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 psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.
2 I will open with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;
I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past
3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.
that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to 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 keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things 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:
He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them 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;
so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.
7 That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;
In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and 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.
Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.
9 The children of Ephraim, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,
The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on 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 agreement, and refused to follow his laws.
11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.
They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things 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.
the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.
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 in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.
14 And he led them with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.
He led them with a cloud by day, and by 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 open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.
16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.
He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!
17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.
They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.
19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?
They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?
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?
Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he supply his people with meat?”
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,
When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,
22 Because they had not believed in God, and had not trusted in his salvation.
for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.
23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;
Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,
24 And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.
and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.
25 Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.
Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.
26 He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.
He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove 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 rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.
28 And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.
29 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.
They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.
30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:
But before they satisfied their appetite, while the meat was still 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.
God became angry with them and he killed their strongest men, striking them down in the prime of life.
32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.
Despite all this they went right on sinning. Despite the miracles, they refused to trust him.
33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.
So he snuffed out their futile lives, bringing them to an end in terror.
34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.
When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the most high God their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Savior.
36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.
They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
37 For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not faithful in his covenant.
Deep down they were not sincere, and did not keep the agreement they had with him.
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 being compassionate he pardoned their guilt and did not destroy all of them. He often held back his anger—he did not pour out all his fury.
39 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.
He remembered their mortality—that they were like a puff of wind that would not return.
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, giving him grief in the desert!
41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.
Again and again they provoked God, causing pain to 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 strength when he rescued them from their oppressors,
43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.
performing miracles in Egypt, doing wonderful things on the plain of Zoan.
44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].
There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.
45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent flies among them to destroy them, and frogs to ruin everything.
46 And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.
He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their fig trees with freezing rain.
48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.
He handed over their cattle to hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.
He poured out on them his fierce anger—rage and hostility and anguish—sending a band of destroying angels against them.
50 He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered to the pestilence;
He sent his unrestrained anger against them; he did not spare them from death, handing them over to the plague.
51 And he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;
He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first to be conceived 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 people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
53 And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.
He led them to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.
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 holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.
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 drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;
But they provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.
57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.
Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.
58 And they provoked him to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.
They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.
59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;
When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.
60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;
He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.
61 And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand.
He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.
62 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.
He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.
63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.
Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.
64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.
Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.
65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.
66 And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.
He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.
67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;
He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.
69 And he built like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.
70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:
He chose his servant David, taking him from the sheep pens,
71 From following the ewes with young he brought him, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
taking him from caring for the sheep and lambs to be a shepherd to the descendants of Jacob—God's special people, Israel.
72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.
Like a shepherd, he took care of them with sincere devotion, leading them with skillful hands.
