Abụ Ọma 78
1 Abụ maskil nke Asaf. Ndị m, nụrụnụ ihe m na-ezi; geenụ ntị nʼokwu ọnụ m.
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 Aga m eji ilu malite okwu m, aga m ekwu ọtụtụ ihe omimi, ihe ndị sitere na mgbe ochie;
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 ihe ndị anyị nụrụla, marakwa, ihe ndị nna nna anyị ha gwara anyị.
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 Anyị agaghị ezonarị ụmụ anyị ihe ndị a, kama anyị ga-akọrọ ọgbọ nke na-abịa nʼihu akụkọ ịdị ike Onyenwe anyị, na ọrụ ebube ya, na ihe ịtụnanya niile o mere.
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 O nyere Jekọb iwu banyere ụkpụrụ ya, mekwaa ka iwu ahụ guzosie ike nʼIzrel, bụ nke ọ dọrọ nna nna anyị ha aka na ntị, ka ha kuziere ụmụ ha,
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 ka ọgbọ na-eso ha nwee ike mụta ya, ọ bụladị ọgbọ nke a ka amụbeghị, ndị nke ga-agwakwa ha ụmụ ha.
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 Mgbe ahụ, ha ga-atụkwasị Chineke obi ha, ma ghara ichefu ọrụ ya niile dị iche iche. Ha ga-edebekwa iwu ya niile.
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 Ha agakwaghị adị ka ndị nna nna ha, ọgbọ ndị nnupu isi na ndị isiike; ndị obi ha na-adịghị nʼebe Chineke nọ, ndị mmụọ ha na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi nye ya.
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 Ndị ikom Ifrem, nʼagbanyeghị na ha kwere ụta ha, chigharịrị azụ, gbaa ọsọ nʼụbọchị agha.
[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 Ha edebeghị ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke. Ha jụkwara ibi ndụ dịka iwu ya si dị.
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 Ha chefuru ihe o mere, ọrụ ịtụnanya o gosiri ha.
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 Chineke rụrụ ọrụ ebube ndị a nʼihu nna nna ha nʼala Ijipt na nʼọhịa Zoan.
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 O kewara oke osimiri, site nʼetiti ya dufee ha. O mere ka mmiri ahụ guzo ọtọ dịka mgbidi.
[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 O ji igwe ojii duo ha nʼije nʼehihie, jirikwa ìhè sitere nʼọkụ ahụ, duo ha ogologo abalị niile.
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 Ọ gbawara oke nkume dị nʼọzara, si otu a nye ha mmiri hiri nne, dịka a ga-asị na ọ bụ mmiri si nʼọtụtụ oke osimiri.
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 O mere ka mmiri iyi site na nkume gbapụta, mee ka mmiri rudata dịka osimiri.
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 Ha nọgidere na-emehie megide ya. Ha nupuru isi nʼọzara megide Onye kachasị ihe niile elu.
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 Ha kpachara anya nwaa Chineke ọnwụnwa, mgbe ha rịọrọ ya nri nke obi ha chọrọ.
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 Ha kwuhiere Chineke; jụọ ya ọnụ sị, “Chineke ọ pụrụ inye anyị ezi nri na mmiri ọṅụṅụ nʼọzara a?
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 Ọ bụ ezie na o tiri nkume ahụ ihe, mee ka mmiri sọpụta, mmiri iyi sọpụtara nʼebe o hiri nne, ma ọ pụrụ inye anyị nri? Ọ pụrụ inye ndị ya anụ?”
[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 Mgbe Onyenwe anyị nụrụ ihe ha kwuru, iwe were ya; ọkụ ya repịara Jekọb, iwe ọkụ ya biliri megide Izrel.
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 Nʼihi na ha ekwenyeghị na Chineke, maọbụ tụkwasị obi na nzọpụta ya.
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 Nʼagbanyeghị ihe ndị a, o nyere mbara eluigwe iwu meghekwa ọnụ ụzọ niile nke eluigwe.
