Psalmorum 78

1 Psalmus. Intellectus Asaph. Attendite popule meus legem meam: inclinate aurem vestram in verba oris mei.

An Instructive Psalm. Asaph’s. Give ear, O my people, to mine instruction, Bend your ear to the sayings of my mouth;

2 Aperiam in parabolis os meum: loquar propositiones ab initio.

I will open, in a parable, my mouth, I will pour forth enigmas out of antiquity; —

3 Quanta audivimus et cognovimus ea: et patres nostri narraverunt nobis.

Which we have heard, and come to know, And, our fathers, have recounted to us;

4 Non sunt occultata a filiis eorum, in generatione altera. Narrantes laudes Domini, et virtutes eius, et mirabilia eius quae fecit.

We will not withhold [them] from their children, To a later generation, recounting the praises of Yahweh, Even his might and his wonders which he wrought;

5 Et suscitavit testimonium in Iacob: et legem posuit in Israel. Quanta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filiis suis:

When he set up a testimony in Jacob, And, a law, appointed in Israel, —Which he commanded our fathers, That they might make them known to their children;

6 ut cognoscat generatio altera. Filii qui nascentur, et exurgent, et narrabunt filiis suis,

To the end, A later generation, might come to know, Children who should be born, Who should arise, and recount [them] to their children;

7 Ut ponant in Deo spem suam, et non obliviscantur operum Dei: et mandata eius exquirant.

That they might set, in Elohim, their confidence, —And not forget the doings of El, But, his commandments, might observe;

8 Ne fiant sicut patres eorum: generatio prava et exasperans. Generatio, quae non direxit cor suum: et non est creditus cum Deo spiritus eius.

And not become, like their fathers, a generation stubborn and rebellious, —A generation that fixed not their heart, Neither was their spirit, faithful with GOD.

9 Filii Ephrem intendentes et mittentes arcum: conversi sunt in die belli.

The sons of Ephraim—armed bowmen, Turned in the day of battle;

10 Non custodierunt testamentum Dei, et in lege eius noluerunt ambulare.

They kept not the covenant of God, And, in his law, refused to walk;

11 Et obliti sunt benefactorum eius, et mirabilium eius quae ostendit eis.

And forgat His doings, And his wonders which he had showed them:

12 Coram patribus eorum fecit mirabilia in terra Aegypti, in campo Taneos.

In presence of their fathers, wrought he, wondrously, —In the land of Egypt—the field of Zoan:

13 Interrupit mare, et perduxit eos: et statuit aquas quasi in utre.

He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through, And reared up the waters like a mound;

14 Et deduxit eos in nube diei: et tota nocte in illuminatione ignis.

And led them, by a cloud, in the daytime, And all the night, by a light of fire;

15 Interrupit petram in eremo: et adaquavit eos velut in abysso multa.

He used to cleave rocks in the desert, And let them drink as out of mighty deeps;

16 Et eduxit aquam de petra: et deduxit tamquam flumina aquas.

And he brought forth streams out of the cliff, And caused waters to flow down, like rivers.

17 Et apposuerunt adhuc peccare ei: in iram excitaverunt Excelsum in inaquoso.

But again, once more sinned they against him, Resisting the Most High in a land of drought:

18 Et tentaverunt Deum in cordibus suis: ut peterent escas animabus suis.

They put GOD to the proof in their heart, By asking food to their mind:

19 Et male locuti sunt de Deo: dixerunt: Numquid poterit Deus parare mensam in deserto?

Yea they spake against Elohim, —They said, Can GOD prepare a table in the desert?

20 Quoniam percussit petram, et fluxerunt aquae, et torrentes inundaverunt. Numquid et panem poterit dare, aut parare mensam populo suo?

Lo! he hath smitten a rock, And waters, have gushed out, Yea, torrents, have rushed along, —Food also, can he give? Or provide flesh for his people?

