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MOF PSA Chapter 78

◄ PSA 78 ► ║ ©

An Asaphite ode.

78 Listen to my teaching, O my people,

give ear to what I say,

2 as I open my lips in a poem

on the deep lessons of the past,

3 that we know as we have heard,

that our fathers told to us,

4 hiding it not from their children,

but telling the next generation

the Eternal’s praise and power,

the wonders he has done.

5 He set up his witness in Jacob,

he appointed a law within Israel,

bidding our fathers instruct their children,

6 that the next generation might understand,

that children yet unborn might rise

and tell their children after them,

7 to put their confidence in God,

and not forget the deeds of God,

but loyally obey him;

8 that they might not be like their fathers,

a stubborn and unruly race,

a wavering race,

no loyal hearts for God.

9 The Ephraimites were like a disappointing bow,

that fails upon the day of battle;

10 they would not keep their compact with God,

they would not follow his directions,

11 they forgot what he had done,

the wonders he had shown them.

12 Marvels he wrought, under their fathers’ eyes,

in Egypt, in the land of Zoan;

13 he split the sea and led them through,

piling the water up like walls,

14 he led them with a cloud by day,

and all night with a blazing fire;

15 he split rocks in the wilderness,

to give them drink in the desert,

16 he brought streams out of the rock,

made water run like a river.

17 But still they sinned against him, in the desert

they defied the Most High;

18 with a doubt of God in their mind

they demanded the food they craved,

19 they question God – was he able

here in the desert to spread us a table?

20 He struck the rock till waters flowed

and streams poured out;

but can he give us food as well,

and furnish flesh to his people?

21 When the Eternal heard this, he was wroth,

he blazed out against Jacob,

his wrath broke upon Israel,

22 for failing to believe in God,

for trusting not his saving aid.

23 So, at his bidding, from the skies,

as he opened the sluices of heaven,

24 manna rained down for their food,

and he gave them heaven’s own grain;

25 men ate the bread of angels,

he sent them food to the full.

26 He brought an east wind over the sky,

he drove a strong wind from the south,

27 raining flesh on them like the dust,

and birds like sand upon the beach,

28 letting them fall inside the camp,

close to their very tents.

29 They ate, and they were gorged then

with the food they craved;

30 and still they were at their surfeit,

still eating up their food,

31 when the anger of God broke on them

and slew their lusty men,

laying the pick of Israel low.

32 Yet on they went in sin;

for all his wonders, they would not believe.

33 So he made their days brief as a breath,

and the end of their life sudden death.

34 Then, if he slew them, they sought after him,

they would earnestly seek God again,

35 remembering God was their strength,

and God Most High their preserver.

36 But it was smooth words and no more,

their promises to him were false;

37 they had a wavering mind,

they were not loyal to his compact.

38 He in his great pity cancels sin,

dooms not to death;

often he will avert his wrath,

without one angry breath.

39 So he remembered they were mortal men,

their life no better than a passing breeze;

40 though often they defied him in the desert,

and vexed him in the wilderness,

41 with doubts of God again and again,

that pained the Majestic One of Israel.

42 They remembered not his power,

nor the day he saved them from the foe,

43 the portents that he wrought in Egypt,

his marvels in the land of Zoan;

44 how he turned streams into blood,

till none could drink the water,

45 sent out dog-flies to devour,

frogs to destroy,

46 let caterpillars have the crops,

and locusts all the fruit of the foe’s labour.

47 he killed their vines with hail,

the sycamores with frost,

48 gave cattle over to the plague,

and beasts to the murrain.

49 His blazing anger he let loose,

fury and rage and ruin,

the messengers of woe;

50 straight and swift his anger sped, unsparing,

letting the deadly pestilence prey on life;

51 he struck down all the first-born within Egypt,

each oldest male child in the tents of Khem.

52 But his own people he led out like sheep,

guiding them in the desert like a flock;

53 he led them safely on, without a fear,

when the sea drowned their foes;

54 he brought them to his sacred soil,

to hills he had won for himself;

55 he drove out nations before them,

and duly divided their land,

for Israel’s clans to occupy.

56 Yet they doubted and defied the Most High God,

they would not obey his rules;

57 they fell back, false like their fathers,

they failed, like a disappointing bow;

58 their idols angered him upon the heights,

their images provoked his jealousy.

59 God heard of it, and he was furious,

he was done with Israel!

60 He abandoned his Dwelling at Shilo,

the tent he had pitched among men,

61 he let his great ark be captured,

let his splendid ark fall to the foe;

62 he abandoned his folk to the edge of the sword,

so furious was he with his own,

63 till their youths fell in the flames of war,

and girls had never a wedding song,

64 till their priests were cut to pieces,

and widows dared not raise a dirge.

65 Then the Lord started up, as from a sleep,

and, like a hero wild with wine,

66 he made rout of his foes,

defeating and disgracing them for ever;

67 and then, disowning the tents of Joseph,

passing by Ephraim’s clan,

68 he chose the clan of Judah,

his beloved hill of Sion,

69 where he built his shrine like heaven on high,

firm as the earth he has founded for ever.

70 He chose David his servant,

took him from the sheepfolds,

71 fetched him from the care of ewes,

to tend his people Jacob,

to shepherd his own Israel;

72 and he did tend them honestly,

he led them with ability.