Psalms 78
1 A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears 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 my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
as I open my mouth in a poem on the riddling story of the past.
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
What we have heard and known, and what our ancestors have told us,
4 We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has 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 For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching 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 that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell 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 might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep 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 might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with 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, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Ephraimites, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
10 They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
They did not keep God’s covenant, they refused to walk in his law.
11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
They forgot what he had done, and the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He did wonders before their ancestors in the country of Zoan in Egypt.
13 He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
Through the sea which he split he brought them, making waters stand up like a heap;
14 In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all 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 abundantly as out of the depths.
From the rocks which he split in the wilderness, he gave them to drink as of ocean’s abundance.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
He brought streams out of the rock, and made water run down like rivers.
17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
Yet they still went on sinning against him, they defied the Most High in the desert.
18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
They wilfully challenged God, demanding the food that they longed for.
19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
‘Is God able,’ such was their challenge, ‘to spread in the desert a table?
20 Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat 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 the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
When the Lord heard this, he was furious, and fire was kindled on Jacob, anger flared up against Israel.
22 because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.
For they put no trust in God, no confidence in his help.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
So he summoned the clouds above; and, opening the doors of heaven,
24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
he rained manna upon them for food, and grain of heaven he gave them.
25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
Everyone ate the bread of angels; he sent them food to the full.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
He launched the east wind in the heavens, and guided the south by his power.
27 He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
He rained meat upon them like dust, winged bird like the sand of the sea.
28 He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
In the midst of their camp he dropped it, all around their tents.
29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
They ate and were more than filled; he had brought them the thing they desired.
30 They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
But the thing they desired became loathsome: while their food was still in their mouths,
31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
the wrath of God rose against them. He slew the stoutest among them, and laid low the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
Yet for all this they sinned yet more, and refused to believe in his wonders.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
So he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden dismay.
34 When he killed them, then they enquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
When he slew them, then they sought after him, they turned and sought God with diligence.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
They remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
Their heart was not steady with him, they were faithless to his covenant.
38 But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
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 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
So he remembered that they were but flesh, breath that passes and does not return.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
But how often they rebelled in the desert, and caused him grief in the wilderness,
41 They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
tempting God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel.
42 They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
They did not remember his strength, nor the day he redeemed from the foe,
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
how he set his signs in Egypt, in the country of Zoan his wonders.
44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
He turned their canals into blood, their streams undrinkable.
45 He sent amongst them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent forth flies, which devoured them; frogs, too, which destroyed them.
46 He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labour to the locust.
Their crops he gave to the caterpillar, and the fruits of their toil to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
He slew their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
He delivered their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.
49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
He let loose his hot anger among them, fury and wrath and distress, a band of destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
He cleared a path for his anger, did not spare them from death, but gave them over to pestilence.
51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief 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 led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
He led forth his people like sheep, he was guide to his flock in the desert.
53 He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Securely he led them, and free from fear, while their foes were drowned in the sea.
54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
To his holy realm he brought them, to the mountain his right hand had purchased.
55 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.
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 didn’t keep his testimonies,
Yet they tempted and angered the Most High God, they did not observe his decrees.
57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
They drew back, false like their ancestors; they failed like a treacherous bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
Their shrines stirred him to anger, their idols moved him to jealousy.
59 When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
When God heard of this, he was furious, and he spurned Israel utterly.
60 so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed amongst men,
He abandoned his home in Shiloh, the tent he had pitched among people.
61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
He gave his strength up to captivity, his glory to the hands of the foe.
62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
He gave his people to the sword, he was furious with his own.
63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens had no marriage-song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior flushed with wine;
66 He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
and he beat back his foes, putting them to perpetual scorn.
67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
He disowned the tent of Joseph, he rejected the tribe of Ephraim;
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
And he built like the heights his sanctuary, like the earth which he founded forever.
70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
And he chose David his servant, taking him from the sheepfolds.
71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of 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 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
With upright heart did he shepherd them, and with skilful hands did he guide them.
