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 Asaph. My people, attend to my teaching: bend your ears to the words of my mouth,
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will declare high sentences of olde.
as I open my mouth in a poem on the riddling story of the past.
3 Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs.
What we have heard and known, and what our ancestors 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. We will tell to the next generation the praises and might of the Lord, and the 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:
He set up a testimony in Jacob, a law he appointed in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors 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:
that the next generation should know it, that the children yet to be born should 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 in God they might put their confidence, and not forget God’s works; but that they might 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 not be like their ancestors, a generation defiant and stubborn, a generation with heart unsteady, and spirit unfaithful towards God.
9 The children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell.
Ephraimites, armed bowmen, 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, they refused to walk in his law.
11 And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them.
They forgot what he had done, 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.
He did wonders before their ancestors in the country of Zoan in Egypt.
13 He deuided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heape.
Through the sea which he split he brought them, making waters stand up like a heap;
14 In the day time also hee led them with a cloude, and all the night with a light of fire.
he led them by day with a cloud, 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.
From the rocks which he split in the wilderness, he gave them to drink as of ocean’s abundance.
16 He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers.
He brought streams out of the rock, and made water run down like rivers.
17 Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,
Yet they still went on sinning against him, they defied the Most High in the desert.
18 And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust.
They willfully challenged God, demanding the food that they longed for.
19 They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?
“Is God able,” such was their challenge, “to spread in the desert a table?
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?
From the rock that he struck there gushed water, and torrents that overflowed; but can he also give bread, or provide his people with meat?”
21 Therefore the Lord heard and was angrie, and the fire was kindled in Iaakob, and also wrath came vpon Israel,
When the Lord heard this, he was furious, and fire was kindled on Jacob, anger flared up against Israel.
22 Because they beleeued not in God, and trusted not in his helpe.
For they put no trust in God, no confidence in his help.
23 Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen,
So he summoned the clouds above; and, opening 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 manna upon them for food, and grain of heaven he gave them.
25 Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.
Everyone ate the bread of angels; 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 launched the east wind in the heavens, and guided the south by his power.
27 Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea.
He rained meat upon them like dust, winged bird like the sand of the sea.
28 And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.
In the midst of their camp he dropped it, all around their tents.
29 So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire.
They ate and were more than filled; he had brought them the thing they desired.
30 They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes,
But the thing they desired became loathsome: while their food was still 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.
the wrath of God rose against them. He slew the stoutest among them, and laid low the young men of Israel.
32 For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes.
Yet for all this they sinned yet more, and refused to believe in his wonders.
33 Therefore their daies did hee consume in vanitie, and their yeeres hastily.
So he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden dismay.
34 And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.
When he slew them, then they sought after him, they turned and sought God with diligence.
35 And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.
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 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.
Their heart was not steady with him, they were faithless to 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 is full of pity: he pardons sin and destroys not. Often he turns his anger away, without stirring his wrath at all.
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, breath that passes and does not return.
40 How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?
But how often they rebelled in the desert, and caused him grief in the wilderness,
41 Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel.
tempting God again and again, provoking 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 strength, nor the day he redeemed from the foe,
43 Nor him that set his signes in Egypt, and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan,
how he set his signs in Egypt, in the country of Zoan his wonders.
44 And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke.
He turned their canals into blood, their streams undrinkable.
45 Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent forth flies, which devoured them; frogs, too, which destroyed them.
46 He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.
Their crops he gave to the caterpillar, and the fruits of their toil to the locust.
47 He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone.
He slew 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 delivered their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.
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 his hot anger among them, fury and wrath and distress, 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 cleared a path for his anger, did not spare them from death, but gave them over to pestilence.
51 And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.
He struck down 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.
He led forth his people like sheep, he was guide to his flock in the desert.
53 Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies.
Securely he led them, and free from fear, while their foes were drowned in the sea.
54 And he brought them vnto the borders of his Sanctuarie: euen to this Mountaine, which his right hand purchased.
To his holy realm he brought them, to the mountain his right hand had purchased.
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 before them, and allotted their land for possession, and their tents for Israel to live in.
56 Yet they tempted, and prouoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,
Yet they tempted and angered the Most High God, they did not observe his decrees.
57 But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe.
They drew back, false like their ancestors; they failed like a treacherous bow.
58 And they prouoked him to anger with their high places, and mooued him to wrath with their grauen images.
Their shrines stirred him to anger, their idols moved him to jealousy.
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
When God heard of this, he was furious, and he spurned Israel utterly.
60 So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men,
He abandoned his home in Shiloh, the tent he had pitched among people.
61 And deliuered his power into captiuitie, and his beautie into the enemies hand.
He gave his strength up to captivity, his glory to the hands of the foe.
62 And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance.
He gave his people to the sword, he was furious with his own.
63 The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.
Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens 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 could not 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 awoke as from sleep, like a warrior flushed with wine;
66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame.
and he beat back his foes, putting them to perpetual scorn.
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
He disowned the tent of Joseph, he rejected the tribe of Ephraim;
68 But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued.
but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 And he built his Sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth, which he stablished for euer.
And he built like the heights his sanctuary, like the earth which he founded forever.
70 He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.
And he chose David his servant, taking 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 the mother-ewes he brought him, to be shepherd to Jacob his people, and to Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands.
With upright heart did he shepherd them, and with skilful hands did he guide them.
