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 with a simile my mouth, 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 do 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, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that 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:
And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed 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 doth know, Sons who are born, do 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 in God their confidence, And forget not 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 apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God [is] its spirit.
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 in His law they have refused to walk,
11 And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them.
And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.
12 Hee did marueilous thinges in the sight of their fathers in the lande of Egypt: euen in the fielde of Zoan.
Before their fathers He hath done wonders, 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 causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth 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 leadeth them with a 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 cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth 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 bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.
17 Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,
And they add still 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?
Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. 'Also — bread [is] He able to give? Doth 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 hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath 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 commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.
24 And had rained downe MAN vpon them for to eate, and had giuen them of the wheate of heauen.
And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.
25 Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.
Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.
26 He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde.
He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,
27 Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea.
And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas — winged fowl,
28 And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.
And causeth [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.
29 So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire.
And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth 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, Yet [is] 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.
And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused 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 consumeth in vanity their days, 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 sought God earnestly,
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 with their tongue do lie to Him,
37 For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant.
And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast 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, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe.
And He remembereth that they [are] flesh, A wind going on — and it returneth not.
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.
Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.
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 turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.
45 Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,
46 He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.
And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.
47 He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone.
He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,
48 He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes.
And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle 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 sendeth 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 pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.
51 And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.
And He smiteth every first-born 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 causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth 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 leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.
54 And he brought them vnto the borders of his Sanctuarie: euen to this Mountaine, which his right hand purchased.
And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,
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 casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth 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 His testimonies have not kept.
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 with their graven images make Him zealous,
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.
60 So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men,
And He leaveth the tabernacle 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 giveth 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 delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.
63 The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.
His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.
64 Their Priestes fell by the sworde, and their widowes lamented not.
His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.
65 But the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and as a strong man that after his wine crieth out,
And the Lord waketh 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 smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.
68 But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued.
And He chooseth 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 buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.
70 He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.
And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh 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.
From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, 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 ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!
