Psalm 78
Attendite, popule
41
Many times they provoked him in the wilderness *
and grieved him in the desert.
42
They turned back, and tested God, *
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
43
They remembered not his power, *
nor the day when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy;
44
How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt *
and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
45
He turned their waters into blood, *
so that they might not drink of the rivers.
46
He sent flies among them, which devoured them up, *
and frogs to destroy them.
47
He gave their fruit to the grasshopper, *
and their labor to the locust.
48
He destroyed their vines with hailstones *
and their sycamore trees with the frost.
49
He smote their cattle also with hailstones *
and their flocks with hot thunderbolts.
50
He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, displeasure, and trouble, *
sending these destroying angels among them.
51
He made a way for his indignation, and did not spare their soul from death, *
but gave their life over to the pestilence,
52
And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, *
the firstfruits of their strength in the dwellings of Ham.
53
But as for his own people, he led them forth like sheep *
and carried them in the wilderness like a flock.
54
He brought them out safely, and they were not afraid; *
he overwhelmed their enemies with the sea,
55
And brought them within the borders of his holy land, *
to his mountain which he obtained with his right hand.
56
He cast out the nations before them, *
and caused their land to be divided among them for an inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
57
But they tested and displeased the Most High God, *
and did not keep his testimonies,
58
But turned their backs and fell away like their forefathers, *
twisting aside like a broken bow.
59
For they grieved him with their hill altars *
and provoked him to displeasure with their images.
60
When God heard this, he was full of wrath *
and utterly rejected Israel;
61
So that he forsook the tabernacle in Shiloh, *
even the tent that he had pitched among them.
62
He delivered the ark into captivity, *
and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
63
He gave his people over to the sword *
and was angry with his inheritance.
64
Fire consumed their young men, *
and their maidens had no marriage songs.
65
Their priests were slain with the sword, *
and their widows made no lamentation.
66
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, *
and like a warrior recovered from wine.
67
He drove his enemies backward *
and put them to a perpetual shame.
68
He rejected the tabernacle of Joseph *
and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
69
But chose the tribe of Judah, *
even the hill of Zion which he loved.
70
And there he built his sanctuary, like the heights of heaven, *
like the earth which he had established for ever.
71
He chose David his servant, *
and took him away from the sheepfolds;
72
As he was following the ewes that were great with young, God took him, *
that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
73
So he fed them with a faithful and true heart, *
and guided them with skillful hands.