Psalms 78
1 A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.
Ihubo ka-Asafu Zwanini imfundiso yami, bantu bami; lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
2 I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past
Ngizavula umlomo wami ngemifanekiso, ngizakutsho izinto ezifihlekileyo, izinto zekadeni,
3 that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to us.
esakuzwayo lesikwaziyo esakutshelwa ngokhokho bethu.
4 We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things he has done.
Kasizukuzifihlela abantwana babo; sizasitshela isizukulwane esizayo ngemisebenzi emangalisayo kaThixo, amandla akhe, lemimangaliso aseyenzile.
5 He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children,
Wamisela uJakhobe imithetho wabeka umlayo ko-Israyeli, walaya okhokho bethu ukuthi bawufundise abantwababo,
6 so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.
ukuze aziwe yisizukulwane esilandelayo, kanye labantwana abazazalwa, kuthi labo batshele abantwababo.
7 In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and keep his commandments.
Yikho-ke bazabeka ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu njalo abasoze bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe kodwa bagcine imilayo yakhe.
8 Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.
Kabayikuba njengabokhokho babo ababeyisizukulwana esilobuqholo lesihlamukayo, onhliziyo zabo zazingazinikelanga kuNkulunkulu omoya yabo yayingathembekanga kuye.
9 The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on the day of battle.
Amadoda ako-Efrayimi, loba ayehlomile ngemitshoko, afulathela mhla welanga lempi;
10 They did not keep God's agreement, and refused to follow his laws.
kabasigcinanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuphila ngomthetho wakhe.
11 They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things he had shown them—
Bakhohlwa lokho ayekwenzile, izimanga ayebatshengise zona.
12 the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.
Wenza imimangaliso oyise bekhangele elizweni laseGibhithe, esigodini saseZowani.
13 He split the sea in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.
Walwahlukanisa ulwandle wabahola bachapha; wenza amanzi ema aqina saka njengomduli.
14 He led them with a cloud by day, and by night with a light of fire.
Wabahola ngeyezi emini njalo ngokukhanya komlilo ubusuku bonke.
15 He split open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.
Wawaqhekeza amadwala enkangala wabapha amanzi amanengi njengolwandle;
16 He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!
wantshazisa impophoma emadwaleni amawa wenza amanzi ageleza njengemifula.
17 But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
Kodwa baqhubeka besona phambi kwakhe, bamhlamukela enkangala yena oPhezukonke.
18 They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.
Bamlinga uNkulunkulu ngabomo ngokucela ukudla ababekutshisekela.
19 They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?
Bamchothoza uNkulunkulu besithi, “Kambe uNkulunkulu angendlala itafula lokudlela enkangala na?
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he 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 When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,
UThixo wathi ebezwa wathukuthela kakhulu; umlilo wakhe wavuthela kuJakhobe, ulaka lwakhe lwaqina ku-Israyeli,
22 for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.
ngoba kabamkholwanga uNkulunkulu njalo kabawathembanga amandla okuhlenga kwakhe.
23 Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,
Loba kunjalo walaya umkhathi ngaphezulu wavula iminyango yamazulu;
24 and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.
wanisa imana ukuthi badle abantu, wabapha amabele asezulwini.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.
Abantu badla isinkwa sezingilosi; wabathumela konke ukudla ababengakudla.
26 He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove the south wind.
Wawukhulula umoya wempumalanga uvela emazulwini, wawukhulula umoya weningizimu ngamandla akhe.
27 He rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.
Wanisela inyama kubo njengothuli, izinyoni eziphaphayo zaba njengetshebetshebe ogwini lolwandle.
28 He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.
Wazenza zehlela phakathi kwezihonqo zabo, indawana yonke emathenteni abo.
29 They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.
Bazitika baze bakhangela, ngoba wayebaphe ababekade bekukhalela.
30 But before they satisfied their appetite, while the meat was still in their mouths,
Kodwa bengakakutshiyi lokho kudla ababekukhalela belokhu besakunambitha emilonyeni yabo,
31 God became angry with them and he killed their strongest men, striking them down in the prime of life.
ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwavutha kubo; wabulala zona iziqwabalanda zabo, wawahemula amajaha ako-Israyeli.
32 Despite all this they went right on sinning. Despite the miracles, they refused to trust him.
Phezu kwakho konke lokhu baqhubeka besona; phezu kwezimanga zakhe, kabazange bakholwe.
33 So he snuffed out their futile lives, bringing them to an end in terror.
Ngakho wenza insuku zabo zaphelela ezeni njalo leminyaka yabo yagcwala ukwesaba.
34 When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
Kwakusithi uNkulunkulu angababulala, bamdinge; baphendukele kuye njalo ngokutshiseka.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Savior.
Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayelidwala labo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wayenguMhlengi wabo.
36 They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
Kodwa-ke kwakuyikumyenga ngemilomo yabo, beqamba amanga kuye ngendimi zabo;
37 Deep down they were not sincere, and did not keep the agreement they had with him.
inhliziyo zabo zazingabambelelanga kuye, babengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
38 But being compassionate he pardoned their guilt and did not destroy all of them. He often held back his anger—he did not pour out all his fury.
