Psalms 78
1 “A Maskil of Assaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction: incline thy ear to the words of my mouth.
| משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי פי׃ |
2 I will open with a parable my mouth: I will utter riddles out of ancient times;
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני קדם׃ |
3 Which we have heard and know, and which our fathers have related unto us.
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו לנו׃ |
4 We will not conceal them from their children, relating to the latest generation the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful deeds which he hath done.
| לא נכחד מבניהם לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאותיו אשר עשה׃ |
5 Yea, he established a testimony in Jacob, and instituted 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 In order that the latest generation might know them, even the children that are to be born; that they may arise and relate them to their children;
| למען ידעו דור אחרון בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם׃ |
7 That they may place in God their hope, and not forget the doings of God, but observe his commandments;
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי אל ומצותיו ינצרו׃ |
8 And that they may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that had not directed their heart firmly, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם דור סורר ומרה דור לא הכין לבו ולא נאמנה את אל רוחו׃ |
9 The children of Ephraim, like well-armed archers, that turn round on the day of battle,
| בני אפרים נושקי רומי קשת הפכו ביום קרב׃ |
10 Kept not the covenant of God, and in his law they refused to walk;
| לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת׃ |
11 And they forgot his deeds, as also his wonders, which he had permitted them to see.
| וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם׃ |
12 In the presence of their fathers did he do wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zo'an.
| נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה צען׃ |
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters stand upright as a wall.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב מים כמו נד׃ |
14 And he led them with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל הלילה באור אש׃ |
15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the mighty deep.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה׃ |
16 And he brought forth running streams out of the rock, and caused water to run down like rivers.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים׃ |
17 But they repeated to sin yet more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא לו למרות עליון בציה׃ |
18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking food for their desire.
| וינסו אל בלבבם לשאל אכל לנפשם׃ |
19 Yea, they spoke against God: they said, Will God be able to set in order a table in the wilderness?
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל לערך שלחן במדבר׃ |
20 Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed: shall he also be able to give bread? or can he provide flesh for his people?
| הן הכה צור ויזובו מים ונחלים ישטפו הגם לחם יוכל תת אם יכין שאר לעמו׃ |
21 Therefore, when the Lord heard this, he became wroth: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also ascended against Israel,
| לכן שמע יהוה ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם אף עלה בישראל׃ |
22 Because they had not believed in God, and had not trusted in his salvation.
| כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו׃ |
23 Then he ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven he opened;
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח׃ |
24 And he let rain down upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave he unto them.
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן שמים נתן למו׃ |
25 Angels' bread did man eat: he sent them provision to satisfaction.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע׃ |
26 He caused an east wind to pass along the heavens; and he led forth by his strength the south wind.
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן׃ |
27 And he let rain upon them flesh [as plentiful] as the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף׃ |
28 And he let them fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו׃ |
29 And they ate, and were greatly satisfied, and what they longed for he brought unto them.
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם׃ |
30 They were not estranged from their longing, yet was their food in their mouth:
| לא זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם׃ |
31 When the wrath of God ascended against them, and he slew some of the fattest of them, and the young men of Israel did he strike down.
| ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע׃ |
32 With all this they sinned again, and believed not in his wonders.
| בכל זאת חטאו עוד ולא האמינו בנפלאותיו׃ |
33 Therefore he caused their days to come to an end in nought, and their years in dread.
| ויכל בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה׃ |
34 When he slew them, then did they seek him, and they returned and inquired earnestly after God.
| אם הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו אל׃ |
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the most high God their redeemer.
| ויזכרו כי אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם׃ |
36 Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו׃ |
37 For their heart was not firm with him, and they were not faithful in his covenant.
| ולבם לא נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו׃ |
38 But he, being merciful, forgave the iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not awaken all his fury.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון ולא ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא יעיר כל חמתו׃ |
39 And he remembered that they are but flesh, a spirit that passeth away, and returneth not again.
| ויזכר כי בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב׃ |
40 How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון׃ |
41 Yea, they once more tempted God, and set limits to the Holy One of Israel.
| וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו׃ |
42 They remembered not his hand, the day when he ransomed them from the adversary;
| לא זכרו את ידו יום אשר פדם מני צר׃ |
43 When he displayed in Egypt his signs, and his wonderful tokens in the fields of Zo'an.
| אשר שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה צען׃ |
44 And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל ישתיון׃ |
45 He sent out among them various wild beasts, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם׃ |
46 And he gave unto the cricket their products, and their labor unto the locust.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה׃ |
47 He slew with hail their vines, and their sycamore-trees with ice-bolts.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל׃ |
48 And he surrendered to the hail their cattle, and their herds to the lightning's flashes.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים׃ |
49 He let loose against them the fierceness of his anger, wrath and indignation, and distress, a host of angels of misfortune.
| ישלח בם חרון אפו עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים׃ |
50 He leveled a path for his anger; he withheld not from death their soul, and their life he surrendered to the pestilence;
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר׃ |
51 And he smote all the first-born in Egypt; the first of their strength in the tents of Ham;
| ויך כל בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי חם׃ |
52 But he caused his own people to depart like flocks, and guided them like a drove in the wilderness.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר׃ |
53 And he led them in safety, so that they felt no dread; but the sea covered over their enemies.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת אויביהם כסה הים׃ |
54 And he brought them to his holy territory, even to this mount, which his right hand had acquired.
| ויביאם אל גבול קדשו הר זה קנתה ימינו׃ |
55 And he drove out from before them nations, and divided them by the measuring-line as an inheritance, and he caused to dwell in their tents the tribes of Israel.
| ויגרש מפניהם גוים ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל׃ |
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the most high God, and his testimonies they kept not;
| וינסו וימרו את אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו׃ |
57 But swerved aside, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they turned about like a deceitful bow.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה׃ |
58 And they provoked him to anger with their high-places, and with their graven images they moved him to jealousy.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו׃ |
59 God heard this, and he became wroth, and felt greatly disgusted with Israel;
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל׃ |
60 And he cast off the dwelling at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had dwelt among men;
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם׃ |
61 And he gave up his strength unto captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד צר׃ |
62 And he surrendered his people unto the sword; and with his inheritance was he wroth.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר׃ |
63 His young men the fire devoured; and his virgins were not demanded in marriage.
| בחוריו אכלה אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו׃ |
64 His priests fell by the sword; and his widows did not weep.
| כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה׃ |
65 Then awoke the Lord as one that sleepeth, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין׃ |
66 And he smote his enemies backward: a perpetual disgrace on them.
| ויך צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו׃ |
67 Yet was he disgusted with the tent of Joseph, and of the tribe of Ephraim he made not choice;
| וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר׃ |
68 But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
| ויבחר את שבט יהודה את הר ציון אשר אהב׃ |
69 And he built like high [mountains] his sanctuary, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.
| ויבן כמו רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם׃ |
70 And he made choice of David his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds:
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן׃ |
71 From following the ewes with young he brought him, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו׃ |
72 And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and by the skilfulness of his hands did he lead them.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם׃ |
