Psalms 78
1 My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
| مَزْمُورٌ تَعْلِيمِيٌّ لآسَافَ أَصْغِ يَا شَعْبِي إِلَى شَرِيعَتِي، أَرْهِفُوا آذَانَكُمْ إِلَى أَقْوَالِ فَمِي. | ١ |
2 I am going to give you some sayings that wise people have said. They will be sayings about things that happened long ago, things that were difficult to understand [MET],
| أَفْتَحُ فَمِي بِمَثَلٍ وَأَنْطِقُ بِأَلْغَازٍ قَدِيمَةٍ جِدّاً، | ٢ |
3 things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
| سَمِعْنَاهَا وَعَرَفْنَاهَا وَحَدَّثَنَا بِها آبَاؤُنَا. | ٣ |
4 We will tell these things to our children [LIT], and we will also tell to our grandchildren [about] Yahweh’s power and the glorious/great things that he has done.
| لَا نَكْتُمُهَا عَنْ أَبْنَائِنَا بَلْ نُخْبِرُ الْجِيلَ الْقَادِمَ عَنْ قُوَّةِ الرَّبِّ وَعَجَائِبِهِ الَّتِي صَنَعَ. | ٤ |
5 He gave laws and commandments to the Israeli people, [those who are the descendants of] Jacob [DOU], and he told our ancestors to teach them to their children
| أَعْطَى شَرَائِعَ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَوَامِرَ لِذُرِّيَّةِ يَعْقُوبَ، أَوْصَى فِيهَا آبَاءَنَا أَنْ يُعَرِّفُوا بِها أَبْنَاءَهُمْ. | ٥ |
6 in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
| لِكَيْ يَعْرِفَهَا الْجِيلُ الْقَادِمُ، الْبَنُونَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُوْلَدُوا بَعْدُ، فَيُعَلِّمُوهَا أَيْضاً لأَبْنَائِهِمْ، | ٦ |
7 In that way, they also would trust in God, and not forget the things that he has done; instead, they would obey his commandments.
| فَيَضَعُوا عَلَى اللهِ اتِّكَالَهُمْ وَلَا يَنْسَوْا أَعْمَالَهُ، بَلْ يَحْفَظُوا وَصَايَاهُ، | ٧ |
8 They would not be like their ancestors, who were very stubborn and kept rebelling [against God]; they did not continue firmly trusting in God, and they did not worship only him.
| وَلَا يَكُونُوا مِثْلَ آبَائِهِمْ، جِيلاً عَنِيداً مُتَمَرِّداً، جِيلاً لَمْ يُثَبِّتْ قَلْبَهُ وَلَا كَانَتْ رُوحُهُ أَمِينَةً لِلهِ. | ٨ |
9 [The soldiers of] the tribe of Ephraim had bows [and arrows] but they ran away [from their enemies] on the day that they fought a battle with their enemies.
| رُمَاةُ الْقَوْسِ، بَنُو أَفْرَايِمَ تَقَهْقَرُوا فِي يَوْمِ الْمَعْرَكَةِ. | ٩ |
10 They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
| لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُرَاعُوا عَهْدَ اللهِ، وَرَفَضُوا السُّلُوكَ فِي شَرِيعَتِهِ. | ١٠ |
11 They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
| نَسُوا أَفْعَالَهُ وَعَجَائِبَهُ الَّتِي أَظْهَرَهَا لَهُمُ، | ١١ |
12 While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
| الْعَجَائِبَ الَّتِي رَآهَا آبَاؤُهُمْ فِي سَهْلِ صُوعَنَ فِي أَرْضِ مِصْرَ. | ١٢ |
13 [Then] he caused the [Red] Sea to divide, causing the water [on each side] to pile up like a wall, with the result that [our ancestors] walked through it [on dry ground].
