Psalms 78

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 A maskil of Asaph. Attend, my people, to my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.	1 Understanding for Asaph. Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in story, drawing lessons from of old.	2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.
3 We have heard them, we know them; our ancestors have recited them to us.	3 How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We do not keep them from our children; we recite them to the next generation, The praiseworthy and mighty deeds of the LORD, the wonders that he performed.	4 They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders which he hath done.
5 God set up a decree in Jacob, established a law in Israel: What he commanded our ancestors, they were to teach their children;	5 And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same known to their children:
6 That the next generation might come to know, children yet to be born. In turn they were to recite them to their children,	6 that another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children.
7 that they too might put their trust in God, And not forget the works of God, keeping his commandments.	7 That they may put their hope in God and may not forget the works of God: and may seek his commandments.
8 They were not to be like their ancestors, a rebellious and defiant generation, A generation whose heart was not constant, whose spirit was not faithful to God,	8 That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse end exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 Like the ranks of Ephraimite archers, who retreated on the day of battle.	9 The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God's covenant; they refused to walk by his law.	10 They kept not the covenant of God: and in his law they would not walk.
11 They forgot his works, the wondrous deeds he had shown them.	11 And they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that he had shewn them.
12 In the sight of their ancestors God did wonders, in the land of Egypt, the plain of Zoan.	12 Wonderful things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.
13 He split the sea and led them across, piling up the waters rigid as walls.	13 He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.
14 God led them with a cloud by day, all night with the light of fire.	14 And he conducted them with a cloud by day: and all the night with a light of
15 He split rock in the desert, gave water to drink, abounding as the deep.	15 He struck the rock in the wilderness: and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep.
16 He made streams flow from crags, drew out rivers of water.	16 He brought forth water out of the rock: and made streams run down as rivers.
17 But they went on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.	17 And they added yet more sin against him: they provoked the most High to wrath in the place without water.
18 They tested God in their hearts, demanding the food they craved.	18 And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.
19 They spoke against God, and said, "Can God spread a table in the desert?	19 And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 True, when he struck the rock, water gushed forth, the wadis flooded. But can he also provide bread, give meat to his people?"	20 Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table for his people?
21 The LORD heard and grew angry; fire blazed up against Jacob; anger flared up against Israel.	21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel.
22 For they did not believe in God, did not trust in his saving power.	22 Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in his salvation.
23 So he commanded the skies above; the doors of heaven he opened.	23 And he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of heaven.
24 God rained manna upon them for food; bread from heaven he gave them.	24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven.
25 All ate a meal fit for heroes; food he sent in abundance.	25 Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance.
26 He stirred up the east wind in the heavens; by his power God brought on the south wind.	26 He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.
27 He rained meat upon them like dust, winged fowl like the sands of the sea,	27 And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.
28 Brought them down in the midst of the camp, round about their tents.	28 And they fell in the midst of their camp, round about their pavilions.
29 They ate and were well filled; he gave them what they had craved.	29 So they did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and he gave them their desire:
30 But while they still wanted more, and the food was still in their mouths,	30 they were not defrauded of that which they craved. As yet their meat was in their mouth:
31 God's anger attacked them, killed their best warriors, laid low the youth of Israel.	31 and the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this they went on sinning, they did not believe in his wonders.	32 In all these things they sinned still: and they believed not for his wondrous works.
33 God ended their days abruptly, their years in sudden death.	33 And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.
34 When he slew them, they began to seek him; they again inquired of their God.	34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and came to him early in the morning.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, God Most High, their redeemer.	35 And they remembered that God was their helper: and the most high God their redeemer.
36 But they deceived him with their mouths, lied to him with their tongues.	36 And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied unto him:
37 Their hearts were not constant toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.	37 But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted faithful in his covenant.
38 But God is merciful and forgave their sin; he did not utterly destroy them. Time and again he turned back his anger, unwilling to unleash all his rage.	38 But he is merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy them. And many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his wrath.
39 He was mindful that they were flesh, a breath that passes and does not return.	39 And he remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.
40 How often they rebelled against God in the desert, grieved him in the wasteland.	40 How often did they provoke him in the desert: and move him to wrath in the place without water?
41 Again and again they tested God, provoked the Holy One of Israel.	41 And they turned back and tempted God: and grieved the holy one of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power, the day he redeemed them from the foe,	42 They remembered not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:
43 When he displayed his wonders in Egypt, his marvels in the plain of Zoan.	43 How he wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis.
44 God changed their rivers to blood; their streams they could not drink.	44 And he turned their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might, not drink.
45 He sent insects that devoured them, frogs that destroyed them.	45 He sent amongst them divers sores of flies, which devoured them: and frogs which destroyed them.
46 He gave their harvest to the caterpillar, the fruits of their labor to the locust.	46 And he gave up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.
47 He killed their vines with hail, their sycamores with frost.	47 And he destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost.
48 He exposed their flocks to deadly hail, their cattle to lightning.	48 And he gave up their cattle to the hail, and their stock to the fire.
49 He unleashed against them his fiery breath, roar, fury, and distress, storming messengers of death.	49 And he sent upon them the wrath of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble, which he sent by evil angels.
50 He cleared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death; he delivered their beasts to the plague.	50 He made a way for a path to his anger: he spared not their souls from death, and their cattle he shut up in death.
51 He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, love's first child in the tents of Ham.	51 And he killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: the firstfruits of all their labour in the tabernacles of Cham.
52 God led forth his people like sheep; he guided them through the desert like a flock.	52 And he took away his own people as sheep: and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them on secure and unafraid, but the sea enveloped their enemies.	53 And he brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to his holy land, the mountain his right hand had won.	54 And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.
55 God drove out the nations before them, apportioned them a heritage by lot, settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.	55 And he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.
56 But they tested, rebelled against God Most High, his decrees they did not observe.	56 Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God: and they kept not his testimonies.
57 They turned back, deceitful like their ancestors; they proved false like a bow with no tension.	57 And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.
58 They enraged him with their high places; with their idols they goaded him.	58 They provoked him to anger on their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their graven things.
59 God heard and grew angry; he rejected Israel completely.	59 God heard, and despised them, and he reduced Israel exceedingly as it were to nothing.
60 He forsook the shrine at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt with humans.	60 And he put away the tabernacle of Silo, his tabernacle where he dwelt among men.
61 He gave up his might into captivity, his glorious ark into the hands of the foe.	61 And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.
62 God abandoned his people to the sword; he was enraged against his heritage.	62 And he shut up his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men; their young women heard no wedding songs.	63 Fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not lamented.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; their widows made no lamentation.	64 Their priests fell by the sword: and their widows did not mourn.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior from the effects of wine.	65 And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine.
66 He put his enemies to flight; everlasting shame he dealt them.	66 And he smote his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph, chose not the tribe of Ephraim.	67 And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 God chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he favored.	68 But he chose the tribe of Juda, mount Sion which he loved.
69 He built his shrine like the heavens, like the earth which he founded forever.	69 And he built his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.
70 He chose David his servant, took him from the sheepfold.	70 And he chose his servant David, and took him from the hocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes great with young,
71 From tending sheep God brought him, to shepherd Jacob, his people, Israel, his heritage.	71 To feed Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
72 He shepherded them with a pure heart; with skilled hands he guided them.	72 And he fed them in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skilfulness of his hands.