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 contemplation by Asaph.] Hear my teaching, my people. Turn 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 in a parable. I will utter dark sayings since the beginning of the world,

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

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 them from their descendants, telling to the generation to come the praises of YHWH, his strength, and his wondrous works 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:

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching 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 it, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell 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 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 did not make their hearts loyal, whose 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 people of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

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

They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk by his Law.

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

They forgot his doings, 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.

He did marvelous things 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 split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters 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.

In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all 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 abundantly as out of the depths.

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 they still went on 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.

They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.

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

Yes, 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?

Look, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? 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 YHWH heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,

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

because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.

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

Yet he commanded the clouds 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.

He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven.

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

Man ate the bread of the mighty ones. He sent them food 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 blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.

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

He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.

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

He let it fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tent.

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

So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.

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

They did not turn from their cravings. 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, killed some of the fattest of them, and struck down the young men of Israel.

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

For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.

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

Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

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

When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.

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

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.

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

But they flattered him 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 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 iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

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

He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn't come again.

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

How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert.

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

They turned again and tempted God, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he deliuered them from the enemie,

They did not remember 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, his wonders in the field of Zoan,

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

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

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 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 destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.

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

He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

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

He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of destroying 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 path for his anger. He did not spare 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 struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief 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 led forth his own people 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.

He led them safely, so that they weren't afraid, 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.

He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.

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 also drove out the nations before them, 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 tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep 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 to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.

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

When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;

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

So that he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among men;

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

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

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

He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.

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

Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.

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

Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn't weep.

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

Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.

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

He struck his adversaries backward. He made them a permanent shame.

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

Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

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

But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.

69 And he built his Sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth, which he stablished for euer.

He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.

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

He also chose David 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 have their young, he brought him 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 was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.