| شَقَّ الْبَحْرَ وَأَجَازَهُمْ، وَجَعَلَ الْمِيَاهَ تَقِفُ كَجِدَارٍ. | ١٣ |
14 He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
| أَرْشَدَهُمْ بِالسَّحَابِ نَهَاراً وَبِنُورِ نَارٍ اللَّيْلَ كُلَّهُ. | ١٤ |
15 He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
| شَقَّ صُخُوراً فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ وَسَقَاهُمْ مَاءً غَزِيراً كَأَنَّهُ مِنَ اللُّجَجِ. | ١٥ |
16 He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
| أَخْرَجَ مِنَ الصَّخْرَةِ سَوَاقِيَ، أَجْرَى مِيَاهَهَا كَأَنْهَارٍ. | ١٦ |
17 But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
| لَكِنَّهُمْ أَوْغَلُوا فِي غَيِّهِمْ مُسْتَثِيرِينَ غَضَبَ الْعَلِيِّ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ. | ١٧ |
18 By demanding that God give them the food that they desired, they tried to find out if he would always do what they requested him to do.
| وَجَرَّبُوا اللهَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ، طَالِبِينَ طَعَاماً اشْتَهَتْهُ نُفُوسُهُمْ | ١٨ |
19 They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
| وَتَذَمَّرُوا عَلَى اللهِ قَائِلِينَ: أَيَقْدِرُ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْسُطَ لَنَا مَائِدَةً فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ؟ | ١٩ |
20 [It is true that] he struck the rock, with the result that water gushed/flowed out, [but] (can he also provide bread and meat for [us], his people?/we doubt that he can also provide bread and meat for us, his people.)” [RHQ]
| هَا هُوَ قَدْ ضَرَبَ الصَّخْرَةَ فَتَفَجَّرَتْ مِنْهَا الْمِيَاهُ وَفَاضَتِ الأَنْهَارُ، فَهَلْ يَقْدِرُ أَيْضاً أَنْ يُقَدِّمَ الْخُبْزَ أَوْ يُوَفِّرَ اللَّحْمَ لِشَعْبِهِ؟ | ٢٠ |
21 So, when Yahweh heard that, he became very angry, and he sent a fire to burn up [some of] his Israeli [people]. [MTY, DOU]
| فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ اللهُ ذَلِكَ ثَارَ غَضَبُهُ، وَانْدَلَعَتِ النَّارُ فِي يَعْقُوبَ، وَاشْتَدَّ السَّخَطُ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ، | ٢١ |
22 [He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
| لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللهِ وَلَمْ يَتَّكِلُوا عَلَى خَلاصِهِ. | ٢٢ |
23 But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
| وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ أَمَرَ السَّحَابَ وَفَتَحَ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاوَاتِ، | ٢٣ |
24 and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
| فَأَمْطَرَ عَلَيْهِمِ الْمَنَّ لِيَأْكُلُوا، وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِنْطَةَ السَّمَاوَاتِ. | ٢٤ |
25 [So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
| فَأَكَلَ الإِنْسَانُ خُبْزَ الْمَلائِكَةِ، إِذْ أَرْسَلَ لَهُمْ زَاداً حَتَّى شَبِعُوا. | ٢٥ |
26 [Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
| أَثَارَ رِيحاً شَرْقِيَّةً فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ، وَبِقُوَّتِهِ سَاقَ رِيحاً جَنُوبِيَّةً. | ٢٦ |
27 and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
| فَأَمْطَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَحْماً كَثِيراً كَالتُّرَابِ، وَطُيُوراً كَرَمْلِ الْبَحْرِ، | ٢٧ |
28 God caused those birds to fall [dead] in the middle of (their camp)/the area where the people had put up their tents. [There were dead birds] all around their tents.
| جَعَلَهَا تَتَسَاقَطُ فِي وَسَطِ خِيَامِهِمْ حَوْلَ مَسَاكِنِهِمْ. | ٢٨ |
29 [So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
| فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا جِدّاً، وَأَعْطَاهُمْ مُشْتَهَاهُمْ. | ٢٩ |
30 But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
| وَقَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْرُغُوا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ الَّذِي اشْتَهَوْهُ، وَهُوَ بَعْدُ فِي أَفْوَاهِهِمْ، | ٣٠ |
31 God was [still] very angry with them, and he caused their strongest men to die; he got rid of [many of] the finest [young] Israeli men.
| ثَارَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبُ اللهِ، فَقَتَلَ أَسْمَنَهُمْ وَصَرَعَ نُخْبَتَهُمْ. | ٣١ |
32 In spite of all that, the people continued to sin; in spite of all the miracles that God had performed, they still did not trust that he [would take care of them].
| وَمَعَ هَذَا ظَلُّوا يُخْطِئُونَ، وَبِالرَّغْمِ مِن عَجَائِبِهِ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا، | ٣٢ |
33 So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
| فَأَفْنَى أَيَّامَهُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَسِنِيهِمْ فِي الرُّعْبِ. | ٣٣ |
34 When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
| وَعِنْدَمَا قَتَلَ بَعْضَهُمْ، رَجَعُوا بِحَرَارَةٍ تَائِبِينَ يَلْتَمِسُونَ اللهَ. | ٣٤ |
35 They remembered that God is [like] a huge rock ledge [under which they would be safe] [MET], and that he, who was greater than any other god, is the one who protected/rescued them.
| تَذَكَّرُوا أَنَّ اللهَ صَخْرَتُهُمْ وَالإِلَهَ الْعَلِيَّ فَادِيهِمْ. | ٣٥ |
36 But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
| وَلَكِنَّهُمْ خَادَعُوهُ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ، وَنَافَقُوهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ. | ٣٦ |
37 They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
| لَمْ يَكُونُوا مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ، وَلَا كَانُوا أَوْفِيَاءَ لِعَهْدِهِ. | ٣٧ |
38 But God was merciful to his people. He forgave them for having sinned and did not get rid of them. Many times he refrained from becoming angry [with them] and restrained from furiously/severely [punishing them] [MTY].
| لَكِنَّهُ كَانَ رَحِيماً، فَعَفَا عَنِ الإِثْمِ وَلَمْ يُهْلِكْهُمْ. وَكَثِيراً مَا كَبَحَ غَضَبَهُ عَنْهُمْ وَلَمْ يُضْرِمْ كُلَّ سَخَطِهِ. | ٣٨ |
39 He remembered/considered that they were only humans who die; they [disappear quickly] [SIM], like a wind that blows by and then is gone.
| ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُمْ بَشَرٌ كَالرِّيحِ الَّتِي تَذْهَبُ وَلَا تَعُودُ. | ٣٩ |
40 Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
| كَمْ تَمَرَّدُوا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ وَأَحْزَنُوهُ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ. | ٤٠ |
41 Many times they did evil things, to find out [if they could do those things without God punishing them]. They frequently caused the holy God of Israel to become disgusted/sad.
| ثُمَّ عَادُوا يُجَرِّبُونَ اللهَ وَيُغِيظُونَ قُدُّوسَ إِسْرَائِيلَ. | ٤١ |
42 They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
| لَمْ يَذْكُرُوا قُوَّتَهُ يَوْمَ أَنْقَذَهُمْ مِنْ طَالِبِيهِمْ، | ٤٢ |
43 They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
| كَيْفَ أَجْرَى آيَاتِهِ فِي مِصْرَ وَعَجَائِبَهُ فِي سُهُولِ صُوعَنَ. | ٤٣ |
44 He caused the [Nile] River (OR, their sources of water) to become [red like] blood, with the result that the people of Egypt had no water to drink.
| إِذْ حَوَّلَ أَنْهَارَهُمْ وَسَوَاقِيَهُمْ دَماً حَتَّى لَا يَشْرَبُوا. | ٤٤ |
45 He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
| أَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ بَعُوضاً فَأَكَلَهُمْ، وَضَفَادِعَ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُمْ. | ٤٥ |
46 He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
| أَسْلَمَ غَلَّتَهُمْ لِلْجَنَادِبِ وَمَحَاصِيلَهُمْ لِلْجَرَادِ لِيُدَمِّرَهَا. | ٤٦ |
47 He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
| أَتْلَفَ كُرُومَهُمْ بِالْبَرَدِ وَجُمَّيْزَهُمْ بِالصَّقِيعِ، | ٤٧ |
48 He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
| وَدَفَعَ بَهَائِمَهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرَدِ، وَمَوَاشِيَهُمْ إِلَى نَارِ الْبُرُوقِ. | ٤٨ |
49 Because God was fiercely angry with the people of Egypt, he caused them to be very distressed. The disasters that struck them were like a group of angels that destroyed [everything].
| أَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِمَمَ غَضَبِهِ، وَسَخَطِهِ وَغَيْظِهِ، وَأَطْلَقَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَمْلَةً مِنْ مَلائِكَةِ الْهَلاكِ. | ٤٩ |
50 He did not lessen his being angry [with them], and he did not (spare their lives/prevent them from dying); he sent a (plague/serious illness) that killed [many of] them.
| أَفْلَتَ عِنَانَ غَضَبِهِ، وَلَمْ يَحْفَظْهُمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، بَلْ أَهْلَكَهُمْ بِالْوَبَإِ، | ٥٠ |
51 He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
| وَأَبَادَ كُلَّ أَبْكَارِ مِصْرَ، طَلائِعَ ثِمَارِ الرُّجُولَةِ فِي خِيَامِ حَامٍ. | ٥١ |
52 Then he led his people out [of Egypt] like [a shepherd leads] his sheep [SIM], and he guided them [while they walked] through the desert.
| ثُمَّ سَاقَ شَعْبَهُ كَالْغَنَمِ وَاقْتَادَهُمْ مِثْلَ الْقَطِيعِ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ. | ٥٢ |
53 He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
| هَدَاهُمْ آمِنِينَ فَلَمْ يَفْزَعُوا. أَمَّا أَعْدَاؤُهُمْ فَطَغَى الْبَحْرُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَغَمَرَهُمْ. | ٥٣ |
54 [Later] he brought them to [Canaan], his sacred land, to [Zion] Hill (OR, the hilly area) and by his power [MTY] he enabled them to conquer [the people who were living there].
| وَأَدْخَلَهُمْ إِلَى تُخُومِ أَرْضِهِ الْمُقَدَّسَةِ، إِلَى الْجَبَلِ الَّذِي امْتَلَكَتْهُ يَمِينُهُ. | ٥٤ |
55 He expelled the people-groups while his people were advancing; he allotted part of the land for [each tribe] to possess, and he gave to the Israeli people the houses of those people who had been expelled.
| ثُمَّ طَرَدَ الأُمَمَ مِنْ أَمَامِهِمْ وَقَسَمَ أَرْضَهُمْ بِالْحَبْلِ لِيَجْعَلَهَا مِيرَاثاً لِشَعْبِهِ، وَأَسْكَنَ فِي خِيَامِهِمْ أَسْبَاطَ إِسْرَائِيلَ. | ٥٥ |
56 However, the Israeli people rebelled against God, who is greater than any other god, and they did many evil things to see if they could do those things without God punishing them, and they did not obey his commandments.
| غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ جَرَّبُوا اللهَ الْعَلِيَّ وَتَمَرَّدُوا عَلَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يُرَاعُوا شَهَادَاتِهِ. | ٥٦ |
57 Instead, like their ancestors did, they rebelled against God and (were not loyal to/did not faithfully [obey]) him; they were as [unreliable as] a crooked arrow [that does not go straight] [SIM].
