| Chapter 78 |
1 |
Maschil of Asaph. 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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11 |
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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15 |
He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as [out of] the great depths. -
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16 |
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. -
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17 |
And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. -
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18 |
And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. -
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19 |
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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24 |
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. -
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25 |
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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27 |
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: -
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28 |
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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35 |
And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high God their redeemer. -
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36 |
Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. -
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37 |
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. -
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38 |
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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39 |
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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43 |
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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57 |
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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61 |
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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67 |
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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