Psalms 78

1 Maskil to/for Asaph to listen [emph?] people my instruction my to stretch ear your to/for word lip my

My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.

2 to open in/on/with proverb lip my to bubble riddle from front: old

I am going to give you some sayings that wise people have said. They will be sayings about things that happened long ago, things that were difficult to understand [MET],

3 which to hear: hear and to know them and father our to recount to/for us

things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.

4 not to hide from son: child their to/for generation last to recount praise LORD and strength his and to wonder his which to make: do

We will tell these things to our children [LIT], and we will also tell to our grandchildren [about] Yahweh’s power and the glorious/great things that he has done.

5 and to arise: establish testimony in/on/with Jacob and instruction to set: appoint in/on/with Israel which to command [obj] father our to/for to know them to/for son: child their

He gave laws and commandments to the Israeli people, [those who are the descendants of] Jacob [DOU], and he told our ancestors to teach them to their children

6 because to know generation last son: child to beget to arise: rise and to recount to/for son: child their

in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.

7 and to set: make in/on/with God loin their and not to forget deed God and commandment his to watch

In that way, they also would trust in God, and not forget the things that he has done; instead, they would obey his commandments.

8 and not to be like/as father their generation to rebel and to rebel generation not to establish: establish heart his and not be faithful with God spirit his

They would not be like their ancestors, who were very stubborn and kept rebelling [against God]; they did not continue firmly trusting in God, and they did not worship only him.

9 son: descendant/people Ephraim to handle to shoot bow to overturn in/on/with day battle

[The soldiers of] the tribe of Ephraim had bows [and arrows] but they ran away [from their enemies] on the day that they fought a battle with their enemies.

10 not to keep: obey covenant God and in/on/with instruction his to refuse to/for to go: walk

They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.

11 and to forget wantonness his and to wonder his which to see: see them

They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.

12 before father their to make: do wonder in/on/with land: country/planet Egypt land: country Zoan

While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.

13 to break up/open sea and to pass: bring them and to stand water like heap

[Then] he caused the [Red] Sea to divide, causing the water [on each side] to pile up like a wall, with the result that [our ancestors] walked through it [on dry ground].

14 and to lead them in/on/with cloud by day and all [the] night in/on/with light fire

He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.

15 to break up/open rock in/on/with wilderness and to water: drink like/as abyss many

He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.

16 and to come out: issue to flow from crag and to go down like/as river water

He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].

17 and to add: again still to/for to sin to/for him to/for to rebel Most High in/on/with dryness

But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.

18 and to test God in/on/with heart their to/for to ask food to/for soul: appetite their

By demanding that God give them the food that they desired, they tried to find out if he would always do what they requested him to do.

19 and to speak: speak in/on/with God to say be able God to/for to arrange table in/on/with wilderness

They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!

20 look! to smite rock and to flow: flowing water and torrent: river to overflow also food: bread be able to give: give if: surely no to establish: prepare flesh to/for people his

[It is true that] he struck the rock, with the result that water gushed/flowed out, [but] (can he also provide bread and meat for [us], his people?/we doubt that he can also provide bread and meat for us, his people.)” [RHQ]

21 to/for so to hear: hear LORD and be angry and fire to kindle in/on/with Jacob and also face: anger to ascend: rise in/on/with Israel

So, when Yahweh heard that, he became very angry, and he sent a fire to burn up [some of] his Israeli [people]. [MTY, DOU]

22 for not be faithful in/on/with God and not to trust in/on/with salvation his

[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.

23 and to command cloud from above and door heaven to open

But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,

24 and to rain upon them manna to/for to eat and grain heaven to give: give to/for them

and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).

25 food: bread mighty: angel to eat man: anyone provision to send: depart to/for them to/for satiety

[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.

26 to set out east in/on/with heaven and to lead in/on/with strength his south

[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,

27 and to rain upon them like/as dust flesh and like/as sand sea bird wing

and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.

28 and to fall: fall in/on/with entrails: among camp his around to/for tabernacle his

God caused those birds to fall [dead] in the middle of (their camp)/the area where the people had put up their tents. [There were dead birds] all around their tents.

29 and to eat and to satisfy much and desire their to come (in): bring to/for them

[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.

30 not be a stranger from desire their still food their in/on/with lip their

But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,

31 and face: anger God to ascend: rise in/on/with them and to kill in/on/with fatness their and youth Israel to bow

God was [still] very angry with them, and he caused their strongest men to die; he got rid of [many of] the finest [young] Israeli men.

32 in/on/with all this to sin still and not be faithful in/on/with to wonder his

In spite of all that, the people continued to sin; in spite of all the miracles that God had performed, they still did not trust that he [would take care of them].

33 and to end: expend in/on/with vanity day their and year their in/on/with dismay

So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.

34 if to kill them and to seek him and to return: repent and to seek God

When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].

35 and to remember for God rock their and El (Most High) (LORD) Most High to redeem: redeem their

They remembered that God is [like] a huge rock ledge [under which they would be safe] [MET], and that he, who was greater than any other god, is the one who protected/rescued them.

36 and to entice him in/on/with lip their and in/on/with tongue their to lie to/for him

But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.

37 and heart their not to establish: establish with him and not be faithful in/on/with covenant his

They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.

