Evening Prayer

¹ HEAR my law, O my people * incline your ears unto the words of my mouth.

² I will open my mouth in a parable * I will declare hard sentences of old;

³ Which we have heard and known * and such as our fathers have told us;

⁴ That we should not hide them from the children of the generations to come * but to shew the honour of the Lord, his mighty and wonderful works that he hath done.

⁵ He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Israel a law * which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children;

⁶ That their posterity might know it * and the children which were yet unborn;

⁷ To the intent that when they came up * they might shew their children the same;

⁸ That they might put their trust in God * and not to forget the works of God, but to keep his commandments;

⁹ And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn generation * a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God;

¹⁰ Like as the children of Ephraim * who being harnessed, and carrying bows, turned themselves back in the day of battle.

¹¹ They kept not the covenant of God * and would not walk in his law;

¹² But forgat what he had done * and the wonderful works that he had shewed for them.

¹³ Marvellous things did he in the sight of our forefathers, in the land of Egypt * even in the field of Zoan.

¹⁴ He divided the sea, and let them go through * he made the waters to stand on an heap.

¹⁵ In the day-time also he led them with a cloud * and all the night through with a light of fire.

¹⁶ He clave the hard rocks in the wilderness * and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth.

¹⁷ He brought waters out of the stony rock * so that it gushed out like the rivers.

¹⁸ Yet for all this they sinned more against him * and provoked the most Highest in the wilderness.

¹⁹ They tempted God in their hearts * and required meat for their lust.

²⁰ They spake against God also, saying * Shall God prepare a table in the wilderness?

²¹ He smote the stony rock indeed, that the waters gushed out, and the streams flowed withal * but can he give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?

²² When the Lord heard this, he was wroth * so the fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavy displeasure against Israel;

²³ Because they believed not in God * and put not their trust in his help.

²⁴ So he commanded the clouds above * and opened the doors of heaven.

²⁵ He rained down manna also upon them for to eat * and gave them food from heaven.

²⁶ So man did eat angels' food * for he sent them meat enough.

²⁷ He caused the east-wind to blow under heaven * and through his power he brought in the south-west-wind.

²⁸ He rained flesh upon them as thick as dust * and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.

²⁹ He let it fall among their tents * even round about their habitation.

³⁰ So they did eat and were well filled, for he gave them their own desire * they were not disappointed of their lust.

³¹ But while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the wealthiest of them * yea, and smote down the chosen men that were in Israel.

³² But for all this they sinned yet more * and believed not his wondrous works.

³³ Therefore their days did he consume in vanity * and their years in trouble.

³⁴ When he slew them, they sought him * and turned them early, and inquired after God.

³⁵ And they remembered that God was their strength * and that the high God was their redeemer.

³⁶ Nevertheless, they did but flatter him with their mouth * and dissembled with him in their tongue.

³⁷ For their heart was not whole with him * neither continued they stedfast in his covenant.

³⁸ But he was so merciful, that he forgave their misdeeds * and destroyed them not.

³⁹ Yea, many a time turned he his wrath away * and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise.

⁴⁰ For he considered that they were but flesh * and that they were even a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

⁴¹ Many a time did they provoke him in the wilderness * and grieved him in the desert.

⁴² They turned back, and tempted God * and moved the Holy One in Israel.

⁴³ They thought not of his hand * and of the day when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy;

⁴⁴ How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt * and his wonders in the field of Zoan.

⁴⁵ He turned their waters into blood * so that they might not drink of the rivers.

⁴⁶ He sent lice among them, and devoured them up * and frogs to destroy them.

⁴⁷ He gave their fruit unto the caterpillar * and their labour unto the grasshopper.

⁴⁸ He destroyed their vines with hail-stones * and their mulberry-trees with the frost.

⁴⁹ He smote their cattle also with hail-stones: and their flocks with hot thunderbolts.

⁵⁰ He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, displeasure and trouble * and sent evil angels among them.

⁵¹ He made a way to his indignation, and spared not their soul from death * but gave their life over to the pestilence;

⁵² And smote all the first-born in Egypt * the most principal and mightiest in the dwellings of Ham.

⁵³ But as for his own people, he led them forth like sheep * and carried them in the wilderness like a flock.

⁵⁴ He brought them out safely, that they should not fear * and overwhelmed their enemies with the sea.

⁵⁵ And brought them within the borders of his sanctuary * even to his mountain which he purchased with his right hand.

⁵⁶ He cast out the heathen also before them * caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

⁵⁷ So they tempted and displeased the most high God * and kept not his testimonies;

⁵⁸ But turned their backs, and fell away like their forefathers * starting aside like a broken bow.

⁵⁹ For they grieved him with their hill-altars * and provoked him to displeasure with their images.

⁶⁰ When God heard this, he was wroth * and took sore displeasure at Israel.

⁶¹ So that he forsook the tabernacle in Silo * even the tent that he had pitched among men.

⁶² He delivered their power into captivity * and their beauty into the enemy's hand.

⁶³ He gave his people over also unto the sword * and was wroth with his inheritance.

⁶⁴ The fire consumed their young men * and their maidens were not given to marriage.

⁶⁵ Their priests were slain with the sword * and there were no widows to make lamentation.

⁶⁶ So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep * and like a giant refreshed with wine.

⁶⁷ He smote his enemies in the hinder parts * and put them to a perpetual shame.

⁶⁸ He refused the tabernacle of Joseph * and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

⁶⁹ But chose the tribe of Judah * even the hill of Sion which he loved.

⁷⁰ And there he built his temple on high * and laid the foundation of it like the ground which he hath made continually.

⁷¹ He chose David also his servant * and took him away from the sheep-folds.

⁷² As he was following the ewes great with young ones he took him * that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

⁷³ So he fed them with a faithful and true heart * and ruled them prudently with all his power.