Psalms 78

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

Understanding for Asaph. Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

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

I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.

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

How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 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.

They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders which he hath done.

5 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,

And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same known to their children:

6 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.

That another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children.

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

That they may put their hope in God and may not forget the works of God: and may seek his commandments.

8 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.

That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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

The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.

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

They kept not the covenant of God: and in his law they would not walk.

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

And they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that he had shewn them.

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

Wonderful things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.

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

He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.

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

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

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

He struck the rock in the wilderness: and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep.

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

He brought forth water out of the rock: and made streams run down as rivers.

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

And they added yet more sin against him: they provoked the most High to wrath in the place without water.

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

And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.

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

And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 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?”

Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table for his people?

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

Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel.

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

Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in his salvation.

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

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

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

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven.

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

Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance.

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

He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.

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

And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.

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

And they fell in the midst of their camp, round about their pavilions.

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

So they did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and he gave them their desire:

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

They were not defrauded of that which they craved. As yet their meat was in their mouth:

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

And the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.

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

In all these things they sinned still: and they believed not for his wondrous works.

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

And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.

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

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and came to him early in the morning.

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

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

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

And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied unto him:

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

But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted faithful in his covenant.

38 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.

But he is merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy them. And many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his wrath.

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

And he remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.

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

How often did they provoke him in the desert: and move him to wrath in the place without water?

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

And they turned back and tempted God: and grieved the holy one of Israel.

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

They remembered not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:

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

How he wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis.

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

And he turned their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might, not drink.

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

He sent amongst them divers sores of flies, which devoured them: and frogs which destroyed them.

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

And he gave up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.

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

And he destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost.

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

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

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

And he sent upon them the wrath of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble, which he sent by evil angels.

50 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.

He made a way for a path to his anger: he spared not their souls from death, and their cattle he shut up in death.

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

And he killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: the firstfruits of all their labour in the tabernacles of Cham.

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

And he took away his own people as sheep: and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

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

And he brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 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.

And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.

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

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

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

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

57 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.

And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.

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

They provoked him to anger on their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their graven things.

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

God heard, and despised them, and he reduced Israel exceedingly as it were to nothing.

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

And he put away the tabernacle of Silo, his tabernacle where he dwelt among men.

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

And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.

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

And he shut up his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance.

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

Fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not lamented.

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

Their priests fell by the sword: and their widows did not mourn.

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

And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine.

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

And he smote his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.

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

And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

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

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

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

And he built his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.

70 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,

And he chose his servant David, and took him from the hocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes great with young,

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

To feed Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

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

And he fed them in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skillfulness of his hands.