1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. 5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. 6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. 8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 9 For the LORD’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: 12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. 13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; 14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. 17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. 18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. 20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. 21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. 22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. 23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. 24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. 25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

26 I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: 27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this. 28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. 29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! 30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? 31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. 32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: 33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. 34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? 35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. 36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. 37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, 38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. 40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. 41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. 42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. 43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.

44 And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun. 45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel: 46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. 48 And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, 49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: 50 And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: 51 Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.

1 Luister, o hemele, dat ek kan spreek, en laat die aarde hoor die woorde van my mond.

2 Laat my leer drup soos die reën, my woord vloei soos die dou, soos reëndruppels op die grasspruitjies en soos reënbuie op die plante.

3 Want die Naam van die HERE roep ek uit: Gee grootheid aan onse God!

4 Die Rots -- volkome is sy werk; want al sy weë is strafgerigte; 'n God van trou en sonder onreg; regverdig en reg is Hy.

5 Hulle het verderflik teen Hom gehandel -- die wat sy seuns nie was nie, maar hulle skandvlek -- 'n verkeerde en verdraaide geslag.

6 Durf julle dit die HERE vergelde, o dwase en onwyse volk? Is Hy nie jou Vader wat jou geskape het nie; het Hy jou nie gemaak en jou toeberei nie?

7 Dink aan die dae van die ou tyd, let op die jare, van geslag tot geslag; vra jou vader, dat hy jou dit bekend maak; die ou mense, dat hulle jou dit sê.

8 Toe die Allerhoogste aan die nasies 'n erfdeel gegee het, toe Hy die mensekinders van mekaar geskei het, het Hy die grense van die volke vasgestel volgens die getal van die kinders van Israel.

9 Want die HERE se deel is sy volk, Jakob is sy afgemete erfdeel.

10 Hy het hom gevind in 'n woestynland en in 'n woeste wêreld, vol gehuil van die wildernis; Hy het hom omring, op hom ag gegee, hom bewaak soos sy oogappel.

11 Soos 'n arend sy nes opwek, oor sy kleintjies sweef, sy vlerke uitsprei, hulle opneem, hulle dra op sy vleuels --

12 die HERE alleen het hom gelei, en daar was geen vreemde god by hom nie.

13 Hy het hom laat ry op die hoogtes van die aarde, en hy het die opbrings van die veld geëet; en Hy het hom heuning uit die rots laat suig en olie uit die klipharde rots;

14 dikmelk van beeste en melk van kleinvee, met die vet van lammers en ramme; stiere van Basan en bokke, met die niervet van koring; en druiwebloed het jy gedrink, skuimende wyn.

15 Toe het Jesurun vet geword en agterop geskop -- jy het vet geword, dik geword, spekvet geword -- en hy het God verwerp wat hom gemaak het, en die steenrots van sy heil geminag.

16 Hulle het deur vreemde gode sy ywer gewek; deur gruwels Hom geterg.

17 Hulle het aan die duiwels geoffer, wat nie-God is, gode wat aan hulle nie bekend was nie; nuwes wat kort gelede opgekom het, vir wie julle vaders nie gehuiwer het nie.

18 Die Steenrots wat jou verwek het, het jy veronagsaam; en jy het die God vergeet wat jou voortgebring het.

19 Toe die HERE dit sien, het Hy hulle verwerp, uit ergernis oor sy seuns en dogters.

20 En Hy het gesê: Ek wil my aangesig vir hulle verberg, Ek wil sien wat hulle einde sal wees; want 'n heeltemal verkeerde geslag is hulle, kinders in wie geen trou is nie.

21 Hulle het my ywer gewek deur wat nie-God is, My geterg deur hulle nietige afgode. k sal dan hulle ywer wek deur die wat 'n nie-volk is, deur 'n dwase nasie sal Ek hulle terg.

22 Want 'n vuur is aangesteek in my toorn en het gebrand tot in die doderyk daaronder, en dit het die aarde met sy opbrings verteer en die fondamente van die berge aan die brand gesteek.

23 Ek sal onheile op hulle ophoop; my pyle sal Ek op hulle wegskiet.

24 As hulle uitgeput is van honger en verteer deur koorsgloed en dodelike siekte, sal Ek die tand van wilde diere teen hulle loslaat met die gif van stofkruipers.

