Psalms 78

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

The understanding of Asaph. O my people, attend 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 speak about concepts that are from the beginning.

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

We have heard and known such great things, as our fathers have described to 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 hath done.

These things have not been hidden from their sons in any generation: declaring the praises of the Lord, and his virtues, and the wonders that he has done.

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:

And he has received testimony with Jacob, and he has set a law within Israel. Such great things, he has commanded our fathers, so as to make these things known to their sons,

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

so that another generation might know them, and so that the sons, who will be born and who will grow up, shall describe them to their sons.

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

So then, may they put their hope in God, and may they not forget the works of God, and may they seek 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.

May they not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation: a generation that does not straighten their heart and whose spirit is not trustworthy with 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 the bow, have been turned back in the day of battle.

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

They have not kept the covenant of God. And they were not willing to walk in his law.

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

And they have been forgetful of his benefits, and of his miracle, which he revealed to them.

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

He performed miracles in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.

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

He broke the sea and he led them through. And he stationed the waters, as if in a vessel.

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

And he led them with a cloud by day, and with illumination by fire throughout the night.

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

He broke through the rock in the wasteland, and he gave them to drink, as if from the great abyss.

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

He brought forth water from the rock, and he conducted the waters, as if they were rivers.

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

And yet, they continued to sin against him. In a waterless place, they provoked the Most High with resentment.

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

And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking for food according to their desires.

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

And they spoke badly about God. They said, “Would God be able to prepare a table in the desert?

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?

He struck the rock, and so waters flowed and the torrents flooded, but would even he be able to provide bread, or provide a table, for his people?”

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

Therefore, the Lord heard, and he was dismayed, and a fire was kindled within Jacob, and an anger ascended into Israel.

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

For they neither put their trust in God, nor did they hope in his salvation.

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

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

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

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

25 Man ate angels’ food: he sent them food to the full.

Man ate the bread of Angels. He sent them provisions in abundance.

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

He transferred the south wind from heaven, and, in his virtue, he brought in the Southwest wind.

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

And he rained down flesh upon them, as if it were dust, and feathered birds, as if they were the sand of the sea.

28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, around their habitations.

And they fell down in the midst of their camp, encircling their tabernacles.

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

And they ate until they were greatly satisfied, and he brought to them according to their desires.

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

They were not cheated out of what they wanted. Their food was still in their mouth,

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

and then the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones among them, and he impeded the elect of Israel.

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

In all these things, they continued to sin, and they were not trustworthy with his miracles.

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

And their days faded away into vanity, and their years with haste.

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

When he slew them, then they sought him. And they returned, and they drew near to him in the early morning.

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

And they were mindful that God is their helper and that the Most High God is their redeemer.

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

And they chose him with their mouth, and then they lied to him with their tongue.

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

For their heart was not upright with him, nor have they been living faithfully in his covenant.

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

Yet he is merciful, and he will pardon their sins. And he will not destroy them. And he has abundantly turned aside his own wrath. And he did not enflame his wrath entirely.

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

And he remembered that they are flesh: with a spirit that goes forth and does not return.

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

How often did they provoke him in the desert and stir him to wrath in a waterless place?

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

And they turned back and tempted God, and they exasperated the Holy One of Israel.

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

They did not remember his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the one troubling them.

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

Thus, he positioned his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Tanis.

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

And he turned their rivers into blood, along with their rain showers, so that they could not drink.

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

He sent among them the common fly, and it devoured them, and the frog, and it scattered them.

46 He gave also their increase to the caterpiller, and their labour to the locust.

And he gave up their fruits to mold and their labors to the locust.

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

And he slew their vineyards with hail and their mulberry trees with severe frost.

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

And he delivered their cattle to the hail and their possessions to fire.

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

And he sent the wrath of his indignation among them: indignation and wrath and tribulation, sent forth by evil angels.

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 way for the path of his anger. He did not spare their souls from death. And he enclosed their beasts of burden in death.

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

And he struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt: the first-fruits of all their labor in the tabernacles of Ham.

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

And he took away his own people like sheep, and he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

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

And he led them out in hope, and they did not fear. And the sea covered their enemies.

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

And he led them to the mountain of his sanctification: the mountain that his right hand had acquired. And he cast out the Gentiles before their face. And he divided their land by lot to them, with a line of distribution.

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.

And he caused the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.

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

Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments.

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

And they turned themselves aside, and they did not serve the covenant. In the same manner as their fathers, they were turned backwards, like a crooked bow.

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

They impelled him to anger on their hills, and they provoked him to rivalry with their graven images.

59 When God heard this, he was filled with wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel:

God listened, and he spurned them, and he reduced Israel greatly, almost to nothing.

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

And he rejected the tabernacle of Shiloh, his tabernacle where he had dwelt among men.

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

And he delivered their virtue into captivity, and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.

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

And he enclosed his people with the sword, and he spurned his inheritance.

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

Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not lamented.

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

Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows did not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

And the Lord was awakened, as if out of sleep, and like a powerful man impaired by wine.

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

And he struck his enemies on the back. He gave them over to everlasting disgrace.

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

And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

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

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

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

And he built up his sanctuary, like a single-horned beast, in the land that he founded for all ages.

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

And he chose his servant David, and he took him from the flocks of the sheep: he received him from following the ewes with their young,

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

in order to pasture Jacob his servant and Israel his inheritance.

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

And he fed them with the innocence of his heart. And he led them with the understanding of his hands.