Psalms 78:1-51

¹Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

²Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

³Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

⁴We 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.

⁵He 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;

⁶So 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;

⁷So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

⁸And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

¹⁰They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

¹¹They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

¹²He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

¹³The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

¹⁴In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

¹⁶He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

¹⁷And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

¹⁸Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

¹⁹They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

²⁰See, 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?

²¹So 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;

²²Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

²³And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

²⁴And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

²⁵Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

²⁶He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

²⁷He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

²⁸And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

²⁹So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

³⁰But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

³¹The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

³²For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

³³So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

³⁴When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

³⁵In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

³⁶But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

³⁷And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

³⁸But 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.

³⁹So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

⁴⁰How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

⁴¹Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

⁴³How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

⁴⁴So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

⁴⁵He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

⁴⁶He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

⁴⁷He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

⁴⁸Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

⁴⁹He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

⁵⁰He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

⁵¹He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;