< Saam 78 >
1 Asaph ih maskil. Aw kai ih kaminawk, kang patuk ih kaalok ah naa to patueng oh loe, ka pakha hoi tacawt loknawk hae tahngai oh.
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 Patahhaih hoiah pakha to ka paongh moe, canghnii ah thuih ih kathuk loknawk to kang thuih o han,
I am going to give you some sayings that wise people have said. They will be sayings about things that happened long ago, things that were difficult to understand [MET],
3 to loknawk loe aicae ampanawk mah aicae khaeah thuih o boeh, aicae mah a thaih o moe, a panoek o boeh.
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 Nihcae ih caanawk khaeah kang phat pae o mak ai; Angraeng saphawhaih, a thacakhaih, a sak ih dawnrai hmuennawk loe, angzo han koi adung kaminawk khaeah amtuengsak tih.
We will tell these things to our children [LIT], and we will also tell to our grandchildren [about] Yahweh’s power and the glorious/great things that he has done.
5 Jakob acaeng hanah lok a paek, Israel caanawk khaeah kaalok to a caksak, anih mah aicae ampanawk khaeah, na caanawk han patuk o patoeng ah:
He gave laws and commandments to the Israeli people, [those who are the descendants of] Jacob [DOU], and he told our ancestors to teach them to their children
6 angzo han koi nawktanawk hoi tapen han koi nawktanawk mah doeh panoek o moe, a caanawk khaeah thuih pae o patoeng hanah,
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 Sithaw to oep o moe, Sithaw mah sak ih hmuennawk to pahnet ai ah, a paek ih loknawk to pazui o hanah, lokthui pae ah:
In that way, they also would trust in God, and not forget the things that he has done; instead, they would obey his commandments.
8 nihcae loe palung thah o moe, laisaep o thaih, poek toeng ai kami, Sithaw oephaih muithla tawn ai, ampanawk baktiah om o ai.
They would not be like their ancestors, who were very stubborn and kept rebelling [against God]; they did not continue firmly trusting in God, and they did not worship only him.
9 Ephraim caanawk loe kalii avak o moe, misa to tuk o, toe hnukbangah amlaem o let.
[The soldiers of] the tribe of Ephraim had bows [and arrows] but they ran away [from their enemies] on the day that they fought a battle with their enemies.
10 Nihcae loe Sithaw lokmaihaih to pakuem o ai, anih mah paek ih kaalok to pazui han koeh o ai.
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 Nihcae loe anih mah sak ih toknawk hoi nihcae khaeah amtuengsak ih dawnrai hmuennawk to pahnet o.
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 Izip prae, Zoan ah ampanawk hmaa ah anih mah dawnrai hmuennawk to sak pae.
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 Anih mah tuipui to pakhoih moe, tui to angkatsak; tuinawk to tapang baktiah angdoetsak.
[Then] he caused the [Red] Sea to divide, causing the water [on each side] to pile up like a wall, with the result that [our ancestors] walked through it [on dry ground].
14 Khodai ah tamai hoiah a zaeh, khoving ah aqum puek hmaithaw hoiah a hoih.
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 Praezaek ah lungsongnawk to boh moe, tuipui baktiah pop parai tui to nihcae hanah a paek.
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 Thlung thung hoiah tui to tacawtsak moe, tuinawk to vapui baktiah a longsak.
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 Toe nihcae loe anih nuiah zaehaih to sak o aep, Kasang koek to praezaek ah laisaep o thuih vop.
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 Angmacae zok kamthlam dipsak han ih khue ni Sithaw to tanoek o.
By demanding that God give them the food that they desired, they tried to find out if he would always do what they requested him to do.
19 Ue, nihcae loe Sithaw aekhaih lok to thuih o; praezaek ah Sithaw mah caboi na baih pae tang tih maw? tiah a thuih o.
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 Khenah, thlung a boh naah, tui to tacawt moe, pop parai vacong tui ah longh; takaw doeh na paek thai tih maw? Angmah ih kaminawk hanah moi doeh paek thai tih maw? tiah a thuih o.
[It is true that] he struck the rock, with the result that water gushed/flowed out, [but] (can he also provide bread and meat for [us], his people?/we doubt that he can also provide bread and meat for us, his people.)” [RHQ]
21 Angraeng mah to lok to thaih naah, palungphui; Jakob acaengnawk to hmai mah kangh moe, Israel caanawk nuiah palungphuihaih to phak,
So, when Yahweh heard that, he became very angry, and he sent a fire to burn up [some of] his Israeli [people]. [MTY, DOU]
22 tipongah tih nahaeloe nihcae loe Sithaw tang o ai, anih ih pahlonghaih ah doeh oephaih to tawn o ai.
