Psalms 78
1 “A Maskil of Assaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy ear to the words 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 with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;
I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.
which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not conceal them from their children, relating to the latest generation the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful deeds which he hath done.
We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
5 Yea, he established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
6 In order that the latest generation might know them, even the children that are to be born; that they may arise and relate them to their children;
that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,
7 That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;
that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,
8 And that they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that had not directed their heart firmly, and whose spirit was not faithful to 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, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,
The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;
They did not keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.
They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
12 In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.
He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.
He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
14 And he led them with the cloud by day, 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 split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty deep.
He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.
They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed: shall he also be able to give bread? or can he provide flesh for his people?
Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,
Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
22 Because they had not believed in God, and had not trusted in his salvation.
because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.
23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;
Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
24 And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.
He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
25 Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.
Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
27 And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;
He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28 And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
29 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.
So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:
They did not turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
31 When the wrath of God ascended against them, and he slew some of the fattest of them, and the young men of Israel did he strike down.
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.
For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.
When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the most high God their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not faithful in his covenant.
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38 But he, being merciful, forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not awaken all his fury.
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 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.
He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and does not come again.
40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.
They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;
They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.
how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].
he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.
He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.
He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.
He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
50 He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered 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 he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;
and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.
But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.
He led them safely, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.
He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
55 And he drove out from before them nations, and divided them by the measuring-line as an inheritance, and he caused to dwell in their tents the tribes of Israel.
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 rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies,
57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
58 And they provoked him to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;
When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;
so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men,
61 And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand.
and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
62 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.
Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.
He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;
Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From following the ewes with young he brought him, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
