1 Povo meu, escute o meu ensino; incline os ouvidos para o que eu tenho a dizer.2 Em parábolas abrirei a minha boca, proferirei enigmas do passado;3 o que ouvimos e aprendemos, o que nossos pais nos contaram.4 Não os esconderemos dos nossos filhos; contaremos à próxima geração os louváveis feitos do Senhor, o seu poder e as maravilhas que fez.5 Ele decretou estatutos para Jacó, e em Israel estabeleceu a lei, e ordenou aos nossos antepassados que a ensinassem aos seus filhos,6 de modo que a geração seguinte a conhecesse, e também os filhos que ainda nasceriam, e eles, por sua vez, contassem aos seus próprios filhos.7 Então eles porão a confiança em Deus; não esquecerão os seus feitos e obedecerão aos seus mandamentos.8 Eles não serão como os seus antepassados, obstinados e rebeldes, povo de coração desleal para com Deus, gente de espírito infiel.9 Os homens de Efraim, flecheiros armados, viraram as costas no dia da batalha;10 não guardaram a aliança de Deus e se recusaram a viver de acordo com a sua lei.11 Esqueceram o que ele tinha feito, as maravilhas que lhes havia mostrado.12 Ele fez milagres diante dos seus antepassados, na terra do Egito, na região de Zoã.13 Dividiu o mar para que pudessem passar; fez a água erguer-se como um muro.14 Ele os guiou com a nuvem de dia e com a luz do fogo de noite.15 Fendeu as rochas no deserto e deu-lhes tanta água como a que flui das profundezas;16 da pedra fez sair regatos e fluir água como um rio.17 Mas contra ele continuaram a pecar, revoltando-se no deserto contra o Altíssimo.18 Deliberadamente puseram Deus à prova, exigindo o que desejavam comer.19 Duvidaram de Deus, dizendo: "Poderá Deus preparar uma mesa no deserto?20 Sabemos que quando ele feriu a rocha a água brotou e jorrou em torrentes. Mas conseguirá também dar-nos de comer? Poderá suprir de carne o seu povo? "21 O Senhor os ouviu e enfureceu-se; atacou Jacó com fogo, e sua ira levantou-se contra Israel,22 pois eles não creram em Deus nem confiaram no seu poder salvador.23 Contudo, ele deu ordens às nuvens e abriu as portas dos céus;24 fez chover maná para que o povo comesse, deu-lhe o pão dos céus.25 Os homens comeram o pão dos anjos; enviou-lhes comida à vontade.26 Enviou dos céus o vento oriental e pelo seu poder fez avançar o vento sul.27 Fez chover carne sobre eles como pó, bandos de aves como a areia da praia.28 Levou-as a cair dentro do acampamento, ao redor das suas tendas.29 Comeram à vontade, e assim ele satisfez o desejo deles.30 Mas, antes de saciarem o apetite, quando ainda tinham a comida na boca,31 acendeu-se contra eles a ira de Deus; e ele feriu de morte os mais fortes dentre eles, matando os jovens de Israel.32 A despeito disso tudo, continuaram pecando; não creram nos seus prodígios.33 Por isso ele encerrou os dias deles como um sopro e os anos deles em repentino pavor.34 Sempre que Deus os castigava com a morte, eles o buscavam; com fervor se voltavam de novo para ele.35 Lembravam-se de que Deus era a sua Rocha, de que o Deus Altíssimo era o seu Redentor.36 Com a boca o adulavam, com a língua o enganavam;37 o coração deles não era sincero; não foram fiéis à sua aliança.38 Contudo, ele foi misericordioso; perdoou-lhes as maldades e não os destruiu. Vez após vez conteve a sua ira, sem despertá-la totalmente.39 Lembrou-se de que eram meros mortais, brisa passageira que não retorna.40 Quantas vezes mostraram-se rebeldes contra ele no deserto e o entristeceram na terra solitária!41 Repetidas vezes puseram Deus à prova; irritaram o Santo de Israel.42 Não se lembravam da sua mão poderosa, do dia em que os redimiu do opressor,43 do dia em que mostrou os seus prodígios no Egito, as suas maravilhas na região de Zoã,44 quando transformou os rios e os riachos dos egípcios em sangue, e não mais conseguiam beber das suas águas,45 e enviou enxames de moscas que os devoraram, e rãs que os devastaram;46 quando entregou as suas plantações às larvas, a produção da terra aos gafanhotos;47 e destruiu as suas vinhas com a saraiva e as suas figueiras bravas, com a geada;48 quando entregou o gado deles ao granizo, os seus rebanhos aos raios;49 quando os atingiu com a sua ira ardente, com furor, indignação e hostilidade, com muitos anjos destruidores.50 Abriu caminho para a sua ira; não os poupou da morte, mas os entregou à peste.51 Matou todos os primogênitos do Egito, as primícias do vigor varonil das tendas de Cam.52 Mas tirou o seu povo como ovelhas e o conduziu como a um rebanho pelo deserto.53 Ele os guiou em segurança, e não tiveram medo; e os seus inimigos afundaram-se no mar.54 Assim os trouxe à fronteira da sua terra santa, aos montes que a sua mão direita conquistou.55 Expulsou nações que lá estavam, distribuiu-lhes as terras por herança e deu suas tendas às tribos de Israel para que nelas habitassem.56 Mas eles puseram Deus à prova e foram rebeldes contra o Altíssimo; não obedeceram aos seus testemunhos.57 Foram desleais e infiéis, como os seus antepassados, confiáveis como um arco defeituoso.58 Eles o irritaram com os altares idólatras; com os seus ídolos lhe provocaram ciúmes.59 Sabendo-o Deus, enfureceu-se e rejeitou totalmente a Israel;60 abandonou o tabernáculo de Siló, a tenda onde habitava entre os homens.61 Entregou o símbolo do seu poder ao cativeiro, e o seu esplendor, nas mãos do adversário.62 Deixou que o seu povo fosse morto à espada, pois enfureceu-se com a sua herança.63 O fogo consumiu os seus jovens, e as suas moças não tiveram canções de núpcias;64 os sacerdotes foram mortos à espada! As viúvas já nem podiam chorar!65 Então o Senhor despertou como que de um sono, como um guerreiro exaltado pelo vinho.66 Fez retroceder a golpes os seus adversários e os entregou a permanente humilhação.67 Também rejeitou as tendas de José, e não escolheu a tribo de Efraim;68 ao contrário, escolheu a tribo de Judá e o monte Sião, o qual amou.69 Construiu o seu santuário como as alturas; como a terra o firmou para sempre.70 Escolheu o seu servo Davi e o tirou do aprisco das ovelhas,71 do pastoreio de ovelhas para ser o pastor de Jacó, seu povo, de Israel, sua herança.72 E de coração íntegro Davi os pastoreou, com mãos experientes os conduziu.

