Psalms 78

1 [A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

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

2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.

I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings since the beginning of the world,

3 All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.

which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 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.

We will not hide them from their descendants, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.

5 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:

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

6 that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.

that the generation to come might know it, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell their children,

7 That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.

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

8 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.

and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

9 The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.

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

10 They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.

They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk by his Law.

11 And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] shewed them;

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

12 the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.

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

13 He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.

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

14 And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

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

15 he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.

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

16 And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.

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

17 And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.

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

18 And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.

They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.

19 They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

20 Forasmuch as he smote 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?

Look, he struck 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 provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

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

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

because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.

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

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

24 and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven.

25 Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.

Man ate the bread of the mighty ones. He sent them food to the full.

26 He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the south-west wind.

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

27 And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.

28 And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

He let it fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tent.

29 So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.

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

30 They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,

They did not turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,

31 then the indignation of God rose up against them, and slew the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

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

32 In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.

33 And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.

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

34 When he slew them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

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

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

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

36 Yet they loved him [only] 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 steadfast in his covenant.

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

38 But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yea, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.

But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.

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

40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!

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

41 Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

They turned again and tempted God, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.

They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

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

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

44 and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.

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

45 He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.

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

46 And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.

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

47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.

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

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

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

49 He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.

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

50 He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;

He made a path for his anger. He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,

51 and smote every first-born in the land of Egypt; the first-fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.

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

52 And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.

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

53 And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.

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

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

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

55 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.

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.

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

Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies;

57 And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.

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

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

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

59 God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.

When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;

60 And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he dwelt among men.

So that he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among men;

61 And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.

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

62 And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.

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

63 Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.

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

64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.

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

65 So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.

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

66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.

He struck his adversaries backward. He made them a permanent shame.

67 And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

68 but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.

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

69 And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.

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

70 He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.

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

71 He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

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

72 So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

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