He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire.
He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.
Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?”
Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,
Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven;
Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.
When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.
The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.
And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.
How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!
Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,
When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,
He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.
He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning.
He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,
And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.
But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.
He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,
So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,
And gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary.
He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
His priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep.
Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.
He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.
And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.
He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;
From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.
So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.
A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name.
Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, For we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.
And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; To all generations we will tell of Your praise.
For the choir director; set to El Shoshannim; Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph. Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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