Psalms 78
1 A poem of Asaph give ear to! O people my instruction my incline ear your to [the] words of mouth my.
A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.
2 I will open in a parable mouth my I will pour forth riddles from antiquity.
I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past
3 Which we have heard and we have known them and ancestors our they have recounted to us.
that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to us.
4 Not we will hide - from descendants their to a generation later recounting [the] praises of Yahweh and might his and wonders his which he has done.
We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things he has done.
5 And he established a testimony - in Jacob and a law he appointed in Israel which he commanded ancestors our to make known them to children their.
He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children,
6 So that they may know - a generation later children [who] they will be born they will arise and may they recount [them] to children their.
so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.
7 So they may put in God confidence their and not they will forget [the] deeds of God and commandments his they will observe.
In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and keep his commandments.
8 And not they will be - like ancestors their a generation stubborn and rebellious a generation [which] not it directed heart its and [which] not it was faithful with God spirit its.
Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.
9 [the] people of Ephraim [were] equipped of shooters of a bow they turned back on [the] day of battle.
The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on the day of battle.
10 Not they kept [the] covenant of God and in law his they refused to walk.
They did not keep God's agreement, and refused to follow his laws.
11 And they forgot deeds his and wonders his which he had shown them.
They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things he had shown them—
12 Before ancestors their he did wonder[s] in [the] land of Egypt [the] region of Zoan.
the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.
13 He split open [the] sea and he brought through them and he made to stand up [the] waters like a heap.
He split the sea in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.
14 And he guided them by the cloud by day and all the night by [the] light of a fire.
He led them with a cloud by day, and by night with a light of fire.
15 He split open rocks in the wilderness and he gave [them] to drink like deeps much.
He split open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.
16 And he brought out streams from a rock and he made to flow down like rivers water.
He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!
17 And they repeated again to sin to him by rebelling against [the] Most High in the dry region.
But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 And they put to [the] test God in heart their by requesting food for selves their.
They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.
19 And they spoke against God they said ¿ is he able God to arrange a table in the wilderness.
They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?
20 There! he struck a rock - and they flowed out waters and torrents they overflowed ¿ also food is he able to give or? will he prepare meat for people his.
Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he supply his people with meat?”
21 Therefore - he heard Yahweh and he was furious and fire it was kindled in Jacob and also anger it went up in Israel.
When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,
22 For not they trusted in God and not they trusted in salvation his.
for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.
23 And he commanded clouds above and [the] doors of heaven he opened.
Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,
24 And he rained down on them manna to eat and [the] grain of heaven he gave to them.
and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.
25 Bread of mighty [ones] he ate everyone food he sent to them to satiety.
Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.
26 He led out an east wind in the heavens and he led forth by strength his a south wind.
He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove the south wind.
27 And he rained down on them like dust meat and like [the] sand of [the] seas bird[s] of wing.
He rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.
28 And he made [them] fall in [the] midst of camp his around dwelling his.
He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.
29 And they ate and they were satisfied exceedingly and desire their he brought to them.
They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.
30 Not they had become estranged from desire their still food their [was] in mouth their.
But before they satisfied their appetite, while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 And [the] anger of God - it went up in them and he killed among vigorous ones their and [the] young men of Israel he made bow down.
God became angry with them and he killed their strongest men, striking them down in the prime of life.
32 In all this they sinned again and not they believed in wonders his.
Despite all this they went right on sinning. Despite the miracles, they refused to trust him.
33 And he brought to an end in futility days their and years their in sudden terror.
So he snuffed out their futile lives, bringing them to an end in terror.
34 If he killed them and they sought him and they returned and they sought earnestly God.
When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
35 And they remembered that God [was] rock their and God Most High [was] redeemer their.
They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Savior.
36 And they deceived him with mouth their and with tongue their they lied to him.
They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
37 And heart their not [was] steadfast with him and not they were faithful in covenant his.
Deep down they were not sincere, and did not keep the agreement they had with him.
