Psalm 76-80
EasyEnglish Bible
This psalm is a song that Asaph wrote for the music leader. Sing it with the music of stringed instruments.
God has great power
76 People in Judah know who God is.
He is famous in Israel.[a]
2 His home is in Salem.
Yes, he lives in Zion.[b]
3 There he destroyed all the weapons of our enemy,
their arrows, their shields,
and their swords.
He destroyed everything that they use to fight wars.
Selah.
4 God, you are the one who shines with glory!
You are greater than the greatest mountains.
5 You won against brave soldiers,
so that we robbed them of everything.
Now they are sleeping,
and they will never wake up!
They are completely helpless.
6 God of Jacob,
when your enemies heard your battle cry,
both the horses and their riders fell down dead.
7 Yes, everyone is afraid of you, our God!
When you are angry,
nobody can stand against you.
8 From heaven you said how you would judge people.
Everybody on earth became afraid.
They could not say anything!
9 This happened when you came to punish wicked people.
You came to rescue the weak and poor people in the land.
Selah.
10 Everybody will praise you,
even those who are angry against you.
You will show them how angry you really are.[c]
11 Make promises to the Lord your God,
and do what you have promised.
Everyone who serves God should bring gifts to him.
We must respect him with fear.
12 He makes proud rulers become humble.
All the kings of the world should be afraid of him.
Asaph wrote this song for the music leader, Jeduthun.
A prayer in times of trouble[d]
77 I will call out to God for help.
I will call aloud to God,
and he will listen to me.
2 When trouble came to me,
I looked for the Lord to help me.
All through the night,
I lifted my hands to him while I prayed.
But I did not feel peace in myself.
3 When I think about God,
I am sad and upset.
I do not know if he will help me.
Selah.
4 God, you do not let me close my eyes to sleep.
I am so upset that I cannot even speak.[e]
5 I think about my life long ago,
in the years that have passed.
6 At night, I remember the songs that I sang before.
I think carefully about what is happening.
7 I ask myself, ‘Will the Lord always turn against me?
Will he never be kind to me again?
8 Does he no longer have a faithful love for his people?
Will he never do what he has promised us?
9 Has God forgotten to be kind and help us?
Is he so angry that he will not be kind to us any more?’[f]
Selah.
10 Then I said, ‘This makes me very upset!
Has the Most High God stopped helping us?
11 I will remember the things that the Lord has done.
Yes, I will remember the miracles that you did long ago.
12 I will think about everything that you have done.
I will think carefully about all those great things.’
13 God, your ways are holy.
There is no god as great as our God.
14 You are the God who does miracles.
You show the nations
that you are very powerful.
15 You used your power to rescue your people.
Yes, you saved the descendants
of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah.
16 The waters of the sea saw you, God.
When they saw you,
they shook with fear!
Even the deepest seas were afraid.
17 Rain poured down from the clouds.
The noise of thunder was in the skies.
Your arrows of lightning
shot everywhere.
18 The sound of your thunder was in the storm.
Your lightning made all the world bright.
The earth shook.
19 You went through the sea.
Your path went through the deep water,
but nobody saw where your feet had gone.
20 You led your people,
as a shepherd leads his sheep.
Moses and Aaron did that for you.
Asaph wrote this special song.
God has been good to his people[g]
78 My people, listen to what I am teaching you.
Listen to the words that I speak.
2 I will tell you something to make you wise.
Then you will understand
things that happened long ago.
3 We have heard about these things
and we know them.
Our ancestors have told them to us,
4 and we will not hide them from our children.
We will tell our children and our grandchildren
why they should praise the Lord.
We will tell them about his strength,
and about the great things that he has done.
5 He gave his laws to Jacob's descendants,
the Israelite people.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children.
6 Then the children would know about them,
even the children still to be born.
When the time came,
they too would tell their children.
7 Then their family would trust in God.
They would not forget what God had done.
They would obey his commands.
8 So they would not be like their ancestors,
who turned against God.
Those people refused to obey God,
and they did not trust him to be their guide.
9 The soldiers of Ephraim had bows and arrows,
but they ran away when the battle started![h]
10 They did not obey the covenant
that God had made with them.
They refused to obey his laws.
11 They forgot about what he had done for them.
They forgot the miracles that he had shown them.
12 He did miracles for their ancestors to see,
in the region of Egypt that is called Zoan.
13 He cut the sea into two separate parts,
and he led them through it.
He made a path between two walls of water.[i]
14 He showed them the way with a cloud in the day
and with light from a fire all night.[j]
15 He broke rocks into pieces in the wilderness
so that his people had plenty of water.
Springs of water came from deep in the earth.
16 He caused streams to pour from the rocks
so that the waters ran like rivers.[k]
17 But his people continued to do bad things against him.
In the wilderness,
they turned against the Most High God.
18 They decided to test God,
to see what he would do.
They demanded to have the food that they liked best.
19 They spoke against God, and they said,
‘Can God give us food to eat here in the wilderness?
20 Yes, water did come out when he hit the rock.
There were streams of water that poured out like a river.
But can he also give us food to eat?
Can he supply meat for his people?’
21 When the Lord heard this,
he was very angry.
So he sent fire to punish his people.
He became very angry against the Israelites.
22 They did not trust God,
that he had the power to save them.
23 So God commanded the clouds high above
to give food to his people.
He caused the skies to open like a door.
24 He poured down manna like rain,
so that they could eat grain that came from heaven.[l]
25 In that way, people ate the special bread of angels!
God gave them all the food that they could eat.
26 Then God caused a wind to blow from the east.
He used his power to send a south wind too.
27 He caused meat to pour down on them,
like dust from the sky.
The birds covered all the ground
like sand on the shore of the sea.[m]
28 God made the birds fall near the tents
where his people were living.
29 They ate as much as they could eat.
Yes, God gave them what they had demanded!
30-31 But God became very angry with them,
even before they had finished eating.
While the food was still in their mouths,
he killed the strongest men among them.
Many of the best young Israelite men died.
32 Even when this happened,
the people continued to do bad things.
When God had done these miracles,
they still did not trust him to help them.
33 So he made their lives end quickly, like a breath.
They became very afraid.
34 When God killed some of them,
the other people turned to God.
They were sorry and they prayed to him.
35 They remembered that God
was their strong Rock.
They remembered that the Most High God
was their Redeemer.
36 But they deceived him with their words.
What they said to him was lies.
37 They did not really trust him.
They did not obey the covenant
that he had made with them.
38 But God was kind to them,
and he forgave them for their sins.
He did not destroy them.
Many times he was patient,
and he did not become angry with them.
39 He remembered that they were weak and human,
like a wind that blows away and does not return.
40 When the Israelite people were in the wilderness,
they often turned against God.
That caused God to be very sad.
41 Many times they tested God, the Holy One of Israel,
so that he was very upset.
42 They forgot about his great power,
and how he rescued them from their enemies.
43 He did powerful miracles in Egypt,
in the region of Zoan.
44 He caused the Egyptians' rivers to become blood,
so that they could not drink water from them.[n]
45 He sent large numbers of flies to bite them.[o]
He sent frogs that destroyed their land.[p]
46 He caused locusts to eat their crops,
and everything that grew in their fields.[q]
47 He destroyed their vines with hail.
He destroyed their fig trees with frost.
48 He sent hail to kill their cows.
He sent lightning to kill their other animals.[r]
49 He was so angry with them,
that he sent terrible things to punish them.
Great trouble came to them,
like an army of his angels that bring death.
50 Nothing could stop his anger.
He did not save them from death.
He let bad disease kill them.
51 He killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt.
The strongest men of Ham's descendants died.[s]
52 But God led his own people safely out of Egypt.
But took them through the wilderness,
like a shepherd leads his sheep.[t]
53 They were safe with him as their guide,
and they were not afraid.
But their enemies drowned in the sea.[u]
54 He brought his people to the edge of his holy land.
It was land with the mountain
that he had taken with his power.[v]
55 He chased away the nations that were living there.
He gave to each tribe their own piece of land,
so that Israel's tribes could live there.[w]
56 But the Israelites continued to test the Most High God,
and they turned against him.
