Psalm 78
1 Ein Lehrgedicht, von Asaph. - Mein Volk! Hab acht auf meine Lehre! Zu meines Mundes Reden neiget euer Ohr!
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 Ich öffne meinen Mund zu einem Spruch. Ich künd Gesänge aus der Vorzeit Tagen,
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],
3 die wir vernommen und jetzt wissen, die unsre Väter uns erzählt.
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 Wir, ihre Kinder, wollen über sie nicht schweigen. Wir wollen künftigem Geschlecht des Herren Ruhmestaten künden und seine Macht und Wunder, die er tat.
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.
5 Zum Brauch hat er's in Jakob eingesetzt, zur heiligen Pflicht in Israel gemacht. Denn unsern Vätern hat er anbefohlen, sie ihren Kindern kundzutun,
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
6 auf daß ein späteres Geschlecht sie kenne, die Enkel, die geboren würden, sie ihren Kindern wiederum verkünden.
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 Sie sollten Gott vertrauen und nicht vergessen Gottes Taten und seine Vorschriften befolgen
In that way, they also would trust in God, and not forget the things that he has done; instead, they would obey his commandments.
8 und nicht, wie ihre Väter, werden ein widerspenstig, trotziges Geschlecht, solch ein Geschlecht von wankendem Gemüt und ungetreuem Herzen gegen Gott.
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.
9 Ganz unvernünftige Söhne, voller Trug, das Leben werfen sie hinweg und wenden sich am Trübsalstage ab;
[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.
10 sie halten Gottes Bündnis nicht und wollen nicht nach seiner Lehre wandeln.
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 Und sie vergessen seine Werke gänzlich und seine Wunder, die er ihnen zeigt.
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 Vor ihren Vätern tat er Unvergleichliches, im Land Ägypten, im Gefild von Tanis.
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 Er spaltete das Meer und führte sie hindurch und ließ das Wasser dammgleich stehen.
[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].
14 Er leitete bei Tag sie mit der Wolke, die ganze Nacht mit Feuerschein,
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 und ließ die Felsen in der Wüste sprudeln und tränkte sie in Fülle wie mit Fluten.
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 Aus Steinen ließ er Bäche quellen, wie Ströme Wasser sprudeln.
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 Allein sie sündigten noch weiter gegen ihn und widersetzten sich dem Höchsten in der Wüste.
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 Und sie versuchten Gott in ihrem Herzen, für ihre Gelüste Speise heischend.
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.
19 Sie sprachen gegen Gott und fragten: "Vermag es Gott, selbst in der Wüste einen Tisch zu decken?
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 Den Felsen schlug er zwar; das Wasser floß, die Bäche strömten. Vermag er aber Brot zu geben und seinem Volke Fleisch zu spenden?"
[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]
21 Der Herr vernahm's und wurde zornig; ein Feuer loderte in Jakob auf; ein Zorn erhob sich gegen Israel,
So, when Yahweh heard that, he became very angry, and he sent a fire to burn up [some of] his Israeli [people]. [MTY, DOU]
22 weil sie an Gott nicht glaubten und nicht auf seine Hilfe bauten.
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 Doch er gebot den Wolken oben und tat des Himmels Pforten auf,
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 hernieder ließ er Manna auf sie regnen, um sie zu speisen, schenkte ihnen Himmelsbrot.
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 Das Brot der Engel konnte jeder essen; er sandte ihnen Kost in Fülle.
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 Er ließ den Morgenwind am Himmel wehen; den Südwind führte er durch seine Macht herbei.
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 Dann ließ er Fleisch wie Staub auf sie herniederregnen, wie Meeressand Geflügel.
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 Er ließ es in ihr Lager fallen, um seine Wohnstatt ringsumher.
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.
29 Sie aßen, wurden übersatt; was sie gewünscht, verlieh er ihnen.
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 Noch war nicht ihre Lust gestillt, noch war die Kost in ihrem Munde,
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 als Gottes Zorn sich gegen sie erhob, die Feisten unter ihnen würgte, die junge Mannschaft Israels zu Boden streckte.
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.
32 Bei all dem sündigten sie weiter und glaubten nicht an seine Wunderkräfte.
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].
33 Da ließ er ihre Tage zwecklos schwinden und ihre Jahre in Enttäuschung.
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 Zwar fragten sie nach ihm, wenn er sie würgte, verlangten wiederum nach Gott,
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 wohl eingedenk, daß Gott ihr Hort, der höchste Gott ihr Retter sei.
