Psalm 78:24-72
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
24 and he rained down upon them manna to eat,
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate of the bread of the angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
27 he rained flesh upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
28 he let them fall in the midst of their camp,
all around their habitations.
29 And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
30 But before they had sated their craving,
while the food was still in their mouths,
31 the anger of God rose against them
and he slew the strongest of them,
and laid low the picked men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this they still sinned;
despite his wonders they did not believe.
33 So he made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in terror.
34 When he slew them, they sought for him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
they were not true to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being compassionate,
forgave their iniquity,
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often,
and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved him in the desert!
41 They tested him again and again,
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not keep in mind his power,
or the day when he redeemed them from the foe;
43 when he wrought his signs in Egypt,
and his miracles in the fields of Zo′an.
44 He turned their rivers to blood,
so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them,
and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to the caterpillar,
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his fierce anger,
wrath, indignation, and distress,
a company of destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague.
51 He smote all the first-born in Egypt,
the first issue of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Then he led forth his people like sheep,
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid;
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountain which his right hand had won.
55 He drove out nations before them;
he apportioned them for a possession
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God,
and did not observe his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
they twisted like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places;
they moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard, he was full of wrath,
and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelt among men,
61 and delivered his power to captivity,
his glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He gave his people over to the sword,
and vented his wrath on his heritage.
63 Fire devoured their young men,
and their maidens had no marriage song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting shame.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph,
he did not choose the tribe of E′phraim;
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth, which he has founded for ever.
70 He chose David his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from tending the ewes that had young he brought him
to be the shepherd of Jacob his people,
of Israel his inheritance.
72 With upright heart he tended them,
and guided them with skilful hand.
Psalm 78:24-72
New King James Version
24 (A)Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the [a]bread of (B)heaven.
25 Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to [b]the full.
26 (C)He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
29 (D)So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
30 They were not [c]deprived of their craving;
But (E)while their food was still in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
32 In spite of this (F)they still sinned,
And (G)did not believe in His wondrous works.
33 (H)Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
34 (I)When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
35 Then they remembered that (J)God was their rock,
And the Most High God (K)their Redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they (L)flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38 (M)But He, being full of (N)compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time (O)He turned His anger away,
And (P)did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For (Q)He remembered (R)that they were but flesh,
(S)A breath that passes away and does not come again.
40 How often they (T)provoked[d] Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, (U)again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His [e]power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 (V)Turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
45 (W)He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And (X)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the (Y)locust.
47 (Z)He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He also gave up their (AA)cattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery [f]lightning.
49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave [g]their life over to the plague,
51 And destroyed all the (AB)firstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But He (AC)made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 And He (AD)led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea (AE)overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And He brought them to His (AF)holy border,
This mountain (AG)which His right hand had acquired.
55 (AH)He also drove out the nations before them,
(AI)Allotted them an inheritance by [h]survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 (AJ)Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
57 But (AK)turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside (AL)like a deceitful bow.
58 (AM)For they provoked Him to anger with their (AN)high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59 When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
60 (AO)So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
61 (AP)And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 (AQ)He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
And (AR)their maidens were not given in marriage.
64 (AS)Their priests fell by the sword,
And (AT)their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
(AU)Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 And (AV)He beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion (AW)which He loved.
69 And He built His (AX)sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
70 (AY)He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From following (AZ)the ewes that had young He brought him,
(BA)To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the (BB)integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Footnotes
- Psalm 78:24 Lit. grain
- Psalm 78:25 satiation
- Psalm 78:30 Lit. separated
- Psalm 78:40 rebelled against Him
- Psalm 78:42 Lit. hand
- Psalm 78:48 lightning bolts
- Psalm 78:50 Or their beasts
- Psalm 78:55 surveyed measurement, lit. measuring cord
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
