Psalm 78 :: Bible in Basic English (BBE)

God's Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.

Psa 78:1<Maschil. Of Asaph.> Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.

Psa 78:2Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;

Psa 78:3Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.

Psa 78:4We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.

Psa 78:5

Psa 78:5He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;

Psa 78:6

Psa 78:6So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;

Psa 78:7

Psa 78:7So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;

Psa 78:8

Psa 78:8And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.

Psa 78:9

Psa 78:9The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.

Psa 78:10

Psa 78:10They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;

Psa 78:11

Psa 78:11They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.

Psa 78:12

Psa 78:12He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

Psa 78:13

Psa 78:13The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.

Psa 78:14

Psa 78:14In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.

Psa 78:15

Psa 78:15The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.

Psa 78:16

Psa 78:16He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.

Psa 78:17

Psa 78:17And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;

Psa 78:18

Psa 78:18Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.

Psa 78:19

Psa 78:19They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

Psa 78:20

Psa 78:20See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?

Psa 78:21

Psa 78:21So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;

Psa 78:22

Psa 78:22Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.

Psa 78:23

Psa 78:23And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;

Psa 78:24

Psa 78:24And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.

Psa 78:25

Psa 78:25Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.

Psa 78:26

Psa 78:26He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.

Psa 78:27

Psa 78:27He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,

Psa 78:28

Psa 78:28And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.

Psa 78:29

Psa 78:29So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;

Psa 78:30

Psa 78:30But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,

Psa 78:31

Psa 78:31The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

Psa 78:32

Psa 78:32For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.

Psa 78:33

Psa 78:33So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.

Psa 78:34

Psa 78:34When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;

Psa 78:35

Psa 78:35In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.

Psa 78:36

Psa 78:36But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;

Psa 78:37

Psa 78:37And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.

Psa 78:38

Psa 78:38But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.

Psa 78:39

Psa 78:39So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.

Psa 78:40

Psa 78:40How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!

Psa 78:41

Psa 78:41Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.

Psa 78:42

Psa 78:42They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;

Psa 78:43

Psa 78:43How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;

Psa 78:44

Psa 78:44So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

Psa 78:45

Psa 78:45He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.

Psa 78:46

Psa 78:46He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.

Psa 78:47

Psa 78:47He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.

Psa 78:48

Psa 78:48Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.

Psa 78:49

Psa 78:49He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.

Psa 78:50

Psa 78:50He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.

Psa 78:51

Psa 78:51He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;

Psa 78:52

Psa 78:52But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.

Psa 78:53

Psa 78:53He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.

Psa 78:54

Psa 78:54And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;

Psa 78:55

Psa 78:55Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.

Psa 78:56

Psa 78:56But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;

Psa 78:57

Psa 78:57Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.

Psa 78:58

Psa 78:58They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.

Psa 78:59

Psa 78:59When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;

Psa 78:60

Psa 78:60So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;

Psa 78:61

Psa 78:61And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.

Psa 78:62

Psa 78:62He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.

Psa 78:63

Psa 78:63Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.

Psa 78:64

Psa 78:64Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.

Psa 78:65

Psa 78:65Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.

Psa 78:66

Psa 78:66His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.

Psa 78:67

Psa 78:67And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;

Psa 78:68

Psa 78:68But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.

Psa 78:69

Psa 78:69And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.

Psa 78:70

Psa 78:70He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;

Psa 78:71

Psa 78:71From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.

Psa 78:72

Psa 78:72So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

The Bible in Basic English was translated by Professor Samuel Henry Hooke (1874-1968)
This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

Psalm 78 :: Bible in Basic English (BBE)

God's Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.

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