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 Toe anih mah ranui ih tamai to lokpaek moe, van thoknawk to amongh,
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 caak hanah nihcae nuiah manna kho to angzoh pae; nihcae hanah van takaw to a paek.
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 Kaminawk loe vankaminawk ih buh to caak o; nihcae zok amhah hanah caaknaek to a paek.
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 Ni angyae bang ih takhi to van ah a songsak moe, a thacakhaih hoiah aloih bang ih takhi to a songsak.
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 Maiphu baktiah moi to kho ah angzohsak, tuipui taeng ih savuet baktiah tavaanawk to azawksak.
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 A sak o ih im salak hoi nihcae ataihaih ahmuen taengah a kraksak.
God caused those birds to fall [dead] in the middle of (their camp)/the area where the people had put up their tents. [There were dead birds] all around their tents.
29 Nihcae koeh ih baktiah anih mah paek pongah, nihcae loe caak o moe, zok amhah o.
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 A koeh o ih buhcaakhaih to angkhoe o ai vop, buh a caak o li naah,
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 Sithaw palungphuihaih to nihcae nuiah phak, nihcae thungah kathawk koek kami to anih mah hum pae ving; a qoih o ih Israel thendoengnawk to dueksak.
God was [still] very angry with them, and he caused their strongest men to die; he got rid of [many of] the finest [young] Israeli men.
32 Hae baktih hmuennawk boih a tongh o, toe anih mah sak ih dawnrai hmuennawk to tang o ai, zaehaih to a sak o toeng toeng vop.
In spite of all that, the people continued to sin; in spite of all the miracles that God had performed, they still did not trust that he [would take care of them].
33 To pongah nihcae ih ani to azom pui ah laemsak moe, saningnawk to raihaih hoiah boengsak.
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 Sithaw mah nihcae to hum naah, kalah kaminawk loe amlaem o let moe, Sithaw to palung tang hoiah pakrong o.
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 Sithaw loe angmacae ih lungsong, Kasang koek loe angmacae pahlongkung ah oh, tiah nihcae mah panoek o.
They remembered that God is [like] a huge rock ledge [under which they would be safe] [MET], and that he, who was greater than any other god, is the one who protected/rescued them.
36 Toe pakha hoiah ni anih to pakoeh o, anih khaeah palai hoi amsawnlok to a thuih o.
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 Anih khaeah poek toenghaih tawn o ai, a sak o ih lokkamhaih nuiah doeh oephaih tawn o ai.
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 Toe anih loe tahmenhaih hoiah koi pongah, nihcae zaehaih to tahmen pae, nihcae to amrosak ai: ue, pop parai palungphuihaih to anih mah pauep, palung a phuihaih to amtuengsak ai.
But God was merciful to his people. He forgave them for having sinned and did not get rid of them. Many times he refrained from becoming angry [with them] and restrained from furiously/severely [punishing them] [MTY].
39 Sithaw mah nihcae loe taksa ah ni oh o, kalaem tangcae amlaem let thai ai takhi ah ni oh o, tiah panoek.
He remembered/considered that they were only humans who die; they [disappear quickly] [SIM], like a wind that blows by and then is gone.
40 Anih to praezaek ah vai nazetto maw laisaep o thuih moe, taw ah nazetto maw palungset o sak?
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 Ue, nihcae loe hnukbangah amlaem o moe, Sithaw to tanoek o, Israel Ciimcai Kami to palungphui o sak.
Many times they did evil things, to find out [if they could do those things without God punishing them]. They frequently caused the holy God of Israel to become disgusted/sad.
42 Anih thacakhaih to nihcae mah panoek o ai, anih mah misa ban thung hoi pahlonghaih to panoek o ai.
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 Izip prae ah sak ih angmathaih, Zoan ah sak ih dawnrai hmuennawk;
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 nihcae mah tui naek o thaih han ai ah, vapuinawk hoi vacongnawk to athii ah angcoengsak.
He caused the [Nile] River (OR, their sources of water) to become [red like] blood, with the result that the people of Egypt had no water to drink.
45 Nihcae kaek hanah taksaenawk to prawt pae moe, nihcae amrosak hanah ukongnawk to patoeh.
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 Nihcae ih thingthai qumponawk loe langkawk hanah paek moe, nihcae ih hmuennawk doeh pakhu hanah a paek.
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 Nihcae ih misurkungnawk to qaetui hoiah dueksak moe, thaiduetkungnawk doeh dantui hoiah dueksak.
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 Sithaw mah nihcae ih maitawnawk to qaetui hanah paek moe, tuunawk doeh hmai hanah paek pae.
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 Anih palungphuihaih tha hoiah nihcae khaeah kasae vankaminawk to patoeh moe, palungbethaih, palung hmai amngaehhaih hoi raihaihnawk to ohsak.
