Psalm 78

1Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth. 2I will utter dark sayings of old, I will open my mouth in a parable. 3and our fathers have told us. Which we have heard and known, 4telling to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done. We will not hide them from their children, 5and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; For he established a testimony in Jacob, 6who should arise and tell their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; 7and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments, that they might set their hope in God, 8a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. and might not be as their fathers, 9turned back in the day of battle. The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, 10and refused to walk in his law. They didn’t keep God’s covenant, 11his wondrous deeds that he had shown them. They forgot his doings, 12in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, 13He made the waters stand as a heap. He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. 14and all night with a light of fire. In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, 15and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths. He split rocks in the wilderness, 16and caused waters to run down like rivers. He brought streams also out of the rock, 17to rebel against the Most High in the desert. Yet they still went on to sin against him, 18by asking food according to their desire. They tempted God in their heart 19They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Yes, they spoke against God. 20and streams overflowed. Will he provide flesh for his people?” Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, Can he give bread also? 21A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel, Therefore Yahweh heard, and was angry. 22and didn’t trust in his salvation. because they didn’t believe in God, 23and opened the doors of heaven. Yet he commanded the skies above, 24and gave them food from the sky. He rained down manna on them to eat, 25He sent them food to the full. Man ate the bread of angels. 26By his power he guided the south wind. He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. 27winged birds as the sand of the seas. He rained also flesh on them as the dust; 28around their habitations. He let them fall in the middle of their camp, 29He gave them their own desire. So they ate, and were well filled. 30Their food was yet in their mouths, They didn’t turn from their cravings. 31when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their fattest, and struck down the young men of Israel. 32and didn’t believe in his wondrous works. For all this they still sinned, 33and their years in terror. Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, 34They returned and sought God earnestly. When he killed them, then they inquired after him. 35the Most High God, their redeemer. They remembered that God was their rock, 36and lied to him with their tongue. But they flattered him with their mouth, 37neither were they faithful in his covenant. For their heart was not right with him, 38Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath. But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. 39a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again. He remembered that they were but flesh, 40and grieved him in the desert! How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, 41and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They turned again and tempted God, 42nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary; They didn’t remember his hand, 43his wonders in the field of Zoan, how he set his signs in Egypt, 44and their streams, so that they could not drink. he turned their rivers into blood, 45and frogs, which destroyed them. He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; 46and their labor to the locust. He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, 47their sycamore fig trees with frost. He destroyed their vines with hail, 48and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He gave over their livestock also to the hail, 49wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil. He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, 50He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence, He made a path for his anger. 51the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham. and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, 52and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. But he led out his own people like sheep, 53but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, 54to this mountain, which his right hand had taken. He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, 55allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. He also drove out the nations before them, 56and didn’t keep his testimonies; Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, 57They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. 58and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, 59and greatly abhorred Israel; When God heard this, he was angry, 60the tent which he placed among men; So that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, 61his glory into the adversary’s hand. and delivered his strength into captivity, 62and was angry with his inheritance. He also gave his people over to the sword, 63Their virgins had no wedding song. Fire devoured their young men. 64and their widows couldn’t weep. Their priests fell by the sword, 65like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine. Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, 66He put them to a perpetual reproach. He struck his adversaries backward. 67and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim, Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, 68Mount Zion which he loved. But chose the tribe of Judah, 69like the earth which he has established forever. He built his sanctuary like the heights, 70and took him from the sheepfolds; He also chose David his servant, 71he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. from following the ewes that have their young, 72and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart,