato il lor bestiame alla mortalità.

51 Ed aveva percossi tutti i primogeniti in Egitto, E le primizie della forza ne’ tabernacoli di Cam.

52 E ne aveva fatto partire il suo popolo, a guisa di pecore; E l’aveva condotto per lo deserto, come una mandra.

53 E l’aveva guidato sicuramente, senza spavento; E il mare aveva coperti i lor nemici.

54 Ed egli li aveva introdotti nella contrada della sua santità, Nel monte che la sua destra ha conquistato.

55 Ed aveva scacciate le nazioni d’innanzi a loro, E le aveva fatte loro scadere in sorte di eredità, Ed aveva stanziate le tribù d’Israele nelle loro stanze.

56 Ed avevano tentato, e provocato a sdegno l’Iddio altissimo, E non avevano osservate le sue testimonianze.

57 Anzi si erano tratti indietro, E si erano portati dislealmente, Come i lor padri; E si erano rivolti come un arco fallace;

58 E l’avevano provocato ad ira co’ loro alti luoghi, E commosso a gelosia colle loro sculture.

59 Iddio aveva udite queste cose, e se n’era gravemente adirato, Ed aveva grandemente disdegnato Israele.

60 Ed aveva abbandonato il tabernacolo di Silo; Il padiglione ch’egli aveva piantato per sua stanza fra gli uomini.

61 Ed aveva abbandonata la sua forza, ad esser menata in cattività, E la sua gloria in man del nemico.

62 Ed aveva dato il suo popolo alla spada, E si era gravemente adirato contro alla sua eredità.

63 Il fuoco aveva consumati i suoi giovani; E le sue vergini non erano state lodate.

64 I suoi sacerdoti erano caduti per la spada; E le sue vedove non avevano pianto.

65 Poi il Signore si risvegliò, Come uno che fosse stato addormentato; Come un uomo prode, che dà gridi dopo il vino.

66 E percosse i suoi nemici da tergo, E mise loro addosso un eterno vituperio.

67 Ed avendo riprovato il tabernacolo di Giuseppe, E non avendo eletta la tribù di Efraim;

68 Egli elesse la tribù di Giuda; Il monte di Sion, il quale egli ama.

69 Ed edificò il suo santuario, a guisa di palazzi eccelsi; Come la terra ch’egli ha fondata in perpetuo.

70 Ed elesse Davide, suo servitore, E lo prese dalle mandre delle pecore.

71 Di dietro alle bestie allattanti Egli lo condusse a pascer Giacobbe, suo popolo; Ed Israele sua eredità.

72 Ed egli li pasturò, secondo l’integrità del suo cuore; E li guidò, secondo il gran senno delle sue mani