78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
78:1 {A Maskil of Asaph.} Listen, O my people, to my instruction; 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,
78:2 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.
78:3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.

78:4 We 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.
78:4 We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has 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;
78:5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should teach them to their children,

78:6 That the generation to come might know (them), even the children that should be born; Who should arise and tell (them) to their children,
78:6 That the generation to come might know, [even] the children [yet] to be born, [That] they may arise and tell [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,
78:7 That they should put their confidence 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.
78:8 And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

78:9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.
78:9 The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, [Yet] they turned back in the day of battle.

78:10 They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law;
78:10 They did not keep the covenant of God, And refused to walk in His law;

78:11 And they forgat his doings, And his wondrous works that he had showed them.
78:11 And they forgot His deeds, And His miracles that He had shown them.

78:12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
78:12 He wrought wonders before their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

78:13 He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as a heap.
78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

78:14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire.
78:14 Then He led them with the cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.

78:15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
78:15 He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave [them] abundant drink like the ocean depths.

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

78:17 Yet went they on still to sin against him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
78:17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

78:18 And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire.
78:18 And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.

78:19 Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
78:19 Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

78:20 Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?
78:20 "Behold, He struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?"

78:21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel;
78:21 Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath, And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also mounted against Israel;

78:22 Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation.
78:22 Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation.

78:23 Yet he commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven;
78:23 Yet He commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven;

78:24 And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven.
78:24 And He rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven.

78:25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He sent them food to the full.
78:25 Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

78:26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by his power he guided the south wind.
78:26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He directed the south wind.

78:27 He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, And winged birds as the sand of the seas:
78:27 When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

78:28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.
78:28 Then He let [them] fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.

78:29 So they did eat, and were well filled; And he gave them their own desire.
78:29 So they ate and were well filled; And their desire He gave to them.

78:30 They were not estranged from that which they desired, Their food was yet in their mouths,
78:30 Before they had satisfied their desire, While their food was in their mouths,

78:31 When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel.
78:31 The anger of God rose against them, And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

78:32 For all this they sinned still, And believed not in his wondrous works.
78:32 In spite of all this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wonderful works.

78:33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, And their years in terror.
78:33 So He brought their days to an end in futility, And their years in sudden terror.

78:34 When he slew them, then they inquired after him; And they returned and sought God earnestly.
78:34 When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;

78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their redeemer.
78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

78:36 But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue.
78:36 But they deceived Him with their mouth, And lied to Him with their tongue.

78:37 For their heart was not right with him, Neither were they faithful in his covenant.
78:37 For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

78:38 But he, being merciful, forgave (their) iniquity, and destroyed (them) not: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath.
78:38 But He, being compassionate, forgave [their] iniquity, and did not destroy [them]; And often He restrained His anger, And did not arouse all His wrath.

78:39 And he remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
78:39 Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.

78:40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert!
78:40 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

78:41 And they turned again and tempted God, And provoked the Holy One of Israel.
78:41 And again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.

78:42 They remember not his hand, Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
78:42 They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,

78:43 How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan,
78:43 When He performed His signs in Egypt, And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

78:44 And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.
78:44 And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink.

78:45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them.
78:45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, And frogs which destroyed them.

78:46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust.
78:46 He gave also their crops to the grasshopper, And the product of their labor to the locust.

78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost.
78:47 He destroyed their vines with hailstones, And their sycamore trees with frost.

78:48 He gave over their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
78:48 He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones, And their herds to bolts of lightning.

78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil.
78:49 He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury, and indignation, and trouble, A band of destroying angels.

78:50 He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence,
78:50 He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,

78:51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
78:51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The first [issue] of their virility in the tents of Ham.

78:52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
78:52 But He led forth His own people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

78:53 And he led them safely, so that they feared not; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
78:53 And He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.

78:54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.
78:54 So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained.

78:55 He 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.
78:55 He also drove out the nations before them, And He apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

78:56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And kept not his testimonies;
78:56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

78:57 But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers: They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
78:57 But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow.

78:58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, And moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
78:58 For they provoked Him with their high places, And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.

78:59 When God heard (this), he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;
78:59 When God heard, He was filled with wrath, And greatly abhorred Israel;

78:60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent which he placed among men;
78:60 So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,

78:61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the adversary's hand.
78:61 And gave up His strength to captivity, And His glory into the hand of the adversary.

78:62 He gave his people over also unto the sword, And was wroth with his inheritance.
78:62 He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

78:63 Fire devoured their young men; And their virgins had no marriage-song.
78:63 Fire devoured His young men; And His virgins had no wedding songs.

78:64 Their priests fell by the sword; And their widows made no lamentation.
78:64 His priests fell by the sword; And His widows could not weep.

78:65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, Like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
78:65 Then the Lord awoke as [if from] sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.

78:66 And he smote his adversaries backward: He put them to a perpetual reproach.
78:66 And He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

78:67 Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph, And chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
78:67 He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

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

78:69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which he hath established for ever.
78:69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.

78:70 He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds:
78:70 He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;

78:71 From following the ewes that have their young he brought him, To be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
78:71 From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

78:72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
78:72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.