Because God was fiercely angry with the people of Egypt, he caused them to be very distressed. The disasters that struck them were like a group of angels that destroyed [everything].
50 Palungphuihaih loklam to a sak; nihcae ih pakhra paduek hanah paawt ai, nihcae hinghaih to nathaih kasae khaeah a paek.
He did not lessen his being angry [with them], and he did not (spare their lives/prevent them from dying); he sent a (plague/serious illness) that killed [many of] them.
51 Izip prae ah calunawk boih, Ham ih kahni imthung ah kaom thacak tangsuekhaih calu koek to paduek pae boih.
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 Toe angmah ih kaminawk loe tuu baktiah a huih moe, tuunawk baktiah praezaek ah a caeh haih.
Then he led his people out [of Egypt] like [a shepherd leads] his sheep [SIM], and he guided them [while they walked] through the desert.
53 Misa ban thung hoi loih hanah anih mah zaeh pongah, nihcae loe zii o ai; toe nihcae ih misanawk loe tuipui mah khuk khoep.
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 Nihcae to kaciim ahmuen angzithaih ramri khoek to, a bantang ban hoiah lak ih mae karoek to a caeh haih.
[Later] he brought them to [Canaan], his sacred land, to [Zion] Hill (OR, the hilly area) and by his power [MTY] he enabled them to conquer [the people who were living there].
55 Nihcae hmaa ah Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk to a haek pae, qawk ah toep ih long to tah o moe, amzet o, Israel caanawk loe imsak o moe, to ah oh o.
He expelled the people-groups while his people were advancing; he allotted part of the land for [each tribe] to possess, and he gave to the Israeli people the houses of those people who had been expelled.
56 Toe nihcae mah Kasang koek Sithaw to tanoek o moe, laisaep o thuih, a thuih ih lok to tahngai o ai.
However, the Israeli people rebelled against God, who is greater than any other god, and they did many evil things to see if they could do those things without God punishing them, and they did not obey his commandments.
57 Nihcae loe ampanawk baktiah oep om o ai, hnukbangah angnawn o; oepthok ai palaa baktiah lam amkhraeng o.
Instead, like their ancestors did, they rebelled against God and (were not loyal to/did not faithfully [obey]) him; they were as [unreliable as] a crooked arrow [that does not go straight] [SIM].
58 Nihcae mah kasang ahmuennawk hoiah anih to palungphui o sak moe, sakcop ih krangnawk hoiah uthaih palung to tacawt o sak.
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 Sithaw mah thaih naah, palungphui moe, Israel caanawk to paroeai panuet,
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 kaminawk salakah kaom, Shiloh ih kahni im doeh a caeh taak,
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 a thacakhaih to tamna ah caehsak moe, a lensawkhaih to misa banah a paek.
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 Angmah ih kaminawk to sumsen hoi hum hanah a paek; a toep han ih qawk nuiah kating ai palungphui.
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 Nihcae ih thendoengnawk to hmai mah kangh pae; nihcae ih tanglanawk doeh sava sah o ai.
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 Angmacae ih qaimanawk doeh sumsen hoiah duek o; lamhmainawk doeh qah o ai boeh.
[Many] priests were killed by [their enemies’] swords, and (the people did not allow the priests’ widows/the priests’ widows were not allowed) to mourn.
65 To naah Angraeng loe iih kangthawk baktih, misurtui pongah kahang thacak kami baktiah angthawk.
Later, [it was as though] the Lord awoke from sleeping; he was like a strong man who (became stimulated/felt that he was strong) by (OR, became sober after) [drinking] a lot of wine [SIM].
66 Angmah ih misanawk to a tuk moe, dungzan khoek to azatsak.
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 Joseph ih kahni im to a maak pae, Ephraim acaeng doeh qoi ai,
[But] he did not set up his tent where [the people of] the tribe of Ephraim lived; he did not choose their area [to do that].
68 toe Judah acaeng, angmah palung ih, Zion mae to anih mah qoih.
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 Angmah ih hmuenciim to hmuen sang baktiah a sak moe, dungzan khoek to caksak ih long baktih a ohsak.
He [decided to have] his temple built [there], high up, like [his home in] heaven; he caused it to be firm, [and intended that] his temple would last forever, like the earth.
70 A tamna David to qoih, tuu imthung hoiah anih to a lak;
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 angmah ih kami Jakob acaeng hoi angmah ih qawk ah kaom Israel acaeng to khetzawn hanah, caa kaom tuu amnonawk toephaih thung hoiah ni anih to qoih.
where he was taking care of his [father’s] sheep, and appointed him to be the leader [MET] of the Israeli people, the people who belong to God.
72 To pongah toenghaih palungthin hoiah nihcae to a khetzawn moe, palunghahaih ban hoiah nihcae to a hoih.
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.