Psalms 78
1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.
Þjóð mín, hlustaðu á kenningu mína. Gefðu gaum að því sem ég hef að segja.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
Nú ætla ég að rifja upp fyrir þér liðna atburði,
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
frásagnir sem varðveist hafa frá kynslóð til kynslóðar.
4 We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
Ég birti ykkur sannleikann, svo að þið getið sagt börnum ykkar frá dásemdarverkum Drottins, öllum þeim undrum sem hann vann.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
Lögmál sitt gaf hann Ísrael og bauð forfeðrunum að kenna það börnum sínum
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children who should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
sem síðan skyldu kenna það sínum afkomendum. Þannig skyldi lögmál hans berast frá einni kynslóðinni til annarrar.
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Því hefur sérhver kynslóð getað haldið lög Guðs, treyst honum og heyrt um hans dásemdarverk.
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
Ný kynslóð skyldi ekki þurfa að fara að fordæmi feðra sinna sem voru þrjóskir, óhlýðnir og ótrúir og forhertu sig gegn Guði.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Þótt íbúar Efraím væru alvopnaðir, þá flúðu þeir þegar að orustunni kom.
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
Þannig rufu þeir sáttmálann við Guð og fóru sína eigin leið.
11 And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had shown them.
Þeir gleymdu máttarverkum Drottins,
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
sem hann hafði fyrir þá gert og forfeður þeirra í Egyptalandi,
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
þegar hann klauf hafið og leiddi þá yfir þurrum fótum. Vatnið stóð eins og veggur til beggja handa!
14 In the day time also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
Að degi til leiddi hann þá með skýi, en eldstólpa um nætur.
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
Hann rauf gat á klettinn í eyðimörkinni. Vatnið streymdi fram og þeir svöluðu þorsta sínum.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
Já, það flæddi frá klettinum, líkast rennandi á!
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
Samt héldu þeir fast við þrjósku sína og syndguðu gegn hinum hæsta Guði.
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
Þeir kvörtuðu og kveinuðu og heimtuðu annað að borða en það sem Guð gaf þeim.
19 Yea, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
Þeir ásökuðu jafnvel sjálfan Guð og sögðu:
20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
„Hann gaf okkur vatn, en hvers vegna fáum við ekki brauð eða kjöt?!“
21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was full of wrath: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
Drottinn hlustaði og honum rann í skap, reiði hans upptendraðist gegn Ísrael.
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
Enda treystu þeir honum ekki, né trúðu forsjá hans.
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
Jafnvel þótt hann lyki upp himninum – eins og glugga! –
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the grain of heaven.
og léti manna rigna niður.
25 Man ate angels’ food: he sent them food to the full.
Já, þeir átu englabrauð! – og urðu mettir.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
Þá lét hann austanvind blása og stýrði vestanvindinum með krafti sínum.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
Og viti menn, fuglum rigndi af himni, – þeir voru eins og sandur á sjávarströnd!
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, around their habitations.
Af hans völdum féllu þeir til jarðar um allar tjaldbúðirnar.
29 So they ate, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
Og fólkið át nægju sína. Hann mettaði hungur þeirra.
30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
En varla höfðu þeir lokið matnum – fæðan var enn í munni þeirra,
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
þá reiddist Drottinn þeim og lagði að velli æskumenn Ísraels.
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
En þeir sáu sig ekki um hönd, en héldu áfram að syndga og vildu ekki trúa kraftaverkum Drottins.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
Þess vegna stytti hann ævi þeirra og sendi þeim miklar hörmungar.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
En þegar neyðin var stærst, tóku þeir að leita Guðs. Þeir iðruðust og snéru sér til hans.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
Þeir viðurkenndu að Guð er eini grundvöllur lífsins – að hinn hæsti Guð væri frelsari þeirra.
36 Nevertheless they would flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.
En því miður fylgdu þeir honum aðeins í orði kveðnu, en ekki af heilum hug,
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
hjarta þeirra var langt frá honum. Þeir stóðu ekki við orð sín.
