¹Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

¹משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי פי׃

²I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

²אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני קדם׃

³Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

³אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו לנו׃

⁴We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

⁴לא נכחד מבניהם לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאותיו אשר עשה׃

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

⁵ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את אבותינו להודיעם לבניהם׃

⁶That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

⁶למען ידעו דור אחרון בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם׃

⁷That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

⁷וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי אל ומצותיו ינצרו׃

⁸And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

⁸ולא יהיו כאבותם דור סורר ומרה דור לא הכין לבו ולא נאמנה את אל רוחו׃

⁹The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

⁹בני אפרים נושקי רומי קשת הפכו ביום קרב׃

¹⁰They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

¹⁰לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת׃

¹¹And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

¹¹וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם׃

¹²Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹²נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה צען׃

¹³He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

¹³בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב מים כמו נד׃

¹⁴In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁴וינחם בענן יומם וכל הלילה באור אש׃

¹⁵He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

¹⁵יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה׃

¹⁶He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁶ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים׃

¹⁷And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

¹⁷ויוסיפו עוד לחטא לו למרות עליון בציה׃

¹⁸And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

¹⁸וינסו אל בלבבם לשאל אכל לנפשם׃

¹⁹Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

¹⁹וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל לערך שלחן במדבר׃

²⁰Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

²⁰הן הכה צור ויזובו מים ונחלים ישטפו הגם לחם יוכל תת אם יכין שאר לעמו׃

²¹Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

²¹לכן שמע יהוה ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם אף עלה בישראל׃

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

²²כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו׃

²³Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

²³ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח׃

²⁴And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

²⁴וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן שמים נתן למו׃

²⁵Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

²⁵לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע׃

²⁶He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

²⁶יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן׃

²⁷He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

²⁷וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף׃

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

²⁸ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו׃

²⁹So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

²⁹ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם׃

³⁰They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

³⁰לא זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם׃

³¹The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

³¹ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע׃

³²For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

³²בכל זאת חטאו עוד ולא האמינו בנפלאותיו׃

³³Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

³³ויכל בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה׃

³⁴When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

³⁴אם הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו אל׃

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

³⁵ויזכרו כי אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם׃

³⁶Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

³⁶ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו׃

³⁷For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

³⁷ולבם לא נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו׃

³⁸But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

³⁸והוא רחום יכפר עון ולא ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא יעיר כל חמתו׃

³⁹For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

³⁹ויזכר כי בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב׃

⁴⁰How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

⁴⁰כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון׃

⁴¹Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

⁴¹וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו׃

⁴²They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

⁴²לא זכרו את ידו יום אשר פדם מני צר׃

⁴³How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.

⁴³אשר שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה צען׃

⁴⁴And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

⁴⁴ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל ישתיון׃

⁴⁵He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

⁴⁵ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם׃

⁴⁶He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

⁴⁶ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה׃

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

⁴⁷יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל׃

⁴⁸He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

⁴⁸ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים׃

⁴⁹He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

⁴⁹ישלח בם חרון אפו עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים׃

⁵⁰He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

⁵⁰יפלס נתיב לאפו לא חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר׃

⁵¹And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

⁵¹ויך כל בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי חם׃

⁵²But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

⁵²ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר׃

⁵³And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

⁵³וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת אויביהם כסה הים׃

⁵⁴And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

⁵⁴ויביאם אל גבול קדשו הר זה קנתה ימינו׃

⁵⁵He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

⁵⁵ויגרש מפניהם גוים ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל׃

⁵⁶Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

⁵⁶וינסו וימרו את אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו׃

⁵⁷But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

⁵⁷ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה׃

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

⁵⁸ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו׃

⁵⁹When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

⁵⁹שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל׃

⁶⁰So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

⁶⁰ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם׃

⁶¹And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

⁶¹ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד צר׃

⁶²He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

⁶²ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר׃

⁶³The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

⁶³בחוריו אכלה אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו׃

⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

⁶⁴כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה׃

⁶⁵Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

⁶⁵ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין׃

⁶⁶And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁶ויך צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו׃

⁶⁷Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

⁶⁷וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר׃

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

⁶⁸ויבחר את שבט יהודה את הר ציון אשר אהב׃

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

⁶⁹ויבן כמו רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם׃

⁷⁰He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

⁷⁰ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן׃

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

⁷¹מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו׃

⁷²So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

⁷²וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם׃