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 maskil of Asaph. My people, attend to my teaching: bend your ears to the words of my mouth,
2 I will open with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;
as I open my mouth in a poem on the riddling story of the past.
3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.
What we have heard and known, and what our ancestors have told 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.
we will not hide from their children. We will tell to the next generation the praises and might of the Lord, and the wonders that he has done.
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:
He set up a testimony in Jacob, a law he appointed in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to make 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 the next generation should know it, that the children yet to be born should arise and tell their children;
7 That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;
that in God they might put their confidence, and not forget God’s works; but that they might keep 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.
and not be like their ancestors, a generation defiant and stubborn, a generation with heart unsteady, and spirit unfaithful towards God.
9 The children of Ephraim, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,
Ephraimites, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
10 Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;
They did not keep God’s covenant, they refused to walk in his law.
11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.
They forgot what he had done, and the wonders he had shown them.
12 In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.
He did wonders before their ancestors in the country of Zoan in Egypt.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.
Through the sea which he split he brought them, making waters stand up like a heap;
14 And he led them with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.
he led them by day with a cloud, 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.
From the rocks which he split in the wilderness, he gave them to drink as of ocean’s abundance.
16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.
He brought streams out of the rock, and made water run down like rivers.
17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
Yet they still went on sinning against him, they defied the Most High in the desert.
18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.
They wilfully challenged God, demanding the food that they longed for.
19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?
‘Is God able,’ such was their challenge, ‘to spread in the desert a table?
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?
From the rock that he struck there gushed water, and torrents that overflowed; but can he also give bread, or provide his people with meat?’
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,
When the Lord heard this, he was furious, and fire was kindled on Jacob, anger flared up against Israel.
22 Because they had not believed in God, and had not trusted in his salvation.
For they put no trust in God, no confidence in his help.
23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;
So he summoned the clouds above; and, opening the doors of heaven,
24 And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.
he rained manna upon them for food, and grain of heaven he gave them.
25 Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.
Everyone ate the bread of angels; he sent them food 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 launched the east wind in the heavens, and guided the south by his power.
27 And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;
He rained meat upon them like dust, winged bird like the sand of the sea.
28 And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
In the midst of their camp he dropped it, all around their tents.
29 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.
They ate and were more than filled; he had brought them the thing they desired.
30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:
But the thing they desired became loathsome: while their food was still in their mouths,
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.
the wrath of God rose against them. He slew the stoutest among them, and laid low the young men of Israel.
32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.
Yet for all this they sinned yet more, and refused to believe in his wonders.
33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.
So he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden dismay.
34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.
When he slew them, then they sought after him, they turned and sought God with diligence.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the most high God their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.
But they flattered him 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.
Their heart was not steady with him, they were faithless to 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 full of pity: he pardons sin and destroys not. Often he turns his anger away, without stirring his wrath at all.
39 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.
So he remembered that they were but flesh, breath that passes and does not return.
40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!
But how often they rebelled in the desert, and caused him grief in the wilderness,
41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.
tempting God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;
They did not remember his strength, nor the day he redeemed from the foe,
43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.
how he set his signs in Egypt, in the country of Zoan his wonders.
44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].
He turned their canals into blood, their streams undrinkable.
45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent forth flies, which devoured them; frogs, too, which destroyed them.
46 And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.
Their crops he gave to the caterpillar, and the fruits of their toil to the locust.
47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.
He slew their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.
He delivered their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.
49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.
He let loose his hot anger among them, fury and wrath and distress, a band of destroying 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 cleared a path for his anger, did not spare them from death, but gave them over to pestilence.
51 And he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;
He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.
He led forth his people like sheep, he was guide to his flock in the desert.
53 And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.
Securely he led them, and free from fear, while their foes were drowned in the sea.
54 And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.
To his holy realm he brought them, to the mountain 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.
He drove out the nations before them, and allotted their land for possession, and their tents for Israel to live in.
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;
Yet they tempted and angered the Most High God, they did not observe his decrees.
57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.
They drew back, false like their ancestors; they failed like a treacherous bow.
58 And they provoked him to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.
Their shrines stirred him to anger, their idols moved him to jealousy.
59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;
When God heard of this, he was furious, and he spurned Israel utterly.
60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;
He abandoned his home in Shiloh, the tent he had pitched among people.
61 And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand.
He gave his strength up to captivity, his glory to the hands of the foe.
62 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.
He gave his people to the sword, he was furious with his own.
63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.
Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens had no marriage-song.
64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior flushed with wine;
66 And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.
and he beat back his foes, putting them to perpetual scorn.
67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;
He disowned the tent of Joseph, he rejected the tribe of Ephraim;
68 But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 And he built like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
And he built like the heights his sanctuary, like the earth which he founded forever.
70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:
And he chose David his servant, taking him from the sheepfolds.
71 From following the ewes with young he brought him, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
From the mother-ewes he brought him, to be shepherd to Jacob his people, and to 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.
With upright heart did he shepherd them, and with skilful hands did he guide them.