21 Ideo audivit Dominus, et distulit: et ignis accensus est in Iacob, et ira ascendit in Israel:

Therefore, Yahweh hearkened, and became wroth, —And, a fire, was kindled against Jacob, Moreover also, anger, mounted against Israel;

22 Quia non crediderunt in Deo, nec speraverunt in salutari eius:

Because, They believed not in God, Nor trusted in his salvation;

23 Et mandavit nubibus desuper, et ianuas caeli aperuit.

Though he had commanded the skies above, And, the doors of the heavens, had opened;

24 Et pluit illis manna ad manducandum, et panem caeli dedit eis.

And had rained on them manna to eat, And, the corn of the heavens, had given to them:

25 Panem angelorum manducavit homo: cibaria misit eis in abundantia.

The food of the mighty, each one did eat, Nourishment, sent he them to the full;

26 Transtulit Austrum de caelo: et induxit in virtute sua Africum.

He let loose an east wind in the heavens, Then guided he, in his might, a south wind;

27 Et pluit super eos sicut pulverem carnes, et sicut arenam maris volatilia pennata.

And rained upon them flesh as the dust, And, like the sand of the seas, birds of wing;

28 Et ceciderunt in medio castrorum eorum: circa tabernacula eorum.

And let them fall in the midst of their camp, —Round about their habitations.

29 Et manducaverunt et saturati sunt nimis, et desiderium eorum attulit eis:

So they did eat and were abundantly filled, When, what they longed for, he had brought them: —

30 non sunt fraudati a desiderio suo. Adhuc escae eorum erant in ore ipsorum,

They had not turned away from what they had longed for, Yet was their food in their mouth,

31 et ira Dei ascendit super eos. Et occidit pingues eorum, et electos Israel impedivit.

When, the anger of God, mounted against them, And he slew of their vigorous youths, And, the choice young men of Israel, caused he to bow down in death.

32 In omnibus his peccaverunt adhuc: et non crediderunt in mirabilibus eius.

For all this, sinned they still, And believed not in his wonders;

33 Et defecerunt in vanitate dies eorum: et anni eorum cum festinatione.

So he ended, in a breath, their days, And their years, in a sudden terror!

34 Cum occideret eos, quaerebant eum: et revertebantur, et diluculo veniebant ad eum.

If he slew [of] them, then they sought him, Yea they turned, and did earnestly seek GOD;

35 Et rememorati sunt quia Deus adiutor est eorum: et Deus excelsus redemptor eorum est.

And remembered that, Elohim, was their rock, Yea, EL Most High, their Redeemer:

36 Et dilexerunt eum in ore suo, et lingua sua mentiti sunt ei:

So they spake him fair with their mouth, And, with their tongue, did promise him falsely;

37 Cor autem eorum non erat rectum cum eo: nec fideles habiti sunt in testamento eius.

But, their heart, was not fixed with him, Nor were they trusty in his covenant:

38 Ipse autem est misericors, et propitius fiet peccatis eorum: et non disperdet eos. Et abundavit ut averteret iram suam: et non accendit omnem iram suam:

Yet, he, full of compassion, would put a propitiatory-covering over iniquity, and not destroy, —Yea, many a time, turned he back his anger, And would not stir up all his wrath.

39 Et recordatus est quia caro sunt: spiritus vadens, et non rediens.

So then he remembered, That, Flesh, they were, A Wind departing, that returneth not.

40 Quoties exacerbaverunt eum in deserto, in iram concitaverunt eum in inaquoso?

How often they, Resisted him in the desert, Vexed him, in the waste:

41 Et conversi sunt, et tentaverunt Deum: et sanctum Israel exacerbaverunt.

Yea they again put GOD to the test, And, to the Holy One of Israel, caused they sorrow:

42 Non sunt recordati manus eius, die qua redemit eos de manu tribulantis,

They remembered not his hand—The day, When he ransomed them from the adversary;

43 Sicut posuit in Aegypto signa sua, et prodigia sua in campo Taneos.

When he set, in Egypt, his signs, And his wonders, in the plain of Zoan;

44 Et convertit in sanguinem flumina eorum, et imbres eorum, ne biberent.

When he turned, into blood, their Nile-streams, And, their own rivers, could they not drink;

45 Misit in eos cynomyiam, et comedit eos: et ranam, et disperdidit eos.

He sent among them, The gad-fly, and it devoured them, And the frog, and it despoiled them;

46 Et dedit aerugini fructus eorum: et labores eorum locustae.

When he gave to the corn-locust their produce, And their toil, to the swarming locust;

47 Et occidit in grandine vineas eorum: et moros eorum in pruina.

He killed, with hail, their vine, And their sycomores, with frost:

48 Et tradidit grandini iumenta eorum: et possessionem eorum igni.

When he gave up, to hail-storms, their beasts, And their cattle, to pestilent fevers;

