Psalm 78
A contemplation by Asaph.
1 Hear
my teaching, my
people.
Turn your ears to
the words of
my mouth.
2 I
will open my
mouth in a
parable.
I will utter
dark sayings of
old,
3 which
we have heard
and known,
and our fathers
have told us.
4 We
will not hide
them from their
children,
telling to the
generation to come
the praises of
the LORD,
his strength, and
his wondrous deeds
that he has
done.
5 For
he established
a covenant in
Jacob,
and appointed a
teaching in Israel,
which he
commanded our fathers,
that they should
make them known
to their children;
6 that
the generation to
come might know,
even the children
who should be
born;
who should arise
and tell their
children,
7 that
they might set
their hope in
God,
and not forget
God’s deeds,
but keep his
commandments,
8 and might
not be as
their fathers—
a stubborn and
rebellious generation,
a generation
that didn’t make
their hearts loyal,
whose spirit was
not steadfast with
God.
9 The
children of Ephraim,
being armed and
carrying bows,
turned back in
the day of
battle.
10 They didn’t
keep God’s
covenant,
and refused to
walk in his
law.
11 They
forgot his doings,
his wondrous
deeds that he had
shown them.
12 He
did marvelous things
in the sight
of their fathers,
in the land
of Egypt, in
the field of
Zoan.
13 He
split the sea,
and caused them
to pass through.
He made the
waters stand as
a heap.
14 In
the daytime he
also led them
with a cloud,
and all night
with a light
of fire.
15 He
split rocks in
the wilderness,
and gave them
drink abundantly
as out of
the depths.
16 He
brought streams
also out of
the rock,
and caused waters
to run down
like rivers.
17 Yet they
still went on to
sin against him,
to rebel against
the Most High
in the desert.
18 They
tempted God in
their heart
by asking food according
to their desire.
19 Yes, they
spoke against God.
They said, “Can
God prepare a
table in the
wilderness?
20 Behold,
he struck the
rock, so that
waters gushed out,
and streams
overflowed.
Can he give
bread also?
Will he provide
meat for his
people?”
21 Therefore
the LORD heard,
and was angry.
A fire was
kindled against
Jacob,
anger also went
up against Israel,
22 because
they didn’t believe in
God,
and didn’t trust in
his salvation.
23 Yet he
commanded the
skies above,
and opened the
doors of heaven.
24 He
rained down manna
on them to eat,
and gave them
food from the
sky.
25 Man ate the
bread of angels.
He sent them
food to the
full.
26 He caused
the east wind
to blow in
the sky.
By his power
he guided the
south wind.
27 He also
rained meat on
them as the
dust,
winged birds as
the sand of
the seas.
28 He let
them fall in
the middle of
their camp,
around their
habitations.
29 So
they ate, and were
well filled.
He gave them
their own desire.
30 They didn’t
turn from their cravings.
Their food was
yet in their
mouths,
31 when
the anger of God
went up against
them,
killed some of
their strongest,
and struck down
the young men of
Israel.
32 For
all this they
still sinned,
and didn’t believe in
his wondrous works.
33 Therefore
he consumed their
days in vanity,
and their years
in terror.
34 When
he killed them,
then they inquired
after him.
They returned 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 mouth,
and lied to him
with their tongue.
37 For
their heart was
not right with
him,
neither were
they faithful in
his covenant.
38 But
he, being merciful,
forgave iniquity,
and didn’t destroy
them.
Yes, many times he
turned his anger
away,
and didn’t stir
up all his
wrath.
39 He
remembered that
they were but
flesh,
a wind that
passes away,
and doesn’t come
again.
40 How
often they
rebelled against
him in the
wilderness,
and grieved him
in the desert!
41 They
turned again and
tempted God,
and provoked the
Holy One of
Israel.
42 They didn’t
remember his hand,
nor the day
when he redeemed
them from the
adversary;
43 how he
set his signs in
Egypt,
his wonders in
the field of
Zoan,
44 he
turned their
rivers into blood,
and their streams,
so that they could
not drink.
45 He
sent among them
swarms of flies,
which devoured them;
and frogs, which
destroyed them.
46 He also
gave their
increase to the
caterpillar,
and their labor
to the locust.
47 He
destroyed their
vines with hail,
their sycamore fig
trees with frost.
48 He also
gave over their
livestock to the
hail,
and their flocks
to hot thunderbolts.
49 He threw
on them the
fierceness of his
anger,
wrath, indignation,
and trouble,
and a band
of angels of
evil.
50 He
made a path
for his anger.
He didn’t spare
their soul from
death,
but gave their
life over to
the pestilence,
51 and
struck all the
firstborn in Egypt,
the chief of
their strength in
the tents of Ham.
52 But
he led out
his own people
like sheep,
and guided them
in the wilderness
like a flock.
53 He
led them safely,
so that
they weren’t afraid,
but the sea
overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought
them to the
border of his
sanctuary,
to this mountain,
which his right
hand had taken.
55 He
also drove out
the nations before
them,
allotted them for
an inheritance by
line,
and made the
tribes of Israel
to dwell in
their tents.
56 Yet
they tempted and
rebelled against
the Most High
God,
and didn’t keep
his testimonies,
57 but turned
back, and dealt treacherously
like their fathers.
They were twisted like a
deceitful bow.
58 For they
provoked him to
anger with their
high places,
and moved him to
jealousy with their
engraved images.
59 When God
heard this, he
was angry,
and greatly
abhorred Israel,
60 so that he
abandoned the tent
of Shiloh,
the tent which he placed
among men,
61 and
delivered his
strength into
captivity,
his glory into
the adversary’s
hand.
62 He
also gave his
people over to
the sword,
and was angry
with his
inheritance.
63 Fire devoured
their young men.
Their virgins had
no wedding song.
64 Their
priests fell by
the sword,
and their widows couldn’t
weep.
65 Then the Lord
awakened as one
out of sleep,
like a mighty
man who shouts by
reason of wine.
66 He
struck his
adversaries backward.
He put them
to a perpetual
reproach.
67 Moreover he
rejected the tent
of Joseph,
and didn’t choose the
tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose
the tribe of
Judah,
Mount Zion which
he loved.
69 He
built his
sanctuary like the
heights,
like the earth
which he has
established forever.
70 He
also chose David
his servant,
and took him
from the
sheepfolds;
71 from following the
ewes that have
their young,
he brought him to
be the shepherd
of Jacob, his
people,
and Israel, his
inheritance.
72 So he
was their
shepherd according to
the integrity of
his heart,
and guided them
by the skillfulness
of his hands.