Psalms 78
1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
| משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי-פי |
2 Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני-קדם |
3 Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו-לנו |
4 We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
| לא נכחד מבניהם-- לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאתיו אשר עשה |
5 He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
| ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את-אבותינו-- להודיעם לבניהם |
6 So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
| למען ידעו דור אחרון--בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם |
7 So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי-אל ומצותיו ינצרו |
8 And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם-- דור סורר ומרה דור לא-הכין לבו ולא-נאמנה את-אל רוחו |
9 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
| בני-אפרים נושקי רומי-קשת הפכו ביום קרב |
10 They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
| לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת |
11 They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
| וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם |
12 He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
| נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה-צען |
13 The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב-מים כמו-נד |
14 In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל-הלילה באור אש |
15 The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה |
16 He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים |
17 And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא-לו-- למרות עליון בציה |
18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
| וינסו-אל בלבבם-- לשאל-אכל לנפשם |
19 They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל--לערך שלחן במדבר |
20 See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
| הן הכה-צור ויזובו מים-- ונחלים ישטפו הגם-לחם יוכל תת אם-יכין שאר לעמו |
21 So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
| לכן שמע יהוה-- ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם-אף עלה בישראל |
22 Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
| כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו |
23 And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח |
24 And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן-שמים נתן למו |
25 Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע |
26 He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן |
27 He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף |
28 And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו |
29 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם |
30 But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
| לא-זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם |
31 The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
| ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע |
32 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
| בכל-זאת חטאו-עוד ולא-האמינו בנפלאותיו |
33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
| ויכל-בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה |
34 When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
| אם-הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו-אל |
35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
| ויזכרו כי-אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם |
36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו-לו |
37 And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
| ולבם לא-נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו |
38 But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון-- ולא-ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא-יעיר כל-חמתו |
39 So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
| ויזכר כי-בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב |
40 How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון |
41 Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
| וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו |
42 They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
| לא-זכרו את-ידו יום אשר-פדם מני-צר |
43 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
| אשר-שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה-צען |
44 So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל-ישתיון |
45 He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם |
46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה |
47 He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל |
48 Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים |
49 He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
| ישלח-בם חרון אפו--עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים |
50 He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא-חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר |
51 He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
| ויך כל-בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי-חם |
52 But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר |
53 He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת-אויביהם כסה הים |
54 And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
| ויביאם אל-גבול קדשו הר-זה קנתה ימינו |
55 Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
| ויגרש מפניהם גוים-- ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל |
56 But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
| וינסו וימרו את-אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו |
57 Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה |
58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו |
59 When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל |
60 So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם |
61 And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד-צר |
62 He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר |
63 Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
| בחוריו אכלה-אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו |
64 Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
| כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה |
65 Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין |
66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
| ויך-צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו |
67 And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
| וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר |
68 But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
| ויבחר את-שבט יהודה את-הר ציון אשר אהב |
69 And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
| ויבן כמו-רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם |
70 He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן |
71 From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו |
72 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם |
