78:1 An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.
78:2 I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,
78:3 That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.
78:4 We do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that He hath done.
78:5 And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.
78:6 So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,
78:7 And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.
78:8 And they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God [is] its spirit.
78:9 Sons of Ephraim -- armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.
78:10 They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,
78:11 And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.
78:12 Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt -- the field of Zoan.
78:13 He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.
78:14 And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.
78:15 He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink -- as the great deep.
78:16 And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.
78:17 And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dryplace.
78:18 And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.
78:19 And they speak against God -- they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'
78:20 Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also -- bread [is] He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'
78:21 Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,
78:22 For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.
78:23 And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.
78:24 And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.
78:25 Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.
78:26 He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,
78:27 And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas -- winged fowl,
78:28 And causeth [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.
78:29 And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.
78:30 They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet [is] their food in their mouth,
78:31 And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.
78:32 With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.
78:33 And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.
78:34 If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,
78:35 And they remember that God [is] their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.
78:36 And -- they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,
78:37 And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.
78:38 And He -- the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.
78:39 And He remembereth that they [are] flesh, A wind going on -- and it returneth not.
78:40 How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?
78:41 Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.
78:42 They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.
78:43 When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,
78:44 And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.
78:45 He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,
78:46 And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.
78:47 He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,
78:48 And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.
78:49 He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress -- A discharge of evil messengers.
78:50 He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.
78:51 And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first- fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.
78:52 And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,
78:53 And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.
78:54 And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,
78:55 And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,
78:56 And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.
78:57 And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,
78:58 And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,
78:59 God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.
78:60 And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,
78:61 And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,
78:62 And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.
78:63 His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.
78:64 His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.
78:65 And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.
78:66 And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,
78:67 And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.
78:68 And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,
78:69 And buildeth His sanctuary as a highplace, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.
78:70 And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,
78:71 From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.
78:72 And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!