They did not obey his commands.[x]
57 They turned away from him and they deceived him,
as their ancestors had done.
They were useless,
like a bow that would not shoot straight!
58 The places where they worshipped their idols
made God very angry.
59 God heard what they were doing,
and he became very angry.
He turned against the Israelite people.
60 He went away from his home at Shiloh.
That was the tent where he lived among people.[y]
61 He let Israel's enemies take away the Covenant Box,
that showed his power and his glory.[z]
62 He was so angry with his own people,
he let their enemies kill them in battle.
63 Fire killed their young men in war.
There was nobody for the young women to marry.
64 Their priests died in battle.
Their widows had no chance to weep.
65 Then the Lord woke up,
like someone had woken him from sleep.
He shouted loudly,
like a soldier who has drunk a lot of wine.
66 He chased his enemies away.
He caused them to be ashamed for ever.
67 He chose not to live among Joseph's descendants.
He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 Instead, he chose the tribe of Judah.
He chose Mount Zion,
the place which he loves.
69 There he built a temple for himself,
to be like his home in heaven.
He made it to be strong, like the earth itself,
so that it would always be there.
70 Also, he chose his servant, David.
He took David away from the fields,
71 so that he no longer took care of his father's sheep.
He became like a shepherd,
to lead his people, Jacob's descendants.
He ruled the people that belonged to God,
the Israelite people.[aa]
72 David took care of them with an honest heart.
He was wise in the way that he led them.
Asaph wrote this psalm.
God, help us![ab]
79 God, foreign nations have attacked your own land.
They have spoiled your holy temple.[ac]
They have destroyed the buildings in Jerusalem.
2 They have let birds come down
and eat the dead bodies of your people.
Your servants have become food for wild animals to eat.
3 The blood of your servants has poured out
all over the streets of Jerusalem.
There is nobody left there
to bury their bodies.
4 The nations that live near to us
do not respect us.
They laugh at us and they insult us.
5 Lord, how long will this continue?
Will you be angry with us for ever?
Will you always be angry,
like a fire that continues to burn?
6 Please punish those nations
that do not respect you.
Be angry with the kingdoms
that do not pray to you.
7 They have destroyed Jacob's descendants
and the land where they live.[ad]
8 Our ancestors did bad things,
but do not say that we are guilty because of that.
Be kind and send help to us quickly.
We are in a lot of trouble!
9 God, help us! You are the one who can save us.
Rescue us,
so that people will respect your great name.
Forgive our sins,
so that people know you are good.
10 Foreign nations are saying about us,
‘Their God cannot help them!’
That is not right!
People of those nations have murdered your servants,
so punish them for us to see.
11 Listen to the prisoners who are in pain!
They are calling out for help.
Use your great power to make them free,
before their enemies kill them.
12 Lord, those countries near to us
have insulted you.
Punish them as they deserve,
seven times over!
Give them as much trouble as they have given to you.
13 Then we will continue to thank you for ever.
You take care of us,
as the sheep in your field.
We will tell our children and grandchildren to praise you,
as you deserve.
Asaph wrote this psalm for the music leader. He should use special music.
God, help our nation[ae]
80 Shepherd of Israel, listen to us!
You lead us, Joseph's family,
as your sheep.[af]
God, you sit on your throne as king,
above the cherubs.[ag]
Show everyone your bright glory!
2 Shine on Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Show your great power!
Come and rescue us!
3 God, turn us to come back to you.
Look at us with a smile on your face!
Then we will be safe.
4 Lord God Almighty,
we, your people, are praying to you.
How long will you continue to be angry with us?
5 You have caused us to eat tears as our food.
Buckets full of tears is what we drink.
6 You have caused the people who live near us
to laugh at us.
Our enemies insult us.
7 God Almighty, turn us to come back to you.
Look at us with a smile on your face!
Then we will be safe.
8 You pulled us out from Egypt,
like a vine that you dug out of the ground.
You chased nations out of this land,
and you planted us here.[ah]
9 You prepared the ground ready for us.
We put down roots like a vine.[ai]
We grew well and we covered all the land.