38 and he/she/it compassionate to atone iniquity: crime and not to ruin and to multiply to/for to return: repent face: anger his and not to rouse all rage his

But God was merciful to his people. He forgave them for having sinned and did not get rid of them. Many times he refrained from becoming angry [with them] and restrained from furiously/severely [punishing them] [MTY].

39 and to remember for flesh they(masc.) spirit: breath to go: walk and not to return: return

He remembered/considered that they were only humans who die; they [disappear quickly] [SIM], like a wind that blows by and then is gone.

40 like/as what? to rebel him in/on/with wilderness to hurt him in/on/with wilderness

Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.

41 and to return: again and to test God and holy Israel to wound

Many times they did evil things, to find out [if they could do those things without God punishing them]. They frequently caused the holy God of Israel to become disgusted/sad.

42 not to remember [obj] hand: power his day which to ransom them from enemy

They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.

43 which to set: put in/on/with Egypt sign: miraculous his and wonder his in/on/with land: country Zoan

They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.

44 and to overturn to/for blood stream their and to flow their not to drink [emph?]

He caused the [Nile] River (OR, their sources of water) to become [red like] blood, with the result that the people of Egypt had no water to drink.

45 to send: depart in/on/with them swarm and to eat them and frog and to ruin them

He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.

46 and to give: give to/for locust crops their and toil their to/for locust

He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.

47 to kill in/on/with hail vine their and sycamore their in/on/with frost

He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.

48 and to shut to/for hail cattle their and livestock their to/for flash

He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.

49 to send: let go in/on/with them burning anger face: anger his fury and indignation and distress deputation messenger: angel bad: harmful

Because God was fiercely angry with the people of Egypt, he caused them to be very distressed. The disasters that struck them were like a group of angels that destroyed [everything].

50 to envy path to/for face: anger his not to withhold from death soul: myself their and living thing their to/for pestilence to shut

He did not lessen his being angry [with them], and he did not (spare their lives/prevent them from dying); he sent a (plague/serious illness) that killed [many of] them.

51 and to smite all firstborn in/on/with Egypt first: beginning strength in/on/with tent Ham

He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.

52 and to set out like/as flock people his and to lead them like/as flock in/on/with wilderness

Then he led his people out [of Egypt] like [a shepherd leads] his sheep [SIM], and he guided them [while they walked] through the desert.

53 and to lead them to/for security and not to dread and [obj] enemy their to cover [the] sea

He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.

54 and to come (in): bring them to(wards) border: boundary holiness his mountain: mount this to buy right his

[Later] he brought them to [Canaan], his sacred land, to [Zion] Hill (OR, the hilly area) and by his power [MTY] he enabled them to conquer [the people who were living there].

55 and to drive out: drive out from face: before their nation and to fall: allot them in/on/with cord inheritance and to dwell in/on/with tent their tribe Israel

He expelled the people-groups while his people were advancing; he allotted part of the land for [each tribe] to possess, and he gave to the Israeli people the houses of those people who had been expelled.

56 and to test and to rebel [obj] God Most High and testimony his not to keep: obey

However, the Israeli people rebelled against God, who is greater than any other god, and they did many evil things to see if they could do those things without God punishing them, and they did not obey his commandments.

57 and to turn and to act treacherously like/as father their to overturn like/as bow deceit

Instead, like their ancestors did, they rebelled against God and (were not loyal to/did not faithfully [obey]) him; they were as [unreliable as] a crooked arrow [that does not go straight] [SIM].

58 and to provoke him in/on/with high place their and in/on/with idol their be jealous him

Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].

59 to hear: hear God and be angry and to reject much in/on/with Israel

He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.

60 and to leave tabernacle Shiloh tent to dwell in/on/with man

He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.

61 and to give: give to/for captivity strength his and beauty his in/on/with hand: power enemy

He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.

62 and to shut to/for sword people his and in/on/with inheritance his be angry

Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].

63 youth his to eat fire and virgin his not to boast: praise

Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.

64 priest his in/on/with sword to fall: kill and widow his not to weep

[Many] priests were killed by [their enemies’] swords, and (the people did not allow the priests’ widows/the priests’ widows were not allowed) to mourn.

65 and to awake like/as sleeping Lord like/as mighty man to overcome from wine

Later, [it was as though] the Lord awoke from sleeping; he was like a strong man who (became stimulated/felt that he was strong) by (OR, became sober after) [drinking] a lot of wine [SIM].

66 and to smite enemy his back reproach forever: enduring to give: put to/for them

He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].

67 and to reject in/on/with tent Joseph and in/on/with tribe Ephraim not to choose

[But] he did not set up his tent where [the people of] the tribe of Ephraim lived; he did not choose their area [to do that].

68 and to choose [obj] tribe Judah [obj] mountain: mount Zion which to love: lover

Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.

69 and to build like to exalt sanctuary his like/as land: country/planet to found her to/for forever: enduring

He [decided to have] his temple built [there], high up, like [his home in] heaven; he caused it to be firm, [and intended that] his temple would last forever, like the earth.

70 and to choose in/on/with David servant/slave his and to take: take him from fold flock

He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures

71 from after to nurse to come (in): bring him to/for to pasture in/on/with Jacob people his and in/on/with Israel inheritance his

where he was taking care of his [father’s] sheep, and appointed him to be the leader [MET] of the Israeli people, the people who belong to God.

72 and to pasture them like/as integrity heart his and in/on/with understanding palm his to lead them

David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.