Psalm 78

¹Attend, my people, to my law;

thereto give thou an ear;

The words that from my mouth proceed

attentively do hear.

²My mouth shall speak a parable,

and sayings dark of old;

³The same which we have heard and known,

and us our fathers told.

⁴We also will them not conceal

from their posterity;

Them to the generation

to come declare will we:

The praises of the Lord our God,

and his almighty strength,

The wondrous works that he hath done,

we will shew forth at length.

⁵His testimony and his law

in Isr'el he did place,

And charg'd our fathers it to show

to their succeeding race;

⁶That so the race which was to come

might well them learn and know;

And sons unborn, who should arise,

might to their sons them show:

⁷That they might set their hope in God,

and suffer not to fall

His mighty works out of their mind,

but keep his precepts all:

⁸And might not, like their fathers, be

a stiff rebellious race;

A race not right in heart; with God

whose sp'rit not stedfast was.

⁹The sons of Ephraim, who nor bows

nor other arms did lack,

When as the day of battle was,

they faintly turned back.

¹⁰They brake God's cov'nant, and refus'd

in his commands to go;

¹¹His works and wonders they forgot,

which he to them did show.

¹²Things marvellous he brought to pass;

their fathers them beheld

Within the land of Egypt done,

yea, ev'n in Zoan's field.

¹³By him divided was the sea,

he caus'd them through to pass;

And made the waters so to stand,

as like an heap it was.

¹⁴With cloud by day, with light of fire

all night, he did them guide.

¹⁵In desert rocks he clave, and drink,

as from great depths, supply'd.

¹⁶He from the rock brought streams, like floods

made waters to run down.

¹⁷Yet sinning more, in desert they

provok'd the Highest One.

¹⁸For in their heart they tempted God,

and, speaking with mistrust,

They greedily did meat require

to satisfy their lust.

¹⁹Against the Lord himself they spake,

and, murmuring, said thus,

A table in the wilderness

can God prepare for us?

²⁰Behold, he smote the rock, and thence

came streams and waters great;

But can he give his people bread?

and send them flesh to eat?

²¹The Lord did hear, and waxed wroth;

so kindled was a flame

'Gainst Jacob, and 'gainst Israel

up indignation came.

²²For they believ'd not God, nor trust

in his salvation had;

²³Though clouds above he did command,

and heav'n's doors open made,

²⁴And manna rain'd on them, and gave

them corn of heav'n to eat.

²⁵Man angels' food did eat; to them

he to the full sent meat.

²⁶And in the heaven he did cause

an eastern wind to blow;

And by his power he let out

the southern wind to go.

²⁷Then flesh as thick as dust he made

to rain down them among;

And feather'd fowls, like as the sand

which li'th the shore along.

²⁸At his command amidst their camp

these show'rs of flesh down fell,

All round about the tabernacles

and tents where they did dwell.

²⁹So they did eat abundantly,

and had of meat their fill;

For he did give to them what was

their own desire and will.

³⁰They from their lust had not estrang'd

their heart and their desire;

But while the meat was in their mouths,

which they did so require,

³¹God's wrath upon them came, and slew

the fattest of them all;

So that the choice of Israel,

o'erthrown by death, did fall.

³²Yet, notwithstanding of all this,

they sinned still the more;

And though he had great wonders wrought,

believ'd him not therefore:

³³Wherefore their days in vanity

he did consume and waste;

And by his wrath their wretched years

away in trouble past.

³⁴But when he slew them, then they did

to seek him shew desire;

Yea, they return'd, and after God

right early did enquire.

³⁵And that the Lord had been their Rock,

they did remember then;

Ev'n that the high almighty God

had their Redeemer been.

³⁶Yet with their mouth they flatter'd him,

and spake but feignedly;

And they unto the God of truth

with their false tongues did lie.

³⁷For though their words were good, their heart

with him was not sincere;

Unstedfast and perfidious

they in his cov'nant were.

³⁸But, full of pity, he forgave

their sin, them did not slay;

Nor stirr'd up all his wrath, but oft

his anger turn'd away.

