Psalms 78:1 ←
Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
Psalms 78:2 ←
Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
Psalms 78:3 ←
Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
Psalms 78:4 ←
We 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.
Psalms 78:5 ←
He 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;
Psalms 78:6 ←
So 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;
Psalms 78:7 ←
So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
Psalms 78:8 ←
And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
Psalms 78:9 ←
The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
Psalms 78:10 ←
They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
Psalms 78:11 ←
They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
Psalms 78:12 ←
He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
Psalms 78:13 ←
The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
Psalms 78:14 ←
In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
Psalms 78:15 ←
The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
Psalms 78:16 ←
He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
Psalms 78:17 ←
And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
Psalms 78:18 ←
Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
Psalms 78:19 ←
They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
Psalms 78:20 ←
See, 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?
Psalms 78:21 ←
So 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;
Psalms 78:22 ←
Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
Psalms 78:23 ←
And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
Psalms 78:24 ←
And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
Psalms 78:25 ←
Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
Psalms 78:26 ←
He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
Psalms 78:27 ←
He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
Psalms 78:28 ←
And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
Psalms 78:29 ←
So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
Psalms 78:30 ←
But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
Psalms 78:31 ←
The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
Psalms 78:32 ←
For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
Psalms 78:33 ←
So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
Psalms 78:34 ←
When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
Psalms 78:35 ←
In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
Psalms 78:36 ←
But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
Psalms 78:37 ←
And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
Psalms 78:38 ←
But 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.
Psalms 78:39 ←
So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
Psalms 78:40 ←
How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
Psalms 78:41 ←
Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
Psalms 78:42 ←
They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
Psalms 78:43 ←
How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
Psalms 78:44 ←
So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
Psalms 78:45 ←
He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
Psalms 78:46 ←
He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
Psalms 78:47 ←
He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
Psalms 78:48 ←
Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
Psalms 78:49 ←
He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
Psalms 78:50 ←
He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
Psalms 78:51 ←
He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
Psalms 78:52 ←
But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
Psalms 78:53 ←
He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
Psalms 78:54 ←
And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
Psalms 78:55 ←
Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
Psalms 78:56 ←
But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
Psalms 78:57 ←
Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
Psalms 78:58 ←
They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
Psalms 78:59 ←
When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
Psalms 78:60 ←
So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
Psalms 78:61 ←
And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
Psalms 78:62 ←
He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
Psalms 78:63 ←
Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
Psalms 78:64 ←
Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
Psalms 78:65 ←
Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
Psalms 78:66 ←
His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
Psalms 78:67 ←
And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
Psalms 78:68 ←
But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
Psalms 78:69 ←
And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
Psalms 78:70 ←
He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
Psalms 78:71 ←
From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
Psalms 78:72 ←
So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
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