Psalms 78

1 My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.

Ko e Saame akonaki ʻa ʻAsafi. Fakafanongo ʻa hoku kakai ki heʻeku akonaki: fakatokangaʻi homou telinga ki he ngaahi lea ʻa hoku ngutu.

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],

Te u mafaʻa hoku ngutu ʻi he fakatātā: te u fakahā ʻae ngaahi lea fufū mei muʻa:

3 things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.

‌ʻAia kuo tau fanongo ki ai pea ʻiloʻi, pea naʻe tala ia kiate kitautolu ʻe heʻetau ngaahi tamai.

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.

‌ʻE ʻikai te tau fufū ia mei heʻenau fānau, ka ʻe fakahā ki he toʻutangata ʻe hoko ʻae ongoongolelei ʻo Sihova, mo hono mālohi, mo e ngaahi ngāue mana naʻa ne fai.

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

He naʻa ne fokotuʻumaʻu ʻae fono ʻia Sēkope, ʻo ne tuʻutuʻuni ʻae akonaki ʻi ʻIsileli, ʻaia naʻa ne fekauʻi ʻetau ngaahi tamai, koeʻuhi ke nau fakaʻilo ia ki heʻenau fānau:

6 in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.

Koeʻuhi ke ʻilo ia ʻe he toʻutangata ʻe hoko, ʻio, ʻae fānau ʻe fanauʻi; ʻaia tenau tupu hake ʻo fakahā ia ki heʻenau fānau:

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.

Koeʻuhi kenau ʻamanaki lelei maʻuaipē ki he ʻOtua, pea ʻoua naʻa fakangalongaloʻi ʻae ngaahi ngāue ʻae ʻOtua, ka e tauhi ʻene ngaahi fekau:

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.

Kaeʻoua naʻa tatau mo ʻenau ngaahi tamai, ko e toʻutangata paongataʻa mo angatuʻu; ko e toʻutangata naʻe ʻikai tenau teuteu honau loto ke lelei, pea naʻe ʻikai tuʻumaʻu honau laumālie ʻi he ʻOtua.

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.

Ko e fānau ʻa ʻIfalemi naʻe toʻo mahafutau, mo e ngaahi kaufana, naʻa nau hola ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe tau.

10 They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.

Naʻe ʻikai tenau fai ki he fuakava ʻae ʻOtua, pea naʻe ʻikai siʻi tenau loto ke ʻaʻeva ʻi heʻene akonaki;

11 They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.

Pea naʻa nau fakangalongaloʻi ʻene ngaahi ngāue, mo ʻene ngaahi mana naʻa ne fakahā kiate kinautolu.

12 While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.

Naʻa ne fai ʻae ngaahi meʻa fakaofo ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻenau ngaahi tamai, ʻi he fonua ko ʻIsipite, ʻi he ngoue ʻo Soani.

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].

Naʻe vaeua ʻe ia ʻae tahi, pea ne pule kenau ʻalu atu ai; pea ne ngaohi ʻae tahi ke tuʻu fakatafungofunga pē.

14 He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.

Naʻa ne tataki foki ʻakinautolu ʻi he ʻaho ʻaki ʻae ʻao, pea ʻi he pō ʻaki ʻae maama ʻoe afi.

15 He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.

Naʻe fahiʻi ʻe ia ʻae ngaahi makatuʻu ʻi he toafa, pea ʻange ʻae inu kiate kinautolu ʻo hangē ʻoku mei he loloto lahi.

16 He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].

Naʻa ne ʻomi foki kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi vaitafe mei he makatuʻu, ʻo ne pule ke tafe hifo ʻae ngaahi vai ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi vaitafe lahi.

17 But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.

Pea naʻa nau toe fai angahala kiate ia, ʻi heʻenau fakahouhau ki he Fungani Māʻolunga ʻi he toafa.

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.

Pea naʻa nau ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻae ʻOtua ʻi honau loto, ʻi heʻenau lea ke maʻu ʻae kakano ʻi heʻenau holi kovi.

19 They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!

‌ʻIo, naʻa nau lauʻikoviʻi ʻae ʻOtua; naʻa nau pehē, “ʻE faʻa teuteu ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae keinangaʻanga ʻi he toafa?

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]

Vakai, naʻe taaʻi ʻe ia ʻae makatuʻu, pea puna mei ai ʻae ngaahi vai, pea pito ʻo fetāfeaki ʻae ngaahi vaitafe; te ne faʻa tuku mai foki ʻae mā? ʻE faʻa tokonaki ʻe ia ʻae kakano maʻa hono kakai?”

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]

Ko ia naʻe fanongo ki ai ʻa Sihova, pea houhau ia: ko ia naʻe tutu ai ʻae afi kia Sēkope, pea naʻe tupu hake foki ʻae tuputāmaki ki ʻIsileli;

22 [He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.

Koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai tenau tui ki he ʻOtua, pea naʻe ʻikai ha falala ki heʻene fakamoʻui:

23 But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,

Neongo ʻene fekauʻi ʻae ngaahi ʻao ʻi ʻolunga, mo ʻene toʻo ʻae ngaahi matapā ʻoe langi,

24 and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).

