Psalms 78
1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear 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 [which have been] from the beginning.
3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.
All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, And his strength, and his wondrous works that he hath done.
They were not hid from their children to a second generations; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.
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 raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know [them], even the children that should be born; Who should arise and tell [them] to their children,
that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise 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 might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently 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 stedfast with God.
That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its 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, bending and shooting [with] the bow, 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 would not walk in his law.
11 And they forgat his doings, And his wondrous works that he had showed them.
And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] showed them;
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.
13 He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as a heap.
He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.
14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire.
And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.
And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.
17 Yet went they on still to sin against him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.
18 And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire.
And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.
19 Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 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?
Forasmuch as he struck the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?
21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel;
Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went 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 Yet he commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven;
Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven.
and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.
25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He sent them food to the full.
Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by his power he guided the south wind.
He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the southwest wind.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, And winged birds as the sand of the seas:
And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.
And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.
29 So they did eat, and were well filled; And he gave them their own desire.
So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.
30 They were not estranged from that which they desired, Their food was yet in their mouths,
They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,
31 When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel.
then the indignation of God rose up against them, and killed the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still, And believed not in his wondrous works.
In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, And their years in terror.
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.
34 When he slew them, then they inquired after him; And they returned and sought God earnestly.
When he killed them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue.
Yet they loved him [only] 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, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
38 But he, being merciful, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath.
But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yes, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.
39 And 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 passes away, and returns not.
40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert!
How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!
41 And they turned again and tempted God, And provoked the Holy One of Israel.
Yes, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.
43 How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan,
How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:
44 And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.
and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust.
And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost.
He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil.
He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.
50 He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence,
He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;
51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
and struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt; the first fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.
52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.
53 And he led them safely, so that they feared not; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.
And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.
55 He drove out the nations also before them, And allotted them for an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And kept not 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 turned aside like a deceitful bow.
And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked 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 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 lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent which he placed among men;
And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he lived amongst men.
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the adversary’s hand.
And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword, And was wroth with his inheritance.
And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.
63 Fire devoured their young men; And their virgins had no marriage-song.
Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; And their widows made no lamentation.
Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, Like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.
66 And he smote his adversaries backward: He put them to a perpetual reproach.
And he struck his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tent 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 chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which he hath established for ever.
And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.
70 He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds:
He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.
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 took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, 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 tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
