Study Desk

span data-lang="eng" data-trans="kja" data-ref="psa.78.1" class="versetxt"> [Maschil of Asaph.] Giue eare, O my people, to my Lawe: incline your eares to the wordes of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I wil vtter darke sayings of old: Which we haue heard, & knowen: and our fathers haue told vs. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come, the praises of the Lord: and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a Testimony in Iacob, and appointed a Law in Israel, which he commaunded our fathers: that they should make them knowen to their children. That the generation to come might know them, euen the children which should be borne: who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God: but keepe his Commandements, And might not bee as their fathers, a stubborne and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. The children of Ephraim being armed, and carying bowes, turned backe in the day of battell. They kept not the couenant of God: and refused to walke in his Law: And forgat his workes: and his wonders that he had shewed them. Marueilous things did he in the sight of their fathers: in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. Hee diuided the Sea, and caused them to passe through: and he made the waters to stand as an heape. In the day time also he led them with a cloud: and all the night with a light of fire. Hee claue the rockes in the wildernes: and gaue them drinke as out of the great depthes. Hee brought streames also out of the rocke, and caused waters to runne downe like riuers. And they sinned yet more against him: by prouoking the most High in the wildernes. And they tempted God in their heart: by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God: they said, Can God furnish a table in the wildernes? Behold, he smote the rocke, that the waters gushed out, & the streames ouerflowed; can he giue bread also? Can he prouide flesh for his people? Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth, so a fire was kindled against Iacob: and anger also came vp against Israel. Because they beleeued not in God: and trusted not in his saluation: Though he had commanded the cloudes from aboue: and opened the doores of heauen: And had rained downe Manna vpon them to eate, and had giuen them of the corne of heauen. Man did eate Angels food: hee sent them meat to the full. He caused an East wind to blow in the heauen: and by his power hee brought in the South wind. He rained flesh also vpon them as dust: and feathered soules like as the sand of the sea. And hee let it fall in the midst of their campe, round about their habitations. So they did eate, & were well filled: for he gaue them their owne desire. They were not estranged from their lust: but while their meate was yet in their mouthes, The wrath of God came vpon them, and slew the fattest of them: and smote downe the chosen men of Israel. For all this they sinned still: and beleeued not for his wondrous works. Therefore their dayes did he consume in vanitie, and their yeeres in trouble. When hee slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and inquired early after God. And they remembred that God was their rocke: and the high God, their redeemer. Neuerthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth: and they lyed vnto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him: neither were they stedfast in his couenant. But hee being full of compassion, forgaue their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yea many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stirre vp all his wrath. For he remembred that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and commeth not againe. How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernesse: and grieue him in the desert? Yea they turned backe and tempted God: and limited the holy one of Israel. They remembred not his hand: nor the day when hee deliuered them from the enemie: How he had wrought his signes in Egypt: and his wonders in the field of Zoan: And had turned their riuers into blood: and their flouds, that they could not drinke. Hee sent diuers sorts of flies among them, which deuoured them: and frogges which destroyed them. He gaue also their increase vnto the caterpiller: and their labour vnto the locust. He destroyed their vines with haile: and their Sycomore trees with frost. He gaue vp their cattel also to the haile: and their flockes to hot thunder-bolts. He cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger, wrath and indignation, and trouble: by sending euill angels among them. He made a way to his anger, hee spared not their soule from death: but gaue their life ouer to the pestilence. And smote all the first borne in Egypt: the chiefe of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: But made his owne people to goe forth like sheepe: and guided them in the wildernesse like a flocke. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea ouerwhelmed their enemies. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuarie: euen to this mountaine which his right hand had purchased. He cast out the heathen also before them, and diuided them an inheritance by line: and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. Yet they tempted and prouoked the most high God: and kept not his testimonies: But turned backe, and dealt vnfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitfull bowe. For they prouoked him to anger with their high places: and moued him to ielousie with their grauen images. When God heard this, hee was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: So that he forsooke the tabernacle of Shiloh: the tent which he placed among men, And deliuered his strength into captiuitie: and his glory into the enemies hand. He gaue his people ouer also vnto the sword: and was wroth with his inheritance. The fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not giuen to mariage. Their priests fell by the sword: and their widowes made no lamentation. Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe: and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetuall reproch. Moreouer he refused the tabernacle of Ioseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim. But chose the tribe of Iudah: the mount Sion which he loued.

So we thy people and sheepe of thy pasture, will giue thee thankes for euer: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Why hast thou then broken downe her hedges: so that all they which passe by the way, doe plucke her?

So will not wee goe backe from thee: quicken vs, and we will call vpon thy Name.

So I gaue them vp vnto their owne hearts lust: and they walked in in their owne counsels.

So persecute them with thy tempest: and make them afraid with thy storme.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger? euen according to thy feare, so is thy wrath.

So teach vs to number our daies: that wee may apply our hearts vnto wisedome.

My heart is smitten, and withered like grasse: so that I forget to eate my bread.

So the heathen shall feare the Name of the Lord: and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles.

For as the heauen is high aboue the earth: so great is his mercy toward them that feare him.

As farre as the East is from the West: so farre hath hee remooued our transgressions from vs.

Like as a father pitieth his children: so the Lord pitieth them that feare him.

As for man, his dayes are as grasse: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

So is this great and wide Sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable: both small and great beasts.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried vp: so hee led them through the depthes, as through the wildernes.

Then stood vp Phinehas, and executed iudgement: and so the plague was stayed.

They angred him also at the waters of strife: so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

Because they prouoked his spirit: so that hee spake vnaduisedly with his lippes.