[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph.

78:1 Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

78:2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.

78:3 All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.

78:4 They were not hid from their children to a second generations; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.

78:5 And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:

78:6 that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.

78:7 That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.

78:8 That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its spirit was not steadfast with God.

78:9 The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.

78:10 They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.

78:11 And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] shewed them;

78:12 the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.

78:13 He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.

78:14 And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

78:15 he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.

78:16 And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.

78:17 And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.

78:18 And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.

78:19 They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

78:20 Forasmuch as he smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?

78:21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

78:22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.

78:23 Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

78:24 and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

78:25 Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.

78:26 He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the south-west wind.

78:27 And e rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

78:28 And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

78:29 So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.

78:30 They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,

78:31 then the indignation of God rose up against them, and slew the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

78:32 In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

78:33 And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.

78:34 When he slew them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

78:35 And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.

78:36 Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

78:37 For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

78:38 But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yea, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.

78:39 And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.

78:40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!

78:41 Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

78:42 They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.

78:43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:

78:44 and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.

78:45 He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.

78:46 And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.

78:47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.

78:48 And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.

78:49 He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.

78:50 He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;

78:51 and smote every first-born in the land of Egypt; the first-fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.

78:52 And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.

78:53 And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.

78:54 And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.

78:55 And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

78:56 Ye they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.

78:57 And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.

78:58 And they provoked him with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

78:59 God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.

78:60 And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he dwelt among men.

78:61 And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.

78:62 And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.

78:63 Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.

78:64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.

78:65 So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.

78:66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.

78:67 And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

78:68 but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.

78:69 And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.

78:70 He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.

78:71 He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

78:72 So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Maschil of Asaph.

78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

78:3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

78:4 We 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.

78:5 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:

78:6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

78:8 And 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.

78:9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

78:10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

78:11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

78:12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

78:14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

78:15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

78:16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

78:17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

78:18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

78:19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

78:20 Behold, 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?

78:21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

78:22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

78:23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

78:25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

78:26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

78:27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

78:28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

78:29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

78:30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

78:31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

78:32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

78:33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

78:34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

78:36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

78:37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

78:38 But 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.

78:39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

78:40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

78:42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

78:43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.

78:44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

78:45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

78:46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

78:48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

78:50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

78:51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

78:52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

78:53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

78:54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

78:55 He 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.

78:56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

78:57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

78:58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

78:59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

78:60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

78:61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

78:62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

78:63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

78:64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

78:65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

78:66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

78:67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

78:68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

78:69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

78:70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

78:71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

78:72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.