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 Asaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction! 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 in a psalm; I will utter sayings of ancient times.
3 Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs.
What we have heard and learned, 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; Showing to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, His might, and the wonders he hath 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:
For he appointed statutes in Jacob, And established a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers To make 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:
So that the generation to come might know them; The children, which should be born, and rise up, Who should 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 put their trust in God, And not forget his deeds, 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, like their forefathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, —A generation whose heart was not fixed upon God, And whose spirit was not steadfast toward the Almighty.
9 The children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell.
The children of Ephraim were like armed bowmen, Who turn their backs 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 forgot his mighty deeds, And the wonders 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 divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; Yea, 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 he led them by a cloud, And all the night by a light of fire.
15 He claue the rockes in the wildernes, and gaue them drinke as of the great depths.
He clave the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink, as from the great deep.
16 He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers.
From the rock he brought flowing streams, And made water to run down like rivers.
17 Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,
Yet still they sinned against him, And provoked the Most High in the desert.
18 And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust.
They tempted God in their hearts, By asking food for their delight.
19 They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?
Yea, they spake against God, and said, “Can God spread 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, and the water flowed, And streams gushed forth: Is he also able to give bread? 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,
When, therefore, the LORD heard this, he was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger arose 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 aid.
23 Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen,
Yet he had commanded the clouds above, And had 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 had rained down upon them manna for food, And had given them the corn of heaven.
25 Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.
Every one ate the food of princes; He sent them bread to the full.
26 He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde.
Then he caused a strong wind to blow in the heavens, And by his power he brought a south wind;
27 Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea.
He rained down flesh upon them as dust, And feathered fowls as the sand of the sea.
28 And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.
He caused them to 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.
So they did eat, and were filled; For he gave them their own desire.
30 They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes,
Their desire was not yet satisfied, And their meat 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 wrath of God came upon them, And slew their strong men, And smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32 For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes.
For all this they sinned still, And put no trust 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 sudden destruction.
34 And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.
When he slew them, they sought him; They returned, and sought earnestly for God;
35 And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.
And remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.
But they only flattered him with their mouths, And spake falsely to him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant.
For their hearts were not true to him, Nor 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.
Yet, being full of compassion, he forgave their iniquity, And would not utterly destroy them; Often he restrained his indignation, And stirred not up all his anger.
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 breath, that passeth and cometh not back.
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! How often did they anger him in the desert!
41 Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel.
Again and again they tempted God, And offended 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 delivered them from the enemy;
43 Nor him that set his signes in Egypt, and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan,
What signs he had wrought in Egypt, And what wonders in the fields of Zoan.
44 And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke.
He turned their rivers into blood, So that they could not drink of their streams.
45 Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent amongst them 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 fruits 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, And their sycamore-trees with frost.
48 He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes.
He also gave up their cattle to 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 sent against them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, indignation, and woe, —A host of angels 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 made a way for his anger, He spared them not from death, But gave up their lives to the pestilence.
51 And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.
He smote all the firstborn 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 led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
53 Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies.
He led them on safely, so that they feared not, While 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 his own sacred border, Even to this mountain which his right hand had gained.
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 cast out the nations before them, And divided their land by a measuring-line, as an inheritance, And caused 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 God, the Most High, And kept not his statutes;
57 But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe.
Like their fathers they were faithless, and turned back; They 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.
They provoked his anger by their high places, And stirred up his jealousy by their graven images.
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
God saw this, and was wroth, 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 habitation at Shiloh, The tabernacle 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, And his glory into the hand of the enemy.
62 And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance.
His own people he gave up to the sword, And was wroth with his own inheritance.
63 The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.
Fire consumed their young men, And their maidens did not bewail them.
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,
But at length the Lord awaked as from sleep, As a hero who had been overpowered by wine;
66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame.
He smote his enemies, and drove them back, And covered them with everlasting disgrace.
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
Yet he rejected the tents 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.
Where he built, like the heavens, his sanctuary; Like the earth, which he hath established for ever.
70 He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.
And he 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 tending the suckling ewes 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.
He fed them with an upright heart, And guided them with skilful hands.
