Psalm 78:12–55

12  In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan. 13  He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and made the waters to stand as a heap; 14  And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire. 15  He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the depths, abundantly; 16  And he brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. 17  Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert; 18  And they tempted •God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust; 19  And they spoke against God: they said, Is •God able to prepare a table in the wilderness? 20  Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people? 21  Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel: 22  Because they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation; 23  Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens, 24  And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens. 25  Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full. 26  He caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind; 27  And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas, 28  And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations: 29  And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them. 30  They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths, 31  When the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32  For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works; 33  And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror. 34  When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after •God; 35  And they remembered that God was their rock, and •God, the Most High, their redeemer. 36  But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue; 37  For their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38  But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed them not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury: 39  And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.

40  How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! 41  And they turned again and tempted •God, and grieved the Holy One of Israel. 42  They remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor, 43  How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan; 44  And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink; 45  He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them; 46  And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust; 47  He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones; 48  And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts. 49  He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, —a mission of angels of woes. 50  He made a way for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; 51  And he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham. 52  And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; 53  And he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies. 54  And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased; 55  And he drove out the nations before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.