Open Bible Data Home  About  News  OET Key

OETOET-RVOET-LVULTUSTBSBBLBAICNTOEBWEBBEWMBBNETLSVFBVTCNTT4TLEBBBEMoffJPSWymthASVDRAYLTDrbyRVWbstrKJB-1769KJB-1611BshpsGnvaCvdlTNTWyclSR-GNTUHBBrLXXBrTrRelatedTopicsParallelInterlinearReferenceDictionarySearch

OETBy DocumentBy Section By Chapter Details

OET GENEXOLEVNUMDEUJOBJOSJDGRUTH1SA2SAPSAAMOSHOS1KI2KI1CH2CHPROECCSNGJOELMICISAZEPHABJERLAMYNANAHOBADANEZEEZRAESTNEHHAGZECMALYHNMARKMATLUKEACTsYACGAL1TH2TH1COR2CORROMCOLPHMEPHPHP1TIMTIT1PET2PET2TIMHEBYUD1YHN2YHN3YHNREV

PSAIntroSg1Sg2Sg3Sg4Sg5Sg6Sg7Sg8Sg9Sg10Sg11Sg12Sg13Sg14Sg15Sg16Sg17Sg18Sg19Sg20Sg21Sg22Sg23Sg24Sg25Sg26Sg27Sg28Sg29Sg30Sg31Sg32Sg33Sg34Sg35Sg36Sg37Sg38Sg39Sg40Sg41Sg42Sg43Sg44Sg45Sg46Sg47Sg48Sg49Sg50Sg51Sg52Sg53Sg54Sg55Sg56Sg57Sg58Sg59Sg60Sg61Sg62Sg63Sg64Sg65Sg66Sg67Sg68Sg69Sg70Sg71Sg72Sg73Sg74Sg75Sg76Sg77Sg78Sg79Sg80Sg81Sg82Sg83Sg84Sg85Sg86Sg87Sg88Sg89Sg90Sg91Sg92Sg93Sg94Sg95Sg96Sg97Sg98Sg99Sg100Sg101Sg102Sg103Sg104Sg105Sg106Sg107Sg108Sg109Sg110Sg111Sg112Sg113Sg114Sg115Sg116Sg117Sg118Sg119Sg120Sg121Sg122Sg123Sg124Sg125Sg126Sg127Sg128Sg129Sg130Sg131Sg132Sg133Sg134Sg135Sg136Sg137Sg138Sg139Sg140Sg141Sg142Sg143Sg144Sg145Sg146Sg147Sg148Sg149Sg150

Open English Translation PSA Chapter 78

PSA 78 ©

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

78 A song[fn] by Asaf.

78Hear my teaching, my people.

Listen to what I’m saying.

2I will speak out in parables;

I will sing about hidden things about the past.

3These are things that we have heard and learnt—

things that our ancestors have told us.

4We won’t keep them from their descendants.

We’ll tell the next generation about Yahweh’s praiseworthy actions,

his strength, and the miracles that he has done.

5Also he established a rule in Yakov

and appointed a law in Yisrael.

He commanded our ancestors

that they were to teach them to their children.

6He commanded this so that the generation to come might know his decrees—

the children not yet born who should tell them in turn to their own children.

7Then they would place their hope in God

and not forget what he’s done

but obey his commands.

8Then they would not be like their ancestors,

who were a stubborn and rebellious generation—

a generation who didn’t control their hearts,

and whose spirits were not committed and faithful to God.

9The Efraimites had many archers,

but they turned back on the day of battle.

10They didn’t keep their agreement with God,

and they refused to obey his law.

11They forgot about what he’d done

the wonderful things that he had shown them.

12They forgot the marvellous things that he’d done

in the sight of their ancestors in Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim) in the Tsoan region.

13He divided the sea and led them across it.

He made the water on each side stand up like walls.

14In the daytime he led them with a cloud,

^and throughout the night with the light from fire.

15He split the rocks in the wilderness,

and he gave them plenty of waterenough to fill the ocean.

16He made streams flow out of the rock

and made the water flow like rivers.

17Yet they continued to sin against him,

rebelling against the highest one in the wilderness.

18They challenged God in their hearts

by asking for food to satisfy their appetites.

19They spoke against God, saying,

“Can God really lay out food on a table for us in the wilderness?

20See, when he struck the rock, water gushed out

and streams overflowed.

But can he give food also?

Will he provide meat for his people?”

21When Yahweh heard that, he was angry

and his fire burned against Yakov.

His anger attacked Yisrael,

22because they didn’t believe in God

and didn’t trust that he would save them.

23Yet he commanded the skies above

and opened the doors in the sky.

24He rained down manna for them to eat.

