1 My friends, I beg youto listen as I teach.
2 I will give instructionand explain the mysteryof what happened long ago.
3 These are things we learnedfrom our ancestors,
4 and we will tell themto the next generation.We won't keep secretthe glorious deedsand the mighty miraclesof the Lord.
5 God gave his Lawto Jacob's descendants,the people of Israel.And he told our ancestorsto teach their children,
6 so that each new generationwould know his Lawand tell it to the next.
7 Then they would trust Godand obey his teachings,without forgetting anythingGod had done.
8 They would be differentfrom their ancestors,who were stubborn, rebellious,and unfaithful to God.
9 The warriors from Ephraimwere armed with arrows,but they ran awaywhen the battle began.
10 They broke their agreementwith God,and they turned their backson his teaching.
11 They forgot all he had done,even the mighty miracles
12 he did for their ancestorsnear Zoan in Egypt.
13 God made a path in the seaand piled up the wateras he led them across.
14 He guided them during the daywith a cloud,and each night he led themwith a flaming fire.
15 God made water flowfrom rocks he split openin the desert,and his people drank freely,as though from a lake.
16 He made streams gush outlike rivers from rocks.
17 But in the desert,the people of God Most Highkept sinning and rebelling.
18 They stubbornly tested Godand demanded from himwhat they wanted to eat.
19 They challenged God by saying,“Can God provide foodout here in the desert?
20 It's true God struck the rockand water gushed outlike a river,but can he give his peoplebread and meat?”
21 When the Lord heard this,he was angry and furiouswith Jacob's descendants,the people of Israel.
22 They had refused to trust him,and they had doubtedhis saving power.
23 But God gave a commandto the clouds,and he opened the doorsin the skies.
24 From heaven he sent grainthat they called manna.
25 He gave them more than enough,and each one of them atethis special food.
26 God's mighty powersent a strong windfrom the southeast,
27 and it brought birdsthat covered the ground,like sand on the beach.
28 Then God made the birds fallin the camp of his peoplenear their tents.
29 God gave his peopleall they wanted,and each of them ateuntil they were full.
30 But before they had swallowedthe last bite,
31 God became angry and killedthe strongest and bestfrom the families of Israel.
32 But the rest kept on sinningand would not trustGod's miracles.
33 So he cut their lives shortand made them terrified.
34 After he killed some of them,the others turned to himwith all their hearts.
35 They remembered God Most High,the mighty rockthat kept them safe.
36 But they tried to flatter God,and they told him lies;
37 they were unfaithfuland broke their promises.
38 Yet God was kind.He kept forgiving their sinsand didn't destroy them.He often became angry,but never lost his temper.
39 God remembered that theywere made of fleshand were like a windthat blows onceand then dies down.
40 While they were in the desert,they often rebelledand made God sad.
41 They kept testing himand caused terrible painfor the Holy One of Israel.
42 They forgot about his powerand how he had rescued themfrom their enemies.
43 God showed them all kindsof wonderful miraclesnear Zoan in Egypt.
44 He turned the rivers of Egyptinto blood,and no one could drinkfrom the streams.
45 He sent swarms of fliesto pester the Egyptians,and he sent frogsto cause them trouble.
46 God let worms and grasshopperseat their crops.
47 He destroyed their grapevinesand their fig treeswith hail and floods.
48 Then he killed their cattlewith hailand their other animalswith lightning.
49 God was so angry and furiousthat he went into a rageand caused them great troubleby sending swarmsof destroying angels.
50 God released his angerand slaughtered themin a terrible way.
51 He killed the first-born sonof each Egyptian family.
52 Then God led his peopleout of Egyptand guided them in the desertlike a flock of sheep.
53 He led them safely along,and they were not afraid,but their enemies drownedin the sea.
54 God brought his peopleto the sacred mountainthat he had takenby his own power.
55 He made nations runfrom the tribes of Israel,and he let the tribestake over their land.
56 But the people testedGod Most High,and they refusedto obey his laws.
57 They were as unfaithfulas their ancestors,and they were as crookedas a twisted arrow.
58 God demanded all their love,but they made him angryby worshiping idols.
59 So God became furiousand completely rejectedthe people of Israel.
60 Then he deserted his homeat Shiloh, where he livedhere on earth.
61 He let enemies capturethe sacred chestand let them dishonor him.
62 God took out his angeron his chosen onesand let them be killedby enemy swords.
63 Fire destroyed the young men,and the young women were leftwith no one to marry.
64 Priests died violent deaths,but their widowswere not allowed to mourn.
65 Finally the Lord woke up,like a soldierstartled from a drunken sleep.
66 God scattered his enemiesand made them ashamedforever.
67 Then the Lord decidednot to make his homewith Joseph's descendantsin Ephraim.
68 Instead he chose the tribeof Judah,and he chose Mount Zion,the place he loves.
69 There he built his templeas lofty as the mountainsand as solid as the earthhe made to last forever.
70 The Lord God chose Davidto be his servant and took himfrom tending sheep
71 and from caring for lambs.Then God made him the leaderof Israel, his own nation.
72 David treated the people fairlyand guided them with wisdom.