Psalms 78

1 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, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has 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 which should be born; who should arise and declare 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 steadfast 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 forgotten about his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.

And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] shewed 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 divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

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

14 In the daytime 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 the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great 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 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

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 for their lust.

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

19 Yea, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish 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 stroke the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

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?

21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was angry: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came 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 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and 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 rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

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

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

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 might he brought in the south-west wind.

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

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: for he gave them their own desire;

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

30 They were not cut off from their lust. But while their food was yet in their mouths,

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

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

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

32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for 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 trouble.

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

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

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

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 was their redeemer.

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

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 steadfast in his covenant.

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

38 But he, being full of compassion, 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]: yea, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.

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

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

40 How often did they provoke 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 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked 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, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.

43 How he had wrought 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 had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

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

45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, 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 labour 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 up 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, by sending evil angels among them.

He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message 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 his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;

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

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

52 But made his own people to go forth 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 on 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, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

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

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 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 provoked 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 unfaithfully 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 angry, 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 dwelt among men.

61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy'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 angry with his inheritance.

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

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

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, and like a mighty man that shouts 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 stroke his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual 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 chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.

69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he has 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 great with young he brought him to feed 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 fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

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