He gave them the grain from heaven.

25People ate angels’ bread.

He sent them plenty of food.

26He caused the east wind to blow in the sky,

and by his power he guided the south wind.

27He rained meat down on them like dust—

birds as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

28They fell in the middle of their camp—

all around their tents.

29So they ate and were full.

He gave them what they craved.

30But they hadn’t filled their stomachs yet—

their food was still in their mouths

31and then God’s anger attacked them

and killed the strongest of them.

He brought down Yisrael’s young men.

32Despite that, they continued to sin

and wouldn’t trust in the wonderful things he would do.

33So their days were ended uselessly.

Their years were filled with terror.

34Whenever God afflicted them, they would start to search for him,

and they would return and earnestly look for him.

35They would call to mind that God was their security

and that the highest God was their rescuer.

36But they’d flatter him with their mouth,

and lie to him with their words.

37Their hearts weren’t firmly fixed on him,

and they weren’t faithful to his agreement.

38Yet he, being merciful, forgave their disobedience and didn’t destroy them.

Yes, many times he held back his anger

and didn’t stir up all his rage.

39He called to mind that they were only made of flesh—

a breath of wind that passes away and doesn’t return.

40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness,

and grieved him in those barren regions.

41Again and again they challenged God

and offended the holy one of Israel.

42They didn’t think about his power,

or about how he’d rescued them from their enemy,

43when he performed his miracles in Egypt

and his wonders in the Tsoan region.

44He turned the Egyptians’ rivers into blood

so that they couldn’t drink from their streams.

45He sent swarms of flies that bit them

and frogs that overran their land.

46He gave their crops to the grasshoppers

and the results of their labour to the locusts.

47He destroyed their grapevines with hail

and their sycamore fig trees with frost.

48He rained hail on their cattle

and hurled lightning bolts at their livestock.

49The fierceness of his anger lashed out against them.

He sent rage, fury, and trouble

like agents to bring disaster.

50He leveled a path for his anger.

He didn’t spare them from death

but gave them over to the plague.

51He killed all the firstborn in Egypt—

the firstborn of their reproductive strength in Ham’s tents.

52He led his own people out like sheep

and guided them through the wilderness like a flock.

53He led them secure and unafraid,

but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54Then he brought them to the border of his holy land—

to this mountain that he acquired with his power.

55He drove out the nations ahead of them

and assigned them their inheritance.

He settled the Israeli tribes in their tents.[ref]

56Yet they challenged and defied the highest God

and didn’t obey his solemn commands.

57They were unfaithful and acted treacherously like their ancestors.

They were as unreliable as a faulty bow.

58They made him angry with their hilltop shrines

and provoked him to jealous anger with their idols.

59When God heard this, he was angry

and completely rejected Israel.

60He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh—

the tent where he had lived among people.[ref]

61He allowed his strength[fn] to be captured

and gave control of his splendour to the enemy.

62He handed his people over to the sword,

and he was angry with his heritage.

63Fire devoured their young men,

and their young women had no wedding songs.

64Their priests fell by the sword,

and their widows had no opportunity to weep.

65Then my master awakened like someone who’d been asleep—

like a warrior who shouts because he’s been drinking.

66He drove his opponents back.

He put them to perpetual shame.

67He rejected Yosef’s tent,

and he didn’t chose the tribe of Efraim.

68He chose the tribe of Yehudah

and Mt. Tsiyyon (Zion) that he loved.

69He built his sanctuary like the heavens—

like the earth that he has established forever.

70He chose his servant David,

and took him from the sheep pens.

71He took him from following the ewes with their young,

and he brought him to shepherd Yakov, his people,

and Yisrael, his heritage.

72David shepherded them with sincere integrity,

and he guided them with his skillful hands.


78:0 In Hebrew, ‘maskil’ is perhaps the name of this class of song.

78:61 Probably referring to the sacred chest containing the tablets with the Sinai agreement written on them. But there’s also connotations of Shimshon’s/Samson’s capture in this line.


