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78:1  Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
78:2  I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter enigmas of old,
78:3  which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
78:4  We will not hide them from their sons, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and his strength and his wonderful works that he has done.
78:5  For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their sons:
78:6  That the generation to come might know them, even the sons which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their sons
78:7  that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments
78:8  and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set their heart aright and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
78:9  The sons of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
78:10  They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law
78:11  and forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them.
78:12  He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
78:13  He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as a heap.
78:14  In the daytime also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.
78:15  He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
78:16  He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.
78:17  And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
78:18  And they tempted God in their heart by asking for food according to the desires of their soul.
78:19  And they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
78:20  Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
78:21  Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth, so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel
78:22  because they had not believed God, nor had they trusted in his saving health;
78:23  and he commanded the clouds of above and opened the doors of the heavens
78:24  and caused manna to rain upon them to eat and gave them wheat of the heavens.
78:25  Man did eat the food of the strong; he sent them food to the full.
78:26  He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven, and by his power he brought in the south wind.
78:27  He rained flesh also upon them as dust and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
78:28  And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
78:29  So they did eat and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire;
78:30  they were not estranged from their lust. But while their food was yet in their mouths,
78:31  the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen of Israel.
78:32  For all this they sinned still and did not give him credit for his wondrous works.
78:33  Therefore he consumed their days in vanity and their years in tribulation.
78:34  When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and enquired early after God.
78:35  And they remembered that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer.
78:36  Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
78:37  For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
78:38  But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath.
78:39  For he remembered that they were but flesh: a wind that passes away and does not come again.
78:40  How often did they provoke him in the wilderness and grieve him in the desert!
78:41  And they turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.
78:42  They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he ransomed them from anguish.
78:43  How he had wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan
78:44  and had turned their rivers into blood and their floods, that they could not drink.
78:45  He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
78:46  He gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar and their works unto the locust.
78:47  He destroyed their vines with hail and their wild fig trees with stones.
78:48  He gave up their cattle also to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts of fire.
78:49  He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation and trouble by sending evil angels among them.
78:50  He made a way to his anger; he did not spare their soul from death but gave their life over to the pestilence
78:51  and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham:
78:52  But made his own people to go forth like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
78:53  And he led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
78:54  And he brought them into the borders of his holiness, into this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
78:55  He cast out the Gentiles also before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their habitations.
78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God and did not keep his testimonies:
78:57  But turned back and rebelled like their fathers; they became like a deceitful bow.
78:58  For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
78:59  God heard this and was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel:
78:60  For this reason he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent in which he dwelt among men
78:61  and delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
78:62  He gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance.
78:63  The fire consumed their young men; and their virgins were not honored in marriage songs.
78:64  Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
78:65  Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.
78:66  And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.
78:67  Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim:
78:68  But chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved.
78:69  And he built his sanctuary in preeminence like the earth which he has established for ever.
78:70  He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds,
78:71  from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.
78:72  So he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.