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
Samt var hann þeim miskunnsamur, fyrirgaf syndir þeirra og tortímdi þeim ekki. Margoft hélt hann aftur af reiði sinni.
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
Hann minntist þess að þeir voru dauðlegir menn, eins og andblær sem kemur og fer.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Já, oft risu þeir gegn Guði í eyðimörkinni og ollu honum vonbrigðum.
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Aftur og aftur sneru þeir við honum baki og freistuðu hans.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
Þeir gleymdu krafti hans og kærleika og hvernig hann hafði frelsað þá frá óvinum þeirra.
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
Þeir gleymdu plágunum sem hann sendi Egyptum í Sóan
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they could not drink.
þegar hann breytti fljótum þeirra í blóð, svo að enginn gat drukkið.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
Eða þegar hann fyllti landið af flugum og froskum!
46 He gave also their increase to the caterpiller, and their labour to the locust.
Lirfurnar spilltu uppskerunni og engispretturnar átu allt, hvort tveggja var frá honum komið.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
Hann eyddi vínviði þeirra með hagléli og mórberjatrjánum með frosti.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Búpeningurinn hrundi niður í haganum, haglið rotaði hann og sauðirnir drápust í eldingum.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
Hann úthellti reiði sinni yfir þá, sendi þeim ógn og skelfingu. Hann leysti út sendiboða ógæfunnar – engla sem létu þá kenna á því!
50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Hann gaf reiðinni lausan tauminn. Og ekki hlífði hann Egyptunum. Þeir fengu vænan skerf af plágum og sjúkdómum.
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Þá deyddi hann frumburði Egypta, efnilegan ungviðinn, sem vonirnar voru bundnar við.
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
Sinn eigin lýð leiddi hann styrkri hendi gegnum eyðimörkina.
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Hann var skjól þeirra og vörn. Þeir þurftu ekkert að óttast, en hafið gleypti óvini þeirra.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
Hann greiddi för þeirra til fyrirheitna landsins, til hæðanna sem hann hafði skapað.
55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Íbúum landsins stökkti hann á flótta en gaf þar ættkvíslum Ísraels erfðahlut og skjól.
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
En þótt þeir nytu gæsku Guðs, risu þeir gegn hinum hæsta og fyrirlitu boðorð hans.
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
Þeir sneru af leið og rufu trúnað rétt eins og feður þeirra. Eins og bogin ör misstu þeir marksins sem Guð hafði sett þeim.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
Þeir tóku aðra guði, reistu þeim ölturu og egndu Drottin á móti sér.
59 When God heard this, he was filled with wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel:
Guð sá verk þeirra og reiddist – fékk viðbjóð á Ísrael.
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
Hann yfirgaf helgidóm sinn í Síló, bústað sinn meðal manna.
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
Örk sína lét hann falla í hendur óvinanna og vegsemd hans var óvirt af heiðingjum.
62 He gave over his people also to the sword; and was filled with wrath with his inheritance.
Hann reiddist lýð sínum og lét hann falla fyrir sverði óvinanna.
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
Æskumenn Ísraels fórust í eldi og ungu stúlkurnar upplifðu ekki sinn brúðkaupsdag.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
Prestunum var slátrað og ekkjur þeirra dóu áður en þær gátu harmað þá.
65 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
Þá var sem Drottinn vaknaði af svefni, eins og hetja sem rís upp úr vímu,
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder part: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
og hann gaf þeim vænt spark í bakhlutann og sendi þá burt með skömm, sömu leið og þeir komu.
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
Hann hafnaði fjölskyldu Jósefs, ætt Efraíms,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
en kaus Júdaættkvísl og Síonfjall, sem hann elskar.
69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.
Þar reisti hann musteri sitt – voldugt og traust rétt eins og himin og jörð.
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheep folds:
Hann kaus Davíð sem þjón sinn, tók hann frá sauðunum,
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
úr smalamennskunni, til að verða leiðtogi og hirðir þjóðar sinnar.
72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
Og hann gætti hennar af öryggi og með hreinu hjarta.
