Psalms 78

1 “A Maskil of Assaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy ear to the words of my mouth.

Understanding for Asaph. Attend, O my people, to my law: incline 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 parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.

3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.

How great things have we 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.

They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders which he hath 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:

And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same 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 another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children.

7 That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;

That they may put their hope in God and may not forget the works of God: and may seek 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.

That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The children of Ephraim, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,

The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.

10 Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;

They kept not the covenant of God: and in his law they would not walk.

11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.

And they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that he had shewn them.

12 In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.

Wonderful things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.

He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.

14 And he led them with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

And he conducted them with a cloud by day: and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty deep.

He struck the rock in the wilderness: and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep.

16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.

He brought forth water out of the rock: and made streams run down as rivers.

17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

And they added yet more sin against him: they provoked the most High to wrath in the place without water.

18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.

And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.

19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?

And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish 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?

Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table 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: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel.

22 Because they had not believed in God, and had not trusted in his salvation.

Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in his salvation.

23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;

And he had commanded the clouds from above, and had 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.

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven.

25 Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.

Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance.

26 He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.

He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.

27 And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;

And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.

28 And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

And they fell in the midst of their camp, round about their pavilions.

29 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.

So they did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and he gave them their desire:

30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:

They were not defrauded of that which they craved. As yet their meat was in their mouth:

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.

And the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.

32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.

In all these things they sinned still: and they believed not for his wondrous works.

33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.

And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.

34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and came to him early in the morning.

35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the most high God their redeemer.

And they remembered that God was their helper: and the most high God their redeemer.

36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.

And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied unto him:

37 For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not faithful in his covenant.

But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted 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 is merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy them. And many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his wrath.

39 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.

And he remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.

40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!

How often did they provoke him in the desert: and move him to wrath in the place without water?

41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.

And they turned back and tempted God: and grieved the holy one of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;

They remembered not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:

43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.

How he wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis.

44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].

And he turned their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might, not drink.

45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

He sent amongst them divers sores 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.

And he gave up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.

47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.

And he destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost.

48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.

And he gave up their cattle to the hail, and their stock to the fire.

49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.

And he sent upon them the wrath of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble, which he sent by evil angels.

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 way for a path to his anger: he spared not their souls from death, and their cattle he shut up in death.

51 And he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;

And he killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: the firstfruits of all their labour in the tabernacles of Cham.

52 But he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.

And he took away his own people as 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.

And he brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.

And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.

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.

And he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.

56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;

Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God: and they kept not his testimonies.

57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.

And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.

58 And they provoked him to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.

They provoked him to anger on their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their graven things.

59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;

God heard, and despised them, and he reduced Israel exceedingly as it were to nothing.

60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;

And he put away the tabernacle of Silo, his tabernacle where he dwelt among men.

61 And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand.

And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.

62 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.

And he shut up his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance.

63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.

Fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not lamented.

64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.

Their priests fell by the sword: and their widows did not mourn.

65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine.

66 And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.

And he smote his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.

67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;

And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

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

But he chose the tribe of Juda, mount Sion which he loved.

69 And he built like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

And he built his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.

70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:

And he chose his servant David, and took him from the hocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes great with young,

71 From following the ewes with young he brought him, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

To feed Jacob his servant, 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.

And he fed them in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skillfulness of his hands.