Psalms 78:1-39 ▼

1 AN INSTRUCTION OF ASAPH. Give ear, O my people, to my law, || Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.

2 I open my mouth with an allegory, || I bring forth hidden things of old,

3 That we have heard and know, || And our fathers have recounted to us.

4 We do not hide from their sons, || Recounting praises of YHWH to a later generation, || And His strength, and His wonders that He has done.

5 And He raises up a testimony in Jacob, || And has placed a law in Israel, || That He commanded our fathers, || To make them known to their sons.

6 So that a later generation knows, || Sons who are born, rise and recount to their sons,

7 And place their confidence in God, || And do not forget the doings of God, || But keep His commands.

8 And they are not like their fathers, || A generation apostatizing and being rebellious, || A generation—it has not prepared its heart, || Nor [is] its spirit steadfast with God.

9 Sons of Ephraim—armed bearers of bow, || Have turned in a day of conflict.

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

11 And they forget His doings, || And His wonders that He showed them.

12 He has done wonders before their fathers, || In the land of Egypt—the field of Zoan.

13 He cleft a sea, and causes them to pass over, || Indeed, He causes waters to stand as a heap.

14 And leads them with a cloud by day, || And with a light of fire all the night.

15 He cleaves rocks in a wilderness, || And gives drink—as the great deep.

16 And brings out streams from a rock, || And causes waters to come down as rivers.

17 And they still add to sin against Him, || To provoke the Most High in the dry place.

18 And they try God in their heart, || To ask food for their lust.

19 And they speak against God—they said: “Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?”

20 Behold, He has struck a rock, || And waters flow, indeed, streams overflow. “Also, [is] He able to give bread? Does He prepare flesh for His people?”

21 Therefore YHWH has heard, || And He shows Himself angry, || And fire has been kindled against Jacob, || And anger has also gone up against Israel,

22 For they have not believed in God, || Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

23 And He commands clouds from above, || Indeed, He has opened doors of the heavens.

24 And He rains manna on them to eat, || Indeed, He has given grain of the heavens to them.

25 Each has eaten food of the mighty, || He sent provision to them to satiety.

26 He causes an east wind to journey in the heavens, || And leads a south wind by His strength,

27 And He rains on them flesh as dust, || And as sand of the seas—winged bird,

28 And causes [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, || Around His dwelling places.

29 And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, || And He brings their desire to them.

30 They have not been estranged from their desire, || Their food [is] yet in their mouth,

31 And the anger of God has gone up against them, || And He slays among their fat ones, || And He caused youths of Israel to bend.

32 With all this they have sinned again, || And have not believed in His wonders.

33 And He consumes their days in vanity, || And their years in trouble.

34 If He slew them, then they sought Him, || And turned back, and earnestly sought God,

35 And they remember that God [is] their rock, || And God Most High their redeemer.

36 And they deceive Him with their mouth, || And lie to Him with their tongue,

37 And their heart has not been right with Him, || And they have not been steadfast in His covenant.

38 And He, the Merciful One, pardons iniquity, and does not destroy, || And has often turned back His anger, || And does not awaken all His fury.

39 And He remembers that they [are] flesh, || A wind going on—and it does not return.