38 And he [was] compassionate - he atoned for iniquity and not he destroyed [them] and he increased to turn back anger his and not he stirred up all rage his.
But being compassionate he pardoned their guilt and did not destroy all of them. He often held back his anger—he did not pour out all his fury.
39 And he remembered that [were] flesh they a wind [which] goes and not it returns.
He remembered their mortality—that they were like a puff of wind that would not return.
40 How often! they rebelled against him in the wilderness they grieved him in a desolate place.
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
41 And they returned and they put to [the] test God and [the] holy [one] of Israel they pained.
Again and again they provoked God, causing pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 Not they remembered hand his [the] day when he ransomed them from [the] opponent.
They did not remember his strength when he rescued them from their oppressors,
43 When he performed in Egypt signs his and wonders his in [the] region of Zoan.
performing miracles in Egypt, doing wonderful things on the plain of Zoan.
44 And he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank!
There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.
45 He sent among them a swarm of flies and it devoured them and frog[s] and it ruined them.
He sent flies among them to destroy them, and frogs to ruin everything.
46 And he gave to the locust produce their and [the] result of toil their to the locust.
He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
47 He killed with hail vine[s] their and sycamore-fig trees their with a flood.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their fig trees with freezing rain.
48 And he delivered up to hail cattle their and livestock their to lightning bolts.
He handed over their cattle to hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
49 He sent on them - [the] burning of anger his fury and indignation and trouble a band of angels of calamities.
He poured out on them his fierce anger—rage and hostility and anguish—sending a band of destroying angels against them.
50 He made level a path for anger his not he kept back from death life their and life their to the pestilence he delivered up.
He sent his unrestrained anger against them; he did not spare them from death, handing them over to the plague.
51 And he struck down every firstborn in Egypt [the] beginning of manly vigor in [the] tents of Ham.
He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first to be conceived in the tents of Ham.
52 And he led out like sheep people his and he led them like flock in the wilderness.
But he led out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
53 And he guided them to security and not they were afraid and enemies their it covered the sea.
He led them to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.
54 And he brought them to [the] territory of holiness his [the] mountain which it had acquired right [hand] his.
He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.
55 And he drove out from before them - nations and he made fall them by a measuring-line of inheritance and he caused to dwell in tents their [the] tribes of Israel.
He drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 And they put to [the] test and they rebelled against God Most High and testimonies his not they kept.
But they provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.
57 And they turned back and they acted treacherously like ancestors their they changed like a bow of deceit.
Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.
58 And they provoked to anger him by high places their and by idols their they made jealous him.
They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.
59 He heard God and he was furious and he rejected exceedingly Israel.
When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.
60 And he abandoned [the] tabernacle of Shiloh [the] tent [which] he had pitched among humankind.
He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.
61 And he gave to captivity strength his and splendor his in [the] hand of [the] opponent.
He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.
62 And he delivered up to the sword people his and with inheritance his he was furious.
He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.
63 Young men its it consumed fire and young women its not they were praised.
Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.
64 Priests its by the sword they fell and widows its not they wept.
Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.
65 And he awoke like a sleeper - [the] Lord like a warrior overcome from wine.
Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.
66 And he struck opponents his backwards a reproach of perpetuity he gave to them.
He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.
67 And he rejected [the] tent of Joseph and [the] tribe of Ephraim not he chose.
He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 And he chose [the] tribe of Judah [the] mountain of Zion which he loved.
Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.
69 And he built like [the] high [things] sanctuary his like [the] earth [which] he founded it for ever.
There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.
70 And he chose David servant his and he took him from [the] folds of sheep.
He chose his servant David, taking him from the sheep pens,
71 From after nursing [sheep] he brought him to shepherd Jacob people his and Israel inheritance his.
taking him from caring for the sheep and lambs to be a shepherd to the descendants of Jacob—God's special people, Israel.
72 And he shepherded them according to [the] integrity of heart his and with [the] skill of hands his he led them.
Like a shepherd, he took care of them with sincere devotion, leading them with skillful hands.
