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.
AN INSTRUCTION OF ASAPH. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will declare high sentences of olde.
I open my mouth with an allegory, I bring forth hidden things of old,
3 Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs.
That we have heard and know, And our fathers have recounted 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:
We do not hide from their sons, Recounting praises of YHWH to a later generation, And His strength, and His wonders that He has 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:
And He raises up a testimony in Jacob, And has placed a law in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.
6 That the posteritie might knowe it, and the children, which should be borne, should stand vp, and declare it to their children:
So that a later generation knows, Sons who are born, rise and recount to their sons,
7 That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements:
And place their confidence in God, And do not forget the doings of God, But keep His commands.
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 they are not like their fathers, A generation apostatizing and being rebellious, A generation—it has not prepared its heart, Nor [is] its spirit steadfast with God.
9 The children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell.
Sons of Ephraim—armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.
10 They kept not the couenant of God, but refused to walke in his Lawe,
They have not kept the covenant of God, And they have refused to walk in His law,
11 And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them.
And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He showed them.
12 Hee did marueilous thinges in the sight of their fathers in the lande of Egypt: euen in the fielde of Zoan.
He has done wonders before their fathers, In the land of Egypt—the field of Zoan.
13 He deuided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heape.
He cleft a sea, and causes them to pass over, Indeed, He causes 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.
And leads them with a cloud by day, And with a light of fire all the night.
15 He claue the rockes in the wildernes, and gaue them drinke as of the great depths.
He cleaves rocks in a wilderness, And gives drink—as the great deep.
16 He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers.
And brings out streams from a rock, And causes waters to come down as rivers.
17 Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,
And they still add to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.
18 And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust.
And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.
19 They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?
And they speak against God—they said: “Is God able to array a table in a 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 has struck a rock, And waters flow, indeed, streams overflow. “Also, [is] He able to give bread? Does He prepare 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 YHWH has heard, And He shows Himself angry, And fire has been kindled against Jacob, And anger has also gone up against Israel,
22 Because they beleeued not in God, and trusted not in his helpe.
For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.
23 Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen,
And He commands clouds from above, Indeed, He has opened doors of the heavens.
24 And had rained downe MAN vpon them for to eate, and had giuen them of the wheate of heauen.
And He rains manna on them to eat, Indeed, He has given grain of the heavens to them.
25 Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.
Each has eaten food of the mighty, He sent provision to them to satiety.
26 He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde.
He causes an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leads a south wind by His strength,
27 Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea.
And He rains on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas—winged bird,
28 And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.
And causes [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, Around His dwelling places.
29 So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire.
And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And He brings their desire to them.
30 They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes,
They have not been estranged from their desire, Their food [is] 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.
And the anger of God has gone up against them, And He slays among their fat ones, And He caused youths of Israel to bend.
32 For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes.
With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.
33 Therefore their daies did hee consume in vanitie, and their yeeres hastily.
And He consumes their days in vanity, And their years in trouble.
34 And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.
If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and earnestly sought God,
35 And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.
And they remember that God [is] their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.
And they deceive Him with their mouth, And lie to Him with their tongue,
37 For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant.
And their heart has not been right with Him, And they have not been 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.
And He, the Merciful One, pardons iniquity, and does not destroy, And has often turned back His anger, And does not awaken all His fury.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe.
And He remembers that they [are] flesh, A wind going on—and it does not return.
40 How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?
How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?
41 Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel.
Indeed, they turn back, and try God, And have limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he deliuered them from the enemie,
They have not remembered His hand The day 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 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 He turns their streams to blood, And they do not drink their floods.
45 Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sends among them the beetle, and it consumes them, And the frog, and it destroys them,
46 He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.
And gives their increase to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust.
47 He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone.
He destroys their vine with hail, And their sycamores with frost,
48 He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes.
And delivers their beasts up to the hail, And their livestock to the burning flames.
49 Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of euill Angels.
He sends on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress—A discharge of evil messengers.
50 He made a way to his anger: he spared not their soule from death, but gaue their life to the pestilence,
He ponders a path for His anger, He did not keep back their soul from death, Indeed, He delivered up their life to the pestilence.
51 And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.
And He strikes every firstborn in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.
52 But hee made his people to goe out like sheepe, and led them in the wildernes like a flocke.
And causes His people to journey as a flock, And guides them as a drove in a wilderness,
53 Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies.
And He leads them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And the sea has 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 brings them to the border of His sanctuary, This mountain 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 casts out nations from before them, And causes them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causes the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,
56 Yet they tempted, and prouoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,
And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And have not kept His testimonies.
57 But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe.
And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned 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 make Him angry with their high places, And make Him zealous with their carved images,
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
God has heard, and shows Himself angry. And kicks exceedingly against Israel.
60 So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men,
And He leaves the Dwelling Place of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,
61 And deliuered his power into captiuitie, and his beautie into the enemies hand.
And He gives His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,
62 And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance.
And delivers His people up to the sword, And showed Himself angry with His inheritance.
63 The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.
Fire has consumed His young men, And His virgins have not been praised.
64 Their Priestes fell by the sworde, and their widowes lamented not.
His priests have fallen by the sword, And their widows do not weep.
65 But the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and as a strong man that after his wine crieth out,
And the Lord wakes as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.
66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame.
And He strikes His adversaries backward, He has put a continuous reproach on them,
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
And He kicks against the tent of Joseph, And has not fixed on the tribe of Ephraim.
68 But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued.
And He chooses the tribe of Judah, With Mount Zion that He loved,
69 And he built his Sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth, which he stablished for euer.
And builds His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it for all time.
70 He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.
And He fixes on His servant David, And takes him from the folds of a flock,
71 Euen from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iaakob, and his inheritance in Israel.
He has brought him in from behind suckling ones, To rule over Jacob His people, And over 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 rules them according to the integrity of his heart, And leads them by the skillfulness of his hands!