25 Buitekant sal die swaard beroof, en in die binnekamers die verskrikking; die jongman sowel as die jongedogter, die suigling saam met die grysaard.

26 Ek sou gesê het: Ek wil hulle wegblaas, hulle gedagtenis onder die mense uitroei --

27 as Ek nie vir die terging van die vyand bedug was nie, dat hulle teëstanders dit sou misverstaan en sê: Ons hand was hoog, en die HERE het dit alles nie gedoen nie.

28 Want 'n nasie van verlore raadsplanne is hulle, en daar is geen verstand in hulle nie.

29 Was hulle wys, hulle sou dit insien, hulle sou op hulle einde let.

30 Hoe kan een dan duisend agtervolg en twee tien duisend op die vlug jaag, was dit nie dat hul steenrots hulle verkoop en die HERE hulle oorgelewer het nie!

31 Want hulle steenrots is nie soos ons Steenrots nie -- ja, ons vyande self is skeidsregters!

32 Want hulle wingerdstok is uit die wingerdstok van Sodom en uit die wingerde van Gomorra; hulle druiwe is giftige druiwe, bitter trosse dra hulle.

33 Hulle wyn is slanggif en wrede addergif.

34 Is dit nie by My opgegaar, in my skatkamers verseël nie?

35 My kom die wraak toe en die vergelding, op die tyd as hulle voet sal wankel; want die dag van hulle ondergang is naby, en wat oor hulle beskik is, kom gou.

36 Want die HERE sal aan sy volk reg verskaf, en Hy sal medelyde hê met sy knegte as Hy sien dat hulle vashouplek weg is en dit met almal sonder uitsondering gedaan is.

37 Dan sal Hy sê: Waar is hulle gode, die steenrots waarin hulle toevlug geneem het,

38 wat die vet van hulle slagoffers geëet het, die wyn van hulle drankoffer gedrink het? Laat hulle opstaan en julle help, dat daar oor julle 'n beskerming kan wees!

39 Aanskou nou dat dit Ek is en dat daar geen god naas My is nie; Ek maak dood en maak lewend, Ek het verbrysel en Ek genees; en daar is niemand wat uit my hand red nie.

40 Want Ek sal my hand na die hemel ophef en sê: So waar as Ek ewig leef --

41 as Ek my glinsterende swaard skerp gemaak het en my hand na die strafgerig gryp, sal Ek wraak oefen op my teëstanders en my haters vergelde.

42 Ek sal my pyle dronk maak van bloed, en my swaard sal vlees eet: van die bloed van hom wat verslaan en gevang is, van die kop van die vyand se aanvoerders.

43 Jubel, o nasies, oor sy volk, want Hy sal die bloed van sy knegte wreek, en Hy sal wraak oefen op sy teëstanders en versoening doen vir sy land en sy volk.

44 En Moses het gekom en al die woorde van hierdie lied voor die ore van die volk gespreek, hy en Hos,a, die seun van Nun.

45 En toe Moses met al hierdie woorde die hele Israel klaar toegespreek het,

46 sê hy vir hulle: Gee ag op al die woorde waarmee ek julle vandag waarsku, dat julle dit jul kinders beveel om al die woorde van hierdie wet sorgvuldig te hou.

47 Want dit is geen vergeefse woord vir julle nie, maar dit is julle lewe; en deur hierdie woord sal julle die dae verleng in die land waarheen julle deur die Jordaan trek om dit in besit te neem.

48 Daarna het die HERE op daardie selfde dag met Moses gespreek en gesê:

49 Klim op hierdie gebergte Ab rim, die berg Nebo, wat in die land Moab is, wat teenoor J,rigo lê, en aanskou die land Kana„n wat Ek aan die kinders van Israel as besitting sal gee;

50 en sterwe op die berg waarheen jy opklim, en word versamel by jou volksgenote, soos jou broer A„ron gesterf het op die berg Hor en versamel is by sy volksgenote,

51 omdat julle onder die kinders van Israel ontrou teen My gehandel het by die twiswater van Kades, in die woestyn Sin, omdat julle My nie geheilig het onder die kinders van Israel nie.

52 Want reg voor sal jy die land sien, maar jy sal daar nie inkom, in die land wat Ek aan die kinders van Israel sal gee nie.