Psalms 78
1 A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.
An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.
2 I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past
I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,
3 that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to us.
That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.
4 We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things he has done.
We do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that He hath done.
5 He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children,
And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.
6 so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.
So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,
7 In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and keep his commandments.
And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.
8 Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.
And they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God [is] its spirit.
9 The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on the day of battle.
Sons of Ephraim — armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.
10 They did not keep God's agreement, and refused to follow his laws.
They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,
11 They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things he had shown them—
And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.
12 the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.
Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt — the field of Zoan.
13 He split the sea in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.
He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.
14 He led them with a cloud by day, and by night with a light of fire.
And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.
15 He split open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.
He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink — as the great deep.
16 He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!
And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.
17 But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.
18 They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.
And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.
19 They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?
And they speak against God — they said: 'Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he supply his people with meat?”
Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. 'Also — bread [is] He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'
21 When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,
Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,
22 for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.
For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.
23 Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,
And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.
24 and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.
And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.
Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.
26 He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove the south wind.
He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,
27 He rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.
And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas — winged fowl,
28 He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.
And causeth [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.
29 They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.
And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.
30 But before they satisfied their appetite, while the meat was still in their mouths,
They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet [is] their food in their mouth,
31 God became angry with them and he killed their strongest men, striking them down in the prime of life.
And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.
32 Despite all this they went right on sinning. Despite the miracles, they refused to trust him.
With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.
33 So he snuffed out their futile lives, bringing them to an end in terror.
And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.
34 When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,
35 They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Savior.
And they remember that God [is] their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.
36 They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
And — they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,
37 Deep down they were not sincere, and did not keep the agreement they had with him.
And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.
38 But being compassionate he pardoned their guilt and did not destroy all of them. He often held back his anger—he did not pour out all his fury.
And He — the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.
39 He remembered their mortality—that they were like a puff of wind that would not return.
And He remembereth that they [are] flesh, A wind going on — and it returneth not.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?
41 Again and again they provoked God, causing pain to the Holy One of Israel.
Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.
42 They did not remember his strength when he rescued them from their oppressors,
They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.
43 performing miracles in Egypt, doing wonderful things on the plain of Zoan.
When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.
And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.
45 He sent flies among them to destroy them, and frogs to ruin everything.
He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,
46 He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their fig trees with freezing rain.
He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,
48 He handed over their cattle to hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.
49 He poured out on them his fierce anger—rage and hostility and anguish—sending a band of destroying angels against them.
He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress — A discharge of evil messengers.
50 He sent his unrestrained anger against them; he did not spare them from death, handing them over to the plague.
He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first to be conceived in the tents of Ham.
And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.
52 But he led out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,
53 He led them to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.
And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.
And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,
55 He drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,
56 But they provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.
And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.
57 Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.
And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,
58 They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.
And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,
59 When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.
God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.
60 He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.
And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,
61 He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.
And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,
62 He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.
And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.
63 Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.
His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.
64 Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.
His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.
65 Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.
And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.
66 He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.
And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,
67 He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.
68 Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.
And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,
69 There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.
And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.
70 He chose his servant David, taking him from the sheep pens,
And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,
71 taking him from caring for the sheep and lambs to be a shepherd to the descendants of Jacob—God's special people, Israel.
From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.
72 Like a shepherd, he took care of them with sincere devotion, leading them with skillful hands.
And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!
