Study Desk

From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared⁽ⁿ⁾ and was quiet—

when you, God, rose up to judge,^(o) to save all the afflicted^(p) of the land.

Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,^(q) and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.^[c]

Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;^(r) let all the neighboring lands bring gifts^(s) to the One to be feared.

He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

I cried out to God^(a) for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

When I was in distress,^(b) I sought the Lord; at night^(c) I stretched out untiring hands,^(d) and I would not be comforted.^(e)

I remembered^(f) you, God, and I groaned;^(g) I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^[b](h)

You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.⁽ⁱ⁾

I thought about the former days,^(j) the years of long ago;

I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

"Will the Lord reject forever?^(k) Will he never show his favor^(l) again?

Has his unfailing love^(m) vanished forever? Has his promise⁽ⁿ⁾ failed for all time?

Has God forgotten to be merciful?^(o) Has he in anger withheld his compassion?^(p)"

Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.^(q)

I will remember the deeds of the Lord ; yes, I will remember your miracles^(r) of long ago.

I will consider^(s) all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds."^(t)

Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?^(u)

You are the God who performs miracles;^(v) you display your power among the peoples.

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,^(w) the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters^(x) saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed;^(y) the very depths were convulsed.

The clouds poured down water,^(z) the heavens resounded with thunder;^(aa) your arrows^(ab) flashed back and forth.

Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,^(ac) your lightning^(ad) lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.^(ae)

Your path^(af) led through the sea,^(ag) your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

You led your people^(ah) like a flock^(ai) by the hand of Moses and Aaron.^(aj)

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?"

When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out^(ah) against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,

for they did not believe in God or trust^(ai) in his deliverance.

Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;^(aj)

he rained down manna^(ak) for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.