Psalms 78
1 A Psalme to give instruction committed to Asaph. Heare my doctrine, O my people: incline your eares vnto the wordes 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 a parable: I will declare high sentences of olde.
I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.
3 Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs.
All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.
4 Wee will not hide them from their children but to the generation to come we wil shewe the praises of the Lord his power also, and his wonderful woorkes that 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 How he established a testimonie in Iaakob, and ordeined a Law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they shoulde teache 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 the posteritie might knowe it, and the children, which should be borne, should stand vp, and declare it 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 might set their hope on God, and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements:
That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.
8 And not to bee as their fathers, a disobedient and rebellious generation: a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirite was not faithfull vnto 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 children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell.
The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.
10 They kept not the couenant of God, but refused to walke in his Lawe,
They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.
11 And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them.
And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] showed them;
12 Hee did marueilous thinges in the sight of their fathers in the lande of Egypt: euen in the fielde of Zoan.
the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.
13 He deuided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heape.
He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.
14 In the day time also hee led them with a cloude, 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 claue the rockes in the wildernes, and gaue them drinke as of the great depths.
he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.
16 He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers.
And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.
17 Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,
And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.
18 And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust.
And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.
19 They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?
They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rocke, that the water gushed out, and the streames ouerflowed: can hee giue bread also? or prepare flesh for his people?
Forasmuch as he struck 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 angrie, and the fire was kindled in Iaakob, and also wrath came vpon Israel,
Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.
22 Because they beleeued not in God, and trusted not in his helpe.
Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.
23 Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen,
Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 And had rained downe MAN vpon them for to eate, and had giuen them of the wheate of heauen.
and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.
25 Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.
Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.
26 He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde.
He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the southwest wind.
27 Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule 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 hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.
And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.
29 So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire.
So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.
30 They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes,
They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,
31 When the wrath of God came euen vpon them, and slew the strongest of them, and smote downe the chosen men in Israel.
then the indignation of God rose up against them, and killed the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.
32 For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes.
In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.
33 Therefore their daies did hee consume in vanitie, and their yeeres hastily.
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.
34 And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.
When he killed them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.
35 And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.
Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant.
For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
38 Yet he being merciful forgaue their iniquitie, and destroied them not, but oft times called backe his anger, and did not stirre vp all his wrath.
But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yes, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe.
And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.
40 How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?
How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!
41 Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel.
Yes, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he deliuered them from the enemie,
They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.
43 Nor him that set his signes in Egypt, and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan,
How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:
44 And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke.
and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.
45 Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured 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 He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.
And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.
47 He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone.
He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes.
And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.
49 Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of euill 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 to his anger: he spared not their soule from death, but gaue their life to the pestilence,
He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;
51 And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.
and struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt; the first fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.
52 But hee made his people to goe out like sheepe, and led them in the wildernes like a flocke.
And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.
53 Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies.
And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.
54 And he brought them vnto the borders of his Sanctuarie: euen to this Mountaine, which his right hand purchased.
And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.
55 He cast out the heathe also before them, and caused them to fall to the lot of his inheritance, and 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 prouoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.
57 But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe.
And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.
58 And they prouoked him to anger with their high places, and mooued him to wrath with their grauen images.
And they provoked him with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.
60 So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men,
And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he lived amongst men.
61 And deliuered his power into captiuitie, and his beautie into the enemies hand.
And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.
62 And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance.
And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.
63 The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.
Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.
64 Their Priestes fell by the sworde, and their widowes lamented not.
Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.
65 But the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and as a strong man that after his wine crieth out,
So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.
66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame.
And he struck his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;
68 But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued.
but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.
69 And he built his Sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth, which he stablished for euer.
And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.
70 He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.
He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.
71 Euen from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iaakob, and his inheritance in Israel.
He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands.
So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