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.
36 Allein sie täuschten ihn mit ihrem Munde, belogen ihn mit ihrer Zunge.
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 Ihr Herz war unaufrichtig gegen ihn; mit seinem Bunde meinten sie's nicht ehrlich.
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 Doch er, erbarmungsvoll, vergab die Schuld, vertilgte nicht; oft hielt er seinen Zorn zurück und ließ nicht seinen Grimm austoben,
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].
39 wohl eingedenk, daß sie nur Fleisch, ein Windhauch, der verschwindet ohne Wiederkehr.
He remembered/considered that they were only humans who die; they [disappear quickly] [SIM], like a wind that blows by and then is gone.
40 Wie oft erzürnten sie ihn in der Wüste und reizten ihn im Steppenland,
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 versuchten immer wieder Gott, erbitterten die Heiligen Israels,
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.
42 gedachten nimmer seiner Macht, des Tages, da er vor dem Feinde sie gerettet,
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 wie er vor den Ägyptern seine Zeichen tat, an dem Gefild von Tanis seine Wunder:
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 In Blut verwandelte er ihre Ströme; untrinkbar ward ihr fließend Wasser.
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.
45 Er sandte Ungeziefer unter sie, das sie verzehrte, und Frösche ihnen zum Verderben.
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 Der Raupe gab er ihre Früchte preis und ihre Arbeit der Heuschrecke.
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 Er schlug mit Hagel ihren Weinstock und ihren Maulbeerbaum durch Reif.
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 Er gab ihr Vieh dem Hagel preis, den Blitzen ihre Herden.
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 Er ließ die Hitze seines Zornes auf sie los, nur Grimm und Wut und Angst, von Unglücksboten eine Schar.
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].
50 So ließ er seinem Zorne freien Lauf, verschonte ihre Seele mit dem Tode nicht. Er gab der Pest ihr Leben preis,
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.
51 und in Ägypten schlug er alle Erstgeburt, die Jugendblüte in den Zelten Chams.
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 Er führte, Schäflein gleich, sein Volk heraus und lenkte sie wie in der Steppe eine Herde.
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.
53 Er leitete sie sicher, daß sie nichts zu fürchten hatten; das Meer bedeckte ihre Feinde.
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 Er brachte sie zu seinem heiligen Gebiete, zu jenem Berg, den seine Rechte sich erworben,
[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].
55 vertrieb vor ihnen weg die Heiden, verloste sie als erblichen Besitz und ließ die Stämme Israels in ihren Zelten wohnen.
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.
56 Und doch versuchten sie und reizten Gott, den Höchsten, und hielten nimmer seine Satzungen.
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.
57 Wie ihre Väter wichen sie und fielen ab; sie wurden wie ein schlaffer Bogen.
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].
58 Sie reizten ihn zum Zorn durch ihre Höhen, zur Eifersucht durch ihre Götzenbilder.
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 Gott hörte dies und wurde zornig, und Israel verwarf er völlig,
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 verließ zu Silo seinen Sitz, das Zelt, in dein er unter Menschen wohnte;
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 gab seine Ehre in Gefangenschaft und seine Zier in Feindeshand
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 und gab sein Volk dem Schwerte preis, entrüstet über dies sein Eigentum.
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 Die jungen Männer fraß das Feuer, und seine Jungfraun durften keine Totenklage halten.
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 Hinfielen seine Priester durch das Schwert, und seine Witwen weinten nicht dazu.
[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.
65 Doch wie vom Schlaf erwachte da der Herr, gleichwie ein Held vom Weine jauchzend.
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].
66 Im Rücken schlug er seine Feinde, belegte sie mit ewigem Schimpf.
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 Doch er verschmähte Josephs Zelt; den Stamm von Ephraim erkor er nicht.
[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].
68 Vielmehr erkor er Judas Stamm, den Sionsberg, der ihm so lieb.
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 Er baute Himmelshöhen gleich sein Heiligtum und gleich der Erde, die er ewig gründete.
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.
70 Und er erkor sich David, seinen Knecht, entriß ihn seiner Herde Hürden.
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 Vom Milchvieh nahm er ihn hinweg, sein Volk zu weiden in Jakob, in Israel die ewig Seinen.
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.
72 Mit frommem Sinne weidete er sie und führte sie mit kluger Hand.
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
