Psalms 78

1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

“A Maskil of Assaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy ear to the words of my mouth.

2 Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

I will open with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;

3 Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.

4 We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.

We will not conceal them from their children, relating to the latest generation the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful deeds which he hath done.

5 He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;

Yea, he established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

6 So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;

In order that the latest generation might know them, even the children that are to be born; that they may arise and relate them to their children;

7 So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;

8 And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

And that they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that had not directed their heart firmly, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

The children of Ephraim, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,

10 They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;

11 They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.

12 He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.

13 The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.

14 In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

And he led them with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty deep.

16 He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.

17 And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.

19 They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?

20 See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?

Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed: shall he also be able to give bread? or can he provide flesh for his people?

21 So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;

Therefore, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,

22 Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

Because they had not believed in God, and had not trusted in his salvation.

23 And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;

24 And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.

25 Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.

26 He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.

27 He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;

28 And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.

30 But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:

31 The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

When the wrath of God ascended against them, and he slew some of the fattest of them, and the young men of Israel did he strike down.

32 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.

33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.

34 When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.

35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the most high God their redeemer.

36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.

37 And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not faithful in his covenant.

38 But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.

But he, being merciful, forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not awaken all his fury.

39 So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.

40 How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!

41 Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

They remembered not his hand, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;

43 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.

44 So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].

45 He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.

47 He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.

48 Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.

49 He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.

50 He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered to the pestilence;

51 He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

And he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;

52 But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

But he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.

53 He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.

54 And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.

55 Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.

And he drove out from before them nations, and divided them by the measuring-line as an inheritance, and he caused to dwell in their tents the tribes of Israel.

56 But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;

57 Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.

58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

And they provoked him to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.

59 When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;

60 So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;

61 And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand.

62 He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.

63 Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.

64 Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.

65 Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.

67 And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;

68 But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

69 And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

And he built like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

70 He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:

71 From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.

From following the ewes with young he brought him, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

72 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.