Psalm 7832

A well-written song33 by Asaph.

78:1 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!

Listen to the words I speak!1

78:2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;

I will make insightful observations about the past.2

78:3 What we have heard and learned3—

that which our ancestors4 have told us—

78:4 we will not hide from their5 descendants.

We will tell the next generation

about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,6

about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

78:5 He established a rule7 in Jacob;

he set up a law in Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to make his deeds known to their descendants,8

78:6 so that the next generation, children yet to be born,

might know about them.

They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.9

78:7 Then they will place their confidence in God.

They will not forget the works of God,

and they will obey10 his commands.

78:8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,

who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation that was not committed

and faithful to God.11

78:9 The Ephraimites12 were armed with bows,13

but they retreated in the day of battle.14

78:10 They did not keep their covenant with God,15

and they refused to obey16 his law.

78:11 They forgot what he had done,17

the amazing things he had shown them.

78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.18

78:13 He divided the sea and led them across it;

he made the water stand in a heap.

78:14 He led them with a cloud by day,

and with the light of a fire all night long.

78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,

and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.19

78:16 He caused streams to flow from the rock,

and made the water flow like rivers.

78:17 Yet they continued to sin against him,

and rebelled against the sovereign One20 in the desert.

78:18 They willfully challenged God21

by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.

78:19 They insulted God, saying,22

“Is God really able to give us food23 in the wilderness?

78:20 Yes,24 he struck a rock and water flowed out,

streams gushed forth.

But can he also give us food?

Will he provide meat for his people?”

78:21 When25 the Lord heard this, he was furious.

A fire broke out against Jacob,

and his anger flared up26 against Israel,

78:22 because they did not have faith in God,

and did not trust his ability to deliver them.27

78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,

and opened the doors in the sky.

78:24 He rained down manna for them to eat;

he gave them the grain of heaven.28

78:25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones.29

He sent them more than enough to eat.30

78:26 He brought the east wind through the sky,

and by his strength led forth the south wind.

78:27 He rained down meat on them like dust,

birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.31

78:28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,

all around their homes.

78:29 They ate until they were stuffed;32

he gave them what they desired.

78:30 They were not yet filled up,33

their food was still in their mouths,

78:31 when the anger of God flared up against them.

He killed some of the strongest of them;

he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.

78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,

and did not trust him to do amazing things.34

78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied35

and filled with terror.36

78:34 When he struck them down,37 they sought his favor;38

they turned back and longed for God.

78:35 They remembered that God was their protector,39

and that the sovereign God was their deliverer.40

78:36 But they deceived him with their words,41

and lied to him.42

78:37 They were not really committed to him,43

and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

78:38 Yet he is compassionate.

He forgives sin and does not destroy.

He often holds back his anger,

and does not stir up his fury.44

78:39 He remembered45 that they were made of flesh,

and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.46

78:40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness,

and insulted him47 in the desert!

78:41 They again challenged God,48

and offended49 the Holy One of Israel.50

78:42 They did not remember what he had done,51

how he delivered them from the enemy,52

78:43 when he performed his awesome deeds53 in Egypt,

and his acts of judgment54 in the region of Zoan.

78:44 He turned their rivers into blood,

and they could not drink from their streams.

78:45 He sent swarms of biting insects against them,55

as well as frogs that overran their land.56

78:46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,

the fruit of their labor to the locust.

78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail,

and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.

78:48 He rained hail down on their cattle,57

and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock.58

78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them,59

He sent fury, rage, and trouble

as messengers who bring disaster.60

78:50 He sent his anger in full force;61

he did not spare them from death;

he handed their lives over to destruction.62

78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,

the firstfruits of their reproductive power63 in the tents of Ham.

78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;

he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

78:53 He guided them safely along,

while the sea covered their enemies.

78:54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,

to this mountainous land64 which his right hand65 acquired.

78:55 He drove the nations out from before them;

he assigned them their tribal allotments66

and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.67

78:56 Yet they challenged and defied68 the sovereign God,69

and did not obey70 his commands.71

78:57 They were unfaithful72 and acted as treacherously as73 their ancestors;

they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow.74

78:58 They made him angry with their pagan shrines,75

and made him jealous with their idols.

78:59 God heard and was angry;

he completely rejected Israel.

78:60 He abandoned76 the sanctuary at Shiloh,

the tent where he lived among men.

78:61 He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured;77

he gave the symbol of his splendor78 into the hand of the enemy.79

78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword,

and was angry with his chosen nation.80

78:63 Fire consumed their81 young men,

and their82 virgins remained unmarried.83

78:64 Their84 priests fell by the sword,

but their85 widows did not weep.86

78:65 But then the Lord awoke from his sleep;87

he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.88

78:66 He drove his enemies back;

he made them a permanent target for insults.89

78:67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;

he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,

and Mount Zion, which he loves.

78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above;90

as secure as the earth, which he established permanently.91

78:70 He chose David, his servant,

and took him from the sheepfolds.

78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep,92

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation.93

78:72 David94 cared for them with pure motives;95

he led them with skill.96