Psalms Chapter 78
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
Let their way be dark and slippery,
2
And the angel of Jehovah pursuing them.
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For without cause have they hid for me their net
4
in a pit;
5
Without cause have they digged
6
a pit for my soul.
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Let destruction come upon him unawares;
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And let his net that he hath hid catch himself:
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With destruction let him fall therein.
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And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah:
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It shall rejoice in his salvation.
12
All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee,
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Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him,
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Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?
15
Unrighteous witnesses rise up;
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They ask me of things that I know not.
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They reward me evil for good,
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To the bereaving of my soul.
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But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth:
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I afflicted my soul with fasting;
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And my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
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I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother:
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I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.
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But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together:
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The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew
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it not;
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They did tear me, and ceased not:
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Like the profane mockers in feasts,
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They gnashed upon me with their teeth.
30
Lord, how long wilt thou look on?
31
Rescue my soul from their destructions,
32
My darling from the lions.
33
I will give thee thanks in the great assembly:
34
I will praise thee among much people.
35
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me;
36
Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
37
For they speak not peace;
38
But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
39
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me;
40
They said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
41
Thou hast seen it, O Jehovah; keep not silence:
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O Lord, be not far from me.
43
Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice
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due unto me,
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Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
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Judge me, O Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness;
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And let them not rejoice over me.
48
Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it:
49
Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
50
Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt:
51
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
52
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause:
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Yea, let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified,
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Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
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And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness
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And of thy praise all the day long.
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For the Chief Musician.
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A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah.
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The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart,
60
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
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For he flattereth himself in his own eyes,
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That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
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The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit:
64
He hath ceased to be wise
65
and to do good.
66
He deviseth iniquity upon his bed;
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He setteth himself in a way that is not good;
68
He abhorreth not evil.
69
Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens;
70
Thy faithfulness
71
reacheth unto the skies.
72
Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God;
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,
3
Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us:
4
We will not hide [them] from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which he hath done.
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;
6
That the generation to come might know [them], the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell [them] to their children,
7
And that they might set their hope inGod, and not forget the works ofGod, but observe his commandments;
8
And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that prepared not their heart, and whose spirit was not stedfast withGod.
9
The sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
10
They kept not the covenant ofGod, and refused to walk in his law;
11
And forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.
12
In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.
13
He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and made the waters to stand as a heap;
14
And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.
15
He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;
16
And he brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17
Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;
18
And they temptedGod in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;
19
And they spoke againstGod: they said, IsGod able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
20
Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?
21
Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel:
22
Because they believed not inGod, and confided not in his salvation;
23
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,
24
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.
25
Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.
26
He caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;
27
And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,
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And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:
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And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.
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They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,
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When the anger ofGod went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32
For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;
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And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34
When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early afterGod;
35
And they remembered thatGod was their rock, andGod, the Most High, their redeemer.
36
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;
37
For their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
38
But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:
39
And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.
40
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41
And they turned again and temptedGod, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.
42
They remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,
43
How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;
44
And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;
45
He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;
46
And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;
47
He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;
48
And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, — a mission of angels of woes.
50
He made a way for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51
And he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.
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And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
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And he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies.
54
And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;
55
And he drove out the nations before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56
But they tempted and provokedGod, the Most High, and kept not his testimonies,
57
And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
58
And they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59
God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
60
And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,
61
And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;
62
And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:
63
The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] song;
64
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
65
Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;
66
And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.
67
And he rejected the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
68
But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved;
69
And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
70
And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
71
From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72
And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
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A Psalm for Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; they have polluted thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem a storehouse of fruits.
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They have given the dead bodies of thy servants [to be] food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of thy holy ones for the wild beasts of the earth.
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They have shed their blood as water, round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury [them].
4
We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them [that are] round about us.
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How long, O Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
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Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms which have not called upon thy name.
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For they have devoured Jacob, and laid his place waste.
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Remember not our old transgressions; let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us; for we are greatly impoverished.
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Help us, O God our Saviour; for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us; and be merciful to our sins, for thy name's sake.
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Lest haply they should say among the heathen, Where is their God? and let the avenging of thy servants' blood that has been shed be known among the heathen before our eyes.
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Let the groaning of the prisoners come in before thee; according to the greatness of thine arm preserve the sons of the slain ones.
12
Repay to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, with which they have reproached thee, O Lord.
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For we are thy people and the sheep of thy pasture; we will give thee thanks for ever; we will declare thy praise throughout all generations.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
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Psalmus Asaph. Deus venerunt Gentes in hereditatem tuam, polluerunt templum sanctum tuum: posuerunt Ierusalem in pomorum custodiam.
