Psalms 78

1 A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.

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 dark sayings 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, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.

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 has done.

5 For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching 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, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7 that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,

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

8 and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

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.

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

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

10 They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.

They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.

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

12 He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

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

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

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

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.

He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

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

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

17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.

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

18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to 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 prepare a table in the wilderness?

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

20 Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”

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?

21 Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,

Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

22 because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.

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

23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.

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

24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.

And had rained down manna on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.

Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.

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

27 He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.

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

28 He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.

And he let it fall in the middle of their camp, round about their habitations.

29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.

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

30 They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.

The wrath of God came on them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

32 For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.

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

33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

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

34 When he killed them, then they enquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.

35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.

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

36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.

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

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

38 But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.

For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away, and comes not again.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!

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

41 They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

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

42 They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,

How he had worked his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.

44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.

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

45 He sent amongst them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

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

46 He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labour to the locust.

He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.

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

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

48 He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

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

49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.

He cast on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

50 He made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,

He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

52 But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

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

53 He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

55 He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

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.

56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,

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

57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.

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

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

For 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 angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,

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

60 so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed amongst men,

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

61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.

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

62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.

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

63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.

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

64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.

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

65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.

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

66 He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.

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

67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,

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

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

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

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.

And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he has established for ever.

70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.

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

72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.