Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
Listen, my people, to instruction.
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable, and utter dark sayings of old,
which we have heard and known.
Our fathers passed on to us, not hiding them from their children, but telling
generations to come.
The praise of the Lord and His strength, the wonderful works He has done.
He established a witness in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers to teach them to their children, that ages to come
I'd know, even children yet to be born.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
They'd rise to tell their children to fix their hearts upon God, and not to forget
the works of God, but keep all His commands, and not be like their fathers.
A stubborn, rebellious age would not prepare its heart with spirit unfaithful
to God.
Ephraim's sons were archers with bows, but left in the day of battle,
not keeping God's covenant, refusing to walk in His law, forgetting about His
deeds, His miracles that He showed them, His wonders before their fathers in Egypt
and Zohan's field.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
Dividing the sea so they pass through, making the water stand up in a heap,
leading with cloud by day, with the light of fire by night.
He split the rocks in the wilderness, gave drink in full like the ocean depths.
He brought a stream from the rock, made waters run down like rivers.
Yet they persisted in sin, in the desert against the Most High, in their heart
putting God to the test, by asking for food they desired.
Against their God they grumbled, in deserts will God set table.
He struck the rock so that waters gushed, just like flowing streams.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
Then can He also give bread to us?
Can He give meat for His people?
Therefore the Lord God heard them, and then He was full of wrath.
A fire was kindled in Jacob, and anger then burned against Israel, for they did
not have faith in God, refusing to trust His salvation.
Yet He called the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven,
rained manna for them to eat, and gave them food from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels, He sent them food in abundance.
The east winds blew in the heavens, and with power He called the south wind.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
Like dust He rained down meat, winged fowl like sands of the sea.
Within their camp He let them fall round about all their dwellings.
They ate and were well filled.
He gave to them their desire, but before their longing was filled, all the food was
still in their mouths.
God's anger rose up against them, killing the strong and the choice ones.
Yet still they remained in their sin, disbelieving His wonderful works.
Their days He ended in vanity, their years in sudden terror.
But when He struck, they sought Him, they returned to seek after God.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
Then they remembered their Rock was God, the Most High God, their Redeemer.
But they deceived with their mouth, they lied to Him with their tongue.
Their heart was never steadfast to Him, nor would they be faithful in covenant.
But He, in loving compassion, forgave and did not destroy.
He often restrained His anger, His wrath He did not arouse, remembering
they were but flesh, fleeting wind that does not return.
They often rebelled in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert.
Again and again they tested God, grieving the Holy One of Israel.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
They did not remember His power the day when He saved from their enemies.
In Egypt He showed His miracles, His signs in the field of Zoan.
He turned their rivers to blood so they could not drink of their streams,
sending out flies that devoured and frogs that brought on corruption.
He gave their crops to locusts, the fruit of their toil to swarms,
destroying their vines with His hail, their sycamores all with His frost.
He gave their cattle to hailstones, their herds to bolts of lightning.
He loosed His burning anger with fury and rage and anguish.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
With a band of destroying angels, He leveled a path for His anger.
He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life to the plague and
smoke.
The firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of strength in the tents of Ham, like sheep
He led His own people.
A flock He led through the wilderness.
In safety He led without fear, as waters then cover their foes.
He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had gained.
Expelling the nations, He split the land.
The tribes of Israel lived in their tents, but grumbling and testing the Most High
God, they would not keep His witness.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
Just like their fathers turned traitor, they turned like a treacherous foe,
provoking Him with their high places, His jealousy with graven idols.
When God heard this, He was filled with wrath, and greatly detested Israel.
He abandoned His dwelling at Shiloh, the tent which He pitched among men.
He gave His strength to captivity, His glory to the hand of the enemy,
His people He gave to the sword.
His wrath burned against His inheritance.
Fire devoured His young men.
His virgins had no wedding songs.
His priests then fell by the sword, and His widows could not even weep.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.
The Lord then awoke from His slumber, like a warrior rejoicing from wine.
He drove away all His enemies.
He heaped on lasting reproach.
He left the tents of Joseph, not choosing the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He
loved.
He built on high His holy place.
On earth was founded forever.
He chose David His servant, taking him from the sheepfolds.
From ewes and lambs He brought him to shepherd His people and heritage.
He shepherded with deep integrity, and led with skillful hands.
Listen, listen, listen, O my people.