Psalms 78
1 “A psalm of Asaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction! Incline your ears 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 a psalm; I will utter sayings of ancient times.
I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings since the beginning of the world,
3 What we have heard and learned, And our fathers have told us,
which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide from their children; Showing to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, His might, and the wonders he hath 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 For he appointed statutes in Jacob, And established a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers To make 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 So that the generation to come might know them; The children, which should be born, and rise up, Who should 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 put their trust in God, And not forget his deeds, But keep his commandments;
that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments,
8 And might not be, like their forefathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, —A generation whose heart was not fixed upon God, And whose spirit was not steadfast toward the Almighty.
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 were like armed bowmen, Who turn their backs 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 refused to walk in his law;
They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk by his Law.
11 And forgot his mighty deeds, And the wonders he had shown them.
They forgot his doings, his wondrous works that he had shown them.
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; Yea, he made the waters to stand as a heap.
He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
14 By day he led them by a cloud, And all the night by 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 the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink, as from the great deep.
He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
16 From the rock he brought flowing streams, And made water to run down like rivers.
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 Yet still they sinned against him, And provoked the Most High in the desert.
Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 They tempted God in their hearts, By asking food for their delight.
They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19 Yea, they spake against God, and said, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold! he smote the rock, and the water flowed, And streams gushed forth: Is he also able to give bread? Can he provide flesh 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 When, therefore, the LORD heard this, he was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger arose 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 aid.
because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.
23 Yet he had commanded the clouds above, And had opened the doors of heaven;
Yet he commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven.
24 And had rained down upon them manna for food, And had given them the corn of heaven.
He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven.
25 Every one ate the food of princes; He sent them bread to the full.
Man ate the bread of the mighty ones. He sent them food to the full.
26 Then he caused a strong wind to blow in the heavens, And by his power he brought a south wind;
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
27 He rained down flesh upon them as dust, And feathered fowls as the sand of the sea.
He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28 He caused them to fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.
He let it fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tent.
29 So they did eat, and were filled; For he gave them their own desire.
So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
30 Their desire was not yet satisfied, And their meat was yet in their mouths,
They did not turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
31 When the wrath of God came upon them, And slew their strong men, And smote down the chosen 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 For all this they sinned still, And put no trust in his wondrous works.
For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, And their years in sudden destruction.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, they sought him; They returned, and sought earnestly for God;
When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
35 And remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
36 But they only flattered him with their mouths, And spake falsely to him with their tongues.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 For their hearts were not true to him, Nor were they steadfast in his covenant.
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38 Yet, being full of compassion, he forgave their iniquity, And would not utterly destroy them; Often he restrained his indignation, And stirred not up 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 He remembered that they were but flesh, —A breath, that passeth and cometh not back.
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! How often did they anger him in the desert!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert.
41 Again and again they tempted God, And offended 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, Nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy;
They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
43 What signs he had wrought in Egypt, And what wonders in the fields of Zoan.
how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 He turned their rivers into blood, So that they could not drink of their streams.
he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He sent amongst them flies, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their fruits to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust.
He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore-trees with frost.
He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
48 He also gave up their cattle to hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He sent against them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, indignation, and woe, —A host of angels of evil.
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 anger, He spared them not from death, But gave up their lives to the pestilence.
He made a path for his anger. He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
51 He smote all the firstborn in Egypt; The first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
But he led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them on safely, so that they feared not, While the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
He led them safely, so that they weren't afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to his own sacred border, Even to this mountain which his right hand had gained.
He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
55 He cast out the nations before them, And divided their land by a measuring-line, as an inheritance, And caused 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 God, the Most High, And kept not his statutes;
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies;
57 Like their fathers they were faithless, and turned back; They turned aside, like a deceitful bow.
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 They provoked his anger by their high places, And stirred up his jealousy by their graven images.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
59 God saw this, and was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;
When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;
60 So that he forsook the habitation at Shiloh, The tabernacle where he dwelt among men,
So that he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among men;
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the hand of the enemy.
and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary's hand.
62 His own people he gave up to the sword, And was wroth with his own inheritance.
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men, And their maidens did not bewail them.
Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn't weep.
65 But at length the Lord awaked as from sleep, As a hero who had been overpowered by wine;
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
66 He smote his enemies, and drove them back, And covered them with everlasting disgrace.
He struck his adversaries backward. He made them a permanent shame.
67 Yet he rejected the tents 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 Judah, The Mount Zion which he loved;
But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
69 Where he built, like the heavens, his sanctuary; Like the earth, which he hath established for ever.
He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70 And he chose David, his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From tending the suckling ewes he brought him To feed Jacob his people, 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 He fed them with an upright heart, And guided them with skilful hands.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
