תהילים 78
| מַשְׂכִּיל לְאָסָף הַאֲזִינָה עַמִּי תּוֹרָתִי הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃ | 1 |
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
| אֶפְתְּחָה בְמָשָׁל פִּי אַבִּיעָה חִידוֹת מִנִּי־קֶֽדֶם׃ | 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],
| אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ וַנֵּדָעֵם וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ סִפְּרוּ־לָֽנוּ׃ | 3 |
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
| לֹא נְכַחֵד ׀ מִבְּנֵיהֶם לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן מְֽסַפְּרִים תְּהִלּוֹת יְהוָה וֶעֱזוּזוֹ וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר עָשָֽׂה׃ | 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.
| וַיָּקֶם עֵדוּת ׀ בְּֽיַעֲקֹב וְתוֹרָה שָׂם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהוֹדִיעָם לִבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 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
| לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ ׀ דּוֹר אַחֲרוֹן בָּנִים יִוָּלֵדוּ יָקֻמוּ וִֽיסַפְּרוּ לִבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 6 |
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
| וְיָשִׂימוּ בֵֽאלֹהִים כִּסְלָם וְלֹא יִשְׁכְּחוּ מַֽעַלְלֵי־אֵל וּמִצְוֺתָיו יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ | 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.
| וְלֹא יִהְיוּ ׀ כַּאֲבוֹתָם דּוֹר סוֹרֵר וּמֹרֶה דּוֹר לֹא־הֵכִין לִבּוֹ וְלֹא־נֶאֶמְנָה אֶת־אֵל רוּחֽוֹ׃ | 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.
| בְּֽנֵי־אֶפְרַיִם נוֹשְׁקֵי רוֹמֵי־קָשֶׁת הָפְכוּ בְּיוֹם קְרָֽב׃ | 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.
| לֹא שָׁמְרוּ בְּרִית אֱלֹהִים וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ מֵאֲנוּ לָלֶֽכֶת׃ | 10 |
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
| וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ עֲלִילוֹתָיו וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָֽם׃ | 11 |
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
| נֶגֶד אֲבוֹתָם עָשָׂה פֶלֶא בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׂדֵה־צֹֽעַן׃ | 12 |
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
| בָּקַע יָם וַיַּֽעֲבִירֵם וַֽיַּצֶּב־מַיִם כְּמוֹ־נֵֽד׃ | 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].
| וַיַּנְחֵם בֶּעָנָן יוֹמָם וְכָל־הַלַּיְלָה בְּאוֹר אֵֽשׁ׃ | 14 |
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
| יְבַקַּע צֻרִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיַּשְׁקְ כִּתְהֹמוֹת רַבָּֽה׃ | 15 |
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
| וַיּוֹצִא נוֹזְלִים מִסָּלַע וַיּוֹרֶד כַּנְּהָרוֹת מָֽיִם׃ | 16 |
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
| וַיּוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד לַחֲטֹא־לוֹ לַֽמְרוֹת עֶלְיוֹן בַּצִּיָּֽה׃ | 17 |
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
| וַיְנַסּוּ־אֵל בִּלְבָבָם לִֽשְׁאָל־אֹכֶל לְנַפְשָֽׁם׃ | 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.
| וַֽיְדַבְּרוּ בֵּֽאלֹהִים אָמְרוּ הֲיוּכַל אֵל לַעֲרֹךְ שֻׁלְחָן בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | 19 |
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
| הֵן הִכָּה־צוּר ׀ וַיָּזוּבוּ מַיִם וּנְחָלִים יִשְׁטֹפוּ הֲגַם־לֶחֶם יוּכַל תֵּת אִם־יָכִין שְׁאֵר לְעַמּֽוֹ׃ | 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]
| לָכֵן ׀ שָׁמַע יְהוָה וַֽיִּתְעַבָּר וְאֵשׁ נִשְּׂקָה בְיַעֲקֹב וְגַם־אַף עָלָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | 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]
| כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ בֵּאלֹהִים וְלֹא בָטְחוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃ | 22 |
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
| וַיְצַו שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל וְדַלְתֵי שָׁמַיִם פָּתָֽח׃ | 23 |
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
| וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם מָן לֶאֱכֹל וּדְגַן־שָׁמַיִם נָתַן לָֽמוֹ׃ | 24 |
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
| לֶחֶם אַבִּירִים אָכַל אִישׁ צֵידָה שָׁלַח לָהֶם לָשֹֽׂבַע׃ | 25 |
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
| יַסַּע קָדִים בַּשָּׁמָיִם וַיְנַהֵג בְּעֻזּוֹ תֵימָֽן׃ | 26 |
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
| וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם כֶּעָפָר שְׁאֵר וּֽכְחוֹל יַמִּים עוֹף כָּנָֽף׃ | 27 |
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
| וַיַּפֵּל בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֵהוּ סָבִיב לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָֽיו׃ | 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.
| וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׂבְּעוּ מְאֹד וְתַֽאֲוָתָם יָבִא לָהֶֽם׃ | 29 |
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
| לֹא־זָרוּ מִתַּאֲוָתָם עוֹד אָכְלָם בְּפִיהֶֽם׃ | 30 |
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
| וְאַף אֱלֹהִים ׀ עָלָה בָהֶם וַֽיַּהֲרֹג בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּיהֶם וּבַחוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִכְרִֽיעַ׃ | 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.
| בְּכָל־זֹאת חָֽטְאוּ־עוֹד וְלֹֽא־הֶאֱמִינוּ בְּנִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃ | 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].
| וַיְכַל־בַּהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶם וּשְׁנוֹתָם בַּבֶּהָלָֽה׃ | 33 |
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
| אִם־הֲרָגָם וּדְרָשׁוּהוּ וְשָׁבוּ וְשִֽׁחֲרוּ־אֵֽל׃ | 34 |
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
| וַֽיִּזְכְּרוּ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִים צוּרָם וְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן גֹּאֲלָֽם׃ | 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.
| וַיְפַתּוּהוּ בְּפִיהֶם וּבִלְשׁוֹנָם יְכַזְּבוּ־לֽוֹ׃ | 36 |
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
| וְלִבָּם לֹא־נָכוֹן עִמּוֹ וְלֹא נֶאֶמְנוּ בִּבְרִיתֽוֹ׃ | 37 |
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
| וְהוּא רַחוּם ׀ יְכַפֵּר עָוֺן וְֽלֹא־יַשְׁחִית וְהִרְבָּה לְהָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ וְלֹֽא־יָעִיר כָּל־חֲמָתֽוֹ׃ | 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].
| וַיִּזְכֹּר כִּי־בָשָׂר הֵמָּה רוּחַ הוֹלֵךְ וְלֹא יָשֽׁוּב׃ | 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.
| כַּמָּה יַמְרוּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּר יַעֲצִיבוּהוּ בִּֽישִׁימֽוֹן׃ | 40 |
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
| וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיְנַסּוּ אֵל וּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְווּ׃ | 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.
| לֹא־זָכְרוּ אֶת־יָדוֹ יוֹם אֲֽשֶׁר־פָּדָם מִנִּי־צָֽר׃ | 42 |
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
| אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם בְּמִצְרַיִם אֹֽתוֹתָיו וּמוֹפְתָיו בִּשְׂדֵה־צֹֽעַן׃ | 43 |
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
| וַיַּהֲפֹךְ לְדָם יְאֹרֵיהֶם וְנֹזְלֵיהֶם בַּל־יִשְׁתָּיֽוּן׃ | 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.
| יְשַׁלַּח בָּהֶם עָרֹב וַיֹּאכְלֵם וּצְפַרְדֵּעַ וַתַּשְׁחִיתֵֽם׃ | 45 |
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
| וַיִּתֵּן לֶחָסִיל יְבוּלָם וִֽיגִיעָם לָאַרְבֶּֽה׃ | 46 |
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
| יַהֲרֹג בַּבָּרָד גַּפְנָם וְשִׁקְמוֹתָם בַּֽחֲנָמַֽל׃ | 47 |
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
| וַיַּסְגֵּר לַבָּרָד בְּעִירָם וּמִקְנֵיהֶם לָרְשָׁפִֽים׃ | 48 |
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
| יְשַׁלַּח־בָּם ׀ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ עֶבְרָה וָזַעַם וְצָרָה מִשְׁלַחַת מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִֽים׃ | 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].
