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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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Psalm 78
78
God's Faithfulness to His Unfaithful People
Maschil of Asaph.
1Give ear, O my people, to my law:
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 #
Matt 13.35. I will open my mouth in a parable:
I will utter dark sayings of old:
3which we have heard and known,
and our fathers have told us.
4We 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.
5For 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:
6that the generation to come might know them,
even the children which should be born;
who should arise and declare them to their children:
7that they might set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments:
8and 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.
9The children of E´phra-im,
being armed, and carrying bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
10They kept not the covenant of God,
and refused to walk in his law;
11and forgat his works,
and his wonders that he had showed them.
12 #
Exod 7.8—12.32. Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers,
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zo´an.
13 #
Exod 14.21,22. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through;
and he made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 #
Exod 13.21,22. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light of fire.
15 #
Exod 17.1-7; Num 20.2-13. He clave the rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
16He brought streams also out of the rock,
and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17And they sinned yet more against him
by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
18 #
Exod 16.2-15; Num 11.4-23,31-35. And they tempted God in their heart
by asking meat for their lust.
19Yea, they spake against God;
they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20Behold, 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?
21Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth:
so a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel;
22because they believed not in God,
and trusted not in his salvation:
23though he had commanded the clouds from above,
and opened the doors of heaven,
24 #
John 6.31. and had rained down manna upon them to eat,
and had given them of the corn of heaven.
25Man did eat angels' food:
he sent them meat to the full.
26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven:
and by his power he brought in the south wind.
27He rained flesh also upon them as dust,
and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
28and he let it fall in the midst of their camp,
round about their habitations.
29So they did eat, and were well filled:
for he gave them their own desire;
30they were not estranged from their lust:
but while their meat was yet in their mouths,
31the wrath of God came upon them,
and slew the fattest of them,
and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32For all this they sinned still,
and believed not for his wondrous works.
33Therefore their days did he consume in vanity,
and their years in trouble.
34When he slew them, then they sought him:
and they returned and inquired early after God.
35And they remembered that God was their rock,
and the high God their redeemer.
36Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth,
and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 #
Acts 8.21. For their heart was not right with him,
neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
and destroyed them not:
yea, many a time turned he his anger away,
and did not stir up all his wrath.
39For he remembered that they were but flesh;
a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness,
and grieve him in the desert!
41Yea, they turned back and tempted God,
and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42They remembered not his hand,
nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy:
43how he had wrought his signs in Egypt,
and his wonders in the field of Zo´an:
44 #
Exod 7.17-21. and had turned their rivers into blood;
and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 #
Exod 8.20-24;
Exod 8.1-6. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them;
and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 #
Exod 10.12-15. He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar,
and their labor unto the locust.
47 #
Exod 9.22-25. He destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48He gave up their cattle also to the hail,
and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,
wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
by sending evil angels among them.
50He made a way to his anger;
he spared not their soul from death,
but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51 #
Exod 12.29. and smote all the firstborn in Egypt;
the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
52 #
Exod 13.17-22. but made his own people to go forth like sheep,
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 #
Exod 14.26-28. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not:
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 #
Exod 15.17; Josh 3.14-17. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
55 #
Josh 11.16-23. 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.
56 #
Judg 2.11-15. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God,
and kept not his testimonies:
57but turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers:
they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59When God heard this, he was wroth,
and greatly abhorred Israel:
60 #
Josh 18.1; Jer 7.12-14; 26.6. so that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
the tent which he placed among men;
61 #
1 Sam 4.4-22. and delivered his strength into captivity,
and his glory into the enemy's hand.
62He gave his people over also unto the sword;
and was wroth with his inheritance.
63The fire consumed their young men;
and their maidens were not given to marriage.
64Their priests fell by the sword;
and their widows made no lamentation.
65Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
66And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts:
he put them to a perpetual reproach.
67Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph,
and chose not the tribe of E´phra-im:
68but chose the tribe of Judah,
the mount Zion which he loved.
69And he built his sanctuary like high palaces,
like the earth which he hath established for ever.
70 #
1 Sam 16.11,12; 2 Sam 7.8; 1 Chr 17.7. He chose David also his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds:
71from following the ewes great with young
he brought him to feed Jacob his people,
and Israel his inheritance.
72So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart;
and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.