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
Psalm 78
A maskil of Asaph.
1My people, listen to my teaching.
Pay attention to what I say.
2I will open my mouth and tell a story.
I will speak about things that were hidden.
They happened a long time ago.
3We have heard about them and we know them.
Our people who lived before us have told us about them.
4We won’t hide them from our children.
We will tell them to those who live after us.
We will tell them what the Lord has done that is worthy of praise.
We will talk about his power and the wonderful things he has done.
5He gave laws to the people of Jacob.
He gave Israel their law.
He commanded our people who lived before us
to teach his laws to their children.
6Then those born later would know his laws.
Even their children yet to come would know them.
And they in turn would tell their children.
7Then they would put their trust in God.
They would not forget what he had done.
They would obey his commands.
8They would not be like their people who lived long ago.
Those people were stubborn. They refused to obey God.
They turned away from him.
Their spirits were not faithful to him.
9The soldiers of Ephraim were armed with bows.
But they ran away on the day of battle.
10They didn’t keep the covenant God had made with them.
They refused to live by his law.
11They forgot what he had done.
They didn’t remember the wonders he had shown them.
12He did miracles right in front of their people who lived long ago.
At that time they were living in Egypt, in the area of Zoan.
13God parted the Red Sea and led them through it.
He made the water stand up like a wall.
14He guided them with the cloud during the day.
He led them with the light of a fire all night long.
15He broke the rocks open in the desert.
He gave them as much water as there is in the oceans.
16He brought streams out of a rocky cliff.
He made water flow down like rivers.
17But they continued to sin against him.
In the desert they refused to obey the Most High God.
18They were stubborn and tested God.
They ordered him to give them the food they wanted.
19They spoke against God. They said,
“Can God really put food on a table in the desert?
20It is true that he struck the rock, and streams of water poured out.
Huge amounts of water flowed down.
But can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat for his people?”
21When the Lord heard what they said, he was very angry.
His anger broke out like fire against the people of Jacob.
He became very angry with Israel.
22That was because they didn’t believe in God.
They didn’t trust in his power to save them.
23But he gave a command to the skies above.
He opened the doors of the heavens.
24He rained down manna for the people to eat.
He gave them the grain of heaven.
25Mere human beings ate the bread of angels.
He sent them all the food they could eat.
26He made the east wind blow from the heavens.
By his power he caused the south wind to blow.
27He rained down meat on them like dust.
He sent them birds like sand on the seashore.
28He made the birds come down inside their camp.
The birds fell all around their tents.
29People ate until they couldn’t eat any more.
He gave them what they had wanted.
30But even before they had finished eating, God acted.
He did it while the food was still in their mouths.
31His anger rose up against them.
He put to death the strongest among them.
He struck down Israel’s young men.
32But even after all that, they kept on sinning.
Even after the wonderful things he had done, they still didn’t believe.
33So he brought their days to an end like a puff of smoke.
He ended their years with terror.
34Every time God killed some of them, the others would seek him.
They gladly turned back to him again.
35They remembered that God was their Rock.
They remembered that God Most High had set them free.
36But they didn’t mean it when they praised him.
They lied to him when they spoke.
37They turned away from him.
They weren’t faithful to the covenant he had made with them.
38But he was full of tender love.
He forgave their sins
and didn’t destroy his people.
Time after time he held back his anger.
He didn’t let all his burning anger blaze out.
39He remembered that they were only human.
He remembered they were only a breath of air
that drifts by and doesn’t return.
40How often they refused to obey him in the desert!
How often they caused him sorrow in that dry and empty land!
41Again and again they tested God.
They made the Holy One of Israel sad and angry.
42They didn’t remember his power.
They forgot the day he set them free
from those who had treated them so badly.
43They forgot how he had shown them his signs in Egypt.
They forgot his miracles in the area of Zoan.
44He turned the river of Egypt into blood.
The people of Egypt couldn’t drink water from their streams.
45He sent large numbers of flies that bit them.
He sent frogs that destroyed their land.
46He gave their crops to the grasshoppers.
He gave their food to the locusts.
47He destroyed their vines with hail.
He destroyed their fig trees with sleet.
48He killed their cattle with hail.
Their livestock were struck by lightning.
49Because he was so angry with Egypt, he caused them to have great trouble.
In his great anger he sent destroying angels against them.
50God prepared a path for his anger.
He didn’t spare their lives.
He gave them over to the plague.
51He killed the oldest son of each family in Egypt.
He struck down the oldest son in every house in the land of Ham.
52But he brought his people out like a flock.
He led them like sheep through the desert.
53He guided them safely, and they weren’t afraid.
But the Red Sea swallowed up their enemies.
54And so he brought his people to the border of his holy land.
He led them to the central hill country he had taken by his power.
55He drove out the nations to make room for his people.
He gave to each family a piece of land to pass on to their children.
He gave the tribes of Israel a place to make their homes.
56But they tested God.
They refused to obey the Most High God.
They didn’t keep his laws.
57They were like their people who lived long ago.
They turned away from him and were not faithful.
They were like a bow that doesn’t shoot straight.
They couldn’t be trusted.
58They made God angry by going to their high places.
They made him jealous by worshiping the statues of their gods.
59When God saw what the people were doing, he was very angry.
He turned away from them completely.
60He deserted the holy tent at Shiloh.
He left the tent he had set up among his people.
61He allowed the ark to be captured.
Into the hands of his enemies he sent the ark where his glory rested.
62He let his people be killed by swords.
He was very angry with them.
63Fire destroyed their young men.
Their young women had no one to marry.
64Their priests were killed by swords.
Their widows weren’t able to weep.
65Then the Lord woke up as if he had been sleeping.
He was like a warrior waking up from the deep sleep caused by wine.
66He drove back his enemies.
He put them to shame that will last forever.
67He turned his back on the tents of the people of Joseph.
He didn’t choose to live in the tribe of Ephraim.
68Instead, he chose to live in the tribe of Judah.
He chose Mount Zion, which he loved.
69There he built his holy place as secure as the heavens.
He built it to last forever, like the earth.
70He chose his servant David.
He took him from the sheep pens.
71He brought him from tending sheep
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob.
He made him the shepherd of Israel, his special people.
72David cared for them with a faithful and honest heart.
With skilled hands he led them.
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