Psalms 78

1 An instruction. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us:

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide [them] from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which he hath done.

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of Yhwh, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

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

6 That the generation to come might know [them], the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell [them] to their children,

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7 And that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but observe his commandments;

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that prepared not their heart, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

9 The sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

11 And forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.

And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

12 In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.

Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and made the waters to stand as a heap;

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14 And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 And he brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19 And they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel:

Therefore Yhwh heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

22 Because they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation;

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

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,

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

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.

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

25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.

Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

26 He caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;

He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

27 And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,

He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:

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

29 And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.

So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

30 They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 When the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

32 For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

33 And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

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

34 When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after God;

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and God, the Most High, their redeemer.

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

36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;

Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37 For their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

38 But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.

For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

41 And they turned again and tempted God, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,

They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43 How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;

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

44 And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;

And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

45 He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;

He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;

He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

48 And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.

He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, — a mission of angels of woes.

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

50 He made a way for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

51 And he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.

And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

52 And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 And he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies.

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;

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

55 And he drove out the nations before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56 But they tempted and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not his testimonies,

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

57 And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.

But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

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

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

59 God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61 And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;

And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.

62 And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:

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

63 The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] song;

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

64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

66 And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.

And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

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

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

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

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

69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

70 And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

71 From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

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

72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.