Psalm 78 (AKJV)

1Maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.A Maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth.

2I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

3Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us.

4We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done.We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed.

5For 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:For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children

7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.

8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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

10They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;They failed to keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law.

11And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.

12Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

13He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.

14In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night.

15He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.

16He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

17And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.

19Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?

20Behold, 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?When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”

21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel,

22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation.

23Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens.

24And had rained down manna on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven.

25Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

27He rained flesh also on them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

28And he let it fall in the middle of their camp, round about their habitations.He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.

29So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved.

30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths,

31The wrath of God came on them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.

32For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.

33Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror.

34When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.

35And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

36Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.

37For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.

38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.

39For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away, and comes not again.He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

40How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

41Yes, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.They did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from the adversary,

43How he had worked his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

44And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

45He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.

46He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

48He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning.

49He cast on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity—a band of destroying angels.

50He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.

51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.

52But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

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

54And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.

55He 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.He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.

57But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow.

58For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

59When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely.

60So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men.

61And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.He delivered His strength to captivity, and His splendor to the hand of the adversary.

62He gave his people over also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.He surrendered His people to the sword because He was enraged by His heritage.

63The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.Fire consumed His young men, and their maidens were left without wedding songs.

64Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.His priests fell by the sword, but their widows could not lament.

65Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty warrior overcome by wine.

66And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame.

67Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:He rejected the tent of Joseph and refused the tribe of Ephraim.

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

69And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he has established for ever.He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth He has established forever.

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

71From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance.

72So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.

Psalm 78

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

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Psalm 78

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

You’ve read Psalm 78

Go Deeper