78A_poem of_ʼĀşāf[fn] hear people_of_my teaching_of_my incline ears_of_your_all’s to_words_of mouth_of_my.
2I_will_open in/on/at/with_parable mouth_of_my I_will_pour_forth riddles from antiquity.
3Which we_have_heard and_known_them and_fathers_of_our they_have_recounted to/for_us.
4Not we_will_hide from_children_of_their to_generation later we_will_recount the_praises_of YHWH and_might_of_his and_wonders_of_his which he_has_done.
5And_established a_transcript in/on/at/with_Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) and_law he_appointed in/on/at/with_Yisrāʼēl/(Israel) which he_commanded DOM fathers_of_our to_teach_them to_children_of_their.
6So_that they_may_know a_generation later children who_they_will_be_born they_will_arise and_tell to_children_of_their.
7And_put in/on/at/with_god confidence_of_their and_not they_will_forget the_deeds_of god and_commandments_of_his they_will_observe.
8And_not they_will_be like_fathers_of_their a_generation stubborn and_rebellious a_generation which_not it_directed his/its_heart and_not it_was_faithful with god his/its_breath/wind/spirit.
9The_people_of ʼEfrayim were_equipped_of shooters_of a_bow they_turned_back in/on_day battle.
10Not they_kept the_covenant_of god and_in/on/at/with_law_of_his they_refused to_walk.
11And_forgot deeds_of_he and_wonders_of_his which shown_them.
12Before fathers_of_their he_did wonder[s] in_land of_Miʦrayim/(Egypt) the_region_of Tsoˊan/(Zoan).
13He_split_open the_sea and_pass_through_them and_stand the_waters like a_heap.
14And_led_them in/on/at/with_cloud by_day and_all the_night in/on/at/with_light_of a_fire.
15He_split_open rocks in/on/at/with_wilderness and_gave_drink as_depths much.
16And_brought_out streams of_rock and_flow_down like_the_rivers water.
17And_more again[fn] to_sin to_him/it by_rebelling the_Most_High in/on/at/with_wilderness.
18And_tested god in/on/at/with_heart_of_their by_demanding food for_craved_of_they.
19And_they_spoke in/on/at/with_god they_said can god to_spread a_table in/on/at/with_wilderness.
20There he_struck a_rock and_gushed_out waters and_streams they_overflowed also food is_he_able to_give or will_he_prepare meat for_people_of_his.
21For_so/thus/hence YHWH he_heard and_very_angry and_fire it_was_kindled in/on/at/with_Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) and_also anger it_went_up in/on/at/with_Yisrāʼēl/(Israel).
22If/because not they_trusted in/on/at/with_god and_not they_trusted in/on/at/with_salvation_of_his.
23And_he/it_commanded clouds at_above and_doors_of heaven he_opened.
24And_rained_down on_them manna to_eat and_grain_of heaven he_gave them_them.
25bread_of mighty_ones everyone he_ate provision[s] he_sent to/for_them in_abundance.
26He_led_out an_east_wind in/on/at/with_heavens and_drove in/on/at/with_power_of_his a_south_wind.
27And_rained on_them like_the_dust meat and_like_sand_of the_seas bird[s]_of wing.
28And_he/it_made_fall/lie_down in/on/at/with_midst_of camp_of_their around about_dwellings_of_their.
29And_ate and_filled exceedingly and_what_craved_of_they he_brought to/for_them.
30Not they_had_become_estranged from_craving_of_their still food_of_their in/on/at/with_mouths_of_their.
31And_anger_of god it_went_up in/among_them and_killed in/on/at/with_strongest_of_them and_young_men_of Yisrāʼēl/(Israel) he_made_bow_down.
32In_all this they_sinned again and_not they_believed in/on/at/with_wonders_of_his.
33And_they_were_ended/finished in/on/at/with_futility days_of_their and_years_of_their in/on/at/with_terror.
34If killed_them and_sought_him and_repented and_sought_earnestly god.
35And_remembered if/because_that god rock_of_their and_god Most_High redeemer_of_their.
36And_deceived_him in/on/at/with_mouths_of_their and_in/on/at/with_tongues_of_their they_lied to_him/it.
37And_heart_of_their not was_steadfast with_him/it and_not they_were_faithful in/on/at/with_covenant_of_his.
38And_he was_compassionate he_atoned_for iniquity and_not he_destroyed_them and_often to_restrained anger_of_his and_not he_stirred_up all_of severe_anger_of_his.
39And_remembered if/because_that were_flesh they a_wind which_goes and_not it_returns.
40As_the_how rebelled_against_him in/on/at/with_wilderness grieved_him in/on/at/with_wilderness.
41And_again_and_again and_tested god and_holy_of Yisrāʼēl/(Israel) they_pained.
[fn]
42not they_remembered DOM his/its_hand the_day when redeemed_them from the_foe.
43When he_performed in/on/at/with_Miʦrayim/(Egypt) signs_of_his and_wonders_of_his in/on/at/with_region_of Tsoˊan/(Zoan).
44And_turned to_blood rivers_of_their and_streams_of_their not drink.
45He_sent (is)_in_them a_swarm_of_flies and_devoured_them and_frogs and_destroyed_them.
46And_he/it_gave to_the_caterpillar crops_of_their and_fruit_of_labour_of_their to_the_locust.
47He_killed in/on/at/with_hail vines_of_their and_sycamore_trees_of_their in/on/at/with_frost.
48And_gave_over to_the_hail cattle_of_their and_livestock_of_their to_the_lightning_bolts.
49He_sent in/on/at/with_them the_burning_of anger_of_his fury and_indignation and_trouble a_deputation_of messengers_of calamities.
50He_made_level a_path for_anger_of_his not he_kept_back from_death soul_of_their and_lives_of_their to_the_plague he_delivered_up.
51And_struck_down every_of firstborn in/on/at/with_Miʦrayim the_beginning_of generative_power(s) in/on/at/with_tents_of Ḩām.
52And_led_out like_the_sheep people_of_his and_guided_them like_a_flock in/on/at/with_wilderness.
53And_led_them in_safety and_not they_were_afraid and_DOM enemies_of_their it_covered the_sea.
54And_he/it_brought_them to the_territory_of holy_of_his the_mountain_of which it_had_acquired right_hand_of_his.
55And_he/it_drove_out from_their_face/front nations and_apportioned_them in/on/at/with_lot_of an_inheritance and_he/it_made_stay/reside in/on/at/with_tents_of_their the_tribes_of Yisrāʼēl/(Israel).
56And_tested and_rebelled_against DOM god Most_High and_decrees_of_his not they_kept.
57And_turned_away and_faithless like_fathers_of_their they_changed like_bow_of deceit.
58And_provoked_toanger_him in/on/at/with_high_places_of_their and_in/on/at/with_idols_of_their aroused_jealousy_his.
59god He_heard and_very_angry and_rejected exceedingly in/on/at/with_Yisrāʼēl/(Israel).
60And_abandoned the_tabernacle_of Shiloh the_tent which_he_had_pitched in/on/at/with_men.
61And_he/it_gave to_the_captivity strength_of_his and_splendour_of_his in/on/at/with_hand_of the_foe.
62And_gave_over to_the_sword people_of_his and_in/on/at/with_inheritance_of_his he_was_furious.
63Young_men_of_his it_consumed fire and_young_women_of_his not they_were_praised.
64Priests_of_his in/on/at/with_sword they_fell and_widows_of_their not they_wept.
65And_awoke as_sleep my_master like_warrior overcome of_wine.
66And_beat adversaries_of_his backwards a_reproach_of perpetuity he_gave them_them.
67And_rejected in/on/at/with_tent_of Yōşēf/(Joseph) and_in/on/at/with_tribe_of ʼEfrayim not he_chose.
68And_chose DOM the_tribe_of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) DOM the_mountain_of Tsiyyōn/(Zion) which he_loved.
69And_he/it_built like the_high_things sanctuary_of_his like_earth established_that to_forever.
70And_chose in/on/at/with_Dāvid servant_of_his and_took_him from_pens_of sheep.
71From_following nursing_ewes brought_him to_shepherd in/on/at/with_Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) people_of_his and_in/on/at/with_Yisrāʼēl/(Israel) inheritance_of_his.
72And_shepherded_them with_integrity_of heart_of_his and_in/on/at/with_skillful_of hands_of_his guided_them.

