Psalms 78

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

1An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.

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

2Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

2I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,

3Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

3That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us:

4We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.

4We do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that He hath done.

4 We will not hide [them] from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which he hath done.

5He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;

5And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.

5 For 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;

6So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;

6So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,

6 That the generation to come might know [them], the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell [them] to their children,

7So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

7And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.

7 And that they might set their hope inGod, and not forget the works ofGod, but observe his commandments;

8And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

8And they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God <FI>is<Fi> its spirit.

8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that prepared not their heart, and whose spirit was not stedfast withGod.

9The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

9Sons of Ephraim--armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.

9 The sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.

10They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

10They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,

10 They kept not the covenant ofGod, and refused to walk in his law;

11They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

11And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.

11 And forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.

12He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

12Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt--the field of Zoan.

12 In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.

13The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

13He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.

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

14In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

14And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.

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

15The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

15He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink--as the great deep.

15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;

16He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

16And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.

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

17And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

17And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.

17 Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;

18Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

18And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.

18 And they temptedGod in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;

19They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

19And they speak against God--they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'

19 And they spoke againstGod: they said, IsGod able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

20See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?

20Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also--bread <FI>is<Fi> He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'

20 Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?

21So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;

21Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,

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

22Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

22For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

22 Because they believed not inGod, and confided not in his salvation;

23And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

23And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,

24And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

24And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.

25Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

25Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.

25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.

26He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

26He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,

26 He caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;

27He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

27And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas--winged fowl,

27 And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,

28And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

28And causeth <FI>it<Fi> to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.

28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:

29So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

29And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.

29 And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.

30But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

30They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet <FI>is<Fi> their food in their mouth,

30 They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,

31The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

31And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.

31 When the anger ofGod went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

32For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

32With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.

32 For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;

33So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

33And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.

33 And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

34When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

34If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,

34 When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early afterGod;

35In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

35And they remember that God <FI>is<Fi> their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.

35 And they remembered thatGod was their rock, andGod, the Most High, their redeemer.

36But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

36And--they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,

36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;

37And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

37And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.

37 For their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

38But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.

38And He--the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.

38 But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:

39So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

39And He remembereth that they <FI>are<Fi> flesh, A wind going on--and it returneth not.

39 And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.

40How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

40How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?

40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

41Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

41Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.

41 And they turned again and temptedGod, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

42They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.

42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,

43How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

43When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,

43 How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;

44So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

44And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.

44 And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;

45He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

45He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,

45 He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;

46He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

46And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.

46 And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;

47He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

47He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,

47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;

48Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

48And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.

48 And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.

49He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

49He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress--A discharge of evil messengers.

49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, — a mission of angels of woes.

50He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

50He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.

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

51He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

51And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.

51 And he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.

52But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

52And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,

52 And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

53He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

53And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.

53 And he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies.

54And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

54And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,

54 And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;

55Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.

55And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,

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

56But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

56And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.

56 But they tempted and provokedGod, the Most High, and kept not his testimonies,

57Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

57And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,

57 And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.

58They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

58And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,

58 And they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

59God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.

59 God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

60And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

60 And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,

61And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

61And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,

61 And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;

62He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

62And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.

62 And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:

63Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

63His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.

63 The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] song;

64Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

64His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.

64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

65Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

65And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.

65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;

66His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

66And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,

66 And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.

67And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

67And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.

67 And he rejected the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,

68But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

68And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,

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

69And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

69And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.

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

70He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

70And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,

70 And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

71From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.

71From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.

71 From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

72So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

72And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!

72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.