Psalms 78
1 An instruction. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
Lalelani, bantu bami, umthetho wami, libeke indlebe yenu emazwini omlomo wami.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,
Ngizavula umlomo wami ngomfanekiso, ngikhuphe izimfihlakalo zendulo,
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us:
esizizwileyo lesizaziyo, obaba abasitshela zona.
4 We will not hide [them] from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which he hath done.
Kasiyikuzifihlela abantwana babo, kusizukulwana esilandelayo, silandisa izindumiso zeNkosi, lamandla ayo, lezimangaliso ezenzileyo.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
Ngoba wamisa ubufakazi koJakobe, wabeka umlayo koIsrayeli, awulaya obaba, ukuze bawazise abantwana babo,
6 That the generation to come might know [them], the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell [them] to their children,
ukuze isizukulwana esilandelayo sazi, abantwana abazazalwa, basukume batshele abantwana babo,
7 And that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but observe his commandments;
ukuze babeke ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu, bangayikhohlwa imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu, kodwa bagcine imithetho yakhe;
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that prepared not their heart, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
njalo bangabi njengaboyise, isizukulwana esilenkani lesivukelayo, isizukulwana esingaqondisanga inhliziyo yaso, lesimoya waso ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu.
9 The sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
Abantwana bakoEfrayimi, behlomile betshoka ngamadandili, babuyela emuva mhla wempi.
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
Kabasilondolozanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuhamba emlayweni wakhe.
11 And forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.
Bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe lezimangaliso zakhe ayebatshengisa zona.
12 In the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.
Phambi kwaboyise wenza isimangaliso elizweni leGibhithe, egangeni leZowani.
13 He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and made the waters to stand as a heap;
Waqhekeza ulwandle, wabachaphisa, wenza amanzi ema njengenqumbi.
14 And he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.
Wabakhokhela ngeyezi emini, lebusuku bonke ngokukhanya komlilo.
15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;
Waqhekeza amadwala enkangala, wabanathisa kungathi kuvela ezinzikini ezinkulu.
16 And he brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
Waseveza izifula edwaleni, wenza amanzi ehla njengemifula.
17 Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;
Kodwa baphinda futhi ukona kuye, ngokumvukela oPhezukonke enkangala.
18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;
Bamlinga uNkulunkulu enhliziyweni yabo ngokucela ukudla kwenkanuko yabo.
19 And they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
Basebekhuluma bemelene loNkulunkulu bathi: UNkulunkulu angalungisa itafula enkangala yini?
20 Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?
Khangela, watshaya idwala, kwampompoza amanzi, lezifula zagabha; anganika lesinkwa yini? angalungisela abantu bakhe inyama na?
21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel:
Ngakho iNkosi yezwa yathukuthela; umlilo wasubaselwa uJakobe, njalo lolaka lwavukela uIsrayeli,
22 Because they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation;
ngoba kabakholwanga kuNkulunkulu, kabathembanga esindisweni lwakhe.
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,
Lanxa walaya amayezi ngaphezulu, wavula iminyango yamazulu,
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.
wabanisela imana ukuthi badle, wabapha amabele amazulu.
25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.
Umuntu wadla isinkwa sabalamandla; wabathumela ukudla ukuze basuthe.
26 He caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;
Wenza umoya wempumalanga wavunguza emazulwini; langamandla akhe waqhuba umoya weningizimu.
27 And he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,
Wasenisela phezu kwabo inyama njengothuli, lenyoni ezilempiko njengetshebetshebe lolwandle;
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:
wazenza zawela phakathi kwenkamba yabo, zagombolozela indawo zabo zokuhlala.
29 And they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.
Ngakho badla basutha kakhulu, ngoba wabalethela isiloyiso sabo.
30 They were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,
Kabehlukananga lenkanuko yabo; ukudla kusesemlonyeni wabo,
31 When the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwaselubavukela, wabulala kwabakhulupheleyo babo, watshaya abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli.
32 For all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;
Kulokhu konke bajinga besona, njalo kabakholwanga ngenxa yezimangaliso zakhe.
33 And he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Ngakho waziqeda izinsuku zabo ngeze, leminyaka yabo ovalweni.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after God;
Lapho ebabulala, bamdinga, baphenduka, bamdingisisa uNkulunkulu.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and God, the Most High, their redeemer.
Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulidwala labo, loNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ungumhlengi wabo.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;
Kodwa bamyenga ngomlomo wabo, baqamba amanga kuye ngolimi lwabo.
