תהילים 78
| משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי פי׃ | 1 |
[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני קדם׃ | 2 |
I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו לנו׃ | 3 |
All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.
| לא נכחד מבניהם לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאותיו אשר עשה׃ | 4 |
They were not hid from their children to a second generations; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.
| ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את אבותינו להודיעם לבניהם׃ | 5 |
And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:
| למען ידעו דור אחרון בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם׃ | 6 |
that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי אל ומצותיו ינצרו׃ | 7 |
That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם דור סורר ומרה דור לא הכין לבו ולא נאמנה את אל רוחו׃ | 8 |
That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its spirit was not steadfast with God.
| בני אפרים נושקי רומי קשת הפכו ביום קרב׃ | 9 |
The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.
| לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת׃ | 10 |
They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.
| וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם׃ | 11 |
And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] showed them;
| נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה צען׃ | 12 |
the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב מים כמו נד׃ | 13 |
He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל הלילה באור אש׃ | 14 |
And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה׃ | 15 |
he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים׃ | 16 |
And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא לו למרות עליון בציה׃ | 17 |
And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.
| וינסו אל בלבבם לשאל אכל לנפשם׃ | 18 |
And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל לערך שלחן במדבר׃ | 19 |
They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
| הן הכה צור ויזובו מים ונחלים ישטפו הגם לחם יוכל תת אם יכין שאר לעמו׃ | 20 |
Forasmuch as he struck the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?
| לכן שמע יהוה ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם אף עלה בישראל׃ | 21 |
Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.
| כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו׃ | 22 |
Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח׃ | 23 |
Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן שמים נתן למו׃ | 24 |
and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע׃ | 25 |
Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן׃ | 26 |
He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the southwest wind.
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף׃ | 27 |
And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו׃ | 28 |
And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם׃ | 29 |
So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.
| לא זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם׃ | 30 |
They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,
| ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע׃ | 31 |
then the indignation of God rose up against them, and killed the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.
| בכל זאת חטאו עוד ולא האמינו בנפלאותיו׃ | 32 |
In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.
| ויכל בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה׃ | 33 |
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.
| אם הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו אל׃ | 34 |
When he killed them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.
| ויזכרו כי אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם׃ | 35 |
And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו׃ | 36 |
Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
| ולבם לא נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו׃ | 37 |
For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון ולא ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא יעיר כל חמתו׃ | 38 |
But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yes, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.
| ויזכר כי בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב׃ | 39 |
And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון׃ | 40 |
How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!
| וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו׃ | 41 |
Yes, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
| לא זכרו את ידו יום אשר פדם מני צר׃ | 42 |
They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.
| אשר שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה צען׃ | 43 |
How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל ישתיון׃ | 44 |
and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם׃ | 45 |
He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה׃ | 46 |
And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל׃ | 47 |
He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים׃ | 48 |
And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.
| ישלח בם חרון אפו עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים׃ | 49 |
He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר׃ | 50 |
He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;
| ויך כל בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי חם׃ | 51 |
and struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt; the first fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר׃ | 52 |
And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת אויביהם כסה הים׃ | 53 |
And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.
| ויביאם אל גבול קדשו הר זה קנתה ימינו׃ | 54 |
And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.
| ויגרש מפניהם גוים ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל׃ | 55 |
And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
| וינסו וימרו את אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו׃ | 56 |
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה׃ | 57 |
And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו׃ | 58 |
And they provoked him with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל׃ | 59 |
God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם׃ | 60 |
And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he lived amongst men.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד צר׃ | 61 |
And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר׃ | 62 |
And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.
| בחוריו אכלה אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו׃ | 63 |
Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.
| כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה׃ | 64 |
Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין׃ | 65 |
So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.
| ויך צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו׃ | 66 |
And he struck his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.
| וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר׃ | 67 |
And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;
| ויבחר את שבט יהודה את הר ציון אשר אהב׃ | 68 |
but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.
| ויבן כמו רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם׃ | 69 |
And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן׃ | 70 |
He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו׃ | 71 |
He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם׃ | 72 |
So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
