Monday, August 27, 2012

Psalm 78

The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, 
    turned back on the day of battle; 
10 they did not keep God’s covenant 
    and refused to live by his law. 
11 They forgot what he had done, 
    the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors
    in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 
13 He divided the sea and led them through;
    he made the water stand up like a wall. 
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
    and with light from the fire all night. 
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness
    and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
    and made water flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin against him,
    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test 
    by demanding the food they craved. 
19 They spoke against God; 
    they said, “Can God really
    spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
    and water gushed out, 
    streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
    Can he supply meat for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
    his fire broke out against Jacob,
    and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
    or trust in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
    and opened the doors of the heavens; 
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
    he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens
    and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
    birds like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
    all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged— 
    he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
    even while the food was still in their mouths, 
31 God’s anger rose against them;
    he put to death the sturdiest among them,
    cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; 
    in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. 
33 So he ended their days in futility 
    and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;
    they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock, 
    that God Most High was their Redeemer. 
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, 
    lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful; 
    he forgave their iniquities 
    and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger 
    and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, 
    a passing breeze that does not return.

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