Psalms 78
1 A Maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth.
Ihubo ka-Asafu Zwanini imfundiso yami, bantu bami; lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
2 I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,
Ngizavula umlomo wami ngemifanekiso, ngizakutsho izinto ezifihlekileyo, izinto zekadeni,
3 that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us.
esakuzwayo lesikwaziyo esakutshelwa ngokhokho bethu.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed.
Kasizukuzifihlela abantwana babo; sizasitshela isizukulwane esizayo ngemisebenzi emangalisayo kaThixo, amandla akhe, lemimangaliso aseyenzile.
5 For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,
Wamisela uJakhobe imithetho wabeka umlayo ko-Israyeli, walaya okhokho bethu ukuthi bawufundise abantwababo,
6 that the coming generation would know them— even children yet to be born— to arise and tell their own children
ukuze aziwe yisizukulwane esilandelayo, kanye labantwana abazazalwa, kuthi labo batshele abantwababo.
7 that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.
Yikho-ke bazabeka ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu njalo abasoze bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe kodwa bagcine imilayo yakhe.
8 Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Kabayikuba njengabokhokho babo ababeyisizukulwana esilobuqholo lesihlamukayo, onhliziyo zabo zazingazinikelanga kuNkulunkulu omoya yabo yayingathembekanga kuye.
9 The archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle.
Amadoda ako-Efrayimi, loba ayehlomile ngemitshoko, afulathela mhla welanga lempi;
10 They failed to keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law.
kabasigcinanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuphila ngomthetho wakhe.
11 They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.
Bakhohlwa lokho ayekwenzile, izimanga ayebatshengise zona.
12 He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
Wenza imimangaliso oyise bekhangele elizweni laseGibhithe, esigodini saseZowani.
13 He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.
Walwahlukanisa ulwandle wabahola bachapha; wenza amanzi ema aqina saka njengomduli.
14 He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night.
Wabahola ngeyezi emini njalo ngokukhanya komlilo ubusuku bonke.
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.
Wawaqhekeza amadwala enkangala wabapha amanzi amanengi njengolwandle;
16 He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.
wantshazisa impophoma emadwaleni amawa wenza amanzi ageleza njengemifula.
17 But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
Kodwa baqhubeka besona phambi kwakhe, bamhlamukela enkangala yena oPhezukonke.
18 They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
Bamlinga uNkulunkulu ngabomo ngokucela ukudla ababekutshisekela.
19 They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?
Bamchothoza uNkulunkulu besithi, “Kambe uNkulunkulu angendlala itafula lokudlela enkangala na?
20 When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”
Wathi lapho etshaya idwala, amanzi antshantshaza, kwageleza amanzi amanengi. Kodwa angasipha njalo lokudla na? Angabalethela inyama abantu bakhe na?”
21 Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel,
UThixo wathi ebezwa wathukuthela kakhulu; umlilo wakhe wavuthela kuJakhobe, ulaka lwakhe lwaqina ku-Israyeli,
22 because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation.
ngoba kabamkholwanga uNkulunkulu njalo kabawathembanga amandla okuhlenga kwakhe.
23 Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens.
Loba kunjalo walaya umkhathi ngaphezulu wavula iminyango yamazulu;
24 He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven.
wanisa imana ukuthi badle abantu, wabapha amabele asezulwini.
25 Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.
Abantu badla isinkwa sezingilosi; wabathumela konke ukudla ababengakudla.
26 He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.
Wawukhulula umoya wempumalanga uvela emazulwini, wawukhulula umoya weningizimu ngamandla akhe.
27 He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.
Wanisela inyama kubo njengothuli, izinyoni eziphaphayo zaba njengetshebetshebe ogwini lolwandle.
28 He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.
Wazenza zehlela phakathi kwezihonqo zabo, indawana yonke emathenteni abo.
29 So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved.
Bazitika baze bakhangela, ngoba wayebaphe ababekade bekukhalela.
30 Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths,
Kodwa bengakakutshiyi lokho kudla ababekukhalela belokhu besakunambitha emilonyeni yabo,
31 God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.
ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwavutha kubo; wabulala zona iziqwabalanda zabo, wawahemula amajaha ako-Israyeli.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.
Phezu kwakho konke lokhu baqhubeka besona; phezu kwezimanga zakhe, kabazange bakholwe.
33 So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror.
Ngakho wenza insuku zabo zaphelela ezeni njalo leminyaka yabo yagcwala ukwesaba.
34 When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
Kwakusithi uNkulunkulu angababulala, bamdinge; baphendukele kuye njalo ngokutshiseka.
35 And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.
Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayelidwala labo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wayenguMhlengi wabo.
36 But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.
Kodwa-ke kwakuyikumyenga ngemilomo yabo, beqamba amanga kuye ngendimi zabo;
37 Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.
inhliziyo zabo zazingabambelelanga kuye, babengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
38 And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.
Kodwa wayelesihawu; wazithethelela izono zabo kaze ababhubhisa. Isikhathi ngesikhathi waluthoba ulaka lwakhe akaze akuqubula konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.
