Psalm LXXVIII

Give ear, you that my people are,
Unto my Law and word of truth;
Incline your ear to all the words
Which I shall utter with my mouth.

In Parables I'le ope my mouth,
And utter dark sayings of old,

Which we our selves have heard and known,
And which our fathers have us told.

We will not hide them from their seed,
But shew unto the age to come
God's praises, and his strength, and all
The wondrous works that he hath done.

A Testimony and a Law
He made and gave to Israel,
Which he our fathers charg'd, that they
Should after to their children tell.

That so the children yet unborn,
And ages coming might them know,
Who should arise, and them likewise
In time unto their children show.

That they might not forge God's works,
But on him set their hope and heart;
And keep all his commandements,
And never more from them depart.

And might not as their ancestors,
Be stubborn and rebellious found;
A race whose heart was not set right,
Whose spirit was not with God found.

For then the sons of Ephraim
Being in arms, and carrying bows,
Yet in the day of battle they
Turned their backs upon their foes.

They brake God's Covenant, and refus'd
In his commanded way to go;

And did forget his works, and all
The wonders he to them did show.

Marvellous things did he perform,
Which all their fathers then beheld;
Both in the land of Egypt first,
And afterwards in Zoan field.

He did divide for them the sea,
And caused them through it to pass;
And made the waters on each side
To stand; even like a heap it was.

With cloud by day, by light of fire
In the dark night he did them guide.

In the desart he clave the rock,
And drink as from the deeps supply'd.

He from the rock brought flowing streams,
And made the waters to run down:

Yet in the desart sinning more,
They did provoke the Highest One.

For in their heart they tempted God,
And speaking with sinful distrust,
They greedily did call for meat
To satisfie their fleshly lust.

Yea, even against the Lord himself
They grudging spake prophanely thus:
Can God here in this wilderness
A furnish'd table spread for us?

Indeed he smote the rock, and thence
There flowed streams of waters great;
And can he give his people bread,
And provide flesh for them to eat?

This the Lord heard, and then his wrath
Did kindle a consuming flame,
Which against Jacob did come up,
His anger against Israel came.

Because they did not God believe,
Nor trust in his salvation had.

Though clouds above he did command,
And he heav'ns doors had open made;

And rain'd down Manna upon them,
And gave them corn from heav'n to eat.

So that Man did eat Angels food,
And to the full he gave them meat.

From heav'n he made the East-wind blow,
Brought the South-wind by his command:

He rained flesh on them as dust,
And feather'd fowl as the sea-sand.

Even in their Camp, and round about
Their habitation it did fall;

So they did eat and were well fill'd,
Their own desire he gave them all.

They were not from their lusts estrang'd,
The meat yet in their mouths, even then

God's wrath the fattest of them slew,
And smote down Israel's choicest men.

Yet for all this they sinned still,
Believed not for his wonders wrought;

Their days he then consum'd in vain,
Their years in trouble on them brought.

But earnestly they sought to him
When he them slew, and us'd his rod;
And then they seemed to return,
Enquiring early after God.

Then they remembred that the Lord
Was their strong Rock that did them save;
And their Redeemer the high God,
Who unto them deliverance gave.

Yet with their mouth they flatter'd him,
And spake all this deceitfully;
And they unto the God of truth
With their unfaithful tongues did lie.

For all this while their hearts within
Were not found upright and sincere;
Nor in his holy Covenant
Unchangeable and steadfast were.

But full of pity, he forgave
Their sin, and did not them destroy;
And did not stir up all his wrath,
But often turned it away.

For he remembred that they were
But flesh, whose time is short and vain,
And like a wind, which passing by,
Is gone, and cometh not again.

They oft in th' desart him provok'd
Displeased with what they had done.

Yea, they turned back and tempted God,
Limiting Israel's Holy One.

And they remembred not his hand,
Nor yet the former days, when he
From their oppressing enemy
Had saved them, and set them free.

How he in Egypt wrought his signs,
And wonders great in Zoan field;

And turn'd their Rivers into blood,
And floods, that they no drink could yield.

Among them he sent divers sorts
Of flyes, which did them much annoy,
And did devour their fruits; and frogs
He sent to vex them, and destroy.

Their increase by the caterpiller;
Their labour was by locusts lost:

Their vines he did destroy with hail,
And their Sycamore trees with frost.

He gave their cattle to the hail,
Their flocks by thunder-bolts were spent;

Fierce wrath and trouble cast on them
By evil Angels to them sent.

He to his anger did make way,
And spared not their souls from death,
But to the wasting Pestilence
He did give up their vital breath.

All Egypt's first-born he smote down,
And in Ham's land their chiefest strength:

He made them let his people go,
Like sheep he led them out at length.
He in the desart did them guide,

And like a flock them safely led,
So that they were secur'd from fear,
But their foes the sea covered.

He brought them to the borders, where
His sanctuary now doth stand;
Even to the sacred mountain, which
He purchased with his right hand.

Before them cast the heathen out,
Their land to them he did divide,
And made the tribes of Israel
In their tents to dwell and abide.

Yet did they tempt the most high God,
Him by their sin provoked they,
And did not his commandements
Unfeignedly keep and obey.

But like their fathers turned back,
And dealt with God unfaithfully;
Like a deceitful warping bow,
Which turn'd aside, doth shoot awry.

They to displeasure him provok'd
With Altars set in places high;
And with their graven Images
They moved him to jealousie.

When God heard this he was displeas'd,
And abhor'd Israel greatly then;

So that he Shilo's place forsook,
The tent he placed among men.

His peoples strength he captive gave;
His glory to the enemies hand.

He gave his people to the sword,
And was wroth with his chosen land.

The fire consumed their young men,
And their maidens no marriage had.

Their Priests also fell by the sword,
Their wives no lamentation made.

But then the Lord arose like one
That doth from silent sleep awake;
And like a Giant, that by wine
Exhilerate a shout doth make.

And on his enemies hinder parts
He made his heavy strokes to fall,
And so upon them all he cast
Reproach and shame perpetual.

Moreover Joseph's Tabernacle,
And Ephraim's Tribe he did refuse.

But the Mount Sion, which he lov'd,
And Judah's Ruling Tribe did choose.

His Sanctuary there he built,
Like to a Palace fair and high;
And like the earth which his hand hath
Founded for perpetuity.

His servant David he did choose,
And him his peoples Ruler make;
And from the governing of sheep
To dignity he did him take.

From following Ewes great with young
He call'd and brought him up to feed
Israel his own inheritance,
His servant Jacob's chosen seed.

So after the integrity
Of his heart they by him were fed;
And by his hands great skilfulness
By him they were well governed.