Chapter 78

  An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.  

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  I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,  

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  That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.  

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  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.  

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  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.  

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  So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,  

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  And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.  

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  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.  

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  Sons of Ephraim -- armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.  

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  They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,  

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  And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.  

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  Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt -- the field of Zoan.  

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  He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.  

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  And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.  

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  He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink -- as the great deep.  

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  And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.  

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  And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.  

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  And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.  

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  And they speak against God -- they said: 'Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'  

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  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?'  

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  Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,  

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  For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.  

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  And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.  

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  And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.  

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  Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.  

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  He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,  

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  And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas -- winged fowl,  

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  And causeth [it] to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.  

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  And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.  

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  They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet [is] their food in their mouth,  

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  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.  

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  With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.  

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  And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.  

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  If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,  

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  And they remember that God [is] their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.  

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  And -- they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,  

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  And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.  

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  And He -- the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.  

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  And He remembereth that they [are] flesh, A wind going on -- and it returneth not.  

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  How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?  

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  Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.  

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  They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.  

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  When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,  

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  And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.  

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  He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,  

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  And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.  

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  He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,  

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  And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.  

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  He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress -- A discharge of evil messengers.  

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  He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.  

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  And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.  

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  And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,  

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  And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.  

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  And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,  

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  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,  

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  And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.  

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  And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,  

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  And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,  

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  God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.  

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  And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,  

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  And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,  

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  And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.  

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  His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.  

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  His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.  

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  And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.  

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  And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,  

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  And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.  

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  And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,  

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  And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.  

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  And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,  

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  From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.  

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  And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!  

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