I have considered the days of old, The years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: And my spirit made diligent search. And will he be favourable no more? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. And I said, This is my infirmity: But I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, And talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared thy strength among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: The depths also were troubled. The clouds poured out water: Thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook. Thy way is in the sea, And thy path in the great waters, LXXVIII Maschil of Asaph Give ear, O my people, to my law: I will utter dark sayings of old: We will not hide them from their children, The praises of the Lord, and his strength, And his wonderful works that he hath done. 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: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; Who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, A generation that set not their heart aright, The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, And his wonders that he had shewed them. Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, He clave the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. By provoking the most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart By asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 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? Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel; And trusted not in his salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, And opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, He sent them meat to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: And by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, And feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, So they did eat, and were well filled: And slew the fattest of them, And smote down the chosen men of Israel. For all this they sinned still, And believed not for his wondrous works. When he slew them, then they sought him: Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, Neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 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. For he remembered that they were but flesh; A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. |