Study Desk

A maskil^[a] of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching;^(a) listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth with a parable;^(b) I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.^(c)

We will not hide them from their descendants;^(d) we will tell the next generation^(e) the praiseworthy deeds^(f) of the Lord , his power, and the wonders^(g) he has done.

He decreed statutes^(h) for Jacob⁽ⁱ⁾ and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,

so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born,^(j) and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget^(k) his deeds but would keep his commands.^(l)

They would not be like their ancestors^(m)— a stubborn⁽ⁿ⁾ and rebellious^(o) generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,^(p) turned back on the day of battle;^(q)

they did not keep God's covenant^(r) and refused to live by his law.^(s)

They forgot what he had done,^(t) the wonders he had shown them.

He did miracles^(u) in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt,^(v) in the region of Zoan.^(w)

He divided the sea^(x) and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall.^(y)

He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.^(z)

He split the rocks^(aa) in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.

But they continued to sin^(ab) against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.

They willfully put God to the test^(ac) by demanding the food they craved.^(ad)

They spoke against God;^(ae) they said, "Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?

True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out,^(af) streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat^(ag) for his people?"