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 parables. 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 sons, telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his wondrous 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 sons,
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, even the sons who should be born, who should arise and tell to their sons,
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 sons 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 by his Torah.
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 they forgot his doings, and his wondrous works that he had shown them.
12 He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He did marvelous things 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 a 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 rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the 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.
Yet they went on to still sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
And they challenged God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Yea, they spoke against God. They said, Can God prepare 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, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will 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 Jehovah heard, and was angry. And a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel,
22 because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation [yeshuat].
because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
and he rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them food from heaven.
25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
Man ate the bread of the mighty. He sent them food to the full.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he guided the south wind.
27 He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
He also rained flesh upon them as the dust, and winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28 He let them fall in the middle 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. He gave them their own desire.
So they ate, and were well filled, and 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 that which they desired. Their food 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.
when the anger of God went up against them, and killed of the fattest of them, and smote down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 When he killed them, then they enquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
When he killed them, then they inquired after him, and they returned and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
For their heart was not right with him, nor were they faithful 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 merciful, forgave iniquity, and destroyed not. Yea, many a time he turned 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.
And 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 often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
41 They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
And they turned again and challenged God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary,
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
how he set 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 turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He sent amongst them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labour to the locust.
He also gave 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 sycamore trees with frost.
48 He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
He also gave over their cattle 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 upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a band of agents of evil.
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 path for 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 tents of Ham.
52 But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
But he led forth his own people 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 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, to this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.
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 also 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 rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
Yet they challenged and rebelled against 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 treacherously 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, he was angry, 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 their strength into captivity, and their glory into the adversary's hand.
62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
Fire devoured their young men, and their virgins had no marriage-song.
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 awoke as out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
And he smote his adversaries backward. 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 tent 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 the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
He also chose David 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.
He brought him from following the ewes that have their young, to be the shepherd of 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 was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
