< Psalms 78 >
1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
An instruction. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us:
4 We will not hide [them] from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
We will not hide [them] from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which he hath done.
5 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:
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 That the generation to come might know [them], [even] the children [who] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:
That the generation to come might know [them], the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell [them] to their children,
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
And that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but observe his commandments;
8 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 steadfast with God.
And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that prepared not their heart, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
9 The children of Ephraim, [being] armed, [and] carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
The sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, 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 works, and his wonders that he had shown them.
And forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.
12 Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, [in] the field of Zoan.
In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as a heap.
He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and made the waters to stand as a heap;
14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.
15 He cleaved the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as [out of] the great depths.
He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
And he brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking food for their desire.
And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;
19 Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
And they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?
21 Therefore the LORD heard [this], and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel:
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
Because they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation;
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.
25 Man ate angels' food: he sent them food to the full.
Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
He caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,
28 And he let [it] fall in the midst of their camp, around their habitations.
And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:
29 So they ate, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.
30 They were not estranged from their desire: but while their meat [was] yet in their mouths,
They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen [men] of Israel.
When the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.
When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after God;
35 And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their rock, and God, the Most High, their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
For their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he, [being] full of compassion, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yes, many a time he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:
39 For he remembered that they [were but] flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] grieve him in the desert!
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41 Yes, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
And they turned again and tempted God, and grieved 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, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;
46 He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
And he gave 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 killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels [among them].
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, — a mission of angels of woes.
50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
He made a way for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
And he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, [even to] this mountain, [which] his right hand had purchased.
And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;
55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
And he drove out the nations 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 the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
But they tempted and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not his testimonies,
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
And they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent [which] he placed among men;
And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;
62 He gave over his people also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] 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 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, [and] like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder part: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
And he rejected 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 And he built his sanctuary like high [palaces], 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 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:
And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.