A contemplation by Asaph.
Y’all listen to my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of YHWH, ʜɪꜱ strength, and ʜɪꜱ wondrous deeds that ʜᴇ has done. For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children, that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep ʜɪꜱ commandments, and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in ʜɪꜱ law. They forgot ʜɪꜱ doings, ʜɪꜱ wondrous deeds that ʜᴇ had shown them. Hᴇ did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. Hᴇ split the sea, and caused them to pass through. Hᴇ made the waters stand as a heap. In the daytime ʜᴇ also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire. Hᴇ split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths. Hᴇ brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. Yet they still went on to sin against ʜɪᴍ, to rebel against the Most High in the desert. They tempted God in their heart by asking for food according to their desire. Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Yes, ʜᴇ struck the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. But can ʜᴇ also give bread? Will ʜᴇ provide meat for ʜɪꜱ people?” Therefore YHWH heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel, because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in ʜɪꜱ salvation. Yet ʜᴇ commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven. Hᴇ rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky. Man ate the bread of angels. Hᴇ sent them food to the full. Hᴇ caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By ʜɪꜱ power ʜᴇ guided the south wind. Hᴇ also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas. Hᴇ let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations. So they ate, and were well filled. Hᴇ gave them their own desire. They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths, when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel. For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in ʜɪꜱ wondrous works. Therefore ʜᴇ consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror. When ʜᴇ killed them, then they inquired after ʜɪᴍ. They returned and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer. But they flattered ʜɪᴍ with their mouth, and lied to ʜɪᴍ with their tongue. For their heart was not right with ʜɪᴍ, neither were they faithful in ʜɪꜱ covenant. But ʜᴇ, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times ʜᴇ turned ʜɪꜱ anger away, and didn’t stir up all ʜɪꜱ wrath. Hᴇ remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again. How often they rebelled against ʜɪᴍ in the wilderness, and grieved ʜɪᴍ in the desert! They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They didn’t remember ʜɪꜱ hand, nor the day when ʜᴇ redeemed them from the adversary; how ʜᴇ set ʜɪꜱ signs in Egypt, ʜɪꜱ wonders in the field of Zoan. Hᴇ turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink. Hᴇ sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. Hᴇ also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust. Hᴇ destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost. Hᴇ also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. Hᴇ threw on them the fierceness of ʜɪꜱ anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil. Hᴇ made a path for ʜɪꜱ anger. Hᴇ didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence, and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham. But ʜᴇ led out ʜɪꜱ own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. Hᴇ led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. Hᴇ brought them to the border of ʜɪꜱ sanctuary, to this mountain, which ʜɪꜱ right hand had taken. Hᴇ also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep ʜɪꜱ testimonies, but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow. For they provoked ʜɪᴍ to anger with their high places, and moved ʜɪᴍ to jealousy with their engraved images. When God heard this, ʜᴇ was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that ʜᴇ abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which ʜᴇ placed among men, and delivered ʜɪꜱ strength into captivity, ʜɪꜱ glory into the adversary’s hand. Hᴇ also gave ʜɪꜱ people over to the sword, and was angry with ʜɪꜱ inheritance. Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep. Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine. Hᴇ struck ʜɪꜱ adversaries backward. Hᴇ put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim, But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which ʜᴇ loved. Hᴇ built ʜɪꜱ sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which ʜᴇ has established forever. Hᴇ also chose David ʜɪꜱ servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that have their young, ʜᴇ brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, ʜɪꜱ people, and Israel, ʜɪꜱ inheritance. So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.