Psalms 78

¹Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

²I 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, shewing 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 stedfast with God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, 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 shewed them.

¹²Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹³He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

¹⁴In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵He 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.

¹⁸And 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,

²⁴And 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 enquired 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.

³⁷For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast 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 Zoan:

⁴⁴And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

⁴⁵He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

⁴⁶He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore 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;

⁵¹And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

⁵²But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

⁵³And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

⁵⁴And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

⁵⁵He 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.

⁵⁶Yet 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:

⁶⁰So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

⁶¹And 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 Ephraim:

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.

⁷⁰He 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.

Psalms 78

¹Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

²I 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, Telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, And his strength, and his wondrous 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 knowthem, even the children that should be born; Who should arise and tellthemto 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 stedfast with God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, 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 they forgat his doings, And his wondrous works that he had showed them.

¹²Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹³He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as a heap.

¹⁴In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.

¹⁶He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷Yet went they on still to sin against him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

¹⁸And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire.

¹⁹Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

²⁰Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?

²¹Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel;

²²Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation.

²³Yet he commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven;

²⁴And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven.

²⁵Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He sent them food to the full.

²⁶He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by his power he guided the south wind.

²⁷He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, And winged birds as the sand of the seas:

²⁸And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.

²⁹So they did eat, and were well filled; And he gave them their own desire.

³⁰They were not estranged from that which they desired, Their food was yet in their mouths,

³¹When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel.

³²For all this they sinned still, And believed not in his wondrous works.

³³Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, And their years in terror.

³⁴When he slew them, then they inquired after him; And they returned and sought God earnestly.

³⁵And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their redeemer.

³⁶But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue.

³⁷For their heart was not right with him, Neither were they faithful in his covenant.

³⁸But he, being merciful, forgave theiriniquity, and destroyedthemnot: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath.

³⁹And he remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

⁴⁰How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert!

⁴¹And they turned again and tempted God, And provoked the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They remembered not his hand, Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

⁴³How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan,

⁴⁴And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.

⁴⁵He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them.

⁴⁶He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost.

⁴⁸He gave over 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, A band of angels of evil.

⁵⁰He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence,

⁵¹And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

⁵²But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

⁵³And he led them safely, so that they feared not; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

⁵⁴And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.

⁵⁵He drove out the nations also before them, And allotted them for an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And kept not his testimonies;

⁵⁷But turned back, and dealt treacherously 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 heardthis, he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;

⁶⁰So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent which he placed among men;

⁶¹And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the adversary’s hand.

⁶²He gave his people over also unto the sword, And was wroth with his inheritance.

⁶³Fire devoured their young men; And their virgins had no marriage-song.

⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword; And their widows made no lamentation.

⁶⁵Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, Like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

⁶⁶And he smote his adversaries backward: He put them to a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁷Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph, And chose not the tribe of Ephraim,

⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah, The mount Zion which he loved.

⁶⁹And he built his sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which he hath established for ever.

⁷⁰He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds:

⁷¹From following the ewes that have their young he brought him, To be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

⁷²So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.