Psalms 78

1[Maschil of Asaph.] Give ear, O my people, {to} my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. {Maschil...: or, A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction}● 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. {that...: Heb. that prepared not their heart}● 9The children of Ephraim, {being} armed, {and} carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. {carrying: Heb. throwing forth}● 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? {furnish: Heb. order}● 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. {Man...: or, Every one did eat the bread of the mighty}● 26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. {to blow: Heb. to go}● 27He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: {feathered...: Heb. fowl of wing}● 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. {smote...: Heb. made to bow} {Chosen...: or, young men}● 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! {provoke: or, rebel against}● 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. {from...: or, from affliction}● 43How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: {wrought: Heb. set}● 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. {destroyed: Heb. killed} {frost: or, great hailstones}● 48He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. {gave...: Heb. shut up} {hot...: or, lightnings}● 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; {He made...: Heb. He weighed a path} {life...: or, beasts to the murrain}● 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. {overwhelmed: Heb. covered}● 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. {given...: Heb. praised}● 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. {established: Heb. founded}● 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. {following: Heb. after}● 72So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.●