Psalms 78

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 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.

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.

5 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:

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:

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

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

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

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

8 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 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?

Forasmuch as he smote 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?

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

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

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

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

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

Yet he 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 bread of heaven.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

38 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

50 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.

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

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

and smote every first-born in the land of Egypt; the first-fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.

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

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

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

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

54 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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he dwelt among men.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

67 And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not 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 Juda, mount Sion which he loved.

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

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

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

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

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

71 To feed Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

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

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

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