PSALM LXXVIII.

Tate and Brady

2 My tongue, by inspiration taught,
Shall parables unfold,
Dark oracles, but understood,
And own'd for truths of old:

3 Which we from sacred registers
Of ancient times have known,
And our forefathers' pious care
To us have handed down.

4. We will not hide them from our sons;
Our offspring shall be taught
The praises of the Lord, whose strength
Has works of wonder wrought.

5 For Jacob he this law ordain'd;
This league with Israel made;
With charge to be from age to age,
From race to race convey'd;

6 That generations yet to come
Should to their unborn heirs
Religiously transmit the same,
And they again to theirs.

7 To teach them that in God alone
Their hope securely stands;
That they should ne'er forget his works,
But keep his just commands:

8 Lest, like their fathers, they might prove
A stiff rebellious race,
False-hearted, fickle to their God,
Unsteadfast in his grace.

9 Such were revolting Ephraim's sons,
Who, though to warfare bred,
And skilful archers, arm'd with bows,
From field ignobly fled.

10, 11 They falsified their league with God,
His orders disobey'd,
Forgot his works and miracles
Before their eyes display'd.

12 Nor wonders which their fathers saw
Did they in mind retain;
Prodigious things in Egypt done
And Zoan's fertile plain.

13. He cut the seas to let them pass,
Restrain'd the pressing flood;
While, pil'd in heaps, on either side
The solid waters stood.

14. A wondrous pillar led them on,
Compos'd of shade and light;
A shelt'ring cloud it prov'd by day,
A leading fire by night.

15 When drought oppress'd them, where no stream
The wilderness supplied,
He cleft the rock, whose flinty breast
Dissolv'd into a tide.

16 Streams from the solid rock he brought,
Which down in rivers fell,
That, trav'ling with their camp, each day
Renew'd the miracle.

17 Yet there they sinn'd against him more,
Provoking the Most High,
In that same desert, where he did
Their fainting souls supply.

18 They first incens'd him in their hearts,
That did his pow'r distrust,
And long'd for meat, not urg'd by want,
But to indulge their lust.

19 Then utter'd their blaspheming doubts:
Can God, say they, prepare
A table in the wilderness,
Set out with various fare?

20 He smote the flinty rock, 'tis true,
And gushing streams ensu'd;
But can he corn and flesh provide
For such a multitude?

21 The Lord with indignation heard:
From heav'n avenging flame
On Jacob fell, consuming wrath
On thankless Israel came:

22 Because their unbelieving hearts
In God would not confide,
Nor trust his care, who had from heav'n
Their wants so oft supplied:

23 Tho' he had made his clouds discharge
Provisions down in show'rs;
And, when earth fail'd, reliev'd their need
From his celestial stores:

24 Tho' tasteful manna was rain'd down,
Their hunger to relieve;
Though from the stores of heav'n they did
Sustaining corn receive.

25 Thus man, with angels' sacred food,
Ungrateful man, was fed;
Not sparingly, for still they found
A plenteous table spread.

26 From heav'n he made an east wind blow,
Then did the south command,
27 To rain down flesh, like dust, and fowls
Like sea's unnumber'd sand.

28 Within their trenches he let fall
The luscious easy prey,
And all around their spreading camp
The ready booty lay.

29 They fed, were fill'd: he gave them leave
Their appetites to feast;
30, 31 Yet still their wanton lust crav'd on,
Nor with their hunger ceas'd.

But whilst in their luxurious mouths
They did their dainties chew,
The wrath of God smote down their chiefs,
And Israel's chosen slew.

32 Yet still they sinn'd, nor would afford
His miracles belief;
33 Therefore through fruitless travels he
Consum'd their lives in grief.

34. When some were slain, the rest return'd
To God with early cry;
35 Own'd him the rock of their defence,
Their Saviour, God most high.

36 But this was feign'd submission all;
Their heart their tongue belied;
37 Their heart was still perverse, nor would
Firm in his league abide.

38 Yet, full of mercy, he forgave,
Nor did with death chastise;
But turn'd his kindled wrath aside,
Or would not let it rise.

39 For he remember'd they were flesh
That could not long remain;
A murm'ring wind that's quickly past,
And ne'er returns again.

40 How oft did they provoke him there,
How oft his patience grieve,
In that same desert where he did
Their fainting souls relieve!

41 They tempted him by turning back,
And wickedly repin'd,
When Israel's God refus'd to be
By their desires confin'd.

42 Nor call'd to mind the hand and day
That their redemption brought;
43 His signs in Egypt, wondrous works
In Zoan's valley wrought.

44. He turn'd their rivers into blood,
That man and beast forbore,
And rather chose to die of thirst,
Than drink the putrid gore.

45 He sent devouring swarms of flies;
Hoarse frogs annoy'd their soil;
46 Locusts and caterpillars reap'd
The harvest of their toil.

47 Their vines with batt'ring hail were broke,
With frost the fig-tree dies;
48 Lightning and hail made flocks and herds
One general sacrifice.

49 He turn'd his anger loose, and set
No time for it to cease;
And, with their plagues, bad angels sent
Their torments to increase.

50 He clear'd a passage for his wrath
To ravage uncontroll'd ;
The murrain on their firstlings seiz'd
In ev'ry field and fold.

51. The deadly pest from beast to man,
From field to city came;
It slew their heirs, their eldest hopes,
Through all the tents of Ham.

52 But his own tribe, like folded sheep,
He brought from their distress,
And them conducted like a flock
Throughout the wilderness.

53 He led them on, and in their way
No cause of fear they found;
But march'd securely thro' those deeps
In which their foes were drown'd.

54 Nor ceas'd his care, till them he brought
Safe to his promis'd land,
And to his holy mount, the prize
Of his victorious hand.

55 To them the outcast heathen's land
He did by lot divide;
And in their foes' abandon'd tents
Made Israel's tribes reside.

56 Yet still they tempted, still provok'd
The wrath of God most high;
Nor would to practise his commands
Their stubborn hearts apply.

57 But in their faithless fathers' steps
Perversely chose to go;
They turn'd aside, like arrows shot
From some deceitful bow.

58 For him to fury they provok'd
With altars set on high;
And with their graven images
Inflam'd his jealousy.

59 When God heard this, on Israel's tribes
His wrath and hatred fell;
60 He quitted Shiloh, and the tents
Where once he chose to dwell.

61 To vile captivity his ark,
His glory to disdain,
62 His people to the sword he gave,
Nor would his wrath restrain.

63. Destructive war their ablest youth
Untimely did confound;
No virgin was to th' altar led,
With nuptial garlands crown'd.

64. In fight the sacrificer fell,
The priest a victim bled;
And widows, who their death should mourn,
Themselves of grief were dead.

65 Then, as a giant rous'd from sleep,
Whom wine had throughly warm'd,
Shouts out aloud, the Lord awak'd,
And his proud foe alarm'd.

66 He smote their host, that from the field
A scatter'd remnant came,
With wounds imprinted on their backs
Of everlasting shame.

67 With conquests crown'd, he Joseph's tents
And Ephraim's tribe forsook;
68 But Judah chose, and Sion's mount
For his lov'd dwelling took.

69 His temple he erected there,
With spires exalted high,
While deep and fix'd, as that of earth,
The strong foundations lie.

70 His faithful servant David too
He for his choice did own,
And from the sheepfolds him advanc'd
To sit on Judah's throne.

71 From tending on the teeming ewes,
He brought him forth to feed
His own inheritance, the tribes
Of Israel's chosen seed.

72 Exalted thus the monarch prov'd
A faithful shepherd still;
He fed them with an upright heart,
And guided them with skill.