| بَلِ ارْتَدُّوا عَنْهُ وَغَدَرُوا كَمَا فَعَلَ آبَاؤُهُمْ، وَانْحَرَفُوا كَقَوْسٍ مُخْطِئَةٍ. | ٥٧ |
58 Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
| وَأَغَاظُوهُ بِمَعَابِدِ مُرْتَفَعَاتِهِمْ وَأَثَارُوا غَيْرَتَهُ بِأَصْنَامِهِمْ. | ٥٨ |
59 He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
| سَمِعَ اللهُ فَغَضِبَ، وَعَافَتْ نَفْسُهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ جِدّاً. | ٥٩ |
60 He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
| هَجَرَ مَسْكَنَهُ فِي شِيلُوهَ، تِلْكَ الْخَيْمَةَ الَّتِي نَصَبَهَا مَسْكَناً لَهُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ. | ٦٠ |
61 He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
| وَأَسْلَمَ تَابُوتَ عَهْدِ عِزَّتِهِ إِلَى السَّبْيِ وَجَلالَهُ إِلَى يَدِ الْعَدُوِّ. | ٦١ |
62 Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
| وَدَفَعَ شَعْبَهُ إِلَى السَّيْفِ وَصَبَّ نِقْمَتَهُ عَلَى مِيْرَاثِهِ. | ٦٢ |
63 Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
| فَالْتَهَمَتِ النَّارُ فِتْيَانَهُمْ، وَلَمْ تُنْشَدْ لِعَذَارَاهُمْ أُغْنِيَةُ زَوَاجٍ. | ٦٣ |
64 [Many] priests were killed by [their enemies’] swords, and (the people did not allow the priests’ widows/the priests’ widows were not allowed) to mourn.
| سَقَطَ كَهَنَتُهُمْ صَرْعَى السَّيْفِ، وَأَرَامِلُهُمْ لَمْ يَنْدُبْنَ عَلَيْهِمْ. | ٦٤ |
65 Later, [it was as though] the Lord awoke from sleeping; he was like a strong man who (became stimulated/felt that he was strong) by (OR, became sober after) [drinking] a lot of wine [SIM].
| ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ الرَّبُّ كَمَا يَسْتَيْقِظُ النَّائِمُ، مِثْلَ جَبَّارٍ يَصْرُخُ عَالِياً مِنَ الْخَمْرِ. | ٦٥ |
66 He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
| فَضَرَبَ أَعْدَاءَهُ وَقَهَرَهُمْ، وَجَعَلَهُمْ عَاراً مَدَى الدَّهْرِ. | ٦٦ |
67 [But] he did not set up his tent where [the people of] the tribe of Ephraim lived; he did not choose their area [to do that].
| رَفَضَ السُّكْنَى فِي خَيْمَةِ يُوسُفَ وَلَمْ يَخْتَرْ سِبْطَ أَفْرَايِمَ. | ٦٧ |
68 Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
| بَلِ اصْطَفَى سِبْطَ يَهُوذَا، جَبَلَ صِهْيَوْنَ الَّذِي أَحَبَّهُ. | ٦٨ |
69 He [decided to have] his temple built [there], high up, like [his home in] heaven; he caused it to be firm, [and intended that] his temple would last forever, like the earth.
| فَشَيَّدَ هَيْكَلَهُ، (كَمَسْكِنِهِ) فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ العُلَى. جَعَلَهُ (ثَابِتاً) مِثْلَ الأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَسَّسَهَا إِلَى الأَبَدِ. | ٦٩ |
70 He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
| وَاصْطَفَى دَاوُدَ عَبْدَهُ، وَأَخَذَهُ مِنْ بَيْنِ حَظَائِرِ الْغَنَمِ. | ٧٠ |
71 where he was taking care of his [father’s] sheep, and appointed him to be the leader [MET] of the Israeli people, the people who belong to God.
| مِنْ خَلْفِ النِّعَاجِ الْمُرْضِعَةِ أَتَى بِهِ، لِيَرْعَى يَعْقُوبَ شَعْبَهُ وَإِسْرَائِيلَ مِيرَاثَهُ. | ٧١ |
72 David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
| فَرَعَاهُمْ بِقَلْبٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، وَهَدَاهُمْ بِيَدَيْهِ الْمَاهِرَتَيْنِ. | ٧٢ |
