Psalms 78

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

Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, 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 utter propositions from the beginning.

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

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

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

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

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:

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 another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare 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 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 in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep 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.

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 who bend and shoot with the bow: they have 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 in his law they would not walk.

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

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

And forgat his works, and his wonders that 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.

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

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

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

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

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, 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 the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as [out of] the great depths.

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

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like 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 by provoking 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 heart by asking meat for their lust.

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

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish 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?

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

Therefore the LORD 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 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.

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 bread of heaven.

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

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

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

26 He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest 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 upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 stedfast 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, [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 are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.

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

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

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

41 And they turned back 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, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:

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

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 Zoan:

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

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

45 He sent amongst them divers sores of flies, 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 up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

52 And he took away his own people as 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 brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed 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 to the border of his sanctuary, [even to] this mountain, [which] his right hand had purchased.

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

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 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.

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

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

For they provoked him to anger 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

65 And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with 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 enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.

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

67 And he rejected the tabernacle 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 he chose the tribe of Juda, mount Sion which he loved.

But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion 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 like high [palaces], like the earth which he hath established for ever.

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 from the sheepfolds:

71 To feed Jacob his servant, 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 in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skillfulness of his hands.

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