Psalms 78
1 A maskil of Asaph. My people, attend to my teaching: bend your ears to the words of my mouth,
A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.
2 as I open my mouth in a poem on the riddling story of the past.
I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past
3 What we have heard and known, and what our ancestors have told us,
that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to us.
4 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.
We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things he has done.
5 He set up a testimony in Jacob, a law he appointed in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to make known to their children,
He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children,
6 that the next generation should know it, that the children yet to be born should arise and tell their children;
so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.
7 that in God they might put their confidence, and not forget God’s works; but that they might keep his commandments,
In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and keep his commandments.
8 and not be like their ancestors, a generation defiant and stubborn, a generation with heart unsteady, and spirit unfaithful towards God.
Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.
9 Ephraimites, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant, they refused to walk in his law.
They did not keep God's agreement, and refused to follow his laws.
11 They forgot what he had done, and the wonders he had shown them.
They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things he had shown them—
12 He did wonders before their ancestors in the country of Zoan in Egypt.
the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.
13 Through the sea which he split he brought them, making waters stand up like a heap;
He split the sea in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.
14 he led them by day with a cloud, all the night with a light of fire.
He led them with a cloud by day, and by night with a light of fire.
15 From the rocks which he split in the wilderness, he gave them to drink as of ocean’s abundance.
He split open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.
16 He brought streams out of the rock, and made water run down like rivers.
He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!
17 Yet they still went on sinning against him, they defied the Most High in the desert.
But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They wilfully challenged God, demanding the food that they longed for.
They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.
19 ‘Is God able,’ such was their challenge, ‘to spread in the desert a table?
They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?
20 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?’
Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he supply his people with meat?”
21 When the Lord heard this, he was furious, and fire was kindled on Jacob, anger flared up against Israel.
When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,
22 For they put no trust in God, no confidence in his help.
for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.
23 So he summoned the clouds above; and, opening the doors of heaven,
Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,
24 he rained manna upon them for food, and grain of heaven he gave them.
and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.
25 Everyone ate the bread of angels; he sent them food to the full.
Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.
26 He launched the east wind in the heavens, and guided the south by his power.
He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove the south wind.
27 He rained meat upon them like dust, winged bird like the sand of the sea.
He rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.
28 In the midst of their camp he dropped it, all around their tents.
He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.
29 They ate and were more than filled; he had brought them the thing they desired.
They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.
30 But the thing they desired became loathsome: while their food was still in their mouths,
But before they satisfied their appetite, while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God rose against them. He slew the stoutest among them, and laid low the young men of Israel.
God became angry with them and he killed their strongest men, striking them down in the prime of life.
32 Yet for all this they sinned yet more, and refused to believe in his wonders.
Despite all this they went right on sinning. Despite the miracles, they refused to trust him.
33 So he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden dismay.
So he snuffed out their futile lives, bringing them to an end in terror.
34 When he slew them, then they sought after him, they turned and sought God with diligence.
When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Savior.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
37 Their heart was not steady with him, they were faithless to his covenant.
Deep down they were not sincere, and did not keep the agreement they had with him.
38 But he is full of pity: he pardons sin and destroys not. Often he turns his anger away, without stirring his wrath at all.
But being compassionate he pardoned their guilt and did not destroy all of them. He often held back his anger—he did not pour out all his fury.
39 So he remembered that they were but flesh, breath that passes and does not return.
He remembered their mortality—that they were like a puff of wind that would not return.
40 But how often they rebelled in the desert, and caused him grief in the wilderness,
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
41 tempting God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel.
Again and again they provoked God, causing pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his strength, nor the day he redeemed from the foe,
They did not remember his strength when he rescued them from their oppressors,
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, in the country of Zoan his wonders.
performing miracles in Egypt, doing wonderful things on the plain of Zoan.
44 He turned their canals into blood, their streams undrinkable.
There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.
45 He sent forth flies, which devoured them; frogs, too, which destroyed them.
He sent flies among them to destroy them, and frogs to ruin everything.
46 Their crops he gave to the caterpillar, and the fruits of their toil to the locust.
He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
47 He slew their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their fig trees with freezing rain.
48 He delivered their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.
He handed over their cattle to hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
49 He let loose his hot anger among them, fury and wrath and distress, a band of destroying angels.
He poured out on them his fierce anger—rage and hostility and anguish—sending a band of destroying angels against them.
50 He cleared a path for his anger, did not spare them from death, but gave them over to pestilence.
He sent his unrestrained anger against them; he did not spare them from death, handing them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first to be conceived in the tents of Ham.
52 He led forth his people like sheep, he was guide to his flock in the desert.
But he led out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
53 Securely he led them, and free from fear, while their foes were drowned in the sea.
He led them to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.
54 To his holy realm he brought them, to the mountain his right hand had purchased.
He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.
55 He drove out the nations before them, and allotted their land for possession, and their tents for Israel to live in.
He drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and angered the Most High God, they did not observe his decrees.
But they provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.
57 They drew back, false like their ancestors; they failed like a treacherous bow.
Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.
58 Their shrines stirred him to anger, their idols moved him to jealousy.
They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.
59 When God heard of this, he was furious, and he spurned Israel utterly.
When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.
60 He abandoned his home in Shiloh, the tent he had pitched among people.
He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.
61 He gave his strength up to captivity, his glory to the hands of the foe.
He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.
62 He gave his people to the sword, he was furious with his own.
He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.
63 Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens had no marriage-song.
Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior flushed with wine;
Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.
66 and he beat back his foes, putting them to perpetual scorn.
He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.
67 He disowned the tent of Joseph, he rejected the tribe of Ephraim;
He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.
69 And he built like the heights his sanctuary, like the earth which he founded forever.
There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.
70 And he chose David his servant, taking him from the sheepfolds.
He chose his servant David, taking him from the sheep pens,
71 From the mother-ewes he brought him, to be shepherd to Jacob his people, and to Israel his inheritance.
taking him from caring for the sheep and lambs to be a shepherd to the descendants of Jacob—God's special people, Israel.
72 With upright heart did he shepherd them, and with skilful hands did he guide them.
Like a shepherd, he took care of them with sincere devotion, leading them with skillful hands.