10 Our branches gave shade to the mountains,
and to the big cedar trees.
11 Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,
and as far as the Euphrates River.
12 Why have you knocked down the walls
that protected us?[aj]
Now, anyone who passes can rob our fruit.
13 Wild pigs from the forest attack your vine.
Other wild animals eat all the fruit.
14 Come back to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven
and see what is happening!
Take care of your special vine.
15 You planted it with your own right hand.
You caused it to grow, like a strong son.[ak]
16 But now the enemy has cut down your vine,
and they have burned it with fire.
Show them that you are angry with them,
and destroy them!
17 Give strength to the one who sits at your right hand.
He is the man that you have chosen to serve you.[al]
18 Then we will never turn away from you.
Give to us new life and strength,
so that we may always worship you.
19 Lord God Almighty, turn us to come back to you.
Look at us with a smile on your face!
Then we will be safe.
Footnotes
- 76:1 Judah and Israel are both names for God's people.
- 76:2 Salem and Zion are names for Jerusalem.
- 76:10 This verse is difficult to understand in Hebrew.
- 77:1 In verses 10-15, the writer remembers the great things that God has done. He remembers that God is still great and powerful. Verses 16-20 are about God leading his people from Egypt to their new home in Canaan. They had to go through the Red Sea. God was so powerful that he made a dry road through the sea for his people. After they crossed the Red Sea, Moses and Aaron led them through the wilderness.
- 77:4 The writer cannot sleep and he does not know what to pray.
- 77:9 There are 6 questions which the writer asked. They mean, ‘Will God ever help us again?’
- 78:1 This psalm tells about God's people until the time of King David. It tells us that God was good to his people, but they often did not obey him.
- 78:9 God gave his people everything that they needed, but they still did not trust him. Ephraim was one of Israel's 12 tribes.
- 78:13 God led his people on a dry path through the Red Sea. See Exodus 14:21-22.
- 78:14 See Exodus 13:21-22.
- 78:16 See Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13.
- 78:24 See Exodus 16:2-15; Numbers 11:4-23.
- 78:27 See Numbers 11:31-35.
- 78:44 See Exodus 7:17-21.
- 78:45 See Exodus 8:20-24.
- 78:45 See Exodus 8:1-6.
- 78:46 See Exodus 10:12-15.
- 78:48 See Exodus 9:22-25.
- 78:51 See Exodus 12:29.
- 78:52 See Exodus 13:17-22.
- 78:53 See Exodus 14:26-28.
- 78:54 See Exodus 15:17; Joshua 3:14-17.
- 78:55 See Joshua 11:16-23.
- 78:56 See Judges 2:11-15.
- 78:60 See Joshua 18:1.
- 78:61 See 1 Samuel 4:4-22.
- 78:71 See 1 Samuel 16:11-12; 2 Samuel 7:8.
- 79:1 Perhaps an Israelite prisoner wrote this psalm, after enemies had attacked Jerusalem. He asks God to punish Israel's enemies and to make prisoners free. He wants other nations to know that God is powerful.
- 79:1 When they spoiled the temple, it meant that they had made it unclean. God's people could not use it to worship him.
- 79:7 Jacob is another name for Israel.
- 80:1 This psalm is in three parts. Each part ends with a prayer, verses 3, 7, 19. If God's people trust him, he will make them safe.
- 80:1 Joseph's family means the same as God's people, the descendants of Jacob (Israel).
- 80:1 This is a picture of God on his throne. In the Most Holy Place, in the tabernacle and in the temple, there were gold statues of cherubs. The cherubs' wings were over the Covenant Box. Cherubs were special angels. In heaven, God's throne is above these angels.
- 80:8 God brought his people out from Egypt where they were slaves. He took them to live in Canaan, the special land that he had promised to give to them.
- 80:9 The vine is a picture of how God took care of his people.
- 80:12 Vineyards (where vines grow) usually had walls round them. The walls kept out the wild animals that would spoil the vines.
- 80:15 ‘The strong son’ is a way of talking about God's people, the Israelites.
- 80:17 ‘the man’ is a way of talking about God's people, the Israelites.
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