49 Misit in eos iram indignationis suae: indignationem, et iram, et tribulationem: immissiones per angelos malos.

He sent among them the heat of his anger, Wrath and indignation and distress, —A mission of messengers of misfortune:

50 Viam fecit semitae irae suae, non pepercit a morte animabus eorum: et iumenta eorum in morte conclusit.

He leveled a path for his anger, Withheld not, from death, their soul, But, their life—to the pestilence, he delivered:

51 Et percussit omne primogenitum in terra Aegypti: primitias omnis laboris eorum in tabernaculis Cham.

So he smote, Every first-born in Egypt, The beginning of their strength, in the tents of Ham;

52 Et abstulit sicut oves populum suum: et perduxit eos tamquam gregem in deserto.

And he set forth, like sheep, his people, And guided them, like a flock in the desert;

53 Et eduxit eos in spe, et non timuerunt: et inimicos eorum operuit mare.

Yea he led them securely, and they dreaded not, And, their enemies, the sea did cover.

54 Et induxit eos in montem sanctificationis suae, montem, quem acquisivit dextera eius. Et eiecit a facie eorum Gentes: et sorte divisit eis terram in funiculo distributionis.

Then brought he them within his own holy bounds, The mountain-range, which his right hand made his own:

55 Et habitare fecit in tabernaculis eorum tribus Israel.

So he drave out, before them, [whole] nations, And allotted them, by line, an inheritance, And caused to dwell, in their own homes, the tribes of Israel.

56 Et tentaverunt, et exacerbaverunt Deum excelsum: et testimonia eius non custodierunt.

But they tested and resisted God Most High, And, his testimonies, did not observe;

57 Et averterunt se, et non servaverunt pactum: quemadmodum patres eorum, conversi sunt in arcum pravum.

But drew back and dealt treacherously, like their fathers, They turned aside, like deceitful bowmen;

58 In iram concitaverunt eum in collibus suis: et in sculptilibus suis ad aemulationem eum provocaverunt.

And provoked him to anger with their high places, And, with their images, used to move him to jealousy.

59 Audivit Deus, et sprevit: et ad nihilum redegit valde Israel.

God heard and was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;

60 Et repulit tabernaculum Silo, tabernaculum suum, ubi habitavit in hominibus.

So he gave up the habitation of Shiloh, The tent he had set up among Men;

61 Et tradidit in captivitatem virtutem eorum: et pulchritudinem eorum in manus inimici.

Yea he gave up, into captivity, his strength, And his beauty into the hand of an adversary;

62 Et conclusit in gladio populum suum: et hereditatem suam sprevit.

And delivered up, to the sword, his people, And, with his own inheritance, was he wroth;

63 Iuvenes eorum comedit ignis: et virgines eorum non sunt lamentatae.

His young men, were devoured by fire, And, his virgins, were not praised in song;

64 Sacerdotes eorum in gladio ceciderunt: et viduae eorum non plorabantur.

His priests, by the sword, did fall, And, his widows, were not able to bewail.

65 Et excitatus est tamquam dormiens Dominus, tamquam potens crapulatus a vino.

Then awoke, as one that had slept, Adonay, As a warrior exulting with wine!

66 Et percussit inimicos suos in posteriora: opprobrium sempiternum dedit illis.

So he smote his adversaries in the rear, Reproach age-abiding, laid he upon them.

67 Et repulit tabernaculum Ioseph: et tribum Ephraim non elegit:

Howbeit he rejected the tent of Joseph, And, the tribe of Ephraim, did not choose:

68 Sed elegit tribum Iuda, montem Sion quem dilexit.

But made choice of the tribe of Judah, The mountain of Zion, which he loved;

69 Et aedificavit sicut unicornium sanctificium suum in terra, quam fundavit in saecula.

And built, like the heights, his sanctuary, Like the earth, he founded it to times age-abiding.

70 Et elegit David servum suum, et sustulit eum de gregibus ovium: de post foetantes accepit eum.

And made choice of David his servant, And took him from among the folds of the sheep:

71 Pascere Iacob servum suum, et Israel hereditatem suam:

From after the sucking ewes, he brought him in, —To be shepherd to Jacob his people, And to Israel, his inheritance.

72 Et pavit eos in innocentia cordis sui: et in intellectibus manuum suarum deduxit eos.

So he did shepherd them, according to the singleness of his heart, And, with the discernment of his hands, used he to guide them.