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.

Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears 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 with a parable; I will utter dark sayings concerning days of old;

3 Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs.

That which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told 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:

We will not hide from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wondrous works that He hath done.

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:

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 the posteritie might knowe it, and the children, which should be borne, should stand vp, and declare it to their children:

That the generation to come might know them, even the children that should be born; who should arise and tell 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 put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep 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.

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 children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell.

The children of Ephraim were as archers handling the bow, that 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 refused to walk in His law;

11 And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them.

And they forgot His doings, and His wondrous works that He had shown them.

12 Hee did marueilous thinges in the sight of their fathers in the lande of Egypt: euen in the fielde of Zoan.

Marvellous things did He in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He deuided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heape.

He cleaved the sea, and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters to stand as a heap.

14 In the day time also hee led them with a cloude, and all the night with a light of fire.

By day also He led them with a cloud, 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 cleaved rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the great deep.

16 He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers.

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,

Yet went they on still to sin against Him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.

18 And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust.

And they tried God in their heart by asking food for their craving.

19 They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?

Yea, they spoke against God; they said: 'Can God 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?

Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; can He give bread also? or will He provide flesh 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 wroth; and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also 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,

And He commanded the skies 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 He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the corn of heaven.

25 Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.

Man did eat the bread of the mighty; He sent them provisions to the full.

26 He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde.

He caused the east wind to set forth in heaven; and by His power He brought on the south wind.

27 Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea.

He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust, and winged fowl as the sand of the seas;

28 And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.

And He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their dwellings.

29 So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire.

So they did eat, and were well filled; and He gave them that which they craved.

30 They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes,

They were not estranged from their craving, their food was yet in their mouths,

31 When the wrath of God came euen vpon them, and slew the strongest of them, and smote downe the chosen men in Israel.

When the anger of God went up against them, and slew of the lustieth among them, and smote down the young men of Israel.

32 For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes.

For all this they sinned still, and believed not in His wondrous works.

33 Therefore their daies did hee consume in vanitie, and their yeeres hastily.

Therefore He ended their days as a breath, and their years in terror.

34 And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.

When He slew them, then they would inquire after Him, and turn back and seek God earnestly.

35 And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.

And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.

36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.

But they beguiled Him with their mouth, and lied unto 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 stedfast with Him, neither were they faithful 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, being full of compassion, forgiveth iniquity, and destroyeth not; yea, many a time doth He turn His anger away, and doth not stir up all His wrath.

39 For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe.

So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

40 How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?

How oft did they rebel against Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!

41 Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel.

And still again they tried God, and set bounds to 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, nor the day when He redeemed them from the adversary.

43 Nor him that set his signes in Egypt, and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan,

How He set His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan;

44 And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke.

And turned their rivers into blood, so that they could not drink their streams.

45 Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.

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

47 He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone.

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost.

48 He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes.

He gave over their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to fiery bolts.

49 Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of euill Angels.

He sent forth upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a sending of messengers of evil.

50 He made a way to his anger: he spared not their soule from death, but gaue their life to the pestilence,

He levelled a path for His anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

51 And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.

And smote all the first-born in Egypt, the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

52 But hee made his people to goe out like sheepe, and led them in the wildernes like a flocke.

But He made His own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies.

And He led them safely, and they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed 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 to His holy border, to the mountain, which His right hand had gotten.

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.

He drove out the nations also before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, 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 tried and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not His testimonies;

57 But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe.

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

58 And they prouoked him to anger with their high places, and mooued him to wrath with their grauen images.

For 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 was wroth, and He greatly abhorred Israel;

60 So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men,

And He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He had made to dwell among men;

61 And deliuered his power into captiuitie, and his beautie into the enemies hand.

And delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the adversary's hand.

62 And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance.

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

63 The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.

Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins had no marriage-song.

64 Their Priestes fell by the sworde, and their widowes lamented not.

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

65 But the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and as a strong man that after his wine crieth out,

Then the Lord awaked as one asleep, like a mighty man recovering from wine.

66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame.

And He smote His adversaries backward; He put upon them a perpetual reproach.

67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

Moreover He abhorred the tent 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 Judah, the mount Zion 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 like the heights, like the earth which He hath founded for ever.

70 He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.

He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

71 Euen from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iaakob, and his inheritance in Israel.

From following the ewes that give suck He brought him, to be shepherd over Jacob His people, 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 shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart; and lead them by the skilfulness of his hands.