‌ʻO ne tuku ke tō hifo ʻae mana kiate kinautolu kenau kai, pea ne foaki kiate kinautolu ʻae uite ʻoe langi.

25 [So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.

Naʻe kai ʻe he tangata ʻae meʻakai ʻae kau ʻāngelo: naʻa ne tuku atu ʻae meʻakai kenau mākona ai.

26 [Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,

Naʻe pule ʻe ia ke maʻili ʻae matangi hahake ʻi he langi: pea ne ʻomi mo e matangi tonga ʻi heʻene māfimafi.

27 and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.

Naʻe fakatō hifo ʻe ia ʻae kakano kiate kinautolu ʻo tatau mo e efu, mo e fanga manu kapakau ʻo hangē ko e ʻoneʻone ʻoe tahi:

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.

Pea naʻa ne tuku ke tō ia ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo honau fale fehikitaki, ʻo takatakai ʻi honau ngaahi nofoʻanga.

29 [So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.

Ko ia naʻa nau kai, pea nau mākona: he naʻa ne ʻange kiate kinautolu ʻenau holi.

30 But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,

Naʻe ʻikai te nau mavahe mei heʻenau holi kovi. Ka ʻi he kei ʻi honau ngutu ʻae maʻanga,

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.

Naʻe hoko ʻae houhau ʻoe ʻOtua kiate kinautolu, ʻo ne tāmateʻi ʻae fungani kakai sino ʻiate kinautolu, pea ne tā hifo ʻae kau tangata kuo fili ʻi ʻIsileli.

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].

Naʻe hoko ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, ka naʻa nau kei fai angahala pē, ʻo ʻikai tui ki heʻene ngaahi ngāue mana.

33 So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.

Ko ia naʻa ne fakaʻosi ai honau ngaahi ʻaho ʻi he meʻa vaʻinga pē, mo honau ngaahi taʻu ʻi he mamahi.

34 When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].

Pea ʻi heʻene tāmateʻi ʻakinautolu, naʻa nau toki kumi kiate ia: ʻonau tafoki ʻo fehuʻi fakavave ki he ʻOtua.

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.

Pea naʻa nau manatu ko honau maka ʻae ʻOtua, pea ko honau huhuʻi ʻae ʻOtua māʻolunga.

36 But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.

Ka naʻa nau lapu kiate ia ʻi honau ngutu, ʻonau loi kiate ia ʻaki honau ʻelelo.

37 They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.

He naʻe ʻikai totonu honau loto kiate ia, pea naʻe ʻikai tenau tuʻumaʻu ʻi heʻene fuakava.

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].

Ka naʻe fonu ia ʻi he ʻaloʻofa, ʻo ne fakamolemole ʻenau hia, pea naʻe ʻikai fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu: ʻIo, naʻe liunga lahi ʻene fakaafe hono houhau, pea naʻe ʻikai te ne ueʻi hake hono houhau kotoa pē.

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.

He naʻa ne manatu ko e kakano pē ʻakinautolu; ko e matangi ʻoku mole atu, pea ʻikai toe haʻu.

40 Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.

Naʻe liunga fiha ʻenau fakahouhau kiate ia ʻi he toafa, pea fakamamahiʻi ia ʻi he potu lala!

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.

‌ʻIo, naʻa nau foki kimui pea ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻae ʻOtua, ʻonau hūhūmamaʻi ʻae tokotaha māʻoniʻoni ʻo ʻIsileli.

42 They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.

Naʻe ʻikai tenau manatu ki hono nima, pe ko e ʻaho naʻa ne fakamoʻui ai ʻakinautolu mei he fili.

43 They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.

Mo ʻene fai ʻene ngaahi fakaʻilonga ʻi ʻIsipite, mo ʻene ngaahi meʻa mana ʻi he ngoue ʻo Soani:

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.

Naʻa ne liliu honau ngaahi vaitafe ko e toto; mo honau ngaahi vai lahi, naʻe ʻikai tenau faʻa inu ai.

45 He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.

Naʻe fekau atu ʻe ia kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi lango kehekehe, ʻaia naʻe keina ʻakinautolu; mo e fanga poto, ʻaia naʻe fakakoviʻi ʻakinautolu.

46 He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.

Naʻe tuku foki ʻe ia ʻae fua ʻo ʻenau ngoue ki he ʻunufe, mo ʻenau ngāue ki he fanga heʻe.

47 He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.

Naʻa ne tāmateʻi ʻenau ngaahi vaine ʻaki ʻae ʻuhamaka, mo ʻenau ʻakau ko e sukamino ʻaki ʻae momoko lahi.

48 He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.

Naʻe tuku foki ʻe ia ʻenau fanga manu ki he ʻuhamaka, mo ʻenau fanga sipi ki he ngaahi faisisili vela.

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].

