Psalm 78 (GLT) · Opened

1A writing of Asaph Hear my teaching, my people, listen 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 parables; I will sing about hidden things about the past.I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

3These are things that we have heard and learned, things that our ancestors have told us.that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us.

4We will not keep them from their descendants. We will tell the next generation about the praiseworthy deeds of Yahweh, his strength, and the wonders 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 covenant decrees in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors that they were to teach them 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,

6He commanded this so that the generation to come might know his decrees, the children not yet born, who should tell them in turn to their own children.that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children

7Then they would place their hope in God and not forget his deeds but keep his commandments.that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.

8Then they would not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose hearts were not right, and whose spirits were not committed and faithful to 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 Ephraimites were armed with bows, but they turned back on the day of battle.The archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle.

10They did not keep the covenant with God, and they refused to obey his law.They failed to keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law.

11They forgot his deeds, the wonderful things that he had shown them.They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.

12They forgot the marvelous things he did in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the land of Zoan.He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

13He divided the sea and led them across it; he made the waters to stand like walls.He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.

14In the daytime he led them with a cloud and all the night with the 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 he gave them water abundantly, enough to fill the depths of the sea.He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.

16He made streams flow out of the rock and made the water flow like rivers.He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

17Yet they continued to sin against him, rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18They challenged God in their hearts by asking for food to satisfy their appetites.They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.

19They spoke against God; they said,“Can God really lay out a table for us in the wilderness?They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?

20See, when he struck the rock, waters gushed out and streams overflowed. But can he give bread also? Will he provide meat 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?”

21When Yahweh heard this, he was angry; so his fire burned against Jacob, and his anger attacked 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 did not believe in God and did not trust in his salvation.because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation.

23Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of the sky.Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens.

24He rained down manna for them to eat, and gave them the grain from heaven.He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven.

25People ate the bread of angels. He sent them food in abundance.Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

26He caused the east wind to blow in the sky, and by his power he guided the south wind.He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

27He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sands of the sea.He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

28They fell in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.

29So they ate and were full. He gave them what they craved.So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved.

30But they had not yet filled up; their food was still in their mouths.Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths,

31Then God’ s anger attacked them and killed the strongest of them. He brought down the young men of Israel.God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.

32Despite this, they continued to sin and did not believe his wonderful deeds.In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.

33Therefore God cut short their days; their years were filled with terror.So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror.

34Whenever God afflicted them, they would start to seek him, and they would return and look earnestly for him.When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.

35They would call to mind that God was their rock and that the Most High God was their rescuer.And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

36But they would flatter him with their mouth and lie to him with their words.But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.

37For their hearts were not firmly fixed on him, and they were not faithful to his covenant.Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.

38Yet he, being merciful, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. Yes, many times he held back his anger 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.

39He called to mind that they were made of flesh, a wind that passes away and does not return.He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the barren regions!How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

41Again and again they challenged God and offended the Holy One of Israel.Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42They did not think about his power, how he had rescued them from the enemyThey did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from the adversary,

43when he performed his terrifying signs in Egypt and his wonders in the region of Zoan.when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

44He turned the Egyptians’ rivers to blood so that they could not drink from their streams.He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them and frogs that overran their land.He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.

46He gave their crops to the grasshopper 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 sycamore trees with more hail.He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

48He rained hail on their cattle and hurled lightning bolts at their livestock.He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning.

49The fierceness of his anger lashed out against them. He sent wrath, fury, and trouble like agents who bring disaster.He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity—a band of destroying angels.

50He leveled a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague.He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.

51He killed all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of their strength in the tents of Ham.He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.

52He led his own people out like sheep and guided them through the wilderness like a flock.He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

53He led them secure and unafraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.He led them safely, so they did not fear, but the sea engulfed their enemies.

54Then he brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountain that his right hand acquired.He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.

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

56Yet they challenged and defied the Most High God and did not keep his solemn commands.But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.

57They were unfaithful and acted treacherously like their fathers; they were as undependable as a faulty bow.They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow.

58For they made him angry with their high places and provoked him to jealous anger with their idols.They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

59When God heard this, he was angry and completely rejected Israel.On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely.

60He abandoned the sanctuary of Shiloh, the tent where he had lived among people.He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men.

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

62He handed his people over to the sword, and he was angry with his heritage.He surrendered His people to the sword because He was enraged by His heritage.

63Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no wedding songs.Fire consumed His young men, and their maidens were left without wedding songs.

64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.His priests fell by the sword, but their widows could not lament.

65Then the Lord awakened as one from sleep, like a warrior who shouts because of wine.Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty warrior overcome by wine.

66He drove his adversaries back; he put them to everlasting shame.He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame.

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

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

69He built his sanctuary like the heavens, like the earth that he has established forever.He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth He has established forever.

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

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

72David shepherded them with the integrity of his heart, and he guided them with the skill of his hands.So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.

Psalm 78

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Psalm 78

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