Psalms 78

1 [A contemplation by Asaph.] Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.

Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings since the beginning of the world,

Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

4 We will not hide them from their descendants, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.

We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.

5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;

6 that the generation to come might know it, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell their children,

So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;

7 that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments,

So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

8 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.

And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

9 The people of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

10 They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk by his Law.

They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous works that he had shown them.

They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

13 He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.

The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

14 In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.

In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

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

The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.

And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.

Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

20 Look, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?"

See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?

21 Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,

So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;

22 because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.

Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

23 Yet he commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven.

And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven.

And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Man ate the bread of the mighty ones. He sent them food to the full.

Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.

He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

27 He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.

He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

28 He let it fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tent.

And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.

So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

30 They did not turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,

But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of the fattest of them, and struck down the young men of Israel.

The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

32 For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.

For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

34 When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.

When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.

In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.

And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

38 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.

But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn't come again.

So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert.

How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

41 They turned again and tempted God, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,

How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.

So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

46 He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.

He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.

He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

48 He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of destroying angels.

He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

50 He made a path for his anger. He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,

He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

53 He led them safely, so that they weren't afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.

And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

55 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.

Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.

56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies;

But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.

They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

59 When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;

When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

60 So that he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among men;

So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary's hand.

And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.

He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.

Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn't weep.

Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.

Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

66 He struck his adversaries backward. He made them a permanent shame.

His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

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

But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.

And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.

72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.