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Posuerunt morticina servorum tuorum, escas volatilibus cæli: carnes sanctorum tuorum bestiis terræ.
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Effuderunt sanguinem eorum tamquam aquam in circuitu Ierusalem: et non erat qui sepeliret.
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Facti sumus opprobrium vicinis nostris: subsannatio et illusio his, qui in circuitu nostro sunt.
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Usquequo Domine irasceris in finem: accendetur velut ignis zelus tuus?
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Effunde iram tuam in Gentes, quæ te non noverunt: et in regna, quæ nomen tuum non invocaverunt:
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Quia comederunt Iacob: et locum eius desolaverunt.
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Ne memineris iniquitatum nostrarum antiquarum, cito anticipent nos misericordiæ tuæ: quia pauperes facti sumus nimis.
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Adiuva nos Deus salutaris noster: et propter gloriam nominis tui Domine libera nos: et propitius esto peccatis nostris, propter nomen tuum:
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Ne forte dicant in Gentibus: Ubi est Deus eorum? et innotescat in nationibus coram oculis nostris. Ultio sanguinis servorum tuorum, qui effusus est:
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introeat in conspectu tuo gemitus compeditorum. Secundum magnitudinem brachii tui, posside filios mortificatorum.
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Et redde vicinis nostris septuplum in sinu eorum: improperium ipsorum, quod exprobraverunt tibi Domine.
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Nos autem populus tuus, et oves pascuæ tuæ, confitebimur tibi in sæculum: In generationem et generationem annunciabimus laudem tuam.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
2
I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
3
which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4
We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
5
For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
6
that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,
7
that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,
8
and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
9
The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10
They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
11
They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
12
He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13
He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
14
In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
15
He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
16
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17
Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18
They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20
Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
21
Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
22
because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.
23
Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
24
He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
25
Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
26
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
27
He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28
He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
29
So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
30
They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
31
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
32
For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
33
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34
When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
35
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
36
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38
But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
39
He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
40
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
41
They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42
They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
43
how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44
he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
47
He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
48
He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49
He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
50
He made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
51
and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52
But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53
He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54
He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
55
He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
57
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
58
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
59
When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60
so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men,
61
and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
62
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63
Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
64
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.
65
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
66
He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67
Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68
But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
69
He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71
from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
72
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
An Instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, Incline your ear to sayings of my mouth.
2
I open with a simile my mouth, I bring forth hidden things of old,
3
That we have heard and do know, And our fathers have recounted to us.
4
We do not hide from their sons, To a later generation recounting praises of Jehovah, And His strength, and His wonders that He hath done.
5
And He raiseth up a testimony in Jacob, And a law hath placed in Israel, That He commanded our fathers, To make them known to their sons.
6
So that a later generation doth know, Sons who are born, do rise and recount to their sons,
7
And place in God their confidence, And forget not the doings of God, But keep His commands.
8
And they are not like their fathers, A generation apostate and rebellious, A generation! it hath not prepared its heart, Nor stedfast with God <FI>is<Fi> its spirit.
9
Sons of Ephraim--armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.
10
They have not kept the covenant of God, And in His law they have refused to walk,
11
And they forget His doings, And His wonders that He shewed them.
12
Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt--the field of Zoan.
13
He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap.
14
And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire.
15
He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink--as the great deep.
16
And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers.
17
And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place.
18
And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.
19
And they speak against God--they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'
20
Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also--bread <FI>is<Fi> He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'
21
Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel,
22
For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.
23
And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened.
24
And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them.
25
Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety.
26
He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,
27
And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas--winged fowl,
28
And causeth <FI>it<Fi> to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles.
29
And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them.
30
They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet <FI>is<Fi> their food in their mouth,
31
And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.
32
With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders.
33
And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.
34
If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,
35
And they remember that God <FI>is<Fi> their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.
36
And--they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,
37
And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant.
38
And He--the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury.
39
And He remembereth that they <FI>are<Fi> flesh, A wind going on--and it returneth not.
40
How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?
41
Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited.
42
They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary.
43
When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan,
44
And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.
45
He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them,
46
And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust.
47
He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost,
48
And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.
49
He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress--A discharge of evil messengers.
50
He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.
51
And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.
52
And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness,
53
And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered.
54
And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got,
55
And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,
56
And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.
57
And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,
58
And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous,
59
God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.
60
And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,
61
And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,
62
And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.
63
His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.
64
His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not.
65
And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine.
66
And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them,
67
And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed.
68
And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved,
69
And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.
70
And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock,
71
From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance.
72
And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).