Psalms 78

1 “A Maskil of Assaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy ear 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 with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;

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

3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.

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

4 We will not conceal them from their children, relating to the latest generation the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful deeds which 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 Yea, he established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted 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 In order that the latest generation might know them, even the children that are to be born; that they may arise and relate 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 may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;

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

8 And that they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that had not directed their heart firmly, and whose spirit was not faithful to 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, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,

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

10 Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;

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

11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.

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

12 In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.

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 stand upright as a wall.

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

14 And he led them with the cloud by day, 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 split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty deep.

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

16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.

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

17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling 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 for their desire.

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

19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order 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: shall he also be able to give bread? or 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, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,

Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

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

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

23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;

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

24 And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.

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

25 Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.

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

26 He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.

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

27 And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds 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 them 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 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.

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

30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:

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

31 When the wrath of God ascended against them, and he slew some of the fattest of them, and the young men of Israel did he strike down.

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

32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.

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

33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.

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

34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly 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 most high God their redeemer.

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

36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.

Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

37 For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not 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 the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not awaken all his fury.

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 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth 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, grieve him in the desert!

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

41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to 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, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;

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

43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.

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

44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].

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

45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, 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 And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.

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

47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.

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

48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.

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

49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.

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

50 He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered 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 he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents 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 he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.

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

53 And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.

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

54 And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.

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

55 And he drove out from before them nations, and divided them by the measuring-line as an inheritance, and he caused to dwell in their tents the tribes of Israel.

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 his testimonies they kept not;

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

57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.

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

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

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

59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;

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

60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;

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

61 And he gave up his strength unto 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 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.

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

63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.

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

64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.

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

65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, 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 enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.

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

67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;

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

68 But he 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 like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

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

70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:

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

71 From following the ewes 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 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.

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