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: MP1650
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Psalms 78
78
God’s Faithfulness in Israel’s History
A maskil of Asaph.#The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
1Listen, O my people, to my teaching.
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2I will offer#Hebrew “open” a parable with my mouth.
I will pour out riddles from long ago,
3that we have heard and known,
and our ancestors#Or “fathers” have told us.
4We will not hide them from their children,#Or “descendants”
telling the next generation the praises of Yahweh,
and his power and his wonders that he has done.
5For he established a testimony in Jacob,
and appointed a law#Hebrew torah in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors#Or “fathers”
to teach to their children,
6so that the next generation might know—
children yet to be born—
that they might rise up and tell their children,
7that they might set their confidence in God,
and not forget the deeds of God,
but keep his commandments,
8and not be like their ancestors,#Or “fathers”
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not make ready its heart,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9The sons of Ephraim, armed with archers,#Literally “armed with shooters of the bow”
turned back on the day of battle.
10They did not keep the covenant of God
and refused to go in his law.#Hebrew torah
11They also forgot his deeds,
and his wonders that he had shown them.
12In front of their ancestors#Or “fathers” he did a wonder,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13He split the sea and caused them to go over,
and he caused waters to stand like a heap.
14And he led them with the cloud by day,
and all night with a fiery light.
15He caused rocks to split in the wilderness
and provided drink abundantly as from the depths.
16And he brought streams out of the rock
and caused water to flow down like rivers.
17But they sinned still further against him
by rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18And they tested God in their heart
by asking food for their craving.#Literally “for their soul”
19And they spoke against God.
They said, “Is God able
to prepare a table in the wilderness?
20Yes, he struck the rock and water flowed
and streams gushed out,
but can he also give food
or provide meat for his people?”
21Therefore Yahweh heard
and he was very angry,
and a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and his anger also rose up against Israel,
22because they did not believe God,
and they did not trust his salvation.
23Nevertheless, he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
24and rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25Humankind ate the bread of angels.#Literally “mighty ones”
He sent them food enough to be satisfied.
26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens
and drove along the south wind by his strength.
27Then he rained meat on them like dust,
even winged birds#Hebrew “bird” like the sand of the seas.
28He caused them to fall in the midst of his camp,
all around his dwellings.
29So they ate and were well filled,
and he brought about what they craved.
30They had not yet turned aside from their craving,
while their food was still in their mouth,
31the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed some of the stoutest of them,
even the young men of Israel he caused to bow down in death.
32In spite of all this they sinned further
and did not believe his wonders.
33And he consumed their days with futility #Or “he ended their days like a breath”
their years with terror.#Or “and their years suddenly”
34When he killed some of them, then they sought him,
and repented and earnestly sought God.
35And they remembered that God was their rock,
and God Most High their redeemer.
36But they enticed him with their mouth
and lied to him with their tongue.
37For their heart was not steadfast with him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
38But he was compassionate; he pardoned#Or “covered,” or “atoned for” their guilt
and did not destroy them.
And many times he turned back his anger
and did not stir up all his wrath,
39for he remembered that they were flesh,
a passing wind that does not return.
40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and vexed him in the wasteland!
41So they again tested God
and distressed#Or perhaps, “pressed to the limit” the Holy One of Israel.
42And they did not remember his power#Literally “hand”
when#Literally “the day that” he redeemed them from the enemy,
43how he performed#Hebrew “set” his signs in Egypt
and his wonders in the region of Zoan,
44when he turned their rivers#Normally the word for the Nile, with the plural here suggesting perhaps it and its canals to blood
so they could not drink from their streams.
45He sent among them flies that devoured them
and frogs that destroyed them.
46And he gave their crop to the locusts
and their labor to the locust.#Two different words translated “locusts”
47He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with sleet.#The word for “sleet” is only used here, and the translation is a guess based on context
48He also handed their cattle over to the hail
and their livestock to the lightning bolts.
49He sent against them his fierce anger,
rage and indignation and trouble,
a band of destroying#Literally “evil” angels.
50He cleared a path for his anger.
He did not spare them#Hebrew “their soul” from death
but handed their life over to the plague.
51And he struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the first of their virility in the tents of Ham.
52Then he led out his people like sheep
and guided them like a herd in the wilderness.
53And he led them safely and they were not afraid,
but the sea covered their enemies.
54So he brought them to his holy territory,#Hebrew “border”
this mountain his right hand acquired.#Or “had created”
55And he drove out nations before them
and allocated them for an inheritance by boundary line,
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56But they tested and rebelled against God Most High
and did not keep his statutes.
57And they turned and were treacherous like their ancestors.#Or “fathers”
They twisted like a crooked#Or “deceitful” bow.
58For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
and made him jealous with their images.
59God heard and he was very angry
and rejected Israel utterly.
60So he abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh,
the tent he had placed among humankind.
61And he gave his strength into captivity
and his splendor into the hand of the enemy.
62He also handed his people over to the sword,
and he was very angry with his inheritance.
63Fire devoured his young men,
and his young women#Or “virgins” were not praised.
64His priests fell by the sword,
and his widows did not weep.
65Then the Lord awoke like one who had been asleep,
awoke like a warrior who had been drunk with wine.#Or “like a warrior shouting because of wine”
66And he beat back his enemies;
he gave them over to perpetual scorn.
67And he rejected the tent of Joseph,
and did not chose the tribe of Ephraim,
68but chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion#Literally “the mountain of Zion” that he loved.
69And he built his sanctuary like the heights,
like the earth that he established forever.
70And he chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds.
71He brought him from following nursing ewes
to shepherd Jacob, his people,
and Israel, his inheritance.
72And he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
and led them by the skillfulness of his hands.
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