Psalms 78
1 A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
Understanding for Asaph. Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders which he hath 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;
And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same 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 another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children.
7 that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,
That they may put their hope in God and may not forget the works of God: and may seek 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.
That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.
10 They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
They kept not the covenant of God: and in his law they would not walk.
11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
And they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that he had shewn them.
12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Wonderful things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.
13 He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.
14 In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
And he conducted 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 abundantly as out of the depths.
He struck the rock in the wilderness: and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
He brought forth water out of the rock: and made streams run down as rivers.
17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
And they added yet more sin against him: they provoked the most High to wrath in the place without water.
18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.
19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
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?”
Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table for his people?
21 Therefore Yahweh heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel.
22 because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.
Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in his salvation.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
And he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of heaven.
24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven.
25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.
27 He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.
28 He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
And they fell in the midst of their camp, round about their pavilions.
29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
So they did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and he gave them their desire:
30 They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
They were not defrauded of that which they craved. As yet their meat was in their mouth:
31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
And the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.
32 For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
In all these things they sinned still: and they believed not for his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.
34 When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and came to him early in the morning.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their helper: and the most high God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied unto him:
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted faithful in 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 merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy them. And many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
And he remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
How often did they provoke him in the desert: and move him to wrath in the place without water?
41 They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
And they turned back and tempted God: and grieved the holy one of Israel.
42 They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
They remembered not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
How he wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis.
44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
And he turned their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might, not drink.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
He sent amongst them divers sores of flies, which devoured them: and frogs which destroyed them.
46 He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
And he gave up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
And he destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost.
48 He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
And he gave up their cattle to the hail, and their stock to the fire.
49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
And he sent upon them the wrath of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble, which he sent by evil 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 made a way for a path to his anger: he spared not their souls from death, and their cattle he shut up in death.
51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
And he killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: the firstfruits of all their labour in the tabernacles of Cham.
52 But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And he took away his own people as sheep: and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And he brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.
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.
And he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God: and they kept not his testimonies.
57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
They provoked him to anger on their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their graven things.
59 When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
God heard, and despised them, and he reduced Israel exceedingly as it were to nothing.
60 so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men,
And he put away the tabernacle of Silo, his tabernacle where he dwelt among men.
61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.
62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
And he shut up his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance.
63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
Fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not lamented.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.
Their priests fell by the sword: and their widows did not mourn.
65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine.
66 He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
And he smote his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.
67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
But he chose the tribe of Juda, mount Sion which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
And he built his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.
70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
And he chose his servant David, and took him from the hocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes great with young,
71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
To feed Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
And he fed them in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skillfulness of his hands.