| יְפַלֵּס נָתִיב לְאַפּוֹ לֹא־חָשַׂךְ מִמָּוֶת נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם לַדֶּבֶר הִסְגִּֽיר׃ | 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.
| וַיַּךְ כָּל־בְּכוֹר בְּמִצְרָיִם רֵאשִׁית אוֹנִים בְּאָהֳלֵי־חָֽם׃ | 51 |
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
| וַיַּסַּע כַּצֹּאן עַמּוֹ וַֽיְנַהֲגֵם כַּעֵדֶר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ | 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.
| וַיַּנְחֵם לָבֶטַח וְלֹא פָחָדוּ וְאֶת־אוֹיְבֵיהֶם כִּסָּה הַיָּֽם׃ | 53 |
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
| וַיְבִיאֵם אֶל־גְּבוּל קָדְשׁוֹ הַר־זֶה קָנְתָה יְמִינֽוֹ׃ | 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].
| וַיְגָרֶשׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶם ׀ גּוֹיִם וַֽיַּפִּילֵם בְּחֶבֶל נַחֲלָה וַיַּשְׁכֵּן בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | 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.
| וַיְנַסּוּ וַיַּמְרוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן וְעֵדוֹתָיו לֹא שָׁמָֽרוּ׃ | 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.
| וַיִּסֹּגוּ וַֽיִּבְגְּדוּ כַּאֲבוֹתָם נֶהְפְּכוּ כְּקֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּֽה׃ | 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].
| וַיַּכְעִיסוּהוּ בְּבָמוֹתָם וּבִפְסִילֵיהֶם יַקְנִיאֽוּהוּ׃ | 58 |
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
| שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים וַֽיִּתְעַבָּר וַיִּמְאַס מְאֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | 59 |
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
| וַיִּטֹּשׁ מִשְׁכַּן שִׁלוֹ אֹהֶל שִׁכֵּן בָּאָדָֽם׃ | 60 |
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
| וַיִּתֵּן לַשְּׁבִי עֻזּוֹ וְֽתִפְאַרְתּוֹ בְיַד־צָֽר׃ | 61 |
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
| וַיַּסְגֵּר לַחֶרֶב עַמּוֹ וּבְנַחֲלָתוֹ הִתְעַבָּֽר׃ | 62 |
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
| בַּחוּרָיו אָֽכְלָה־אֵשׁ וּבְתוּלֹתָיו לֹא הוּלָּֽלוּ׃ | 63 |
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
| כֹּהֲנָיו בַּחֶרֶב נָפָלוּ וְאַלְמְנֹתָיו לֹא תִבְכֶּֽינָה׃ | 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.
| וַיִּקַץ כְּיָשֵׁן ׀ אֲדֹנָי כְּגִבּוֹר מִתְרוֹנֵן מִיָּֽיִן׃ | 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].
| וַיַּךְ־צָרָיו אָחוֹר חֶרְפַּת עוֹלָם נָתַן לָֽמוֹ׃ | 66 |
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
| וַיִּמְאַס בְּאֹהֶל יוֹסֵף וּֽבְשֵׁבֶט אֶפְרַיִם לֹא בָחָֽר׃ | 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].
| וַיִּבְחַר אֶת־שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה אֶֽת־הַר צִיּוֹן אֲשֶׁר אָהֵֽב׃ | 68 |
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
| וַיִּבֶן כְּמוֹ־רָמִים מִקְדָּשׁוֹ כְּאֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | 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.
| וַיִּבְחַר בְּדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ מִֽמִּכְלְאֹת צֹֽאן׃ | 70 |
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
| מֵאַחַר עָלוֹת הֱבִיאוֹ לִרְעוֹת בְּיַעֲקֹב עַמּוֹ וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל נַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃ | 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.
| וַיִּרְעֵם כְּתֹם לְבָבוֹ וּבִתְבוּנוֹת כַּפָּיו יַנְחֵֽם׃ | 72 |
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
