Psalms 78
1 [A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
| משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי-פי |
2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני-קדם |
3 All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו-לנו |
4 They were not hid from their children to a second generations; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.
| לא נכחד מבניהם-- לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאתיו אשר עשה |
5 And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:
| ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את-אבותינו-- להודיעם לבניהם |
6 that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.
| למען ידעו דור אחרון--בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם |
7 That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי-אל ומצותיו ינצרו |
8 That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its spirit was not steadfast with God.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם-- דור סורר ומרה דור לא-הכין לבו ולא-נאמנה את-אל רוחו |
9 The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.
| בני-אפרים נושקי רומי-קשת הפכו ביום קרב |
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.
| לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת |
11 And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] showed them;
| וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם |
12 the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.
| נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה-צען |
13 He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב-מים כמו-נד |
14 And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל-הלילה באור אש |
15 he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה |
16 And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים |
17 And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא-לו-- למרות עליון בציה |
18 And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.
| וינסו-אל בלבבם-- לשאל-אכל לנפשם |
19 They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל--לערך שלחן במדבר |
20 Forasmuch as he struck the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?
| הן הכה-צור ויזובו מים-- ונחלים ישטפו הגם-לחם יוכל תת אם-יכין שאר לעמו |
21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went 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 Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח |
24 and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן-שמים נתן למו |
25 Man ate angels' bread; he sent them provision to the full.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע |
26 He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the southwest wind.
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן |
27 And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף |
28 And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו |
29 So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם |
30 They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,
| לא-זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם |
31 then the indignation of God rose up against them, and killed the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.
| ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע |
32 In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.
| בכל-זאת חטאו-עוד ולא-האמינו בנפלאותיו |
33 And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.
| ויכל-בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה |
34 When he killed them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.
| אם-הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו-אל |
35 And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.
| ויזכרו כי-אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם |
36 Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו-לו |
37 For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
| ולבם לא-נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו |
38 But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yes, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון-- ולא-ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא-יעיר כל-חמתו |
39 And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.
| ויזכר כי-בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב |
40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון |
41 Yes, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
| וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו |
42 They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.
| 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 Tanes:
| אשר-שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה-צען |
44 and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל-ישתיון |
45 He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם |
46 And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labors to the locust.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה |
47 He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל |
48 And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים |
49 He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.
| ישלח-בם חרון אפו--עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים |
50 He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא-חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר |
51 and struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt; the first fruits of their labors in the tents of Cham.
| ויך כל-בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי-חם |
52 And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר |
53 And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת-אויביהם כסה הים |
54 And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.
| ויביאם אל-גבול קדשו הר-זה קנתה ימינו |
55 And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, 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 And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה |
58 And they provoked him with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו |
59 God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל |
60 And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he lived among men.
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם |
61 And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy's hand.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד-צר |
62 And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר |
63 Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.
| בחוריו אכלה-אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו |
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.
| כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה |
65 So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין |
66 And he struck his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.
| ויך-צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו |
67 And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;
| וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר |
68 but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.
| ויבחר את-שבט יהודה את-הר ציון אשר אהב |
69 And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.
| ויבן כמו-רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם |
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן |
71 He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו |
72 So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם |
