Psalms 78
1 “A psalm of Asaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction! Incline 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 psalm; I will utter sayings of ancient times.
I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter dark sayings concerning days of old;
3 What we have heard and learned, And our fathers have told us,
That which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us,
4 We will not hide from their children; Showing to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, His might, and the wonders he hath wrought.
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 appointed statutes in Jacob, And established a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers To make 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 So that the generation to come might know them; The children, which should be born, and rise up, Who should declare them to 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 put their trust in God, And not forget his deeds, 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, like their forefathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, —A generation whose heart was not fixed upon God, And whose spirit was not steadfast toward the Almighty.
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 children of Ephraim were like armed bowmen, Who turn their backs 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 kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law;
They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law;
11 And forgot his mighty deeds, And the wonders he had shown them.
And they forgot His doings, and His wondrous works that He had shown them.
12 Marvellous things did he 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 divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; Yea, he made the waters to 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 By day he led them by a cloud, And all the night by a light of fire.
By day also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink, as from the great deep.
He cleaved rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the great deep.
16 From the rock he brought flowing streams, And made water to run down like rivers.
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 Yet still they sinned against him, And provoked 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 hearts, By asking food for their delight.
And they tried God in their heart by asking food for their craving.
19 Yea, they spake against God, and said, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
Yea, they spoke against God; they said: 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold! he smote the rock, and the water flowed, And streams gushed forth: Is he also able to give bread? Can 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 When, therefore, the LORD heard this, he was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger arose 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 believed not in God, And trusted not in his aid.
Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation.
23 Yet he had commanded the clouds above, And had opened the doors of heaven;
And He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;
24 And had rained down upon them manna for food, And had given them the corn of heaven.
And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the corn of heaven.
25 Every one ate the food of princes; He sent them bread to the full.
Man did eat the bread of the mighty; He sent them provisions to the full.
26 Then he caused a strong wind to blow in the heavens, And by his power he brought a 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 down flesh upon them as dust, And feathered fowls as the sand of the sea.
He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust, and winged fowl as the sand of the seas;
28 He caused them to fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.
And He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their dwellings.
29 So they did eat, and were filled; For he gave them their own desire.
So they did eat, and were well filled; and He gave them that which they craved.
30 Their desire was not yet satisfied, And their meat was yet in their mouths,
They were not estranged from their craving, their food was yet in their mouths,
31 When the wrath of God came upon them, And slew their strong men, And smote down the chosen 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 sinned still, And put no trust 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 sudden destruction.
Therefore He ended their days as a breath, and their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, they sought him; They returned, and sought earnestly for God;
When He slew them, then they would inquire after Him, and turn back and seek God earnestly.
35 And remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they only flattered him with their mouths, And spake falsely to him with their tongues.
But they beguiled Him with their mouth, and lied unto Him with their tongue.
37 For their hearts were not true to him, Nor were they steadfast in his covenant.
For their heart was not stedfast with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant.
38 Yet, being full of compassion, he forgave their iniquity, And would not utterly destroy them; Often he restrained his indignation, And stirred not up all his anger.
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 breath, that passeth and cometh not back.
So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness! How often did they anger him in the desert!
How oft did they rebel against Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!
41 Again and again they tempted God, And offended the Holy One of Israel.
And still again they tried God, and set bounds to the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, Nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy;
They remembered not His hand, nor the day when He redeemed them from the adversary.
43 What signs he had wrought in Egypt, And what wonders in the fields of Zoan.
How He set His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 He turned their rivers into blood, So that they could not drink of their streams.
And turned their rivers into blood, so that they could not drink their streams.
45 He sent amongst them 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 fruits 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, And their sycamore-trees with frost.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost.
48 He also gave up their cattle to hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
He gave over their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to fiery bolts.
49 He sent against them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, indignation, and woe, —A host of angels of evil.
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 way for his anger, He spared them not from death, But gave up their lives 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 He smote all the firstborn in Egypt; The first-fruits 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 like a flock in the wilderness.
But He made His own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them on safely, so that they feared not, While 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 his own sacred border, Even to this mountain which his right hand had gained.
And He brought them to His holy border, to the mountain, which His right hand had gotten.
55 He cast out the nations before them, And divided their land by a measuring-line, as an inheritance, And caused 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 provoked God, the Most High, And kept not his statutes;
Yet they tried and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not His testimonies;
57 Like their fathers they were faithless, and turned back; They turned aside, like a deceitful bow.
But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 They provoked his anger by their high places, And stirred up his jealousy by their graven images.
For they provoked Him with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 God saw this, and was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;
God heard, and was wroth, and He greatly abhorred Israel;
60 So that he forsook the habitation at Shiloh, The tabernacle 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, And his glory into the hand of the enemy.
And delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the adversary's hand.
62 His own people he gave up to the sword, And was wroth with his own inheritance.
He gave His people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with His inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men, And their maidens did not bewail them.
Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins had no marriage-song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation.
Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
65 But at length the Lord awaked as from sleep, As a hero who had been overpowered by wine;
Then the Lord awaked as one asleep, like a mighty man recovering from wine.
66 He smote his enemies, and drove them back, And covered them with everlasting disgrace.
And He smote His adversaries backward; He put upon them a perpetual reproach.
67 Yet he rejected the tents of Joseph, And chose not 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, The Mount Zion which he loved;
But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which He loved.
69 Where he built, like the heavens, his sanctuary; Like the earth, which he hath established for ever.
And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He hath founded for ever.
70 And he chose David, his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;
He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From tending the suckling ewes he brought him To feed Jacob his people, 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 He fed them with an upright heart, And guided them with skilful hands.
So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart; and lead them by the skilfulness of his hands.
