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The Book of Psalms, Chapter 78
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1 |
Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words
of my mouth.
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2 |
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of
old:
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3 |
Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
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4 |
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the
generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his
wonderful works that he hath done.
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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 children:
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6 |
That the generation to come might know them, even the children
which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their
children:
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7 |
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works
of God, but keep his commandments:
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8 |
And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious
generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose
spirit was not stedfast with God.
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9 |
The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned
back in the day of battle.
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10 |
They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his
law;
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And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
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12 |
Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the
land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
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13 |
He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made
the waters to stand as an heap.
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14 |
In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night
with a light of fire.
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He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out
of the great depths.
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He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to
run down like rivers.
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And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High
in the wilderness.
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And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their
lust.
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Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table
in the wilderness?
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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?
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21 |
Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was
kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
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22 |
Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his
salvation:
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23 |
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the
doors of heaven,
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And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them
of the corn of heaven.
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Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
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26 |
He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power
he brought in the south wind.
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He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like
as the sand of the sea:
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And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their
habitations.
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29 |
So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their
own desire;
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30 |
They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat
was yet in their mouths,
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31 |
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them,
and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
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32 |
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his
wondrous works.
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33 |
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years
in trouble.
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34 |
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and
enquired early after God.
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And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God
their redeemer.
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Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they
lied unto him with their tongues.
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For their heart was not right with him, neither were they
stedfast in his covenant.
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But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and
destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did
not stir up all his wrath.
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For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth
away, and cometh not again.
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40 |
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him
in the desert!
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41 |
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One
of Israel.
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42 |
They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them
from the enemy.
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How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the
field of Zoan.
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44 |
And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that
they could not drink.
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45 |
He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them;
and frogs, which destroyed them.
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46 |
He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their
labour unto the locust.
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47 |
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees
with frost.
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48 |
He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to
hot thunderbolts.
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49 |
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and
indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
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50 |
He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death,
but gave their life over to the pestilence;
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51 |
And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their
strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
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52 |
But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them
in the wilderness like a flock.
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53 |
And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea
overwhelmed their enemies.
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54 |
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this
mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
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55 |
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an
inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their
tents.
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56 |
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not
his testimonies:
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But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they
were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
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58 |
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved
him to jealousy with their graven images.
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59 |
When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
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60 |
So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he
placed among men;
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And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into
the enemy's hand.
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62 |
He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with
his inheritance.
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63 |
The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not
given to marriage.
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64 |
Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no
lamentation.
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65 |
Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man
that shouteth by reason of wine.
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66 |
And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a
perpetual reproach.
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Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the
tribe of Ephraim:
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68 |
But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
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69 |
And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth
which he hath established for ever.
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70 |
He chose David also his servant, and took him from the
sheepfolds:
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71 |
From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed
Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
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72 |
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and
guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
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