Psalms 78
1 An instruction. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn 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, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has 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 covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching 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, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell 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 God’s deeds, 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 didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast 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 didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
11 And forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.
They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
12 In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.
He did marvellous things 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 split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
14 And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.
In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;
He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the 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;
Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;
They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19 And they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare 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 struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel:
Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
22 Because they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation;
because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,
Yet he commanded the skies 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.
He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.
Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food 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 the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
27 And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,
He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:
He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
29 And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.
So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
30 They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,
They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food 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.
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;
For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
33 And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after God;
When he killed them, then they enquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and God, the Most High, their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
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 faithful 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 merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
39 And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.
He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
41 And they turned again and tempted God, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.
They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,
They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
43 How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;
how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;
he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;
He sent amongst them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labour to the locust.
47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;
He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
48 And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.
He also gave over their livestock 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 threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
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 path for his anger. He didn’t spare 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 struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
But he led out his own people 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.
He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;
He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
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 also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for 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 rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
57 And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted 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 engraved images.
59 God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60 And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,
so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed amongst men,
61 And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;
and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
62 And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] song;
Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.
65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.
He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 And he rejected the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved;
But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70 And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
He also chose David 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 that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of 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 was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
