Psalms 78

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

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

2 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],

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

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

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

4 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.

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

5 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

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

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

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

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

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

8 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.

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

9 [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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 [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].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 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.

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

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

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

20 [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]

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

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

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

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

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

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

and to command cloud from above and door heaven to open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 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.

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

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

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

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

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

31 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.

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

32 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].

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

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

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

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

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

35 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.

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

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

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

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

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

38 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].

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

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

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

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

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

41 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.

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

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

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

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

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

44 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

49 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].

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

50 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.

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

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

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

52 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.

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

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

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

54 [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].

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

55 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.

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

56 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.

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

57 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].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

64 [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.

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

65 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].

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

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

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

67 [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].

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

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

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

69 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.

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

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

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

71 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.

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

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

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