psa 78:1

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

psa 78:2

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

psa 78:3

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

psa 78:4

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

psa 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:

psa 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:

psa 78:7

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

psa 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.

psa 78:9

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

psa 78:10

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

psa 78:11

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

psa 78:12

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

psa 78:13

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

psa 78:14

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

psa 78:15

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

psa 78:16

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

psa 78:17

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

psa 78:18

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

psa 78:19

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

psa 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?

psa 78:21

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

psa 78:22

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

psa 78:23

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

psa 78:24

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

psa 78:25

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

psa 78:26

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

psa 78:27

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

psa 78:28

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

psa 78:29

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

psa 78:30

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

psa 78:31

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

psa 78:32

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

psa 78:33

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

psa 78:34

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

psa 78:35

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

psa 78:36

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

psa 78:37

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

psa 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.

psa 78:39

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

psa 78:40

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

psa 78:41

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

psa 78:42

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

psa 78:43

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

psa 78:44

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

psa 78:45

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

psa 78:46

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

psa 78:47

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

psa 78:48

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

psa 78:49

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

psa 78:50

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

psa 78:51

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

psa 78:52

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

psa 78:53

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

psa 78:54

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

psa 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.

psa 78:56

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

psa 78:57

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

psa 78:58

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

psa 78:59

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

psa 78:60

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

psa 78:61

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

psa 78:62

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

psa 78:63

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

psa 78:64

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

psa 78:65

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

psa 78:66

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

psa 78:67

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

psa 78:68

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

psa 78:69

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

psa 78:70

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

psa 78:71

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

psa 78:72

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