Psalms 78
1 A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
Lalelani, bantu bami, umthetho wami, libeke indlebe yenu emazwini omlomo wami.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
Ngizavula umlomo wami ngomfanekiso, ngikhuphe izimfihlakalo zendulo,
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
esizizwileyo lesizaziyo, obaba abasitshela zona.
4 We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
Kasiyikuzifihlela abantwana babo, kusizukulwana esilandelayo, silandisa izindumiso zeNkosi, lamandla ayo, lezimangaliso ezenzileyo.
5 For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
Ngoba wamisa ubufakazi koJakobe, wabeka umlayo koIsrayeli, awulaya obaba, ukuze bawazise abantwana babo,
6 that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,
ukuze isizukulwana esilandelayo sazi, abantwana abazazalwa, basukume batshele abantwana babo,
7 that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,
ukuze babeke ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu, bangayikhohlwa imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu, kodwa bagcine imithetho yakhe;
8 and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
njalo bangabi njengaboyise, isizukulwana esilenkani lesivukelayo, isizukulwana esingaqondisanga inhliziyo yaso, lesimoya waso ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Abantwana bakoEfrayimi, behlomile betshoka ngamadandili, babuyela emuva mhla wempi.
10 They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law.
Kabasilondolozanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuhamba emlayweni wakhe.
11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous deeds that he had shown them.
Bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe lezimangaliso zakhe ayebatshengisa zona.
12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Phambi kwaboyise wenza isimangaliso elizweni leGibhithe, egangeni leZowani.
13 He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.
Waqhekeza ulwandle, wabachaphisa, wenza amanzi ema njengenqumbi.
14 In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
Wabakhokhela ngeyezi emini, lebusuku bonke ngokukhanya komlilo.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
Waqhekeza amadwala enkangala, wabanathisa kungathi kuvela ezinzikini ezinkulu.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
Waseveza izifula edwaleni, wenza amanzi ehla njengemifula.
17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
Kodwa baphinda futhi ukona kuye, ngokumvukela oPhezukonke enkangala.
18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
Bamlinga uNkulunkulu enhliziyweni yabo ngokucela ukudla kwenkanuko yabo.
19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Basebekhuluma bemelene loNkulunkulu bathi: UNkulunkulu angalungisa itafula enkangala yini?
20 Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
Khangela, watshaya idwala, kwampompoza amanzi, lezifula zagabha; anganika lesinkwa yini? angalungisela abantu bakhe inyama na?
21 Therefore Yahweh heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,
Ngakho iNkosi yezwa yathukuthela; umlilo wasubaselwa uJakobe, njalo lolaka lwavukela uIsrayeli,
22 because they didn’t believe in God, and didn’t trust in his salvation.
ngoba kabakholwanga kuNkulunkulu, kabathembanga esindisweni lwakhe.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.
Lanxa walaya amayezi ngaphezulu, wavula iminyango yamazulu,
24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky.
wabanisela imana ukuthi badle, wabapha amabele amazulu.
25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.
Umuntu wadla isinkwa sabalamandla; wabathumela ukudla ukuze basuthe.
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
Wenza umoya wempumalanga wavunguza emazulwini; langamandla akhe waqhuba umoya weningizimu.
27 He also rained meat on them as the dust, winged birds as the sand of the seas.
Wasenisela phezu kwabo inyama njengothuli, lenyoni ezilempiko njengetshebetshebe lolwandle;
28 He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
wazenza zawela phakathi kwenkamba yabo, zagombolozela indawo zabo zokuhlala.
29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.
Ngakho badla basutha kakhulu, ngoba wabalethela isiloyiso sabo.
30 They didn’t turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,
Kabehlukananga lenkanuko yabo; ukudla kusesemlonyeni wabo,
31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwaselubavukela, wabulala kwabakhulupheleyo babo, watshaya abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli.
32 For all this they still sinned, and didn’t believe in his wondrous works.
Kulokhu konke bajinga besona, njalo kabakholwanga ngenxa yezimangaliso zakhe.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Ngakho waziqeda izinsuku zabo ngeze, leminyaka yabo ovalweni.
34 When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
Lapho ebabulala, bamdinga, baphenduka, bamdingisisa uNkulunkulu.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulidwala labo, loNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ungumhlengi wabo.
