Chapter 78

Maschil ^{7919 56} of Asaph.
Give ear,⁵⁴ O my people, [to] my law: incline⁵⁴ your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open⁴ my mouth in a parable: I will utter⁵⁵ dark sayings of old:

Which we have heard¹ and known,⁴ and our fathers have told¹⁴ us.

We will not hide¹⁷ [them] from their children, shewing¹⁸ to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works¹² that he hath done.¹

For he established⁵⁵ a testimony in Jacob, and appointed¹ a law in Israel, which he commanded¹⁴ our fathers, that they should make them known⁵³ to their children:

That the generation to come might know⁴ [them, even] the children [which] should be born;¹¹ [who] should arise⁴ and declare¹⁷ [them] to their children:

That they might set⁴ their hope in God, and not forget⁴ the works of God, but keep⁴ his commandments:

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn⁶ and rebellious⁶ generation; a generation [that] set not their heart aright,⁵² and whose spirit was not stedfast⁸ with God.

The children of Ephraim, [being] armed,⁶ [and] carrying⁶ bows, turned back¹ in the day of battle.

They kept¹ not the covenant of God, and refused¹⁴ to walk² in his law;

And forgat⁴ his works, and his wonders¹² that he had shewed⁵² them.

Marvellous things did¹ he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, [in] the field of Zoan.

He divided¹ the sea, and caused them to pass through;⁵⁵ and he made the waters to stand⁵⁵ as an heap.

In the daytime also he led⁵⁵ them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

He clave¹⁷ the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink⁵⁵ as [out of] the great depths.

He brought streams⁶ also out⁵⁵ of the rock, and caused waters to run down⁵⁵ like rivers.

And they sinned² yet more⁵⁵ against him by provoking⁵³ the most High in the wilderness.

And they tempted¹⁷ God in their heart by asking² meat for their lust.

Yea, they spake¹⁷ against God; they said,¹ Can⁴ God furnish² a table in the wilderness?

Behold, he smote⁵² the rock, that the waters gushed out,⁴ and the streams overflowed;⁴ can⁴ he give² bread also? can he provide⁵⁵ flesh for his people?

Therefore the LORD heard¹ [this], and was wroth:¹⁰¹ so a fire was kindled⁸ against Jacob, and anger also came up¹ against Israel;

Because they believed⁵² not in God, and trusted¹ not in his salvation:

Though he had commanded¹⁷ the clouds from above, and opened¹ the doors of heaven,

And had rained⁵⁵ down manna upon them to eat,² and had given¹ them of the corn of heaven.

Man did eat¹ angels' food: he sent¹ them meat to the full.

He caused an east wind to blow⁵⁵ in the heaven: and by his power he brought¹⁷ in the south wind.

He rained⁵⁵ flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

And he let [it] fall⁵⁵ in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

So they did eat,⁴ and were well filled:⁴ for he gave⁵⁵ them their own desire;

They were not estranged¹ from their lust. But while their meat [was] yet in their mouths,

The wrath of God came¹ upon them, and slew⁴ the fattest of them, and smote down⁵² the chosen [men] of Israel.

For all this they sinned¹ still, and believed⁵² not for his wondrous works.¹²

Therefore their days did he consume¹⁷ in vanity, and their years in trouble.

When he slew¹ them, then they sought¹ him: and they returned¹ and enquired early¹⁴ after God.

And they remembered⁴ that God [was] their rock, and the high God their redeemer.⁶

Nevertheless they did flatter¹⁷ him with their mouth, and they lied¹⁷ unto him with their tongues.

For their heart was not right¹² with him, neither were they stedfast⁸ in his covenant.

But he, [being] full of compassion, forgave¹⁷ [their] iniquity, and destroyed⁵⁵ [them] not: yea, many a time⁵² turned he his anger away,⁵³ and did not stir up⁵⁵ all his wrath.

For he remembered⁴ that they [were but] flesh; a wind that passeth away,⁶ and cometh not again.⁴

How oft did they provoke⁵⁵ him in the wilderness, [and] grieve⁵⁵ him in the desert!

Yea, they turned back⁴ and tempted¹⁷ God, and limited⁵² the Holy One of Israel.

They remembered¹ not his hand, [nor] the day when he delivered¹ them from the enemy.

How he had wrought¹ his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

And had turned⁴ their rivers into blood; and their floods,⁶ that they could not drink.⁴

He sent¹⁷ divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured⁴ them; and frogs, which destroyed⁵⁵ them.

He gave⁴ also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

He destroyed⁴ their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

He gave up⁵⁵ their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

He cast¹⁷ upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels [among them].

He made¹⁷ a way to his anger; he spared¹ not their soul from death, but gave their life over⁵² to the pestilence;

And smote⁵⁵ all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

But made his own people to go forth⁵⁵ like sheep, and guided¹⁷ them in the wilderness like a flock.

And he led⁵⁵ them on safely, so that they feared¹ not: but the sea overwhelmed¹⁴ their enemies.⁶

And he brought⁵⁵ them to the border of his sanctuary, [even to] this mountain, [which] his right hand had purchased.¹

He cast out¹⁷ the heathen also before them, and divided⁵⁵ them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell⁵⁵ in their tents.

Yet they tempted¹⁷ and provoked⁵⁵ the most high God, and kept¹ not his testimonies:

But turned back,¹¹ and dealt unfaithfully⁴ like their fathers: they were turned aside⁸ like a deceitful bow.

For they provoked him to anger⁵⁵ with their high places, and moved him to jealousy⁵⁵ with their graven images.

When God heard¹ [this], he was wroth,¹⁰¹ and greatly abhorred⁴ Israel:

So that he forsook⁴ the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent [which] he placed¹⁴ among men;

And delivered⁴ his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

He gave his people over⁵⁵ also unto the sword; and was wroth⁹⁸ with his inheritance.

The fire consumed¹ their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.²⁷

Their priests fell¹ by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.⁴

Then the Lord awaked⁴ as one out of sleep, [and] like a mighty man that shouteth¹¹⁴ by reason of wine.

And he smote⁵⁵ his enemies in the hinder parts: he put¹ them to a perpetual reproach.

Moreover he refused⁴ the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose¹ not the tribe of Ephraim:

But chose⁴ the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.¹

And he built⁴ his sanctuary like high⁶ [palaces], like the earth which he hath established¹ for ever.

He chose⁴ David also his servant, and took⁴ him from the sheepfolds: ⁶⁶²⁹

From following the ewes great with young⁶ he brought⁵² him to feed² Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

So he fed⁵⁵ them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided⁵⁵ them by the skilfulness of his hands.