78:1 Note: KJB: Ps.78.1

78:17 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.

78:41 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.

PSA 78 ©

PSAIntroSg1Sg2Sg3Sg4Sg5Sg6Sg7Sg8Sg9Sg10Sg11Sg12Sg13Sg14Sg15Sg16Sg17Sg18Sg19Sg20Sg21Sg22Sg23Sg24Sg25Sg26Sg27Sg28Sg29Sg30Sg31Sg32Sg33Sg34Sg35Sg36Sg37Sg38Sg39Sg40Sg41Sg42Sg43Sg44Sg45Sg46Sg47Sg48Sg49Sg50Sg51Sg52Sg53Sg54Sg55Sg56Sg57Sg58Sg59Sg60Sg61Sg62Sg63Sg64Sg65Sg66Sg67Sg68Sg69Sg70Sg71Sg72Sg73Sg74Sg75Sg76Sg77Sg78Sg79Sg80Sg81Sg82Sg83Sg84Sg85Sg86Sg87Sg88Sg89Sg90Sg91Sg92Sg93Sg94Sg95Sg96Sg97Sg98Sg99Sg100Sg101Sg102Sg103Sg104Sg105Sg106Sg107Sg108Sg109Sg110Sg111Sg112Sg113Sg114Sg115Sg116Sg117Sg118Sg119Sg120Sg121Sg122Sg123Sg124Sg125Sg126Sg127Sg128Sg129Sg130Sg131Sg132Sg133Sg134Sg135Sg136Sg137Sg138Sg139Sg140Sg141Sg142Sg143Sg144Sg145Sg146Sg147Sg148Sg149Sg150