Chapter
Psalms 78

Book of Psalms - Chapter 78

Psalms 78:1

Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Psalms 78:2

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Psalms 78:3

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Psalms 78:4

We will not hide [them] from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

Psalms 78:5

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

Psalms 78:6

That the generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:

Psalms 78:7

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Psalms 78:8

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation [that] set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Psalms 78:9

The children of Ephraim, [being] armed, [and] carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

Psalms 78:10

They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

Psalms 78:11

And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.

Psalms 78:12

Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, [in] the field of Zoan.

Psalms 78:13

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

Psalms 78:14

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

Psalms 78:15

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as [out of] the great depths.

Psalms 78:16

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Psalms 78:17

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

Psalms 78:18

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

Psalms 78:19

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Psalms 78:20

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

Psalms 78:21

Therefore the LORD heard [this], and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

Psalms 78:22

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

Psalms 78:23

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

Psalms 78:24

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

Psalms 78:25

Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

Psalms 78:26

He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

Psalms 78:27

He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

Psalms 78:28

And he let [it] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

Psalms 78:29

So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

Psalms 78:30

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat [was] yet in their mouths,

Psalms 78:31

The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen [men] of Israel.

Psalms 78:32

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

Psalms 78:33

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Psalms 78:34

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.

Psalms 78:35

And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

Psalms 78:36

Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

Psalms 78:37

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

Psalms 78:38

But he, [being] full of compassion, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

Psalms 78:39

For he remembered that they [were but] flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Psalms 78:40

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] grieve him in the desert!

Psalms 78:41

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Psalms 78:42

They remembered not his hand, [nor] the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

Psalms 78:43

How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

Psalms 78:44

And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

Psalms 78:45

He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

Psalms 78:46

He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust.

Psalms 78:47

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.

Psalms 78:48

He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

Psalms 78:49

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels [among them].

Psalms 78:50

He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

Psalms 78:51

And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

Psalms 78:52

But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

Psalms 78:53

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

Psalms 78:54

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, [even to] this mountain, [which] his right hand had purchased.

Psalms 78:55

He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Psalms 78:56

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

Psalms 78:57

But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

Psalms 78:58

For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

Psalms 78:59

When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

Psalms 78:60

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent [which] he placed among men;

Psalms 78:61

And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

Psalms 78:62

He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

Psalms 78:63

The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

Psalms 78:64

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Psalms 78:65

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

Psalms 78:66

And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

Psalms 78:67

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

Psalms 78:68

But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

Psalms 78:69

And he built his sanctuary like high [palaces], like the earth which he hath established for ever.

Psalms 78:70

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

Psalms 78:71

From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

Psalms 78:72

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

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