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 O mere ka mánà zokwasị ndị mmadụ a dịka mmiri, ka ha rie. O nyere ha mkpụrụ ọka nke si nʼeluigwe.
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 Ndị mmadụ tara achịcha ndị mmụọ ozi. O zitere ha nri niile ha nwere ike iri.
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 O sitere nʼeluigwe tọpụ ikuku nke ọwụwa anyanwụ, o jikwa ike ya duo ikuku nke ndịda.
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 O zidatara ha anụ dị ukwuu dịka ọ bụ uzuzu, anụ ufe ọnụọgụgụ ha dịka ọnụọgụgụ aja dị nʼala ọnụ oke osimiri.
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 O mere ka ụmụ anụ ufe ndị a daara ha nʼala nʼetiti ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ha nakwa gburugburu ụlọ ikwu ha.
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 Ha riri ihe tutu ruo mgbe ha enwekwaghị ike iri ọzọ, nʼihi na o nyere ha ihe obi ha chọrọ.
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 Ha erisibeghị nri ahụ obi ha chọrọ, anụ ụfọdụ dịkwa ha nʼọnụ,
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 mgbe iwe Chineke biliri imegide ha; o tigburu ndị kachasị ike nʼetiti ha, tigbukwaa ụmụ okorobịa ndị Izrel.
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 Ma na-eleghị ihe ndị a anya, ha gakwara nʼihu na mmehie ha, jụkwa ikwere nʼọrụ ebube niile Onyenwe anyị rụrụ.
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 O mere ka ụbọchị ndụ ha bụrụ ihe efu. O mekwara ka afọ ha gwụsịa nʼobi ọlụlọ mmiri.
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 Mgbe ọbụla Chineke tigburu ha, ha na-achọ ya; ha na-alaghachi azụ, chọsie ya ike.
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 Ha na-echeta na Chineke bụ Oke nkume ha, na Chineke nke kachasị ihe niile elu bụrụ ha Onye Mgbapụta.
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 Ma mgbe ahụ, ha ga-eji naanị okwu efu fee ya ofufe, were ire ha na-aghara ya ụgha.
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 Obi ha ekwesịkwaghị ike nye ya. Ha ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi nye ọgbụgba ndụ ya.
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 Ma o meere ha ebere. Ọ gbaghara ha mmehie ha. Ọ laghị ha nʼiyi. Ọtụtụ oge ka o jidere iwe ya. Ọ kpalịkwaghị oke iwe ya.
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 Nʼihi na o chetara na ha bụ naanị anụ ahụ nke o kere eke, chetakwa na ha dịka ikuku nke na-adịghị alọghachi azụ mgbe ọ gabigasịrị.
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 Ọtụtụ oge ka ha nupuru isi megide ya nʼọzara; ha kpasuru ya iwe nʼala ahụ tọgbọrọ nʼefu.
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 Mgbe mgbe, ha nwara Chineke; ha kpasuru Onye Nsọ nke Izrel iwe.
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 Ha echetaghị ike ya, ụbọchị ahụ ọ gbapụtara ha site nʼaka ndị na-emegbu ha;
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 nʼụbọchị o gosipụtara ihe ịrịbama niile nʼala Ijipt, ọrụ ebube ya niile nʼọhịa Zoan.
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 O mere ka osimiri ha niile ghọọ ọbara. Ha enwekwaghị ike ịṅụ mmiri si na ha.
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 O zigakwara igwe ijiji nʼetiti ha, nke tara ha, zitekwa awọ nʼala ha, nke bibiri ha.
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 O zitekwara ụmụ ụkpana ndị tachapụrụ mkpụrụ a kụrụ nʼubi ha, zitekwa igurube nke ripịara ihe niile a gaara eweta dịka ihe ubi.
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 O ji oke mkpụrụ mmiri mebie osisi vaịnị ha, jirikwa igirigi jụrụ oke oyi bibie osisi sikamọ ha niile.
