Psalm 78 (English Standard Version)

Psalm 78

Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil^[a] of^(A) Asaph.

 ^1(B) Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
   incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
^2(C) I will open my mouth^(D) in a parable;
   I will utter dark sayings from of old,
³things that we have heard and known,
   that our^(E) fathers have told us.
⁴We will not^(F) hide them from their children,
   but^(G) tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
   and^(H) the wonders that he has done.

 ⁵He established^(I) a testimony in^(J) Jacob
   and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
   to teach to their children,
⁶that^(K) the next generation might know them,
   the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
 ⁷so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget^(L) the works of God,
   but^(M) keep his commandments;
⁸and that they should not be^(N) like their fathers,
   ^(O) a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation^(P) whose heart was not steadfast,
   whose spirit was not faithful to God.

 ⁹The Ephraimites, armed with^[b] the bow,
   ^(Q) turned back on the day of battle.
¹⁰They^(R) did not keep God’s covenant,
   but refused to walk according to his law.
¹¹They^(S) forgot his works
   and^(T) the wonders that he had shown them.
¹²In the sight of their fathers^(U) he performed wonders
   in the land of Egypt, in^(V) the fields of Zoan.
¹³He^(W) divided the sea and let them pass through it,
   and made the waters^(X) stand like a heap.
^14(Y) In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
   and all the night with a fiery light.
¹⁵He^(Z) split rocks in the wilderness
   and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
¹⁶He made streams come out of^(AA) the rock
   and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

 ¹⁷Yet they sinned still more against him,
   ^(AB) rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸They^(AC) tested God in their heart
   by demanding the food they craved.
¹⁹They spoke against God, saying,
   ^(AD) "Can God^(AE) spread a table in the wilderness?
^20(AF) He struck the rock so that water gushed out
   and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
   or provide meat for his people?"

 ²¹Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;
   ^(AG) a fire was kindled against Jacob;
   his anger rose against Israel,
²²because they^(AH) did not believe in God
   and did not trust his saving power.
²³Yet he commanded the skies above
   and^(AI) opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴and he^(AJ) rained down on them manna to eat
   and gave them^(AK) the grain of heaven.
²⁵Man ate of the bread of^(AL) the angels;
   he sent them food^(AM) in abundance.
²⁶He^(AN) caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
   and by his power he led out the south wind;
²⁷he rained meat on them like^(AO) dust,
   winged birds like^(AP) the sand of the seas;
²⁸he^(AQ) let them fall in the midst of their camp,
   all around their dwellings.
²⁹And they^(AR) ate and were well filled,
   for he gave them what they^(AS) craved.
³⁰But before they had satisfied their craving,
   ^(AT) while the food was still in their mouths,
³¹the anger of God rose against them,
   and he killed^(AU) the strongest of them
   and laid low^(AV) the young men of Israel.

 ³²In spite of all this, they^(AW) still sinned;
   ^(AX) despite his wonders, they did not believe.
³³So he made^(AY) their days^(AZ) vanish like^[c] a breath,^[d]
   and their years in terror.
³⁴When he killed them, they^(BA) sought him;
   they repented and sought God earnestly.
³⁵They remembered that God was their^(BB) rock,
   the Most High God their^(BC) redeemer.
³⁶But they^(BD) flattered him with their mouths;
   they^(BE) lied to him with their tongues.
³⁷Their^(BF) heart was not^(BG) steadfast toward him;
   they were not faithful to his covenant.
³⁸Yet he, being^(BH) compassionate,
   ^(BI) atoned for their iniquity
   and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
   and did not stir up all his wrath.
³⁹He^(BJ) remembered that they were but^(BK) flesh,
   ^(BL) a wind that passes and comes not again.
⁴⁰How often they^(BM) rebelled against him in the wilderness
   and^(BN) grieved him in^(BO) the desert!
⁴¹They^(BP) tested God again and again
   and provoked^(BQ) the Holy One of Israel.
⁴²They^(BR) did not remember his power^[e]
   or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
^43(BS) when he performed his^(BT) signs in Egypt
   and his^(BU) marvels in^(BV) the fields of Zoan.
⁴⁴He^(BW) turned their rivers to blood,
   so that they could not drink of their streams.
⁴⁵He sent among them swarms of^(BX) flies, which devoured them,
   and^(BY) frogs, which destroyed them.
⁴⁶He gave their crops to^(BZ) the destroying locust
   and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with^(CA) hail
   and their sycamores with frost.
⁴⁸He gave over their^(CB) cattle to the hail
   and their flocks to thunderbolts.
⁴⁹He let loose on them his burning anger,
   wrath, indignation, and distress,
   a company of^(CC) destroying angels.
⁵⁰He made a path for his anger;
   he did not spare them from death,
   but gave their lives over to the plague.
⁵¹He struck down every^(CD) firstborn in Egypt,
   the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of^(CE) Ham.
⁵²Then he led out his people^(CF) like sheep
   and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
^53(CG) He led them in safety, so that they^(CH) were not afraid,
   but^(CI) the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
⁵⁴And he brought them to his^(CJ) holy land,
   ^(CK) to the mountain which his right hand had^(CL) won.
⁵⁵He^(CM) drove out nations before them;
   he^(CN) apportioned them for a possession
   and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

 ⁵⁶Yet they^(CO) tested and^(CP) rebelled against the Most High God
   and did not keep his testimonies,
⁵⁷but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
   they twisted like^(CQ) a deceitful bow.
⁵⁸For they^(CR) provoked him to anger with their^(CS) high places;
   they^(CT) moved him to jealousy with their^(CU) idols.
⁵⁹When God heard, he was full of^(CV) wrath,
   and he utterly rejected Israel.
⁶⁰He^(CW) forsook his dwelling at^(CX) Shiloh,
   the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
⁶¹and delivered his^(CY) power to captivity,
   his^(CZ) glory to the hand of the foe.
⁶²He^(DA) gave his people over to the sword
   and^(DB) vented his wrath on his heritage.
^63(DC) Fire devoured their young men,
   and their young women had no^(DD) marriage song.
⁶⁴Their^(DE) priests fell by the sword,
   and their^(DF) widows made no lamentation.
⁶⁵Then the Lord^(DG) awoke as from sleep,
   like a strong man shouting because of wine.
⁶⁶And he^(DH) put his adversaries to rout;
   he put them to everlasting shame.

 ⁶⁷He rejected the tent of^(DI) Joseph;
   he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
⁶⁸but he chose the tribe of Judah,
   Mount Zion, which he^(DJ) loves.
⁶⁹He^(DK) built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
   like the earth, which he has founded forever.
⁷⁰He^(DL) chose David his servant
   and took him from the sheepfolds;
⁷¹from^(DM) following the nursing ewes he brought him
   to^(DN) shepherd Jacob his people,
   Israel his^(DO) inheritance.
⁷²With^(DP) upright heart he shepherded them
   and^(DQ) guided them with his skillful hand.