37 For their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
Ngoba inhliziyo yabo yayingaqondanga kuye, njalo bengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
38 But he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:
Kodwa yena elesihawu wathethelela ububi babo, kababhubhisanga; yebo, kanengi walunqanda ulaka lwakhe, kakuvusanga konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
39 And he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.
Ngoba wakhumbula ukuthi bayinyama, umoya odlulayo, ongabuyiyo.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Kanengi kangakanani bemvukela ehlane, bemdabukisa enkangala.
41 And they turned again and tempted God, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.
Yebo baphenduka bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamdabukisa oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,
Kabasikhumbulanga isandla sakhe, usuku abahlenga ngalo esitheni.
43 How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;
Ukuthi wamisa njani izibonakaliso zakhe eGibhithe, lezimangaliso zakhe emmangweni weZowani,
44 And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;
lokuthi waphendula imifula yabo yaba ligazi, lezifula zabo, ukuze banganathi.
45 He sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;
Wathumela phakathi kwabo umtshitshi wezibawu, ezabadlayo, lamaxoxo ababhubhisayo.
46 And he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;
Wasenika imihogoyi isivuno sabo, lomsebenzi wabo isikhonyane.
47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;
Wabulala ivini labo ngesiqhotho, lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore ngongqwaqwane.
48 And he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.
Wasenikela izifuyo zabo esiqhothweni, lemihlambi yabo kuyo imibane.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, — a mission of angels of woes.
Waphosela phezu kwabo ukuvutha kolaka lwakhe, ukuthukuthela, lokucunuka, lokuhlupheka, ngokuthuma izithunywa zobubi.
50 He made a way for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Walungisela ulaka lwakhe indlela, kanqandanga umphefumulo wabo ekufeni, kodwa wanikela impilo yabo kumatshayabhuqe wesifo.
51 And he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.
Wasetshaya wonke amazibulo eGibhithe, okokuqala kwamandla emathenteni kaHamu.
52 And he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
Wasebakhupha abantu bakhe njengezimvu, wabakhokhela enkangala njengomhlambi.
53 And he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies.
Wasebakhokhela bephephile ukuze bangesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwasibekela izitha zabo.
54 And he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;
Wasebafikisa emkhawulweni wendawo yakhe engcwele, le intaba, isandla sakhe sokunene esayizuzayo.
55 And he drove out the nations before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Wasebaxotsha abezizwe phambi kwabo; wababela ilifa ngomzila, wahlalisa izizwe zakoIsrayeli emathenteni azo.
56 But they tempted and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not his testimonies,
Kanti bamlinga, bamvukela uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, kabazigcinanga izifakazelo zakhe.
57 And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
Kodwa babuyela emuva, benza ngokungathembeki njengaboyise, baphanjulwa njengedandili elikhohlisayo.
58 And they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
Ngoba bamthukuthelisa ngezindawo zabo eziphakemeyo, bavusa umona wakhe ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo.
59 God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
UNkulunkulu esizwa wathukuthela, wamenyanya kakhulu uIsrayeli.
60 And he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,
Ngakho walitshiya ithabhanekele leShilo, ithente alimisa phakathi kwabantu.
61 And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;
Wasenikela amandla akhe ekuthunjweni, lenkazimulo yakhe esandleni sesitha.
62 And delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:
Wasenikela abantu bakhe enkembeni, waselithukuthelela ilifa lakhe.
63 The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] song;
Umlilo waqeda amajaha abo, lezintombi zabo kazihlatshelelwanga.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
Abapristi babo bawa ngenkemba, labafelokazi babo kabalilanga.
65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;
Khona iNkosi yavuka njengobelele, njengeqhawe eliklabalala ngenxa yewayini.
66 And he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.
Yazitshaya izitha zayo emuva, yazithela ihlazo phakade.
67 And he rejected the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
Yasilahla ithente likaJosefa, kayikhethanga isizwe sakoEfrayimi.
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved;
Kodwa yakhetha isizwe sakoJuda, intaba yeZiyoni eyithandayo.
69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
Yayakha indlu yayo engcwele njengezingqonga, njengomhlaba ewusekeleyo kuze kube nininini.
70 And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
Yasikhetha uDavida inceku yayo, yamthatha ezibayeni zezimvu;
71 From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
ekulandeleni izimvukazi ezenyisayo, yamletha ukwelusa uJakobe abantu bayo, loIsrayeli ilifa layo.
72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.
Njalo wabelusa njengobuqotho benhliziyo yakhe, wabakhokhela ngobugabazi bezandla zakhe.
