Psalms 78

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

A Psalme to give instruction committed to Asaph. Heare my doctrine, O my people: incline your eares vnto the wordes of my mouth.

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

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will declare high sentences of olde.

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

Which we haue heard and knowen, and our fathers haue tolde vs.

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.

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:

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;

How he established a testimonie in Iaakob, and ordeined a Law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they shoulde teache their children:

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

That the posteritie might knowe it, and the children, which should be borne, should stand vp, and declare it to their children:

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

That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements:

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 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.

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

The children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe, turned backe in the day of battell.

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

They kept not the couenant of God, but refused to walke in his Lawe,

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

And forgate his Actes, and his wonderfull woorkes that he had shewed them.

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

Hee did marueilous thinges in the sight of their fathers in the lande of Egypt: euen in the fielde of Zoan.

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

He deuided the Sea, and led them through: he made also the waters to stand as an heape.

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

In the day time also hee led them with a cloude, and all the night with a light of fire.

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

He claue the rockes in the wildernes, and gaue them drinke as of the great depths.

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

He brought floods also out of the stonie rocke; so that hee made the waters to descend like the riuers.

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

Yet they sinned stil against him, and prouoked the Highest in the wildernesse,

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

And tempted God in their heartes in requiring meate for their lust.

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

They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?

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?"

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?

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

Therefore the Lord heard and was angrie, and the fire was kindled in Iaakob, and also wrath came vpon Israel,

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

Because they beleeued not in God, and trusted not in his helpe.

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

Yet he had comanded the clouds aboue, and had opened the doores of heauen,

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

And had rained downe MAN vpon them for to eate, and had giuen them of the wheate of heauen.

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

Man did eate the bread of Angels: hee sent them meate ynough.

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

He caused the Eastwinde to passe in the heauen, and through his power he brought in the Southwinde.

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

Hee rained flesh also vpon them as dust, and feathered foule as the sand of the sea.

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

And hee made it fall in the middes of their campe euen round about their habitations.

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

So they did eate and were well filled: for he gaue them their desire.

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

They were not turned from their lust, but the meate was yet in their mouthes,

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.

When the wrath of God came euen vpon them, and slew the strongest of them, and smote downe the chosen men in Israel.

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

For all this, they sinned stil, and beleeued not his wonderous woorkes.

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

Therefore their daies did hee consume in vanitie, and their yeeres hastily.

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

And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.

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

And they remembred that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer.

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

But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.

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

For their heart was not vpright with him: neither were they faithfull in his couenant.

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.

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.

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

For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not againe.

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

How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?

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

Yea, they returned, and tempted God, and limited the Holie one of Israel.

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

They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he deliuered them from the enemie,

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

Nor him that set his signes in Egypt, and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan,

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

And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke.

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

Hee sent a swarme of flies among them, which deuoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

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

He gaue also their fruites vnto the caterpiller, and their labour vnto the grassehopper.

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

He destroied their vines with haile, and their wilde figge trees with the hailestone.

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

He gaue their cattell also to the haile, and their flockes to the thunderboltes.

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

Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of euill Angels.

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 made a way to his anger: he spared not their soule from death, but gaue their life to the pestilence,

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

And smote al the firstborne in Egypt, euen the beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.

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

But hee made his people to goe out like sheepe, and led them in the wildernes like a flocke.

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

Yea, he caried them out safely, and they feared not, and the Sea couered their enemies.

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

And he brought them vnto the borders of his Sanctuarie: euen to this Mountaine, which his right hand purchased.

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.

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.

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

Yet they tempted, and prouoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,

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

But turned backe and delt falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitfull bowe.

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

And they prouoked him to anger with their high places, and mooued him to wrath with their grauen images.

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

God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,

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

So that hee forsooke the habitation of Shilo, euen the Tabernacle where hee dwelt among men,

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

And deliuered his power into captiuitie, and his beautie into the enemies hand.

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

And hee gaue vp his people to the sworde, and was angrie with his inheritance.

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

The fire deuoured their chosen men, and their maides were not praised.

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

Their Priestes fell by the sworde, and their widowes lamented not.

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

But the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and as a strong man that after his wine crieth out,

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

And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetuall shame.

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

Yet he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

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

But chose the tribe of Iudah, and mount Zion which he loued.

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

And he built his Sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth, which he stablished for euer.

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

He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the shepefolds.

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

Euen from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iaakob, and his inheritance in Israel.

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

So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands.