Psalms 78
78
PSALM 78
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
Maschil of Asaph.
1Attend, my people, to my law;
thereto give thou an ear;
The words that from my mouth proceed
attentively do hear.
2My mouth shall speak a parable,
and sayings dark of old;
3The same which we have heard and known,
and us our fathers told.
4We also will them not conceal
from their posterity;
Them to the generation
to come declare will we:
The praises of the Lord our God,
and his almighty strength,
The wondrous works that he hath done,
we will shew forth at length.
5His testimony and his law
in Isr'el he did place,
And charg'd our fathers it to show
to their succeeding race;
6That so the race which was to come
might well them learn and know;
And sons unborn, who should arise,
might to their sons them show:
7That they might set their hope in God,
and suffer not to fall
His mighty works out of their mind,
but keep his precepts all:
8And might not, like their fathers, be
a stiff rebellious race;
A race not right in heart; with God
whose sp'rit not stedfast was.
9The sons of Ephraim, who nor bows
nor other arms did lack,
When as the day of battle was,
they faintly turned back.
10They brake God's cov'nant,
and refus'd in his commands to go;
11His works and wonders they forgot,
which he to them did show.
12Things marvellous he brought to pass;
their fathers them beheld
Within the land of Egypt done,
yea, ev'n in Zoan's field.
13By him divided was the sea,
he caus'd them through to pass;
And made the waters so to stand,
as like an heap it was.
14With cloud by day, with light of fire
all night, he did them guide.
15In desert rocks he clave,
and drink, as from great depths, supply'd.
16He from the rock brought streams, like floods
made waters to run down.
17Yet sinning more, in desert they
provok'd the Highest One.
18For in their heart they tempted God,
and, speaking with mistrust,
They greedily did meat require
to satisfy their lust.
19Against the Lord himself they spake,
and, murmuring, said thus,
A table in the wilderness
can God prepare for us?
20Behold, he smote the rock, and thence
came streams and waters great;
But can he give his people bread?
and send them flesh to eat?
21The Lord did hear, and waxed wroth;
so kindled was a flame
'Gainst Jacob, and 'gainst Israel
up indignation came.
22For they believ'd not God, nor trust
in his salvation had;
23Though clouds above he did command,
and heav'n's doors open made,
24And manna rain'd on them,
and gave them corn of heav'n to eat.
25Man angels' food did eat; to them
he to the full sent meat.
26And in the heaven he did cause
an eastern wind to blow;
And by his power he let out
the southern wind to go.
27Then flesh as thick as dust he made
to rain down them among;
And feather'd fowls, like as the sand
which li'th the shore along.
28At his command amidst their camp
these show'rs of flesh down fell,
All round about the tabernacles
and tents where they did dwell.
29So they did eat abundantly,
and had of meat their fill;
For he did give to them what was
their own desire and will.
30They from their lust had not estrang'd
their heart and their desire;
But while the meat was in their mouths,
which they did so require,
31God's wrath upon them came,
and slew the fattest of them all;
So that the choice of Israel,
o'erthrown by death, did fall.
32Yet, notwithstanding of all this,
they sinned still the more;
And though he had great wonders wrought,
believ'd him not therefore:
33Wherefore their days in vanity
he did consume and waste;
And by his wrath their wretched years
away in trouble past.
34But when he slew them, then they did
to seek him shew desire;
Yea, they return'd, and after God
right early did enquire.
35And that the Lord had been their Rock,
they did remember then;
Ev'n that the high almighty God
had their Redeemer been.
36Yet with their mouth they flatter'd him,
and spake but feignedly;
And they unto the God of truth
with their false tongues did lie.
37For though their words were good, their heart
with him was not sincere;
Unstedfast and perfidious
they in his cov'nant were.
38But, full of pity, he forgave
their sin, them did not slay;
Nor stirr'd up all his wrath, but oft
his anger turn'd away.
39For that they were but fading flesh
to mind he did recall;
A wind that passeth soon away,
and not returns at all.
40How often did they him provoke
within the wilderness!
And in the desert did him grieve
with their rebelliousness!
41Yea, turning back, they tempted God,
and limits set upon
Him, who in midst of Isr'el is
the only Holy One.
42They did not call to mind his pow'r,
nor yet the day when he
Deliver'd them out of the hand
of their fierce enemy;
43Nor how great signs in Egypt land
he openly had wrought;
What miracles in Zoan's field
his hand to pass had brought.
44How lakes and rivers ev'ry where
he turned into blood;
So that nor man nor beast could drink
of standing lake or flood.
45He brought among them swarms of flies,
which did them sore annoy;
And divers kinds of filthy frogs
he sent them to destroy.
46He to the caterpillar gave
the fruits of all their soil;
Their labours he deliver'd up
unto the locusts' spoil.
47Their vines with hail, their sycamores
he with the frost did blast:
48Their beasts to hail he gave; their flocks
hot thunderbolts did waste.
49Fierce burning wrath he on them cast,
and indignation strong,
And troubles sore, by sending forth
ill angels them among.
50He to his wrath made way; their soul
from death he did not save;
But over to the pestilence
the lives of them he gave.
51In Egypt land the first-born all
he smote down ev'ry where;
Among the tents of Ham, ev'n these
chief of their strength that were.
52But his own people, like to sheep,
thence to go forth he made;
And he, amidst the wilderness,
them, as a flock, did lead.
53And he them safely on did lead,
so that they did not fear;
Whereas their en'mies by the sea
quite overwhelmed were.
54To borders of his sanctuary
the Lord his people led,
Ev'n to the mount which his right hand
for them had purchased.
55The nations of Canaan,
by his almighty hand,
Before their face he did expel
out of their native land;
Which for inheritance to them
by line he did divide,
And made the tribes of Israel
within their tents abide.
56Yet God most high they did provoke,
and tempted ever still;
And to observe his testimonies
did not incline their will:
57But, like their fathers, turned back,
and dealt unfaithfully:
Aside they turned, like a bow
that shoots deceitfully.
58For they to anger did provoke
him with their places high;
And with their graven images
mov'd him to jealousy.
59When God heard this, he waxed wroth,
and much loath'd Isr'el then:
60So Shiloh's tent he left, the tent
which he had plac'd with men.
61And he his strength delivered
into captivity;
He left his glory in the hand
of his proud enemy.
62His people also he gave o'er
unto the sword's fierce rage:
So sore his wrath inflamed was
against his heritage.
63The fire consum'd their choice young men;
their maids no marriage had;
64And when their priests fell by the sword,
their wives no mourning made.
65But then the Lord arose, as one
that doth from sleep awake;
And like a giant that, by wine
refresh'd, a shout doth make:
66Upon his en'mies' hinder parts
he made his stroke to fall;
And so upon them he did put
a shame perpetual.
67Moreover, he the tabernacle
of Joseph did refuse;
The mighty tribe of Ephraim
he would in no wise chuse:
68But he did chuse Jehudah's tribe
to be the rest above;
And of mount Sion he made choice,
which he so much did love.
69And he his sanctuary built
like to a palace high,
Like to the earth which he did found
to perpetuity.
70Of David, that his servant was,
he also choice did make,
And even from the folds of sheep
was pleased him to take:
71From waiting on the ewes with young,
he brought him forth to feed
Israel, his inheritance,
his people, Jacob's seed.
72So after the integrity
he of his heart them fed;
And by the good skill of his hands
them wisely governed.
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Psalms 78
78
A psalm#78:TITLE Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term. of Asaph.
1O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
2for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
5For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
6so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
8Then they will not be like their ancestors—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.
9The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
10They did not keep God’s covenant
and refused to live by his instructions.
11They forgot what he had done—
the great wonders he had shown them,
12the miracles he did for their ancestors
on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
13For he divided the sea and led them through,
making the water stand up like walls!
14In the daytime he led them by a cloud,
and all night by a pillar of fire.
15He split open the rocks in the wilderness
to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
16He made streams pour from the rock,
making the waters flow down like a river!
17Yet they kept on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
demanding the foods they craved.
19They even spoke against God himself, saying,
“God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
20Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
21When the Lord heard them, he was furious.
The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob.
Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
22for they did not believe God
or trust him to care for them.
23But he commanded the skies to open;
he opened the doors of heaven.
24He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them bread from heaven.
25They ate the food of angels!
God gave them all they could hold.
26He released the east wind in the heavens
and guided the south wind by his mighty power.
27He rained down meat as thick as dust—
birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
28He caused the birds to fall within their camp
and all around their tents.
29The people ate their fill.
He gave them what they craved.
30But before they satisfied their craving,
while the meat was yet in their mouths,
31the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed their strongest men.
He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.
32But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.
Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
33So he ended their lives in failure,
their years in terror.
34When God began killing them,
they finally sought him.
They repented and took God seriously.
35Then they remembered that God was their rock,
that God Most High#78:35 Hebrew El-Elyon. was their redeemer.
36But all they gave him was lip service;
they lied to him with their tongues.
37Their hearts were not loyal to him.
They did not keep his covenant.
38Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
and did not unleash his fury!
39For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
gone like a breath of wind that never returns.
40Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
41Again and again they tested God’s patience
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42They did not remember his power
and how he rescued them from their enemies.
43They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt,
his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
44For he turned their rivers into blood,
so no one could drink from the streams.
45He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them
and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
46He gave their crops to caterpillars;
their harvest was consumed by locusts.
47He destroyed their grapevines with hail
and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48He abandoned their cattle to the hail,
their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49He loosed on them his fierce anger—
all his fury, rage, and hostility.
He dispatched against them
a band of destroying angels.
50He turned his anger against them;
he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives
but ravaged them with the plague.
51He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family,
the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.#78:51 Hebrew in the tents of Ham.
52But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
guiding them safely through the wilderness.
53He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.
54He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this land of hills he had won for them.
55He drove out the nations before them;
he gave them their inheritance by lot.
He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.
56But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
They did not obey his laws.
57They turned back and were as faithless as their parents.
They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
58They angered God by building shrines to other gods;
they made him jealous with their idols.
59When God heard them, he was very angry,
and he completely rejected Israel.
60Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh,
the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
61He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured;
he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.
62He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword,
because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.
63Their young men were killed by fire;
their young women died before singing their wedding songs.
64Their priests were slaughtered,
and their widows could not mourn their deaths.
65Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep,
like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor.
66He routed his enemies
and sent them to eternal shame.
67But he rejected Joseph’s descendants;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loved.
69There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens,
as solid and enduring as the earth.
70He chose his servant David,
calling him from the sheep pens.
71He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
God’s own people, Israel.
72He cared for them with a true heart
and led them with skillful hands.
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