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
Kodwa bamyenga ngomlomo wabo, baqamba amanga kuye ngolimi lwabo.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
Ngoba inhliziyo yabo yayingaqondanga kuye, njalo bengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
38 But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
Kodwa yena elesihawu wathethelela ububi babo, kababhubhisanga; yebo, kanengi walunqanda ulaka lwakhe, kakuvusanga konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn’t come again.
Ngoba wakhumbula ukuthi bayinyama, umoya odlulayo, ongabuyiyo.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
Kanengi kangakanani bemvukela ehlane, bemdabukisa enkangala.
41 They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
Yebo baphenduka bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamdabukisa oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
42 They didn’t remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;
Kabasikhumbulanga isandla sakhe, usuku abahlenga ngalo esitheni.
43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,
Ukuthi wamisa njani izibonakaliso zakhe eGibhithe, lezimangaliso zakhe emmangweni weZowani,
44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
lokuthi waphendula imifula yabo yaba ligazi, lezifula zabo, ukuze banganathi.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
Wathumela phakathi kwabo umtshitshi wezibawu, ezabadlayo, lamaxoxo ababhubhisayo.
46 He also gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
Wasenika imihogoyi isivuno sabo, lomsebenzi wabo isikhonyane.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.
Wabulala ivini labo ngesiqhotho, lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore ngongqwaqwane.
48 He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Wasenikela izifuyo zabo esiqhothweni, lemihlambi yabo kuyo imibane.
49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil.
Waphosela phezu kwabo ukuvutha kolaka lwakhe, ukuthukuthela, lokucunuka, lokuhlupheka, ngokuthuma izithunywa zobubi.
50 He made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
Walungisela ulaka lwakhe indlela, kanqandanga umphefumulo wabo ekufeni, kodwa wanikela impilo yabo kumatshayabhuqe wesifo.
51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
Wasetshaya wonke amazibulo eGibhithe, okokuqala kwamandla emathenteni kaHamu.
52 But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
Wasebakhupha abantu bakhe njengezimvu, wabakhokhela enkangala njengomhlambi.
53 He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Wasebakhokhela bephephile ukuze bangesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwasibekela izitha zabo.
54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.
Wasebafikisa emkhawulweni wendawo yakhe engcwele, le intaba, isandla sakhe sokunene esayizuzayo.
55 He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Wasebaxotsha abezizwe phambi kwabo; wababela ilifa ngomzila, wahlalisa izizwe zakoIsrayeli emathenteni azo.
56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
Kanti bamlinga, bamvukela uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, kabazigcinanga izifakazelo zakhe.
57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
Kodwa babuyela emuva, benza ngokungathembeki njengaboyise, baphanjulwa njengedandili elikhohlisayo.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
Ngoba bamthukuthelisa ngezindawo zabo eziphakemeyo, bavusa umona wakhe ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo.
59 When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
UNkulunkulu esizwa wathukuthela, wamenyanya kakhulu uIsrayeli.
60 so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men,
Ngakho walitshiya ithabhanekele leShilo, ithente alimisa phakathi kwabantu.
61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand.
Wasenikela amandla akhe ekuthunjweni, lenkazimulo yakhe esandleni sesitha.
62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
Wasenikela abantu bakhe enkembeni, waselithukuthelela ilifa lakhe.
63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.
Umlilo waqeda amajaha abo, lezintombi zabo kazihlatshelelwanga.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn’t weep.
Abapristi babo bawa ngenkemba, labafelokazi babo kabalilanga.
65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.
Khona iNkosi yavuka njengobelele, njengeqhawe eliklabalala ngenxa yewayini.
66 He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
Yazitshaya izitha zayo emuva, yazithela ihlazo phakade.
67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and didn’t choose the tribe of Ephraim,
Yasilahla ithente likaJosefa, kayikhethanga isizwe sakoEfrayimi.
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
Kodwa yakhetha isizwe sakoJuda, intaba yeZiyoni eyithandayo.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.
Yayakha indlu yayo engcwele njengezingqonga, njengomhlaba ewusekeleyo kuze kube nininini.
70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
Yasikhetha uDavida inceku yayo, yamthatha ezibayeni zezimvu;
71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
ekulandeleni izimvukazi ezenyisayo, yamletha ukwelusa uJakobe abantu bayo, loIsrayeli ilifa layo.
72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Njalo wabelusa njengobuqotho benhliziyo yakhe, wabakhokhela ngobugabazi bezandla zakhe.
