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 ear to sayings of my mouth.

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

I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,

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

That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to 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 do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders 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;

And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.

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

So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,

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

And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.

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 they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God [is] its spirit.

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

Sons of Ephraim — armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.

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

They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,

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

And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.

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

Before their fathers He hath 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 cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth 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 leadeth them with a cloud by day, 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 cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink — as the great deep.

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

And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.

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

And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.

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

And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.

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

And they speak against God — they said: 'Is God able to array a table in a 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?"

Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. 'Also — bread [is] He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'

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

Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,

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

For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

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

And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.

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

And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.

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

Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.

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

He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,

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

And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas — winged fowl,

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

And causeth [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.

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

And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.

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

They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet [is] their food in their mouth,

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.

And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.

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

With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.

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

And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.

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

If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,

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

And they remember that God [is] their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.

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

And — they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,

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

And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been 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.

And He — the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.

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

And He remembereth that they [are] flesh, A wind going on — and it returneth not.

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

How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?

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

Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.

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

They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.

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

When 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 He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.

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

He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,

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

And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.

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

He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,

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

And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.

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

He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress — A discharge of evil messengers.

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 pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.

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

And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.

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

And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,

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

And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.

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

And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,

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 casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth 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;

And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.

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

And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been 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 make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,

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

God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.

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

And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

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

And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,

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

And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.

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

His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.

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

His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.

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

And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.

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

And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,

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

And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.

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

And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,

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

And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.

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

And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,

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 behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over 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 ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!