Psalm 78 good news bible

Here is Psalm 78 in the Good News Bible (GNB):

Psalm 78

1-4. Listen, O people, to my teaching; listen well to the words of my mouth. I will speak to you in a parable; I will tell you hidden things known from of old. We will not hide them from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and the wonders he has done.

5-8. He established a law in Jacob, and set up a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so that the next generation might know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn might tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

9-12. Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. They did not keep his covenant, but turned away from his laws, even though he had been a God to them.

13-16. He worked wonders in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. He split the sea and led them through it, and the waters stood up like a wall on their right and left. He led them with a cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night, to guide them safely to their destination.

17-20. They did not remember his power, the day he saved them from the enemy, when he worked his wonders in Egypt, and performed many miracles before their eyes. He led them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken.

21-24. So they forgot the God who saved them, who did great things in Egypt, whose wonders in the desert the Philistines saw, and who split the waters before them to bring them safely to their destination, so that they did not stumble.

25-28. So he raised his hand against them to curse them for their rebellion, and to cut off their memory from the earth. Yet he also was mindful of his covenant, and was merciful to them great and small. He also tested them by sending evil and good days, and they were put to the test, as they had never been before.

29-32. So they put their trust in God and were not afraid of what Pharaoh and his army might do. They trusted in God and he watched over them, and he rescued them from the enemy's power. The waters covered their enemies, and not one of them survived.

33-37. So they passed through the Red Sea, and the waters covered their enemies. Then they sang this song of praise: "Let the Lord be praised! He is the one who rescued us from the power of the enemy, and the hand of Pharaoh, and has led us safely to our destination. The waters covered our enemies, and not one of them survived."

38-41. But they soon forgot what he had done, and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they lost their appetite, and they longed for the good old days. So God gave them what they asked for, but sent a plague of poisonous snakes instead of the quail.

42-45. They had asked for food, but God gave them something to eat that would teach them a lesson. They had asked for water, but God gave them water that would make them thirsty. This was a punishment for their rebellion, and a warning to them not to sin again.

46-49. They did not keep his covenant, and they forgot his laws. So he became their enemy, and he fought against them.

50-55. Then they remembered the days of old, the years of the ages past. When God led his people through the desert, and gave them his laws to obey. So he watched over them, as he had promised, and he delivered them from the power of the enemy.

56-64. He led them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. He drove out the nations before them, and gave them their inheritance, as he had promised to their ancestors. He kept his covenant with them, and gave them the law he had commanded Moses.

65-72. So they lived in the land, and God gave them peace on every side. He blessed their crops, and the fruit of their land. They were greatly increased, and their livestock multiplied. But they did not remain faithful to him, and they forgot what he had done for them.

73-77. So he brought their enemies against them, and they were defeated by their enemies, who took control of their land. He saved them from their enemies, and gave them rest from their wars. But they did not remain faithful to him, and they forgot what he had done for them.

78. Yet he was merciful to them and forgave their iniquity, many times he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. He remembered the days of old, the years of the ages past.

This psalm is a reflection on Israel's history, from their deliverance from Egypt to their eventual disobedience and exile. It highlights God's faithfulness and mercy, despite Israel's repeated rebellion and disobedience.