Psalms 78:53-69

⁵³He led them to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.

⁵⁴He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.

⁵⁵He drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

⁵⁶But they provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.

⁵⁷Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.

⁵⁸They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.

⁵⁹When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.

⁶⁰He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.

⁶¹He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.

⁶²He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.

⁶³Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.

⁶⁴Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.

⁶⁵Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.

⁶⁶He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.

⁶⁷He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

⁶⁸Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.

⁶⁹There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.