³⁹For that they were but fading flesh

to mind he did recall;

A wind that passeth soon away,

and not returns at all.

⁴⁰How often did they him provoke

within the wilderness!

And in the desert did him grieve

with their rebelliousness!

⁴¹Yea, turning back, they tempted God,

and limits set upon

Him, who in midst of Isr'el is

the only Holy One.

⁴²They did not call to mind his pow'r,

nor yet the day when he

Deliver'd them out of the hand

of their fierce enemy;

⁴³Nor how great signs in Egypt land

he openly had wrought;

What miracles in Zoan's field

his hand to pass had brought.

⁴⁴How lakes and rivers ev'ry where

he turned into blood;

So that nor man nor beast could drink

of standing lake or flood.

⁴⁵He brought among them swarms of flies,

which did them sore annoy;

And divers kinds of filthy frogs

he sent them to destroy.

⁴⁶He to the caterpillar gave

the fruits of all their soil;

Their labours he deliver'd up

unto the locusts' spoil.

⁴⁷Their vines with hail, their sycamores

he with the frost did blast:

⁴⁸Their beasts to hail he gave; their flocks

hot thunderbolts did waste.

⁴⁹Fierce burning wrath he on them cast,

and indignation strong,

And troubles sore, by sending forth

ill angels them among.

⁵⁰He to his wrath made way; their soul

from death he did not save;

But over to the pestilence

the lives of them he gave.

⁵¹In Egypt land the first-born all

he smote down ev'ry where;

Among the tents of Ham, ev'n these

chief of their strength that were.

⁵²But his own people, like to sheep,

thence to go forth he made;

And he, amidst the wilderness,

them, as a flock, did lead.

⁵³And he them safely on did lead,

so that they did not fear;

Whereas their en'mies by the sea

quite overwhelmed were.

⁵⁴To borders of his sanctuary

the Lord his people led,

Ev'n to the mount which his right hand

for them had purchased.

⁵⁵The nations of Canaan,

by his almighty hand,

Before their face he did expel

out of their native land;

Which for inheritance to them

by line he did divide,

And made the tribes of Israel

within their tents abide.

⁵⁶Yet God most high they did provoke,

and tempted ever still;

And to observe his testimonies

did not incline their will:

⁵⁷But, like their fathers, turned back,

and dealt unfaithfully:

Aside they turned, like a bow

that shoots deceitfully.

⁵⁸For they to anger did provoke

him with their places high;

And with their graven images

mov'd him to jealousy.

⁵⁹When God heard this, he waxed wroth,

and much loath'd Isr'el then:

⁶⁰So Shiloh's tent he left, the tent

which he had plac'd with men.

⁶¹And he his strength delivered

into captivity;

He left his glory in the hand

of his proud enemy.

⁶²His people also he gave o'er

unto the sword's fierce rage:

So sore his wrath inflamed was

against his heritage.

⁶³The fire consum'd their choice young men;

their maids no marriage had;

⁶⁴And when their priests fell by the sword,

their wives no mourning made.

⁶⁵But then the Lord arose, as one

that doth from sleep awake;

And like a giant that, by wine

refresh'd, a shout doth make:

⁶⁶Upon his en'mies' hinder parts

he made his stroke to fall;

And so upon them he did put

a shame perpetual.

⁶⁷Moreover, he the tabernacle

of Joseph did refuse;

The mighty tribe of Ephraim

he would in no wise chuse:

⁶⁸But he did chuse Jehudah's tribe

to be the rest above;

And of mount Sion he made choice,

which he so much did love.

⁶⁹And he his sanctuary built

like to a palace high,

Like to the earth which he did found

to perpetuity.

⁷⁰Of David, that his servant was,

he also choice did make,

And even from the folds of sheep

was pleased him to take:

⁷¹From waiting on the ewes with young,

he brought him forth to feed

Israel, his inheritance,

his people, Jacob's seed.

⁷²So after the integrity

he of his heart them fed;

And by the good skill of his hands

them wisely governed.