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Chapter 78
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1
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Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears
to the words of my mouth. |
2
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I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark
sayings of old: |
3
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Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have
told us. |
4
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We will not hide them from their children, shewing
to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and
his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. |
5
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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
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That the generation to come might know them, even the
children which should be born; who should arise and declare
them to their children: |
7
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That they might set their hope in God, and not forget
the works of God, but keep his commandments: |
8
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And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious
generation; a generation that set not their heart aright,
and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. |
9
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The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying
bows, turned back in the day of battle. |
10
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They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk
in his law; |
11
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And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed
them. |
12
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Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers,
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. |
13
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He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through;
and he made the waters to stand as an heap. |
14
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In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all
the night with a light of fire. |
15
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He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them
drink as out of the great depths. |
16
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He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused
waters to run down like rivers. |
17
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And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the
most High in the wilderness. |
18
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And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat
for their lust. |
19
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Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish
a table in the wilderness? |
20
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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?
Bible Study Questions |
21
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Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a
fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up
against Israel; |
22
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Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in
his salvation: |
23
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Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and
opened the doors of heaven, |
24
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And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had
given them of the corn of heaven. |
25
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Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the
full. |
26
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He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by
his power he brought in the south wind. |
27
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He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered
fowls like as the sand of the sea: |
28
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And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round
about their habitations. |
29
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So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave
them their own desire; |
30
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They were not estranged from their lust. But while
their meat was yet in their mouths, |
31
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The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest
of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. |
32
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For all this they sinned still, and believed not for
his wondrous works. |
33
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Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and
their years in trouble. |
34
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When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned
and enquired early after God. |
35
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And they remembered that God was their rock, and the
high God their redeemer. |
36
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Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth,
and they lied unto him with their tongues.
Bible Study Questions |
37
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For their heart was not right with him, neither were
they stedfast in his covenant. |
38
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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. |
39
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For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind
that passeth away, and cometh not again. |
40
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How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and
grieve him in the desert! |
41
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Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited
the Holy One of Israel. |
42
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They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered
them from the enemy. |
43
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How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders
in the field of Zoan. |
44
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And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods,
that they could not drink. |
45
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He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured
them; and frogs, which destroyed them. |
46
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He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and
their labour unto the locust. |
47
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He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore
trees with frost. |
48
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He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their
flocks to hot thunderbolts. |
49
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He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath,
and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels
among them. |
50
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He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul
from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; |
51
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And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of
their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: |
52
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But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and
guided them in the wilderness like a flock. |
53
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And he led them on safely, so that they feared not:
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. |
54
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And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. |
55
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He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided
them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel
to dwell in their tents. |
56
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Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and
kept not his testimonies: |
57
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But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their
fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. |
58
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For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. |
59
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When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred
Israel: |
60
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So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent
which he placed among men; |
61
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And delivered his strength into captivity, and his
glory into the enemy's hand. |
62
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He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was
wroth with his inheritance. |
63
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The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens
were not given to marriage. |
64
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Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made
no lamentation. |
65
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Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like
a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. |
66
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And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put
them to a perpetual reproach. |
67
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Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose
not the tribe of Ephraim: |
68
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But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which
he loved. |
69
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And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like
the earth which he hath established for ever. |
70
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He chose David also his servant, and took him from
the sheepfolds: |
71
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From following the ewes great with young he brought
him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. |
72
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So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart;
and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. |
