Psalms 78

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

“A psalm of Asaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction! 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 a psalm; I will utter sayings of ancient times.

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

What we have heard and learned, And our fathers have told us,

4 We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done.

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.

5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

For he appointed statutes in Jacob, And established a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers To make known to their children;

6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

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;

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

That they might put their trust in God, And not forget his deeds, But keep his commandments;

8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

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.

9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

The children of Ephraim were like armed bowmen, Who turn their backs in the day of battle.

10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law;

11 And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.

And forgot his mighty deeds, And the wonders he had shown them.

12 Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Marvellous things did he 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; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; Yea, he made the waters to stand as a heap.

14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

By day he led them by a cloud, And all the night by a light of fire.

15 He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink, as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

From the rock he brought flowing streams, And made water to run down like rivers.

17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

Yet still they sinned against him, And provoked the Most High in the desert.

18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

They tempted God in their hearts, By asking food for their delight.

19 Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Yea, they spake against God, and said, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

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?”

21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

When, therefore, the LORD heard this, he was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger arose against Israel.

22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his aid.

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

Yet he had commanded the clouds above, And had opened the doors of heaven;

24 And had rained down manna on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

And had rained down upon them manna for food, And had given them the corn of heaven.

25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

Every one ate the food of princes; He sent them bread to the full.

26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

Then he caused a strong wind to blow in the heavens, And by his power he brought a south wind;

27 He rained flesh also on them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

He rained down flesh upon them as dust, And feathered fowls as the sand of the sea.

28 And he let it fall in the middle of their camp, round about their habitations.

He caused them to fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.

29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

So they did eat, and were filled; For he gave them their own desire.

30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

Their desire was not yet satisfied, And their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 The wrath of God came on them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

When the wrath of God came upon them, And slew their strong men, And smote down the chosen men of Israel.

32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

For all this they sinned still, And put no trust in his wondrous works.

33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, And their years in sudden destruction.

34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.

When he slew them, they sought him; They returned, and sought earnestly for God;

35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

And remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High their redeemer.

36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.

But they only flattered him with their mouths, And spake falsely to him with their tongues.

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

For their hearts were not true to him, Nor were they steadfast in his covenant.

38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

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.

39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away, and comes not again.

He remembered that they were but flesh, —A breath, that passeth and cometh not back.

40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

How often did they provoke him in the wilderness! How often did they anger him in the desert!

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

Again and again they tempted God, And offended the Holy One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

They remembered not his hand, Nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy;

43 How he had worked his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.

What signs he had wrought in Egypt, And what wonders in the fields of Zoan.

44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

He turned their rivers into blood, So that they could not drink of their streams.

45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

He sent amongst them flies, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.

He gave also their fruits to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore-trees with frost.

48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

He also gave up their cattle to hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 He cast on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

He sent against them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, indignation, and woe, —A host of angels of evil.

50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

He made a way for his anger, He spared them not from death, But gave up their lives to the pestilence.

51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

He smote all the firstborn in Egypt; The first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

He led them on safely, so that they feared not, While the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

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

He brought them to his own sacred border, Even to this mountain which his right hand had gained.

55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

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.

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

Yet they tempted and provoked God, the Most High, And kept not his statutes;

57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

Like their fathers they were faithless, and turned back; They turned aside, like a deceitful bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

They provoked his anger by their high places, And stirred up his jealousy by their graven images.

59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

God saw this, and was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;

60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

So that he forsook the habitation at Shiloh, The tabernacle where he dwelt among men,

61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.

And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the hand of the enemy.

62 He gave his people over also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

His own people he gave up to the sword, And was wroth with his own inheritance.

63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

Fire consumed their young men, And their maidens did not bewail them.

64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation.

65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.

But at length the Lord awaked as from sleep, As a hero who had been overpowered by wine;

66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

He smote his enemies, and drove them back, And covered them with everlasting disgrace.

67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

Yet he rejected the tents of Joseph, And chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

But chose the tribe of Judah, The Mount Zion which he loved;

69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he has established for ever.

Where he built, like the heavens, his sanctuary; Like the earth, which he hath established for ever.

70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

And he chose David, his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;

71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

From tending the suckling ewes he brought him To feed Jacob his people, And Israel his inheritance.

72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

He fed them with an upright heart, And guided them with skilful hands.