Psalms 78:1-29

¹A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.

²I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past

³that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to us.

⁴We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things he has done.

⁵He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children,

⁶so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.

⁷In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and keep his commandments.

⁸Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.

⁹The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on the day of battle.

¹⁰They did not keep God's agreement, and refused to follow his laws.

¹¹They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things he had shown them—

¹²the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.

¹³He split the sea in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.

¹⁴He led them with a cloud by day, and by night with a light of fire.

¹⁵He split open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.

¹⁶He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!

¹⁷But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

¹⁸They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.

¹⁹They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?

²⁰Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he supply his people with meat?”

²¹When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,

²²for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.

²³Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,

²⁴and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.

²⁵Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.

²⁶He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove the south wind.

²⁷He rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.

²⁸He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.

²⁹They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.