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
Psalm 78
Asaph wrote this special song.
God has been good to his people #78:1 This psalm tells about God's people until the time of King David. It tells us that God was good to his people, but they often did not obey him.
1My people, listen to what I am teaching you.
Listen to the words that I speak.
2I will tell you something to make you wise.
Then you will understand
things that happened long ago.
3We have heard about these things
and we know them.
Our ancestors have told them to us,
4and we will not hide them from our children.
We will tell our children and our grandchildren
why they should praise the Lord.
We will tell them about his strength,
and about the great things that he has done.
5He gave his laws to Jacob's descendants,
the Israelite people.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children.
6Then the children would know about them,
even the children still to be born.
When the time came,
they too would tell their children.
7Then their family would trust in God.
They would not forget what God had done.
They would obey his commands.
8So they would not be like their ancestors,
who turned against God.
Those people refused to obey God,
and they did not trust him to be their guide.
9The soldiers of Ephraim had bows and arrows,
but they ran away when the battle started! #78:9 God gave his people everything that they needed, but they still did not trust him. Ephraim was one of Israel's 12 tribes.
10They did not obey the covenant
that God had made with them.
They refused to obey his laws.
11They forgot about what he had done for them.
They forgot the miracles that he had shown them.
12He did miracles for their ancestors to see,
in the region of Egypt that is called Zoan.
13He cut the sea into two separate parts,
and he led them through it.
He made a path between two walls of water. #78:13 God led his people on a dry path through the Red Sea. See Exodus 14:21-22.
14He showed them the way with a cloud in the day
and with light from a fire all night. #78:14 See Exodus 13:21-22.
15He broke rocks into pieces in the wilderness
so that his people had plenty of water.
Springs of water came from deep in the earth.
16He caused streams to pour from the rocks
so that the waters ran like rivers. #78:16 See Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13.
17But his people continued to do bad things against him.
In the wilderness,
they turned against the Most High God.
18They decided to test God,
to see what he would do.
They demanded to have the food that they liked best.
19They spoke against God, and they said,
‘Can God give us food to eat here in the wilderness?
20Yes, water did come out when he hit the rock.
There were streams of water that poured out like a river.
But can he also give us food to eat?
Can he supply meat for his people?’
21When the Lord heard this,
he was very angry.
So he sent fire to punish his people.
He became very angry against the Israelites.
22They did not trust God,
that he had the power to save them.
23So God commanded the clouds high above
to give food to his people.
He caused the skies to open like a door.
24He poured down manna like rain,
so that they could eat grain that came from heaven. #78:24 See Exodus 16:2-15; Numbers 11:4-23.
25In that way, people ate the special bread of angels!
God gave them all the food that they could eat.
26Then God caused a wind to blow from the east.
He used his power to send a south wind too.
27He caused meat to pour down on them,
like dust from the sky.
The birds covered all the ground
like sand on the shore of the sea. #78:27 See Numbers 11:31-35.
28God made the birds fall near the tents
where his people were living.
29They ate as much as they could eat.
Yes, God gave them what they had demanded!
30-31But God became very angry with them,
even before they had finished eating.
While the food was still in their mouths,
he killed the strongest men among them.
Many of the best young Israelite men died.
32Even when this happened,
the people continued to do bad things.
When God had done these miracles,
they still did not trust him to help them.
33So he made their lives end quickly, like a breath.
They became very afraid.
34When God killed some of them,
the other people turned to God.
They were sorry and they prayed to him.
35They remembered that God
was their strong Rock.
They remembered that the Most High God
was their Redeemer.
36But they deceived him with their words.
What they said to him was lies.
37They did not really trust him.
They did not obey the covenant
that he had made with them.
38But God was kind to them,
and he forgave them for their sins.
He did not destroy them.
Many times he was patient,
and he did not become angry with them.
39He remembered that they were weak and human,
like a wind that blows away and does not return.
40When the Israelite people were in the wilderness,
they often turned against God.
That caused God to be very sad.
41Many times they tested God, the Holy One of Israel,
so that he was very upset.
42They forgot about his great power,
and how he rescued them from their enemies.
43He did powerful miracles in Egypt,
in the region of Zoan.
44He caused the Egyptians' rivers to become blood,
so that they could not drink water from them. #78:44 See Exodus 7:17-21.
45He sent large numbers of flies to bite them. #78:45 See Exodus 8:20-24.
He sent frogs that destroyed their land. #78:45 See Exodus 8:1-6.
46He caused locusts to eat their crops,
and everything that grew in their fields. #78:46 See Exodus 10:12-15.
47He destroyed their vines with hail.
He destroyed their fig trees with frost.
48He sent hail to kill their cows.
He sent lightning to kill their other animals. #78:48 See Exodus 9:22-25.
49He was so angry with them,
that he sent terrible things to punish them.
Great trouble came to them,
like an army of his angels that bring death.
50Nothing could stop his anger.
He did not save them from death.
He let bad disease kill them.
51He killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt.
The strongest men of Ham's descendants died. #78:51 See Exodus 12:29.
52But God led his own people safely out of Egypt.
But took them through the wilderness,
like a shepherd leads his sheep. #78:52 See Exodus 13:17-22.
53They were safe with him as their guide,
and they were not afraid.
But their enemies drowned in the sea. #78:53 See Exodus 14:26-28.
54He brought his people to the edge of his holy land.
It was land with the mountain
that he had taken with his power. #78:54 See Exodus 15:17; Joshua 3:14-17.
55He chased away the nations that were living there.
He gave to each tribe their own piece of land,
so that Israel's tribes could live there. #78:55 See Joshua 11:16-23.
56But the Israelites continued to test the Most High God,
and they turned against him.
They did not obey his commands. #78:56 See Judges 2:11-15.
57They turned away from him and they deceived him,
as their ancestors had done.
They were useless,
like a bow that would not shoot straight!
58The places where they worshipped their idols
made God very angry.
59God heard what they were doing,
and he became very angry.
He turned against the Israelite people.
60He went away from his home at Shiloh.
That was the tent where he lived among people. #78:60 See Joshua 18:1.
61He let Israel's enemies take away the Covenant Box,
that showed his power and his glory. #78:61 See 1 Samuel 4:4-22.
62He was so angry with his own people,
he let their enemies kill them in battle.
63Fire killed their young men in war.
There was nobody for the young women to marry.
64Their priests died in battle.
Their widows had no chance to weep.
65Then the Lord woke up,
like someone had woken him from sleep.
He shouted loudly,
like a soldier who has drunk a lot of wine.
66He chased his enemies away.
He caused them to be ashamed for ever.
67He chose not to live among Joseph's descendants.
He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68Instead, he chose the tribe of Judah.
He chose Mount Zion,
the place which he loves.
69There he built a temple for himself,
to be like his home in heaven.
He made it to be strong, like the earth itself,
so that it would always be there.
70Also, he chose his servant, David.
He took David away from the fields,
71so that he no longer took care of his father's sheep.
He became like a shepherd,
to lead his people, Jacob's descendants.
He ruled the people that belonged to God,
the Israelite people. #78:71 See 1 Samuel 16:11-12; 2 Samuel 7:8.
72David took care of them with an honest heart.
He was wise in the way that he led them.
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