Psalmorum 78
1 Intellectus Asaph. Attendite popule meus legem meam: inclinate aurem vestram in verba oris mei.
A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 Aperiam in parabolis os meum: loquar propositiones ab initio.
I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Quanta audivimus et cognovimus ea: et patres nostri narraverunt nobis.
which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 Non sunt occultata a filiis eorum, in generatione altera. Narrantes laudes Domini, et virtutes eius, et mirabilia eius quæ fecit.
We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
5 Et suscitavit testimonium in Iacob: et legem posuit in Israel. Quanta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filiis suis:
For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
6 ut cognoscat generatio altera. Filii qui nascentur, et exurgent, et narrabunt filiis suis,
that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,
7 Ut ponant in Deo spem suam, et non obliviscantur operum Dei: et mandata eius exquirant.
that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,
8 Ne fiant sicut patres eorum: generatio prava et exasperans. Generatio, quæ non direxit cor suum: et non est creditus cum Deo spiritus eius.
and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
9 Filii Ephrem intendentes et mittentes arcum: conversi sunt in die belli.
The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 Non custodierunt testamentum Dei, et in lege eius noluerunt ambulare.
They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
11 Et obliti sunt benefactorum eius, et mirabilium eius quæ ostendit eis.
They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
12 Coram patribus eorum fecit mirabilia in terra Ægypti, in campo Taneos.
He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 Interrupit mare, et perduxit eos: et statuit aquas quasi in utre.
He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
14 Et deduxit eos in nube diei: et tota nocte in illuminatione ignis.
In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
15 Interrupit petram in eremo: et adaquavit eos velut in abysso multa.
He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
16 Et eduxit aquam de petra: et deduxit tamquam flumina aquas.
He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 Et apposuerunt adhuc peccare ei: in iram excitaverunt Excelsum in inaquoso.
Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 Et tentaverunt Deum in cordibus suis: ut peterent escas animabus suis.
They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
19 Et male locuti sunt de Deo: dixerunt: Numquid poterit Deus parare mensam in deserto?
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Quoniam percussit petram, et fluxerunt aquæ, et torrentes inundaverunt. Numquid et panem poterit dare, aut parare mensam populo suo?
Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 Ideo audivit Dominus, et distulit: et ignis accensus est in Iacob, et ira ascendit in Israel:
Therefore the LORD heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
22 Quia non crediderunt in Deo, nec speraverunt in salutari eius:
because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.
23 Et mandavit nubibus desuper, et ianuas cæli aperuit.
Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
24 Et pluit illis manna ad manducandum, et panem cæli dedit eis.
He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
25 Panem angelorum manducavit homo: cibaria misit eis in abundantia.
Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
26 Transtulit Austrum de cælo: et induxit in virtute sua Africum.
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
27 Et pluit super eos sicut pulverem carnes, et sicut arenam maris volatilia pennata.
He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
28 Et ceciderunt in medio castrorum eorum: circa tabernacula eorum.
He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
29 Et manducaverunt et saturati sunt nimis, et desiderium eorum attulit eis:
So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
30 non sunt fraudati a desiderio suo. Adhuc escæ eorum erant in ore ipsorum,
They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
31 et ira Dei ascendit super eos. Et occidit pingues eorum, et electos Israel impedivit.
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 In omnibus his peccaverunt adhuc: et non crediderunt in mirabilibus eius.
For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
33 Et defecerunt in vanitate dies eorum: et anni eorum cum festinatione.
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
34 Cum occideret eos, quærebant eum: et revertebantur, et diluculo veniebant ad eum.
When he killed them, then they enquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
35 Et rememorati sunt quia Deus adiutor est eorum: et Deus excelsus redemptor eorum est.
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
36 Et dilexerunt eum in ore suo, et lingua sua mentiti sunt ei:
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 Cor autem eorum non erat rectum cum eo: nec fideles habiti sunt in testamento eius.
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful 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:
But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
39 Et recordatus est quia caro sunt: spiritus vadens, et non rediens.
He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
40 Quoties exacerbaverunt eum in deserto, in iram concitaverunt eum in inaquoso?
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
41 Et conversi sunt, et tentaverunt Deum: et Sanctum Israel exacerbaverunt.
They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 Non sunt recordati manus eius, die qua redemit eos de manu tribulantis,
They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
43 Sicut posuit in Ægypto signa sua, et prodigia sua in campo Taneos.
how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 Et convertit in sanguinem flumina eorum, et imbres eorum, ne biberent.
he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 Misit in eos cœnomyiam, et comedit eos: et ranam, et disperdidit eos.
He sent amongst them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 Et dedit ærugini fructus eorum: et labores eorum locustæ.
He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labour to the locust.
47 Et occidit in grandine vineas eorum: et moros eorum in pruina.
He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
48 Et tradidit grandini iumenta eorum: et possessionem eorum igni.
He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 Misit in eos iram indignationis suæ: indignationem, et iram, et tribulationem: immissiones per angelos malos.
He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
50 Viam fecit semitæ iræ suæ, non pepercit a morte animabus eorum: et iumenta eorum in morte conclusit.
He made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
51 Et percussit omne primogenitum in terra Ægypti: primitias omnis laboris eorum in tabernaculis Cham.
and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Et abstulit sicut oves populum suum: et perduxit eos tamquam gregem in deserto.
But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 Et deduxit eos in spe, et non timuerunt: et inimicos eorum operuit mare.
He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 Et induxit eos in montem sanctificationis suæ, montem, quem acquisivit dextera eius. Et eiecit a facie eorum Gentes: et sorte divisit eis terram in funiculo distributionis.
He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
55 Et habitare fecit in tabernaculis eorum tribus Israel.
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.
56 Et tentaverunt, et exacerbaverunt Deum excelsum: et testimonia eius non custodierunt.
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
57 Et averterunt se, et non servaverunt pactum: quemadmodum patres eorum, conversi sunt in arcum pravum.
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
58 In iram concitaverunt eum in collibus suis: et in sculptilibus suis ad æmulationem eum provocaverunt.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
59 Audivit Deus, et sprevit: et ad nihilum redegit valde Israel.
When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60 Et repulit tabernaculum Silo, tabernaculum suum, ubi habitavit in hominibus.
so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed amongst men,
61 Et tradidit in captivitatem virtutem eorum: et pulchritudinem eorum in manus inimici.
and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
62 Et conclusit in gladio populum suum: et hereditatem suam sprevit.
He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 Iuvenes eorum comedit ignis: et virgines eorum non sunt lamentatæ.
Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
64 Sacerdotes eorum in gladio ceciderunt: et viduæ eorum non plorabantur.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.
65 Et excitatus est tamquam dormiens Dominus, tamquam potens crapulatus a vino.
Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
66 Et percussit inimicos suos in posteriora: opprobrium sempiternum dedit illis.
He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Et repulit tabernaculum Ioseph: et tribum Ephraim non elegit:
Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 Sed elegit tribum Iuda, montem Sion quem dilexit.
But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
69 Et ædificavit sicut unicornium sanctificium suum in terra, quam fundavit in sæcula.
He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
70 Et elegit David servum suum, et sustulit eum de gregibus ovium: de post fœtantes accepit eum.
He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 Pascere Iacob servum suum, et Israel hereditatem suam:
from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
72 Et pavit eos in innocentia cordis sui: et in intellectibus manuum suarum deduxit eos.
So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
