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 Maskil of Assaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy 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 with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;

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

Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto 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 conceal them from their children, relating to the latest generation the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful deeds which 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:

Yea, he established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted 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:

In order that the latest generation might know them, even the children that are to be born; that they may arise and relate 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 may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe 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 that they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that had not directed their heart firmly, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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

The children of Ephraim, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,

10 They kept not the couenant of God, but refused to walke in his Lawe,

Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;

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

And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.

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

In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.

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

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.

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

And he led them with the 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 split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty 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 forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.

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

But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

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

And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.

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

Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order 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, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed: shall he also be able to give bread? or can 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, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,

22 Because they beleeued not in God, and trusted not in his helpe.

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

23 Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen,

Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;

24 And had rained downe MAN vpon them for to eate, and had giuen them of the wheate of heauen.

And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.

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

Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.

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

He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.

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

And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;

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

And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

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

And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.

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

They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food 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.

When the wrath of God ascended against them, and he slew some of the fattest of them, and the young men of Israel did he strike down.

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

With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.

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

Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.

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

When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.

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.

Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.

37 For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant.

For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not 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 merciful, forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not awaken all his fury.

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

And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth 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, grieve him in the desert!

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

Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits 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, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;

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

When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.

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

And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].

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

He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

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

And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.

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

He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.

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

And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.

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

He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.

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

He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered to the pestilence;

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

And he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first 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 caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.

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

And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over 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 territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.

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 drove out from before them nations, and divided them by the measuring-line as an inheritance, and he caused to dwell in their tents the tribes of Israel.

56 Yet they tempted, and prouoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,

Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;

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

But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful 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 to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.

59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,

God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;

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

And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;

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

And he gave up his strength unto 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.

And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.

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

His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.

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

His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.

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

Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

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

And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.

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

Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;

68 But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued.

But he 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 like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

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

And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:

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 with young he brought him, to feed 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.

And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.