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 teaching; incline your ears 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,

I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter dark sayings concerning days of old;

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

That which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us,

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 hide from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wondrous works 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;

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

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

That the generation to come might know them, even the children that should be born; who should arise and tell them 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 put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments;

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 might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

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

The children of Ephraim were as archers handling the bow, that turned back in the day of battle.

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

They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law;

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

And they forgot His doings, and His wondrous works that He had shown them.

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

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

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

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

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

By day also He led them with a cloud, 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 cleaved rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the great deep.

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

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

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

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

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

And they tried God in their heart by asking food for their craving.

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

Yea, they spoke against God; they said: 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

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 rock, that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; can He give bread also? or will He provide 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 wroth; and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel;

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

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation.

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

And He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;

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

And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the corn of heaven.

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

Man did eat the bread of the mighty; He sent them provisions to the full.

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

He caused the east wind to set forth in heaven; and by His power He brought on the south wind.

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

He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust, and winged fowl as the sand of the seas;

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

And He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their dwellings.

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

So they did eat, and were well filled; and He gave them that which they craved.

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

They were not estranged from their craving, their food was yet 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.

When the anger of God went up against them, and slew of the lustieth among them, and smote down the young men of Israel.

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

For all this they sinned still, and believed not in His wondrous works.

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

Therefore He ended their days as a breath, and their years in terror.

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

When He slew them, then they would inquire after Him, and turn back and seek God earnestly.

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

And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.

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

But they beguiled Him with their mouth, and lied unto 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 stedfast with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant.

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 compassion, forgiveth iniquity, and destroyeth not; yea, many a time doth He turn His anger away, and doth not stir up all His wrath.

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

So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

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

How oft did they rebel against Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!

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

And still again they tried God, and set bounds to the Holy 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 redeemed them from the adversary.

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

How He set 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.

And turned their rivers into blood, so that they could not drink their streams.

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

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

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

He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust.

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

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost.

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

He gave over their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to fiery bolts.

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

He sent forth upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a sending of messengers of evil.

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 levelled a path for His anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

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

And smote all the first-born in 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 made His own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

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

And He led them safely, and they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed 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 to His holy border, to the mountain, which His right hand had gotten.

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 drove out the nations also before them, and 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 did not keep his testimonies;

Yet they tried and provoked God, the Most High, 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 back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

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

For they provoked Him with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.

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

God heard, and was wroth, and He greatly abhorred Israel;

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

And He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He had made to dwell among men;

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

And delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the adversary's hand.

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

He gave His people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with His inheritance.

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

Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins had no marriage-song.

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

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

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

Then the Lord awaked as one asleep, like a mighty man recovering from wine.

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

And He smote His adversaries backward; He put upon them a perpetual reproach.

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

Moreover He abhorred the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

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

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

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

And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He hath founded for ever.

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

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

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 following the ewes that give suck He brought him, to be shepherd over Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.

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

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart; and lead them by the skilfulness of his hands.