Psalms 78

1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

Understanding for Asaph. Attend, 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 parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

How great things have we 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.

They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders 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:

And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same 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 another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children.

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

That they may put their hope in God and may not forget the works of God: and may seek 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.

That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The children of Ephraim, [being] armed, [and] carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have 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 in his law they would not walk.

11 And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had shown them.

And they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that 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.

Wonderful things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as a heap.

He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.

14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

And he conducted them with a cloud by day: and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He cleaved the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as [out of] the great depths.

He struck the rock in the wilderness: and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

He brought forth water out of the rock: and made streams run down as rivers.

17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.

And they added yet more sin against him: they provoked the most High to wrath in the place without water.

18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking food for their desire.

And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.

19 Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish 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?

Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table 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 the Lord heard, and was angry: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel.

22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in his salvation.

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

And he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of heaven.

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 bread of heaven.

25 Man ate angels' food: he sent them food to the full.

Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance.

26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.

27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.

28 And he let [it] fall in the midst of their camp, around their habitations.

And they fell in the midst of their camp, round about their pavilions.

29 So they ate, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

So they did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and he gave them their desire:

30 They were not estranged from their desire: but while their meat [was] yet in their mouths,

They were not defrauded of that which they craved. As yet their meat was in their mouth:

31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen [men] of Israel.

And the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.

32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

In all these things they sinned still: and they believed not for his wondrous works.

33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.

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 they returned, and came to him early in the morning.

35 And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

And they remembered that God was their helper: and the most high God their redeemer.

36 Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.

And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied unto him:

37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted faithful 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 is merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy them. And many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his wrath.

39 For he remembered that they [were but] flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

And he remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.

40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] grieve him in the desert!

How often did they provoke him in the desert: and move him to wrath in the place without water?

41 Yes, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

And they turned back 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, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:

43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

How he wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis.

44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

And he turned their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might, not drink.

45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

He sent amongst them divers sores of flies, 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 up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.

And he destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost.

48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

And he gave up their cattle to the hail, and their stock to the fire.

49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels [among them].

And he sent upon them the wrath of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble, which he sent by evil angels.

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 a path to his anger: he spared not their souls from death, and their cattle he shut up in death.

51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

And he killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: the firstfruits of all their labour in the tabernacles of Cham.

52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

And he took away his own people as 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 brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed 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 into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.

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 made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.

56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God: and they kept not his testimonies.

57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

They provoked him to anger on their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their graven things.

59 When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

God heard, and despised them, and he reduced Israel exceedingly as it were to nothing.

60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent [which] he placed among men;

And he put away the tabernacle of Silo, his tabernacle where he dwelt among men.

61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.

62 He gave over his people also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

And he shut up his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance.

63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

Fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not lamented.

64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Their priests fell by the sword: and their widows did not mourn.

65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, [and] like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine.

66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder part: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

And he smote his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.

67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

But he chose the tribe of Juda, mount Sion 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 as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.

70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:

And he chose his servant David, and took him from the hocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes great with young,

71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

To feed Jacob his servant, 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 in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skillfulness of his hands.