Psalms 78:1-39 ▼

1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter dark sayings concerning days of old;

3 That which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us,

4 We will not hide from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength, and His wondrous works that He hath done.

5 For 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;

6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children that should be born; Who should arise and tell them to their children,

7 That they might put their confidence in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

8 And might not be as their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation; A generation that set not their heart aright, And whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

9 The children of Ephraim were as archers handling the bow, That turned back in the day of battle.

10 They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in His law;

11 And they forgot His doings, And His wondrous works that He had shown them.

12 Marvellous things did He in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He cleaved the sea, and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters to stand as a heap.

14 By day also He led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire.

15 He cleaved rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the great deep.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Yet went they on still to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

18 And they tried God in their heart By asking food for their craving.

19 Yea, they spoke against God; They said 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can He give bread also? Or will He provide flesh for His people?'

21 Therefore the LORD heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel;

22 Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in His salvation.

23 And He commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven;

24 And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, And gave them of the corn of heaven.

25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty; He sent them provisions to the full.

26 He caused the east wind to set forth in heaven; And by His power He brought on the south wind.

27 He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust, And winged fowl as the sand of the seas;

28 And He let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their dwellings.

29 So they did eat, and were well filled; And He gave them that which they craved.

30 They were not estranged from their craving, Their food was yet in their mouths,

31 When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the lustieth among them, And smote down the young men of Israel.

32 For all this they sinned still, And believed not in His wondrous works.

33 Therefore He ended their days as a breath, And their years in terror.

34 When He slew them, then they would inquire after Him, And turn back and seek God earnestly.

35 And they remembered that God was their Rock, And the Most High God their redeemer.

36 But they beguiled Him with their mouth, And lied unto Him with their tongue.

37 For their heart was not stedfast with Him, Neither were they faithful in His covenant.

38 But He, being full of compassion, forgiveth iniquity, and destroyeth not; Yea, many a time doth He turn His anger away, And doth not stir up all His wrath.

39 So He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.