Psalms 78
1 “A psalm of Asaph.” Give ear, O my people, to my instruction! 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 psalm; I will utter sayings of ancient times.
| אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני-קדם |
3 What we have heard and learned, And our fathers have told us,
| אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו-לנו |
4 We will not hide from their children; Showing to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, His might, and the wonders he hath wrought.
| לא נכחד מבניהם-- לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאתיו אשר עשה |
5 For he appointed statutes in Jacob, And established a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers To make known to their children;
| ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את-אבותינו-- להודיעם לבניהם |
6 So that the generation to come might know them; The children, which should be born, and rise up, Who should declare them to their children;
| למען ידעו דור אחרון--בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם |
7 That they might put their trust in God, And not forget his deeds, But keep his commandments;
| וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי-אל ומצותיו ינצרו |
8 And might not be, like their forefathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, —A generation whose heart was not fixed upon God, And whose spirit was not steadfast toward the Almighty.
| ולא יהיו כאבותם-- דור סורר ומרה דור לא-הכין לבו ולא-נאמנה את-אל רוחו |
9 The children of Ephraim were like armed bowmen, Who turn their backs 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 forgot his mighty deeds, And the wonders he had shown 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; Yea, he made the waters to stand as a heap.
| בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב-מים כמו-נד |
14 By day he led them by a cloud, And all the night by a light of fire.
| וינחם בענן יומם וכל-הלילה באור אש |
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink, as from the great deep.
| יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה |
16 From the rock he brought flowing streams, And made water to run down like rivers.
| ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים |
17 Yet still they sinned against him, And provoked the Most High in the desert.
| ויוסיפו עוד לחטא-לו-- למרות עליון בציה |
18 They tempted God in their hearts, By asking food for their delight.
| וינסו-אל בלבבם-- לשאל-אכל לנפשם |
19 Yea, they spake against God, and said, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
| וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל--לערך שלחן במדבר |
20 Behold! he smote the rock, and the water flowed, And streams gushed forth: Is he also able to give bread? Can he provide flesh for his people?”
| הן הכה-צור ויזובו מים-- ונחלים ישטפו הגם-לחם יוכל תת אם-יכין שאר לעמו |
21 When, therefore, the LORD heard this, he was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger arose 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 aid.
| כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו |
23 Yet he had commanded the clouds above, And had opened the doors of heaven;
| ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח |
24 And had rained down upon them manna for food, And had given them the corn of heaven.
| וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן-שמים נתן למו |
25 Every one ate the food of princes; He sent them bread to the full.
| לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע |
26 Then he caused a strong wind to blow in the heavens, And by his power he brought a south wind;
| יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן |
27 He rained down flesh upon them as dust, And feathered fowls as the sand of the sea.
| וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף |
28 He caused them to fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.
| ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו |
29 So they did eat, and were filled; For he gave them their own desire.
| ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם |
30 Their desire was not yet satisfied, And their meat was yet in their mouths,
| לא-זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם |
31 When the wrath of God came upon them, And slew their strong men, 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 put no trust in his wondrous works.
| בכל-זאת חטאו-עוד ולא-האמינו בנפלאותיו |
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, And their years in sudden destruction.
| ויכל-בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה |
34 When he slew them, they sought him; They returned, and sought earnestly for God;
| אם-הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו-אל |
35 And remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High their redeemer.
| ויזכרו כי-אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם |
36 But they only flattered him with their mouths, And spake falsely to him with their tongues.
| ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו-לו |
37 For their hearts were not true to him, Nor were they steadfast in his covenant.
| ולבם לא-נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו |
38 Yet, being full of compassion, he forgave their iniquity, And would not utterly destroy them; Often he restrained his indignation, And stirred not up all his anger.
| והוא רחום יכפר עון-- ולא-ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא-יעיר כל-חמתו |
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, —A breath, that passeth and cometh not back.
| ויזכר כי-בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב |
40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness! How often did they anger him in the desert!
| כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון |
41 Again and again they tempted God, And offended 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 What signs he had wrought in Egypt, And what wonders in the fields of Zoan.
| אשר-שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה-צען |
44 He turned their rivers into blood, So that they could not drink of their streams.
| ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל-ישתיון |
45 He sent amongst them flies, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them.
| ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם |
46 He gave also their fruits to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust.
| ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה |
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore-trees with frost.
| יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל |
48 He also gave up their cattle to hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
| ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים |
49 He sent against them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, indignation, and woe, —A host of angels of evil.
| ישלח-בם חרון אפו--עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים |
50 He made a way for his anger, He spared them not from death, But gave up their lives to the pestilence.
| יפלס נתיב לאפו לא-חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר |
51 He smote all the firstborn in Egypt; The first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
| ויך כל-בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי-חם |
52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
| ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר |
53 He led them on safely, so that they feared not, While the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
| וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת-אויביהם כסה הים |
54 He brought them to his own sacred border, Even to this mountain which his right hand had gained.
| ויביאם אל-גבול קדשו הר-זה קנתה ימינו |
55 He cast out the nations before them, And divided their land by a measuring-line, as an inheritance, And caused 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 God, the Most High, And kept not his statutes;
| וינסו וימרו את-אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו |
57 Like their fathers they were faithless, and turned back; They turned aside, like a deceitful bow.
| ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה |
58 They provoked his anger by their high places, And stirred up his jealousy by their graven images.
| ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו |
59 God saw this, and was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;
| שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל |
60 So that he forsook the habitation at Shiloh, The tabernacle where he dwelt among men,
| ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם |
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the hand of the enemy.
| ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד-צר |
62 His own people he gave up to the sword, And was wroth with his own inheritance.
| ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר |
63 Fire consumed their young men, And their maidens did not bewail them.
| 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 But at length the Lord awaked as from sleep, As a hero who had been overpowered by wine;
| ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין |
66 He smote his enemies, and drove them back, And covered them with everlasting disgrace.
| ויך-צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו |
67 Yet he rejected the tents 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 Where he built, like the heavens, his sanctuary; Like the earth, which he hath established for ever.
| ויבן כמו-רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם |
70 And he chose David, his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;
| ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן |
71 From tending the suckling ewes he brought him To feed Jacob his people, And Israel his inheritance.
| מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו |
72 He fed them with an upright heart, And guided them with skilful hands.
| וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם |
