Psalms 78
Psalm 78
Lessons from Israel’s Past
A Maskil of Asaph.
1My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth.23I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past —4
5things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us.6
7We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.8
9He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children10
11so that a future generation — children yet to be born — might know. They were to rise and tell their children12
13so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands.14
15Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.16
17The Ephraimite archers turned back on the day of battle.18
19They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law.20
21They forgot what he had done, the wondrous works he had shown them.22
23He worked wonders in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, the territory of Zoan.24
25He split the sea and brought them across; the water stood firm like a wall.26
27He led them with a cloud by day and with a fiery light throughout the night.28
29He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the depths.30
31He brought streams out of the stone and made water flow down like rivers.32
33But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.34
35They deliberately tested God, demanding the food they craved.36
37They spoke against God, saying, “Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?38
39Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can he also provide bread or furnish meat for his people?”40
41Therefore, the Lord heard and became furious; then fire broke out against Jacob, and anger flared up against Israel42
43because they did not believe God or rely on his salvation.44
45He gave a command to the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.46
47He rained manna for them to eat; he gave them grain from heaven.48
49People ate the bread of angels. He sent them an abundant supply of food.50
51He made the east wind blow in the skies and drove the south wind by his might.52
53He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.54
55He made them fall in the camp, all around the tents.56
57The people ate and were completely satisfied, for he gave them what they craved.58
59Before they had turned from what they craved, while the food was still in their mouths,60
61God’s anger flared up against them, and he killed some of their best men. He struck down Israel’s fit young men.62
63Despite all this, they kept sinning and did not believe his wondrous works.64
65He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster.66
67When he killed some of them, the rest began to seek him; they repented and searched for God.68
69They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer.70
71But they deceived him with their mouths, they lied to him with their tongues,72
73their hearts were insincere toward him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.74
75Yet he was compassionate; he atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often turned his anger aside and did not unleash all his wrath.76
77He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.78
79How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert.80
81They constantly tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.82
83They did not remember his power shown on the day he redeemed them from the foe,84
85when he performed his miraculous signs in Egypt and his wonders in the territory of Zoan.86
87He turned their rivers into blood, and they could not drink from their streams.88
89He sent among them swarms of flies, which fed on them, and frogs, which devastated them.90
91He gave their crops to the caterpillar and the fruit of their labor to the locust.92
93He killed their vines with hail and their sycamore fig trees with a flood.94
95He handed over their livestock to hail and their cattle to lightning bolts.96
97He sent his burning anger against them: fury, indignation, and calamity — a band of deadly messengers.98
99He cleared a path for his anger. He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.100
101He struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first progeny of the tents of Ham.102
103He led his people out like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.104
105He led them safely, and they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies.106
107He brought them to his holy territory, to the mountain his right hand acquired.108
109He drove out nations before them. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.110
111But they rebelliously tested the Most High God, for they did not keep his decrees.112
113They treacherously turned away like their ancestors; they became warped like a faulty bow.114
115They enraged him with their high places and provoked his jealousy with their carved images.116
117God heard and became furious; he completely rejected Israel.118
119He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he resided among mankind.120
121He gave up his strength to captivity and his splendor to the hand of a foe.122
123He surrendered his people to the sword because he was enraged with his heritage.124
125Fire consumed his chosen young men, and his young women had no wedding songs.126
127His priests fell by the sword, and the widows could not lament.128
129The Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine.130
131He beat back his foes; he gave them lasting disgrace.132
133He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.134
135He chose instead the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.136
137He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.138
139He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;140
141he brought him from tending ewes to be shepherd over his people Jacob — over Israel, his inheritance.142
143He shepherded them with a pure heart and guided them with his skillful hands.144