19:078:001 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the
words of my mouth.
19:078:002 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings
of old:
19:078:003 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
19:078:004 We 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.
19:078:005 For 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:
19:078:006 That the generation to come might know them, even the children
which should be born; who should arise and declare them to
their children:
19:078:007 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the
works of God, but keep his commandments:
19:078:008 And 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.
19:078:009 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
19:078:010 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his
law;
19:078:011 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
19:078:012 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the
land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
19:078:013 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he
made the waters to stand as an heap.
19:078:014 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the
night with a light of fire.
19:078:015 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as
out of the great depths.
19:078:016 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to
run down like rivers.
19:078:017 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most
High in the wilderness.
19:078:018 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their
lust.
19:078:019 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a
table in the wilderness?
19:078:020 Behold, 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?
19:078:021 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was
kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
19:078:022 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his
salvation:
19:078:023 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the
doors of heaven,
19:078:024 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them
of the corn of heaven.
19:078:025 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
19:078:026 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power
he brought in the south wind.
19:078:027 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls
like as the sand of the sea:
19:078:028 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about
their habitations.
19:078:029 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their
own desire;
19:078:030 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat
was yet in their mouths,
19:078:031 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them,
and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
19:078:032 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his
wondrous works.
19:078:033 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years
in trouble.
19:078:034 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and
enquired early after God.
19:078:035 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God
their redeemer.
19:078:036 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they
lied unto him with their tongues.
19:078:037 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they
stedfast in his covenant.
19:078:038 But 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.
19:078:039 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that
passeth away, and cometh not again.
19:078:040 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him
in the desert!
19:078:041 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy
One of Israel.
19:078:042 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered
them from the enemy.
19:078:043 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the
field of Zoan.
19:078:044 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that
they could not drink.
19:078:045 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them;
and frogs, which destroyed them.
19:078:046 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their
labour unto the locust.
19:078:047 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees
with frost.
19:078:048 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to
hot thunderbolts.
19:078:049 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and
indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
19:078:050 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from
death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
19:078:051 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their
strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
19:078:052 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided
them in the wilderness like a flock.
19:078:053 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the
sea overwhelmed their enemies.
19:078:054 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to
this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
19:078:055 He 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.
19:078:056 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not
his testimonies:
19:078:057 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers:
they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
19:078:058 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and
moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
19:078:059 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred
Israel:
19:078:060 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he
placed among men;
19:078:061 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into
the enemy's hand.
19:078:062 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth
with his inheritance.
19:078:063 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not
given to marriage.
19:078:064 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no
lamentation.
19:078:065 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty
man that shouteth by reason of wine.
19:078:066 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a
perpetual reproach.
19:078:067 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not
the tribe of Ephraim:
19:078:068 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
19:078:069 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth
which he hath established for ever.
19:078:070 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the
sheepfolds:
19:078:071 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to
feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
19:078:072 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and
guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.