Psalms 78

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

An instruction. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; 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 in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,

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

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 YHWH, his strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.

We will not hide [them] from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which 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], the children that should be born; that they might rise up 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,

And that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but observe 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 prepared not their heart, 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 sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, 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 forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.

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

In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.

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

He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and 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.

And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.

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

He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;

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

And he brought streams 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 they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;

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

And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;

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

And they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to 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, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?

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

Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and 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 confided not in his salvation;

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

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,

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

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.

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 provision 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 rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;

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

And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered 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 habitations:

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

And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.

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

They were not alienated from their lust, their meat 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 he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen 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 marvellous works;

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

And he consumed their days in vanity, 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 sought him, and returned and sought early after God;

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

And they remembered that God was their rock, and God, the Most High, 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 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 firm toward him, neither were they stedfast 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 was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:

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

And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath 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 provoke 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 they turned again and tempted God, and grieved 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, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,

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

How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles 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, and their streams, that they could not drink;

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

He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;

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

And he gave 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 killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;

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

And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.

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

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, — a mission of angels of woes.

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 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 he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.

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

And 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, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered 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, this mountain, 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.

And he drove out the nations 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;

But they tempted 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.

And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.

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

And they provoked him to anger 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 greatly abhorred Israel:

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

And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,

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

And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;

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

And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:

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

The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] 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 awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;

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

And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.

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

And he rejected 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;

And he chose David 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 suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed 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.

And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.