Naʻe lī ʻe ia ʻae kakaha ʻo ʻene ʻita kiate kinautolu, ʻae houhau lahi, mo e tuputāmaki, mo e mamahi, ʻi heʻene fekau atu kiate kinautolu ʻae kau ʻāngelo ʻoe kovi.

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.

Naʻa ne tofa ʻae hala ki hono houhau; pea naʻe ʻikai te ne fakahaofi ʻenau moʻui mei he mate, ka naʻa ne tukuange ʻenau moʻui ki he mahaki lahi;

51 He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.

‌ʻO ne tāʻi ʻae ʻuluaki fānau kotoa pē ʻi ʻIsipite; ko e fungani mālohi ʻi he ngaahi nofoʻanga ʻo Hami.

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.

Ka naʻa ne pule ke ʻalu atu ʻa hono kakai ʻoʻona ʻo hangē ko e fanga sipi, ʻo ne fakahinohino ʻakinautolu ʻi he toafa ʻo hangē ko e fuʻu fanga sipi.

53 He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.

Pea naʻe tataki fiemālie atu ʻe ia ʻakinautolu, ko ia naʻe ʻikai ai tenau manavahē: ka naʻe lōmekina ʻe he tahi ʻa honau ngaahi fili.

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].

Pea naʻe ʻomi ʻe ia ʻakinautolu ʻo ofi ki hono faletapu, ʻio, ki he moʻunga ni ʻaia kuo fakatau ʻe hono nima toʻomataʻu.

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.

Naʻe kapusi foki ʻe ia ʻae hiteni mei honau ʻao, ʻo ne vaheʻi kiate kinautolu ʻae tofiʻa ʻaki ʻae afo, pea ne pule ke nofo ʻae ngaahi faʻahinga ʻo ʻIsileli ʻi honau ngaahi fale fehikitaki.

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.

Ka naʻa nau kei ʻahiʻahiʻi mo fakahouhauʻi ʻae ʻOtua fungani māʻolunga, ʻo ʻikai tauhi ʻene ngaahi fekau:

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].

Ka naʻa nau foki kimui, ʻo fai taʻeangatonu ʻo hangē ko ʻenau ngaahi tamai: naʻe ʻalu kehe ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē ko e kaufana taka kehe.

58 Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].

Naʻa nau fakahouhau ia ʻaki honau ngaahi potu māʻolunga ʻonau fakafuaʻa ia ʻaki ʻenau ngaahi tamapua kuo tā.

59 He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.

Pea ʻi he ongoʻi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae meʻa ni, naʻe houhau ai ia, ʻo fehiʻa lahi ki ʻIsileli:

60 He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.

Ko ia naʻa ne liʻaki ai ʻae fale fehikitaki ʻo Sailo, ʻae nofoʻanga ko ia naʻe fokotuʻu ʻe ia ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe kakai;

61 He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.

‌ʻO ne tukuange hono mālohi ke pōpula, mo hono nāunau ki he nima ʻoe fili.

62 Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].

Naʻe fakatukutukuʻi foki ʻe ia hono kakai ki he heletā; pea naʻe houhau ia ki hono tofiʻa.

63 Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.

Naʻe kai ke ʻosi ʻe he afi honau kau talavou; pea naʻe ʻikai mali ʻenau kau taʻahine.

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.

Naʻe tō ʻenau kau taulaʻeiki ʻi he heletā; pea naʻe ʻikai fai ha tangi ʻe honau uaifi.

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].

Pea naʻe toki ʻā ai ʻae ʻEiki ʻo hangē ko ha taha naʻe mohe, pea hangē ko e tangata mālohi ʻoku kalanga ko e meʻa ʻi he uaine.

66 He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].

Pea naʻe taaʻi ʻe ia hono ngaahi fili ʻi honau potu kimui: naʻa ne tuku ʻakinautolu ke manukia maʻuaipē.

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].

Pea naʻa ne liʻaki ʻae fale fehikitaki ʻo Siosefa, pea naʻe ʻikai te ne fili ʻae faʻahinga ʻo ʻIfalemi:

68 Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.

Ka naʻa ne fili ʻae faʻahinga ʻo Siuta, ko e moʻunga ko Saione ʻaia naʻa ne ʻofa ki ai.

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.

Pea naʻa ne langa hono faletapu ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi fale māʻolunga, ʻo hangē ko e fonua ʻaia kuo fokotuʻumaʻu ke taʻengata.

70 He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures

Naʻe fili foki ʻe ia ʻa Tevita ko ʻene tamaioʻeiki, ʻo ne toʻo ia mei he ngaahi lotoʻā sipi:

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.

Naʻa ne ʻomi ia mei heʻene muimui ʻi he fanga sipi fefine naʻe talitali pō, ke ne fafanga ʻa Sēkope ko hono kakai, mo ʻIsileli ko hono tofiʻa.

72 David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.

Pea naʻa ne fafanga ʻakinautolu ʻo fakatatau ki he angatonu ʻo hono loto; ʻo ne tataki ʻakinautolu ʻi he poto ʻo hono nima.