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 O weere ehi ha niile nyefee mkpụrụ mmiri, werekwa anụ ụlọ ha nyefee amụma egbe eluigwe.
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 O zipụrụ iwe ọkụ ya nʼetiti ha, oke iwe ya, na iwe ya, na mmeso nke iwe ya, ndị mmụọ ozi na-ebibi ihe na-eleghị anya nʼazụ.
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 O doziri ụzọ nke iwe ya ga-eso; o gbochighị ka ha ghara ịnwụ; kama o nyefere ndụ ha nʼaka ọrịa na-efe efe.
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 O tigburu nwa ọbụla e bụ ụzọ mụọ nʼala Ijipt, mkpụrụ mbụ nke ndị ikom nʼime ụlọ ikwu Ham.
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 Ma o dupụtara ndị nke ya dịka igwe atụrụ; o duuru ha dịka atụrụ gafee ọzara.
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 O duuru ha nʼudo, ụjọ atụkwaghị ha, ma osimiri kpuchigidere ndị iro ha.
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 Otu a ka o si duru ha bịaruo nʼoke ala nsọ ya, ala ugwu ugwu ahụ nke aka nri ya nwetara.
[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 Ọ chụpụrụ mba niile nʼihu ha, tụọ ala ha kesara ha dịka ihe nketa; o mere ka ebo niile nke Izrel biri nʼụlọ nke aka ha.
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 Ma ha nwara Chineke ọnwụnwa, nupu isi megide Onye kachasị ihe niile elu; ha edebeghị ụkpụrụ ya.
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 Dịka nna nna ha, ha bụ ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi, na ndị aghụghọ, ha dịka ụta a na-ekweghị nke ọma.
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 Nʼihi ebe nchụaja ha wuru, ha mere ka iwe wee ya; sitekwa nʼarụsị ha pịrị apị, ha kpaliri ekworo ya.
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 Mgbe Chineke nụrụ ha, iwe were ya nke ukwuu. Ọ jụrụ ndị Izrel kpamkpam.
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 Ọ gbakụtara ụlọ nzute ya nke dị na Shaịlo azụ, ụlọ ikwu ahụ ọ mara nʼetiti ndị mmadụ.
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 O nyefere igbe ọgbụgba ndụ ike ya ka a dọta ya nʼagha, o nyefekwara onye iro ahụ ebube ya nʼaka.
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 O kwere ka e gbuo ndị ya nʼagha; iwe ya dị ọkụ megide ihe nketa ya.
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 Ọkụ repịara ụmụ okorobịa ha, ọ dịkwaghị onye a gụụrụ egwu ọlụlụ di na nwunye, nʼetiti ụmụ agbọghọ ha;
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 E gburu ndị nchụaja ha nʼagha; ndị inyom ha ndị di ha nwụrụ enwekwaghị ike iru ụjụ.
[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 Mgbe ahụ, onyenwe anyị tetara dịka onye si nʼụra teta, dịka dike si nʼụra mmanya teta.
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 Ọ chụghachiri ndị iro ya azụ, mee ha ihe ihere nke ga-adịgide ruo ebighị ebi.
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 Ọ jụrụ ụlọ ikwu Josef, ọ họpụtaghị ebo Ifrem;
[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 ma ọ họọrọ ebo Juda, na ugwu Zayọn, nke ọ hụrụ nʼanya.
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 O wuru ụlọnsọ ya ka ọ dị ka ebe dị elu, dịka ụwa nke o mere ka o guzosie ike ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.
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 Ọ họpụtara Devid, ohu ya, kpọrọ ya site nʼọgba igwe atụrụ;
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 o si nʼebe ọ nọ na-azụ atụrụ kpọrọ ya, ka ọ bịa bụrụ onye na-azụ ndị ya Jekọb, na Izrel, ihe nketa ya dịka atụrụ.
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 Devid ji izuoke nke obi ya zụọ ha, aka nke maara ihe ọ na-eme ka o ji duo ha.
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