1 Listen, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2 I will open my mouth in an illustration. I will utter dark sayings of old,3 That we have heard and known and our fathers have told us.4 We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength and his wondrous works that he has done.5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. This he commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children,6 That the generation to come might know, the children to be born, that they may arise and tell to their children,7 That they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments.8 They should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God.9 The sons of Ephraim were archers well equipped with bows. Yet they turned and ran in the day of battle.10 They did not keep the covenant of God. They refused to walk in his law.11 They forgot his deeds and his miracles that he had shown them.12 He wrought wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand up like a heap.14 He led them with the cloud by day and with a light of fire by night.15 He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.16 He brought forth streams also from the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.17 Yet they still continued to sin against him. They rebelled against the Most High in the desert.18 In their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire.19 Then they spoke against God. They said: Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?20 Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?21 Therefore Jehovah heard and was full of wrath. A fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also mounted against Israel,22 Because they did not believe in God and did not trust in his salvation.23 Yet he commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.24 He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven.25 Man did eat the bread of angels. He sent them food in abundance.26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens and by his power he directed the south wind.27 He rained meat upon them like the dust, even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,28 Then he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their dwellings.29 So they ate and were well filled, and their desire he gave to them.30 Before they had satisfied their desire, while their food was in their mouths,31 The anger of God rose against them and killed some of their stoutest ones, and subdued the choice men of Israel.32 In spite of all this they still sinned. They did not believe in his wonderful works.33 He brought their days to an end like a whisper in the wind. He brought their years to an end in terror.34 When he killed some of them, the rest searched for him. They turned from their sins and eagerly looked for God.35 They remembered that God was their rock, that the Most High was their defender.36 They flattered him with their mouths and lied to him with their tongues.37 Their hearts were not loyal to him. They were not faithful to his promise.38 But he is compassionate. He forgave their sin. He did not destroy them. He restrained his anger many times. He did not display all of his fury.39 He remembered that they were only flesh and blood, a breeze that blows and does not return.40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness! How often they caused him grief in the desert!41 They tested God again and again, and they pushed the Holy One of Israel to the limit.42 They did not remember his power and the day he freed them from their oppressor,43 when he performed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the fields of Zoan.44 He turned their rivers into blood so that they could not drink from their streams.45 He sent a swarm of flies that bit them and frogs that ruined them.46 He gave their crops to grasshoppers and their produce to locusts.47 He killed their vines with hail and their fig trees with frost.48 He let the hail strike their cattle and bolts of lightning strike their livestock.49 He sent his fierce burning anger, his rage and fury against them. He sent an army of destroying angels.50 He cleared a path for his anger. He did not spare them from death. He let the plague take their lives.51 He destroyed every firstborn in Egypt, the ones born in the tents of Ham when their fathers were young.52 He led his own people out like sheep and guided them like a flock through the wilderness.53 He led them safely. They had no fear while the sea covered their enemies.54 He brought them into his holy land, to this mountain that his power had won.55 He drove nations out of their way and gave them the land of the nations as their inheritance. He settled the tribes of Israel in their own tents.56 They tested God Most High and rebelled against him. They did not obey his written instructions.57 They were disloyal and treacherous like their ancestors. They were like arrows shot from a defective bow.58 They provoked him to anger indignation because of their illegal worship sites. They made him furious because they worshiped idols.59 When God heard, he became furious. He greatly abhorred Israel.60 He abandoned his dwelling place in Shiloh, the tent where he had lived among humans.61 He allowed his power to be taken captive and handed his glory over to an oppressor.62 He let swords kill his people. He was furious with those who belonged to him.63 Fire consumed his best young men, so his virgins were not given in marriage.64 His priests were cut down with swords. The widows of his priests could not even weep for them.65 Jehovah woke up like one who had been sleeping, like a warrior sobering up from too much wine.66 He struck his enemies from behind and disgraced them forever.67 He rejected the tent of Joseph. He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion he loved.69 He built his holy place to be like the high heavens, like the earth that he made to last for a long time.70 He chose his servant David. He took him from the sheep pens.71 He brought him from tending the ewes that had lambs so that David could be the shepherd of the people of Jacob, of Israel, the people who belonged to Jehovah.72 With unselfish devotion David became their shepherd. With skill he guided them.