Hear my law, | O my people;

* incline your ears unto the | words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth | in a parable;

* I will declare hard | sentences of old;

3 Which we have | heard and known,

* and such | as our •fathers• have told us;

4 That we should not hide them from the children of the gener- | -ations to come;

* but to show the honour of the LORD, his mighty and wonderful | works that he hath done.

5 He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Isra- | -el a law,

* which he commanded our fore- | -fathers• to teach their children;

6 That their posteri- | -ty might know it,

* and the children | which were yet unborn;

7 To the intent that when | they came up,

* they might | show their •children• the same;

8 That they might put their | trust in God;

* and not to forget the works of God, but to | keep his commandments;

9 And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn | generation;

* a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit clave not | stedfast•ly unto God;

10 Like as the | children• of Ephraim;

* who being harnessed, and carrying bows, turned themselves back | in the day of battle.

11 They kept not the cove- | -nant of God,

* and would not | walk in his law;

12 But forgat what | he had done,

* and the wonderful works that | he had showed for them.

13 Marvellous things did he in the sight of our forefathers, in the | land of Egypt,

* even | in the field of Zoan.

14 He divided the sea, and let | them go through;

* he made the waters to | stand on an heap.

15 In the day-time also he led them | with a cloud,

* and all the night through | with a light of fire.

16 He clave the hard rocks | in the wilderness,

* and gave them drink thereof, as it had been | out •of the• great depth.

17 He brought waters out of the | stony rock,

* so that it gushed | out like the rivers.

18 Yet for all this they sinned | more against him,

* and provoked the Most | Highest in the wilderness.

19 They tempted God | in their hearts,

* and required | meat for their lust.

20 They spake against God | also, saying,

* Shall God prepare a | table in the wilderness?

21 He smote the stony rock indeed, that the water gushed out, and the streams | flowed withal;

* but can he give bread also, or provide | flesh for his people?

22 When the LORD heard this, | he was wroth;

* so the fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavy dis- | -pleasure• against Israel;

23 Because they believed | not in God,

* and put not their | trust in his help.

24 So he commanded the | clouds above,

* and | opened• the doors of heaven.

25 He rained down manna also upon them | for to eat,

* and | gave them food from heaven.

26 So man did eat | angels' food;

* for he | sent them meat enough.

27 He caused the east-wind to blow | under heaven;

* and through his power he brought | in the southwest-wind.

28 He rained flesh upon them as | thick as dust,

* and feathered fowls like as the | sand of the sea.

29 He let it fall a- | -mong their tents,

* even round a- | -bout their habitation.

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

* they were not disap- | -pointed of their lust.

31 But while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the | wealthi•est of them;

* yea, and smote down the chosen | men that were in Israel.

32 But for all this they | sinned• yet more,

* and believed | not his wondrous works.

33 Therefore their days did he con- | -sume in vanity,

* and their | years in trouble.

34 When he slew | them, they sought him,

* and turned them early, and in- | -quired after God.

35 And they remembered that God | was their strength,

* and that the High | God was their redeemer.

36 Nevertheless, they did but flatter him | with their mouth,

* and dissembled | with him in their tongue.

37 For their heart was not | whole with him,

* neither continued they | stedfast in his covenant.

38 But he was so merciful, that he forgave | their misdeeds,

* and de- | -stroyed them not.

39 Yea, many a time turned he his | wrath away,

* and would not suffer his whole dis- | -pleasure to arise.

40 For he considered that they | were but flesh,

* and that they were even a wind that passeth away, and | cometh not again.

41 Many a time did they provoke him | in the wilderness,

* and | grieved him in the desert.

42 They turned back, and | tempted God,

* and provoked the | Holy One in Israel.

43 They thought not | of his hand,

* and of the day when he delivered them from the | hand of the enemy;

44 How he had wrought his miracles | in Egypt,

* and his wonders | in the field of Zoan.

45 He turned their waters | into blood,

* so that they might not | drink of the rivers.

46 He sent flies among them, and de- | -voured them up;

* and | frogs to destroy them.

47 He gave their fruit unto the | caterpillar,

* and their | labour •unto• the grasshopper.

48 He destroyed their | vines with hailstones,

* and their mulberry- | trees with the frost.

49 He smote their cattle | also• with hailstones,

* and their | flocks with hot thunderbolts.

50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, dis- | -pleasure•, and trouble:

* and sent | evil •angels• among them.

51 He made a way to his indignation, and spared not their | soul from death;

* but gave their life | over to the pestilence;

52 And smote all the | first•born in• Egypt,

* the most principal and mightiest | in the •dwellings• of Ham.

53 But as for his own people, he led them | forth like sheep,

* and carried them in the | wilder•ness like a flock.

54 He brought them out safely, that they | should not fear,

* and overwhelmed their | ene•mies with the sea.

55 And brought them within the borders | of his sanctuary,

* even to this mountain, which he purchased | with his right hand.

56 He cast out the heathen | also• before them,

* caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes of Israel to | dwell in their tents.

57 Yet they tempted and displeased the | Most High God,

* and | kept not his testimonies.

58 They turned their backs, and fell away | like their forefathers;

* starting aside | like a broken bow.

59 For they grieved him with their | hill-altars,

* and provoked him to dis- | -pleasure with their images.

60 When God heard this, | he was wroth,

* and took | sore dis•pleasure• at Israel;

61 So that he forsook the taber- | -nacle• in Shiloh,

* even the tent that he had | pitched among men.

62 He delivered their power | into• captivity,

* and their beauty | into• the •ene•my's hand.

63 He gave his people over also | unto• the sword,

* and was | wroth with his inheritance.

64 The fire consumed their | young men,

* and their maidens | were not •given• in marriage.

65 Their priests were slain | with the sword,

* and there were no widows to | make lamentation.

66 So the Lord awaked as one | out of sleep,

* and like a | giant• refreshed with wine.

67 He drave his | ene•mies backward,

* and put them | to a• per•petu•al shame.

68 He refused the taber- | -nacle• of Joseph,

* and chose | not the tribe of Ephraim;

69 But chose the | tribe of Judah,

* even the hill of | Sion which he loved.

70 And there he built his | temple• on high,

* and laid the foundation of it like the ground which | he hath made continually.

71 He chose David | also• his servant,

* and took him a- | -way from the sheep-folds:

72 As he was following the ewes with their young | he took him,

* that he might feed Jacob his people, and | Is•rael• his inheritance.

73 So he fed them with a faithful and | true heart,

* and ruled them prudent- | -ly with all his power.

Glory be to the Father, and | to the Son,

* and | to the Holy Ghost,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall be,

* world without | end.  Amen.