Wakhumbula ukuthi babeyinyama nje intshongolo eyedlulayo nje ingabe isabuya.
40 How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
Kodwa ukuthi bamhlamukela kanengi njani enkangala, bamdabukisa egwaduleni!
41 Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
Baphindaphinda ukulinga uNkulunkulu; bamthukuthelisa oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
42 They did not remember His power — the day He redeemed them from the adversary,
Kabawakhumbulanga amandla akhe usuku abakhulula ngalo kumncindezeli,
43 when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.
usuku lapho aveza khona izibonakaliso zakhe ezimangalisayo eGibhithe, izimanga zakhe esigodini saseZowani.
44 He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.
Waguqula imifula yabo yaba ligazi; behluleka ukunatha ezifuleni zabo.
45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.
Wathumela imihlambi yezibawu zabantinya, lamaxoxo ababhuqayo.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.
Amabele abo wawathela izintethe, izithelo zabo isikhongwane.
47 He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
Wathintitha amavini abo ngesiqhotho lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore wayitshazisa ngongqwaqwane.
48 He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning.
Inkomo zabo wazithela ngesiqhotho, izifuyo zabo zadliwa yizikhatha zombane.
49 He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity— a band of destroying angels.
Wabathululela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo, intukuthelo yakhe, ukucunuka lenzondo ixuku lezingilosi ezibhubhisayo.
50 He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.
Wayilungisa indlela yolaka lwakhe; kabaphephisanga ekufeni kodwa wabanikela emikhuhlaneni.
51 He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.
Wawabulala wonke amazibulo aseGibhithe, izithelo zabo zokuqala zokuba ngamadoda emathenteni kaHamu.
52 He led out His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
Kodwa wabakhupha abantu bakhe njengomhlambi wezimvu; wabahola njengezimvu bedabula inkangala.
53 He led them safely, so they did not fear, but the sea engulfed their enemies.
Wabakhokhela ngonanzelelo, ngakho babengesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwazigubuzela izitha zabo.
54 He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.
Kanjalo wabaletha emngceleni welizwe lakhe elingcwele, elizweni lamaqaqa ayelithethe ngesandla sakhe sokunene.
55 He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
Wazixotsha izizwe phambi kwabo wabahlukanisela ilizwe lazo laba yilifa; wahlalisa izizwana zako-Israyeli emizini yazo.
56 But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.
Kodwa bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamhlamukela oPhezukonke; kabayigcinanga imilayo yakhe.
57 They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow.
Njengabokhokho babo babengathembekanga bengakholwa, ungeke wathemba njengedandili elenziwe kubi.
58 They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.
Bamvusa ulaka ngezindawo zabo eziphezulu; baqubula ubukhwele bakhe ngezithombe zabo.
59 On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely.
Wathi uNkulunkulu ngokukuzwa lokho, wathukuthela kakhulu; wamlahla qobo lokumlahla u-Israyeli.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men.
Walidela ithabanikeli lakhe eShilo, ithente ayelakhile phakathi kwabantu.
61 He delivered His strength to captivity, and His splendor to the hand of the adversary.
Umphongolo wakhe wamandla wawusa ekuthunjweni, inkazimulo yakhe ezandleni zesitha.
62 He surrendered His people to the sword because He was enraged by His heritage.
Abantu bakhe wabanikela ukudliwa yinkemba; wayethukuthele kakhulu ngelifa lakhe.
63 Fire consumed His young men, and their maidens were left without wedding songs.
Umlilo waziqeda izinsizwa zabo, izintombi zabo zaswela izingoma zomtshado;
64 His priests fell by the sword, but their widows could not lament.
abaphristi babo babulawa ngenkemba, abafelokazi babo behluleka ukulila.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty warrior overcome by wine.
INkosi yasivuka njengokade esebuthongweni, njengomuntu ephaphama ekudakweni yiwayini.
66 He beat back His foes; He put them to everlasting shame.
Wazitshaya zahlehla izitha zakhe; waziyangisa okungapheliyo.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph and refused the tribe of Ephraim.
Khonapho-ke wawakhalala amathente kaJosefa, akaze asikhetha isizwana sika-Efrayimi;
68 But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
kodwa wakhetha isizwana sikaJuda, iNtaba iZiyoni ayeyithanda.
69 He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth He has established forever.
Wakha indlu yakhe engcwele njengeziqongo, njengomhlaba awumisela ingunaphakade.
70 He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
Wakhetha uDavida inceku yakhe wamthatha ezilugwini zezimvu;
71 from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance.
wamsusa ekweluseni izimvu wamletha ukuba ngumelusi wabantu bakhe uJakhobe, baka-Israyeli ilifa lakhe.
72 So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.
Njalo uDavida wabelusa ngobuqotho benhliziyo; wabakhokhela ngesandla sobungcitshi.
