Psalms 78
1 [A contemplation by Asaph.] Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
| משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי-פי |
2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings since the beginning of the world,
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני-קדם |
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו-לנו |
4 We will not hide them from their descendants, telling to the generation to come the praises of YHWH, his strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.
| לא נכחד מבניהם-- לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאתיו אשר עשה |
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
| ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את-אבותינו-- להודיעם לבניהם |
6 that the generation to come might know it, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell their children,
| למען ידעו דור אחרון--בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם |
7 that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments,
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי-אל ומצותיו ינצרו |
8 and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם-- דור סורר ומרה דור לא-הכין לבו ולא-נאמנה את-אל רוחו |
9 The people of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
| בני-אפרים נושקי רומי-קשת הפכו ביום קרב |
10 They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk by his Law.
| לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת |
11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous works that he had shown them.
| וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם |
12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
| נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה-צען |
13 He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב-מים כמו-נד |
14 In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל-הלילה באור אש |
15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה |
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים |
17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא-לו-- למרות עליון בציה |
18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
| וינסו-אל בלבבם-- לשאל-אכל לנפשם |
19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל--לערך שלחן במדבר |
20 Look, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?"
| הן הכה-צור ויזובו מים-- ונחלים ישטפו הגם-לחם יוכל תת אם-יכין שאר לעמו |
21 Therefore YHWH heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
| לכן שמע יהוה-- ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם-אף עלה בישראל |
22 because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.
| כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו |
23 Yet he commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven.
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח |
24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven.
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן-שמים נתן למו |
25 Man ate the bread of the mighty ones. He sent them food to the full.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע |
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן |
27 He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף |
28 He let it fall in the midst of his camp, all around his tent.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו |
29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם |
30 They did not turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
| לא-זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם |
31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of the fattest of them, and struck down the young men of Israel.
| ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע |
32 For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.
| בכל-זאת חטאו-עוד ולא-האמינו בנפלאותיו |
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
| ויכל-בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה |
34 When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
| אם-הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו-אל |
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
| ויזכרו כי-אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם |
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו-לו |
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
| ולבם לא-נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו |
38 But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון-- ולא-ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא-יעיר כל-חמתו |
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn't come again.
| ויזכר כי-בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב |
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert.
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון |
41 They turned again and tempted God, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
| וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו |
42 They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
| לא-זכרו את-ידו יום אשר-פדם מני-צר |
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
| אשר-שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה-צען |
44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל-ישתיון |
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם |
46 He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה |
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל |
48 He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים |
49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of destroying angels.
| ישלח-בם חרון אפו--עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים |
50 He made a path for his anger. He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא-חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר |
51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
| ויך כל-בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי-חם |
52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר |
53 He led them safely, so that they weren't afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת-אויביהם כסה הים |
54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
| ויביאם אל-גבול קדשו הר-זה קנתה ימינו |
55 He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
| ויגרש מפניהם גוים-- ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל |
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies;
| וינסו וימרו את-אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו |
57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה |
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו |
59 When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל |
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among men;
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם |
61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary's hand.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד-צר |
62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר |
63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
| בחוריו אכלה-אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו |
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn't weep.
| כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה |
65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין |
66 He struck his adversaries backward. He made them a permanent shame.
| ויך-צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו |
67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
| וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר |
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
| ויבחר את-שבט יהודה את-הר ציון אשר אהב |
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
| ויבן כמו-רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם |
70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן |
71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו |
72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם |
