Evening
Prayer
Psalm
78. Attendite, popule.
Antiphon:
Feed us O God with angels food * and rule us with all thy power.
HEAR my law, O my people; * incline your ears
unto the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; * I will
declare hard sentences of old;
3 Which we have heard and known, * and such as
our fathers have told us;
4 That we should not hide them from the children
of the generations to come; * but to show the honour of the LORD, his mighty
and wonderful works that he hath done.
5 He made a covenant with Jacob, and gave Israel
a law, * which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children;
6 That their posterity might know it, * and the
children which were yet unborn;
7 To the intent that when they came up, * they
might show their children the same;
8 That they might put their trust in God; * and
not to forget the works of God, but to keep his commandments;
9 And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless
and stubborn generation; * a generation that set not their heart aright, and
whose spirit clave not stedfastly unto God;
10 Like as the children of Ephraim; * who being
harnessed, and carrying bows, turned themselves back in the day of battle.
11 They kept not the covenant of God, * and would
not walk in his law;
12 But forgat what he had done, * and the
wonderful works that he had showed for them.
13 Marvellous things did he in the sight of our
forefathers, in the land of Egypt, * even in the field of Zoan.
14 He divided the sea, and let them go through; *
he made the waters to stand on an heap.
15 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud,
* and all the night through with a light of fire.
16 He clave the hard rocks in the wilderness, *
and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth.
17 He brought waters out of the stony rock, * so
that it gushed out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned more against him,
* and provoked the Most Highest in the wilderness.
19 They tempted God in their hearts, * and
required meat for their lust.
20 They spake against God also, saying, * Shall
God prepare a table in the wilderness?
21 He smote the stony rock indeed, that the water
gushed out, and the streams flowed withal; * but can he give bread also, or
provide flesh for his people?
22 When the LORD heard this, he was wroth; * so
the fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavy displeasure against
Israel;
23 Because they believed not in God, * and put
not their trust in his help.
24 So he commanded the clouds above, * and opened
the doors of heaven.
25 He rained down manna also upon them for to
eat, * and gave them food from heaven.
26 So man did eat angels' food; * for he sent
them meat enough.
27 He caused the east-wind to blow under heaven;
* and through his power he brought in the southwest-wind.
28 He rained flesh upon them as thick as dust, *
and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.
29 He let it fall among their tents, * even round
about their habitation.
30 So they did eat, and were well filled; for he
gave them their own desire: * they were not disappointed of their lust.
31 But while the meat was yet in their mouths,
the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the wealthiest of them; * yea,
and smote down the chosen men
that were in Israel.
32 But for all this they sinned yet more, * and
believed not his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity,
* and their years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, they sought him, * and
turned them early, and inquired after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their
strength, * and that the High God was their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless, they did but flatter him with
their mouth, * and dissembled with him in their tongue.
37 For their heart was not whole with him, *
neither continued they stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he was so merciful, that he forgave their
misdeeds, * and destroyed them not.
39 Yea, many a time turned he his wrath away, *
and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise.
40 For he considered that they were but flesh, *
and that they were even a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
41 Many a time did they provoke him in the
wilderness, * and grieved him in the desert.
42 They turned back, and tempted God, * and
provoked the Holy One in Israel.
43 They thought not of his hand, * and of the day
when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy;
44 How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt, *
and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
45 He turned their waters into blood, * so that
they might not drink of the rivers.
46 He sent flies among them, and devoured them
up; * and frogs to destroy them.
47 He gave their fruit unto the caterpillar, *
and their labour unto the grasshopper.
48 He destroyed their vines with hailstones, *
and their mulberry-trees with the frost.
49 He smote their cattle also with hailstones, *
and their flocks with hot thunderbolts.
50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his
wrath, anger, displeasure, and trouble: * and sent evil angels among them.
51 He made a way to his indignation, and spared
not their soul from death; * but gave their life over to the pesti-lence;
52 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, * the
most principal and mightiest in the dwellings of Ham.
53 But as for his own people, he led them forth
like sheep, * and carried them in the wilderness like a flock.
54 He brought them out safely, that they should
not fear, * and overwhelmed their enemies with the sea.
55 And brought them within the borders of his sanctuary,
* even to this mountain, which he purchased with his right hand.
56 He cast out the heathen also before them, *
caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes
of Israel to dwell in their tents.
57 Yet they tempted and displeased the Most High God,
* and kept not his testimonies.
58 They turned their backs, and fell away like
their forefathers; * starting aside like a broken bow.
59 For they grieved him with their hill-altars, *
and provoked him to displeasure with their images.
60 When God heard this, he was wroth, * and took
sore displeasure at Israel;
61 So that he forsook the tabernacle in Shiloh, *
even the tent that he had pitched among men.
62 He delivered their power into captivity, * and
their beauty into the enemy's hand.
63 He gave his people over also unto the sword, *
and was wroth with his inheritance.
64 The fire consumed their young men, * and their
maidens were not given in marriage.
65 Their priests were slain with the sword, * and
there were no widows to make lamentation.
66 So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, * and
like a giant refreshed with wine.
67 He drave his enemies backward, * and put them
to a perpetual shame.
68 He refused the tabernacle of Joseph, * and
chose not the tribe of Ephraim;
69 But chose the tribe of Judah, * even the hill
of Sion which he loved.
70 And there he built his temple on high, * and
laid the foundation of it like the ground which he hath made continually.
71 He chose David also his servant, * and took
him away from the sheep-folds:
72 As he was following the ewes with their young
he took him, * that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
73 So he fed them with a faithful and true heart,
* and ruled them prudently with all his power.
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