Psalms 78

1 [A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

The understanding of Asaph. O my people, attend to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.

I will open my mouth in parables. I will speak about concepts that are from the beginning.

3 All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.

We have heard and known such great things, as our fathers have described to us.

4 They were not hid from their children to a second generations; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.

These things have not been hidden from their sons in any generation: declaring the praises of the Lord, and his virtues, and the wonders that he has done.

5 And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:

And he has received testimony with Jacob, and he has set a law within Israel. Such great things, he has commanded our fathers, so as to make these things known to their sons,

6 that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.

so that another generation might know them, and so that the sons, who will be born and who will grow up, shall describe them to their sons.

7 That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.

So then, may they put their hope in God, and may they not forget the works of God, and may they seek his commandments.

8 That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its spirit was not steadfast with God.

May they not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation: a generation that does not straighten their heart and whose spirit is not trustworthy with God.

9 The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.

The sons of Ephraim, who bend and shoot the bow, have been turned back in the day of battle.

10 They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.

They have not kept the covenant of God. And they were not willing to walk in his law.

11 And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] showed them;

And they have been forgetful of his benefits, and of his miracle, which he revealed to them.

12 the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.

He performed miracles in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.

13 He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.

He broke the sea and he led them through. And he stationed the waters, as if in a vessel.

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

And he led them with a cloud by day, and with illumination by fire throughout the night.

15 he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.

He broke through the rock in the wasteland, and he gave them to drink, as if from the great abyss.

16 And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.

He brought forth water from the rock, and he conducted the waters, as if they were rivers.

17 And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.

And yet, they continued to sin against him. In a waterless place, they provoked the Most High with resentment.

18 And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.

And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking for food according to their desires.

19 They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

And they spoke badly about God. They said, “Would God be able to prepare a table in the desert?

20 Forasmuch as he struck the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?

He struck the rock, and so waters flowed and the torrents flooded, but would even he be able to provide bread, or provide a table, for his people?”

21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

Therefore, the Lord heard, and he was dismayed, and a fire was kindled within Jacob, and an anger ascended into Israel.

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

For they neither put their trust in God, nor did they hope in his salvation.

23 Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

And he commanded the clouds from above, and he opened the doors of heaven.

24 and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

And he rained down manna upon them to eat, and he gave them the bread of heaven.

25 Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.

Man ate the bread of Angels. He sent them provisions in abundance.

26 He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the southwest wind.

He transferred the south wind from heaven, and, in his virtue, he brought in the Southwest wind.

27 And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

And he rained down flesh upon them, as if it were dust, and feathered birds, as if they were the sand of the sea.

28 And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

And they fell down in the midst of their camp, encircling their tabernacles.

29 So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.

And they ate until they were greatly satisfied, and he brought to them according to their desires.

30 They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,

They were not cheated out of what they wanted. Their food was still in their mouth,

31 then the indignation of God rose up against them, and killed the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

and then the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones among them, and he impeded the elect of Israel.

32 In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

In all these things, they continued to sin, and they were not trustworthy with his miracles.

33 And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.

And their days faded away into vanity, and their years with haste.

34 When he killed them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

When he slew them, then they sought him. And they returned, and they drew near to him in the early morning.

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

And they were mindful that God is their helper and that the Most High God is their redeemer.

36 Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

And they chose him with their mouth, and then they lied to him with their tongue.

37 For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

For their heart was not upright with him, nor have they been living faithfully in his covenant.

38 But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yes, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.

Yet he is merciful, and he will pardon their sins. And he will not destroy them. And he has abundantly turned aside his own wrath. And he did not enflame his wrath entirely.

39 And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.

And he remembered that they are flesh: with a spirit that goes forth and does not return.

40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!

How often did they provoke him in the desert and stir him to wrath in a waterless place?

41 Yes, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

And they turned back and tempted God, and they exasperated the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.

They did not remember his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the one troubling them.

43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:

Thus, he positioned his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Tanis.

44 and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.

And he turned their rivers into blood, along with their rain showers, so that they could not drink.

45 He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.

He sent among them the common fly, and it devoured them, and the frog, and it scattered them.

46 And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.

And he gave up their fruits to mold and their labors to the locust.

47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.

And he slew their vineyards with hail and their mulberry trees with severe frost.

48 And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.

And he delivered their cattle to the hail and their possessions to fire.

49 He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.

And he sent the wrath of his indignation among them: indignation and wrath and tribulation, sent forth by evil angels.

50 He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;

He made way for the path of his anger. He did not spare their souls from death. And he enclosed their beasts of burden in death.

51 and struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt; the first fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.

And he struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt: the first-fruits of all their labor in the tabernacles of Ham.

52 And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.

And he took away his own people like sheep, and he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

53 And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.

And he led them out in hope, and they did not fear. And the sea covered their enemies.

54 And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.

And he led them to the mountain of his sanctification: the mountain that his right hand had acquired. And he cast out the Gentiles before their face. And he divided their land by lot to them, with a line of distribution.

55 And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

And he caused the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.

56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.

Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments.

57 And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.

And they turned themselves aside, and they did not serve the covenant. In the same manner as their fathers, they were turned backwards, like a crooked bow.

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

They impelled him to anger on their hills, and they provoked him to rivalry with their graven images.

59 God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.

God listened, and he spurned them, and he reduced Israel greatly, almost to nothing.

60 And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he lived amongst men.

And he rejected the tabernacle of Shiloh, his tabernacle where he had dwelt among men.

61 And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.

And he delivered their virtue into captivity, and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.

62 And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.

And he enclosed his people with the sword, and he spurned his inheritance.

63 Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.

Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not lamented.

64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.

Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows did not weep.

65 So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.

And the Lord was awakened, as if out of sleep, and like a powerful man impaired by wine.

66 And he struck his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.

And he struck his enemies on the back. He gave them over to everlasting disgrace.

67 And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

68 but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.

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

69 And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.

And he built up his sanctuary, like a single-horned beast, in the land that he founded for all ages.

70 He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.

And he chose his servant David, and he took him from the flocks of the sheep: he received him from following the ewes with their young,

71 He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

in order to pasture Jacob his servant and Israel his inheritance.

72 So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

And he fed them with the innocence of his heart. And he led them with the understanding of his hands.