Psalms 78
1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
| משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי פי׃ |
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני קדם׃ |
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו לנו׃ |
4 We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
| לא נכחד מבניהם לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאותיו אשר עשה׃ |
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:
| ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את אבותינו להודיעם לבניהם׃ |
6 That the generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:
| למען ידעו דור אחרון בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם׃ |
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי אל ומצותיו ינצרו׃ |
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation [that] set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם דור סורר ומרה דור לא הכין לבו ולא נאמנה את אל רוחו׃ |
9 The children of Ephraim, [being] armed, [and] carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
| בני אפרים נושקי רומי קשת הפכו ביום קרב׃ |
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
| לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת׃ |
11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
| וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם׃ |
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, [in] the field of Zoan.
| נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה צען׃ |
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב מים כמו נד׃ |
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל הלילה באור אש׃ |
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as [out of] the great depths.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה׃ |
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים׃ |
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא לו למרות עליון בציה׃ |
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
| וינסו אל בלבבם לשאל אכל לנפשם׃ |
19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל לערך שלחן במדבר׃ |
20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
| הן הכה צור ויזובו מים ונחלים ישטפו הגם לחם יוכל תת אם יכין שאר לעמו׃ |
21 Therefore the LORD heard [this], and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
| לכן שמע יהוה ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם אף עלה בישראל׃ |
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
| כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו׃ |
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח׃ |
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן שמים נתן למו׃ |
25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע׃ |
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן׃ |
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף׃ |
28 And he let [it] fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו׃ |
29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם׃ |
30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat [was] yet in their mouths,
| לא זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם׃ |
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen [men] of Israel.
| ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע׃ |
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
| בכל זאת חטאו עוד ולא האמינו בנפלאותיו׃ |
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
| ויכל בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה׃ |
34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
| אם הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו אל׃ |
35 And they remembered that God [was] their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
| ויזכרו כי אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם׃ |
36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו׃ |
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
| ולבם לא נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו׃ |
38 But he, [being] full of compassion, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון ולא ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא יעיר כל חמתו׃ |
39 For he remembered that they [were but] flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
| ויזכר כי בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב׃ |
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] grieve him in the desert!
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון׃ |
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
| וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו׃ |
42 They remembered not his hand, [nor] the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
| לא זכרו את ידו יום אשר פדם מני צר׃ |
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
| אשר שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה צען׃ |
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל ישתיון׃ |
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם׃ |
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה׃ |
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל׃ |
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים׃ |
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels [among them].
| ישלח בם חרון אפו עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים׃ |
50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר׃ |
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
| ויך כל בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי חם׃ |
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר׃ |
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת אויביהם כסה הים׃ |
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, [even to] this mountain, [which] his right hand had purchased.
| ויביאם אל גבול קדשו הר זה קנתה ימינו׃ |
55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
| ויגרש מפניהם גוים ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל׃ |
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
| וינסו וימרו את אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו׃ |
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה׃ |
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו׃ |
59 When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל׃ |
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent [which] he placed among men;
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם׃ |
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד צר׃ |
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר׃ |
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
| בחוריו אכלה אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו׃ |
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
| כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה׃ |
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין׃ |
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
| ויך צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו׃ |
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
| וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר׃ |
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
| ויבחר את שבט יהודה את הר ציון אשר אהב׃ |
69 And he built his sanctuary like high [palaces], like the earth which he hath established for ever.
| ויבן כמו רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם׃ |
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן׃ |
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו׃ |
72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם׃ |
