Psalter

Psalm 78
Attendite, popule

1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.

4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

5 He gave his decrees to Jacob
and established a law for Israel, *
which he commanded them to teach their children;

6 That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn; *
that they in their turn might tell it to their children;

7 So that they might put their trust in God, *
and not forget the deeds of God,
but keep his commandments;

8 And not be like their forefathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation, *
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The people of Ephraim, armed with the bow, *
turned back in the day of battle;

10 They did not keep the covenant of God, *
and refused to walk in his law;

11 They forgot what he had done, *
and the wonders he had shown them.

12 He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.

14 He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.

15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.

17 But they went on sinning against him, *
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18 They tested God in their hearts, *
demanding food for their craving.

19 They railed against God and said, *
"Can God set a table in the wilderness?

20 True, he struck the rock, the waters gushed out, and the gullies overflowed; *
but is he able to give bread
or to provide meat for his people?"

21 When the LORD heard this, he was full of wrath; *
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and his anger mounted against Israel;

22 For they had no faith in God, *
nor did they put their trust in his saving power.

23 So he commanded the clouds above *
and opened the doors of heaven.

24 He rained down manna upon them to eat *
and gave them grain from heaven.

25 So mortals ate the bread of angels; *
he provided for them food enough.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens *
and led out the south wind by his might.

27 He rained down flesh upon them like dust *
and winge!d birds like the sand of the sea.

28 He let it fall in the midst of their camp *
and round about their dwellings.

29 So they ate and were well filled, *
for he gave them what they craved.

30 But they did not stop their craving, *
though the food was still in their mouths.

31 So God's anger mounted against them; *
he slew their strongest men
and laid low the youth of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they went on sinning *
and had no faith in his wonderful works.

33 So he brought their days to an end like a breath *
and their years in sudden terror.

34 Whenever he slew them, they would seek him, *
and repent, and diligently search for God.

35 They would remember that God was their rock, *
and the Most High God their redeemer.

36 But they flattered him with their mouths *
and lied to him with their tongues.

37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him, *
and they were not faithful to his covenant.

38 But he was so merciful that he forgave their sins
and did not destroy them; *
many times he held back his anger
and did not permit his wrath to be roused.

39 For he remembered that they were but flesh, *
a breath that goes forth and does not return.

40 How often the people disobeyed him in the wilderness *
and offended him in the desert!

41 Again and again they tempted God *
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not remember his power *
in the day when he ransomed them from the enemy;

43 How he wrought his signs in Egypt *
and his omens in the field of Zoan.

44 He turned their rivers into blood, *
so that they could not drink of their streams.

45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which ate them up, *
and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave their crops to the caterpillar, *
the fruit of their toil to the locust.

47 He killed their vines with hail *
and their sycamores with frost.

48 He delivered their cattle to hailstones *
and their livestock to hot thunderbolts.

49 He poured out upon them his blazing anger: *
fury, indignation, and distress,
a troop of destroying angels.

50 He gave full rein to his anger;
he did not spare their souls from death; *
but delivered their lives to the plague.

51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, *
the flower of manhood in the dwellings of Ham.

52 He led out his people like sheep *
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 He led them to safety, and they were not afraid; *
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 He brought them to his holy land, *
the mountain his right hand had won.

55 He drove out the Canaanites before them
and apportioned an inheritance to them by lot; *
he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56 But they tested the Most High God, and defied him, *
and did not keep his commandments.

57 They turned away and were disloyal like their fathers; *
they were undependable like a warped bow.

58 They grieved him with their hill-altars *
they provoked his displeasure with their idols.

59 When God heard this, he was angry *
and utterly rejected Israel.

60 He forsook the shrine at Shiloh, *
the tabernacle where he had lived among his people.

61 He delivered the ark into captivity, *
his glory into the adversary's hand.

62 He gave his people to the sword *
and was angered against his inheritance.

63 The fire consumed their young men; *
there were no wedding songs for their maidens.

64 Their priests fell by the sword, *
and their widows made no lamentation.

65 Then the LORD woke as though from sleep, *
like a warrior refreshed with wine.

66 He struck his enemies on the backside *
and put them to perpetual shame.

67 He rejected the tent of Joseph *
and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;

68 He chose instead the tribe of Judah *
and Mount Zion, which he loved.

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights of heaven, *
like the earth which he founded for ever.

70 He chose David his servant, *
and took him away from the sheepfolds.

71 He brought him from following the ewes, *
to be a shepherd over Jacob his people
and over Israel his inheritance.

72 So he shepherded them with a faithful and true heart *
and guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.

1	Hear my teaching, O my people; * incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2	I will open my mouth in a parable; * I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3	That which we have heard and known, and what our forefathers have told us, * we will not hide from their children.
4	We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, * and the wonderful works he has done.
5	He gave his decrees to Jacob and established a law for Israel, * which he commanded them to teach their children;
6	That the generations to come might know, and the children yet unborn; * that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
7	So that they might put their trust in God, * and not forget the deeds of God, but keep his commandments;
8	And not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, * a generation whose heart was not steadfast, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9	The people of Ephraim, armed with the bow, * turned back in the day of battle;
10	They did not keep the covenant of God, * and refused to walk in his law;
11	They forgot what he had done, * and the wonders he had shown them.
12	He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, * in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13	He split open the sea and let them pass through; * he made the waters stand up like walls.
14	He led them with a cloud by day, * and all the night through with a glow of fire.
15	He split the hard rocks in the wilderness * and gave them drink as from the great deep.
16	He brought streams out of the cliff, * and the waters gushed out like rivers.
17	But they went on sinning against him, * rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
18	They tested God in their hearts, * demanding food for their craving.
19	They railed against God and said, * "Can God set a table in the wilderness?
20	True, he struck the rock, the waters gushed out, and the gullies overflowed; * but is he able to give bread or to provide meat for his people?"
21	When the LORD heard this, he was full of wrath; * a fire was kindled against Jacob, and his anger mounted against Israel;
22	For they had no faith in God, * nor did they put their trust in his saving power.
23	So he commanded the clouds above * and opened the doors of heaven.
24	He rained down manna upon them to eat * and gave them grain from heaven.
25	So mortals ate the bread of angels; * he provided for them food enough.
26	He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens * and led out the south wind by his might.
27	He rained down flesh upon them like dust * and winge!d birds like the sand of the sea.
28	He let it fall in the midst of their camp * and round about their dwellings.
29	So they ate and were well filled, * for he gave them what they craved.
30	But they did not stop their craving, * though the food was still in their mouths.
31	So God's anger mounted against them; * he slew their strongest men and laid low the youth of Israel.
32	In spite of all this, they went on sinning * and had no faith in his wonderful works.
33	So he brought their days to an end like a breath * and their years in sudden terror.
34	Whenever he slew them, they would seek him, * and repent, and diligently search for God.
35	They would remember that God was their rock, * and the Most High God their redeemer.
36	But they flattered him with their mouths * and lied to him with their tongues.
37	Their heart was not steadfast toward him, * and they were not faithful to his covenant.
38	But he was so merciful that he forgave their sins and did not destroy them; * many times he held back his anger and did not permit his wrath to be roused.
39	For he remembered that they were but flesh, * a breath that goes forth and does not return.
40	How often the people disobeyed him in the wilderness * and offended him in the desert!
41	Again and again they tempted God * and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42	They did not remember his power * in the day when he ransomed them from the enemy;
43	How he wrought his signs in Egypt * and his omens in the field of Zoan.
44	He turned their rivers into blood, * so that they could not drink of their streams.
45	He sent swarms of flies among them, which ate them up, * and frogs, which destroyed them.
46	He gave their crops to the caterpillar, * the fruit of their toil to the locust.
47	He killed their vines with hail * and their sycamores with frost.
48	He delivered their cattle to hailstones * and their livestock to hot thunderbolts.
49	He poured out upon them his blazing anger: * fury, indignation, and distress, a troop of destroying angels.
50	He gave full rein to his anger; he did not spare their souls from death; * but delivered their lives to the plague.
51	He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, * the flower of manhood in the dwellings of Ham.
52	He led out his people like sheep * and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53	He led them to safety, and they were not afraid; * but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54	He brought them to his holy land, * the mountain his right hand had won.
55	He drove out the Canaanites before them and apportioned an inheritance to them by lot; * he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56	But they tested the Most High God, and defied him, * and did not keep his commandments.
57	They turned away and were disloyal like their fathers; * they were undependable like a warped bow.
58	They grieved him with their hill-altars * they provoked his displeasure with their idols.
59	When God heard this, he was angry * and utterly rejected Israel.
60	He forsook the shrine at Shiloh, * the tabernacle where he had lived among his people.
61	He delivered the ark into captivity, * his glory into the adversary's hand.
62	He gave his people to the sword * and was angered against his inheritance.
63	The fire consumed their young men; * there were no wedding songs for their maidens.
64	Their priests fell by the sword, * and their widows made no lamentation.
65	Then the LORD woke as though from sleep, * like a warrior refreshed with wine.
66	He struck his enemies on the backside * and put them to perpetual shame.
67	He rejected the tent of Joseph * and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68	He chose instead the tribe of Judah * and Mount Zion, which he loved.
69	He built his sanctuary like the heights of heaven, * like the earth which he founded for ever.
70	He chose David his servant, * and took him away from the sheepfolds.
71	He brought him from following the ewes, * to be a shepherd over Jacob his people and over Israel his inheritance.
72	So he shepherded them with a faithful and true heart * and guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.