Psalms 78

1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

2 Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.

3 Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.

4 We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.

They were not hid from their children to a second generations; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.

5 He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;

And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:

6 So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;

that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.

7 So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.

8 And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its spirit was not steadfast with God.

9 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.

10 They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.

11 They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] showed them;

12 He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.

13 The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.

14 In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.

16 He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.

17 And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.

18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.

19 They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

20 See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?

Forasmuch as he struck the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?

21 So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;

Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

22 Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.

23 And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24 And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

25 Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.

26 He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the southwest wind.

27 He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

28 And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

29 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.

30 But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,

31 The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

then the indignation of God rose up against them, and killed the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

32 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.

34 When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

When he killed them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.

36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

37 And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

38 But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.

But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yes, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.

39 So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.

40 How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!

41 Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

Yes, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.

43 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:

44 So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.

45 He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.

46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.

47 He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.

48 Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.

49 He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.

50 He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;

51 He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

and struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt; the first fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.

52 But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.

53 He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.

54 And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.

55 Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.

And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56 But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.

57 Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.

58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

And they provoked him with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59 When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.

60 So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he lived amongst men.

61 And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.

62 He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.

63 Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.

64 Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.

65 Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.

66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

And he struck his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.

67 And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

68 But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.

69 And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.

70 He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.

71 From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.

He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

72 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.