Kodwa wayelesihawu; wazithethelela izono zabo kaze ababhubhisa. Isikhathi ngesikhathi waluthoba ulaka lwakhe akaze akuqubula konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
39 He remembered their mortality—that they were like a puff of wind that would not return.
Wakhumbula ukuthi babeyinyama nje intshongolo eyedlulayo nje ingabe isabuya.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
Kodwa ukuthi bamhlamukela kanengi njani enkangala, bamdabukisa egwaduleni!
41 Again and again they provoked God, causing pain to the Holy One of Israel.
Baphindaphinda ukulinga uNkulunkulu; bamthukuthelisa oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
42 They did not remember his strength when he rescued them from their oppressors,
Kabawakhumbulanga amandla akhe usuku abakhulula ngalo kumncindezeli,
43 performing miracles in Egypt, doing wonderful things on the plain of Zoan.
usuku lapho aveza khona izibonakaliso zakhe ezimangalisayo eGibhithe, izimanga zakhe esigodini saseZowani.
44 There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.
Waguqula imifula yabo yaba ligazi; behluleka ukunatha ezifuleni zabo.
45 He sent flies among them to destroy them, and frogs to ruin everything.
Wathumela imihlambi yezibawu zabantinya, lamaxoxo ababhuqayo.
46 He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
Amabele abo wawathela izintethe, izithelo zabo isikhongwane.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their fig trees with freezing rain.
Wathintitha amavini abo ngesiqhotho lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore wayitshazisa ngongqwaqwane.
48 He handed over their cattle to hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
Inkomo zabo wazithela ngesiqhotho, izifuyo zabo zadliwa yizikhatha zombane.
49 He poured out on them his fierce anger—rage and hostility and anguish—sending a band of destroying angels against them.
Wabathululela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo, intukuthelo yakhe, ukucunuka lenzondo ixuku lezingilosi ezibhubhisayo.
50 He sent his unrestrained anger against them; he did not spare them from death, handing them over to the plague.
Wayilungisa indlela yolaka lwakhe; kabaphephisanga ekufeni kodwa wabanikela emikhuhlaneni.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first to be conceived in the tents of Ham.
Wawabulala wonke amazibulo aseGibhithe, izithelo zabo zokuqala zokuba ngamadoda emathenteni kaHamu.
52 But 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 to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.
Wabakhokhela ngonanzelelo, ngakho babengesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwazigubuzela izitha zabo.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.
Kanjalo wabaletha emngceleni welizwe lakhe elingcwele, elizweni lamaqaqa ayelithethe ngesandla sakhe sokunene.
55 He drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. 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 provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.
Kodwa bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamhlamukela oPhezukonke; kabayigcinanga imilayo yakhe.
57 Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.
Njengabokhokho babo babengathembekanga bengakholwa, ungeke wathemba njengedandili elenziwe kubi.
58 They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.
Bamvusa ulaka ngezindawo zabo eziphezulu; baqubula ubukhwele bakhe ngezithombe zabo.
59 When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.
Wathi uNkulunkulu ngokukuzwa lokho, wathukuthela kakhulu; wamlahla qobo lokumlahla u-Israyeli.
60 He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.
Walidela ithabanikeli lakhe eShilo, ithente ayelakhile phakathi kwabantu.
61 He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.
Umphongolo wakhe wamandla wawusa ekuthunjweni, inkazimulo yakhe ezandleni zesitha.
62 He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.
Abantu bakhe wabanikela ukudliwa yinkemba; wayethukuthele kakhulu ngelifa lakhe.
63 Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.
Umlilo waziqeda izinsizwa zabo, izintombi zabo zaswela izingoma zomtshado;
64 Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.
abaphristi babo babulawa ngenkemba, abafelokazi babo behluleka ukulila.
65 Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.
INkosi yasivuka njengokade esebuthongweni, njengomuntu ephaphama ekudakweni yiwayini.
66 He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.
Wazitshaya zahlehla izitha zakhe; waziyangisa okungapheliyo.
67 He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
Khonapho-ke wawakhalala amathente kaJosefa, akaze asikhetha isizwana sika-Efrayimi;
68 Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.
kodwa wakhetha isizwana sikaJuda, iNtaba iZiyoni ayeyithanda.
69 There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.
Wakha indlu yakhe engcwele njengeziqongo, njengomhlaba awumisela ingunaphakade.
70 He chose his servant David, taking him from the sheep pens,
Wakhetha uDavida inceku yakhe wamthatha ezilugwini zezimvu;
71 taking him from caring for the sheep and lambs to be a shepherd to the descendants of Jacob—God's special people, Israel.
wamsusa ekweluseni izimvu wamletha ukuba ngumelusi wabantu bakhe uJakhobe, baka-Israyeli ilifa lakhe.
72 Like a shepherd, he took care of them with sincere devotion, leading them with skillful hands.
Njalo uDavida wabelusa ngobuqotho benhliziyo; wabakhokhela ngesandla sobungcitshi.
