Psalmorum 78
1 Intellectus Asaph. Attendite popule meus legem meam: inclinate aurem vestram in verba oris mei.
A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. Listen to what I have to teach you, my people; hear what I have to say.
2 Aperiam in parabolis os meum: loquar propositiones ab initio.
I will tell you wise sayings; I will explain mysteries from the past
3 Quanta audivimus et cognovimus ea: et patres nostri narraverunt nobis.
that we have heard before and reflected on; stories our forefathers passed down to us.
4 Non sunt occultata a filiis eorum, in generatione altera. Narrantes laudes Domini, et virtutes eius, et mirabilia eius quæ fecit.
We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about God's marvelous actions—about his power and the amazing things he has done.
5 Et suscitavit testimonium in Iacob: et legem posuit in Israel. Quanta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filiis suis:
He gave his laws to the descendants of Jacob; his instructions to the people of Israel. He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children,
6 ut cognoscat generatio altera. Filii qui nascentur, et exurgent, et narrabunt filiis suis,
so that the next generation—children yet to be born—would understand and grow up to teach their children.
7 Ut ponant in Deo spem suam, et non obliviscantur operum Dei: et mandata eius exquirant.
In this way they should place their trust in God and not forget what God has done, and keep his commandments.
8 Ne fiant sicut patres eorum: generatio prava et exasperans. Generatio, quæ non direxit cor suum: et non est creditus cum Deo spiritus eius.
Then they would not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation that was untrustworthy and unfaithful.
9 Filii Ephrem intendentes et mittentes arcum: conversi sunt in die belli.
The soldiers of Ephraim, though armed with bows, ran away on the day of battle.
10 Non custodierunt testamentum Dei, et in lege eius noluerunt ambulare.
They did not keep God's agreement, and refused to follow his laws.
11 Et obliti sunt benefactorum eius, et mirabilium eius quæ ostendit eis.
They ignored what he had done, and the amazing things he had shown them—
12 Coram patribus eorum fecit mirabilia in terra Ægypti, in campo Taneos.
the miracles he had performed for their forefathers near Zoan in Egypt.
13 Interrupit mare, et perduxit eos: et statuit aquas quasi in utre.
He split the sea in two and led them through, making the water stand like walls on either side.
14 Et deduxit eos in nube diei: et tota nocte in illuminatione ignis.
He led them with a cloud by day, and by night with a light of fire.
15 Interrupit petram in eremo: et adaquavit eos velut in abysso multa.
He split open rocks in the desert to give his people plenty to drink, water as deep as the ocean.
16 Et eduxit aquam de petra: et deduxit tamquam flumina aquas.
He made streams flow from the stone; water rushing down like rivers!
17 Et apposuerunt adhuc peccare ei: in iram excitaverunt Excelsum in inaquoso.
But they repeatedly sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 Et tentaverunt Deum in cordibus suis: ut peterent escas animabus suis.
They deliberately provoked God by demanding the foods they longed for.
19 Et male locuti sunt de Deo: dixerunt: Numquid poterit Deus parare mensam in deserto?
They insulted God by saying, “Can God provide food here in the desert?
20 Quoniam percussit petram, et fluxerunt aquæ, et torrentes inundaverunt. Numquid et panem poterit dare, aut parare mensam populo suo?
Yes, he can strike a rock so that water gushes out like flowing rivers, but can he give us bread? Can he supply his people with meat?”
21 Ideo audivit Dominus, et distulit: et ignis accensus est in Iacob, et ira ascendit in Israel:
When he heard this, the Lord became very angry, burning like fire against the descendants of Jacob, furious with the people of Israel,
22 Quia non crediderunt in Deo, nec speraverunt in salutari eius:
for they didn't believe in God and didn't trust him to take care of them.
23 Et mandavit nubibus desuper, et ianuas cæli aperuit.
Even so he commanded the skies above and the doors of heaven to open,
24 Et pluit illis manna ad manducandum, et panem cæli dedit eis.
and he made manna rain down on them to eat, giving them bread from heaven.
25 Panem angelorum manducavit homo: cibaria misit eis in abundantia.
Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them more than enough food.
26 Transtulit Austrum de cælo: et induxit in virtute sua Africum.
He sent the east wind blowing across the sky; by his power he drove the south wind.
27 Et pluit super eos sicut pulverem carnes, et sicut arenam maris volatilia pennata.
He rained down meat on them as plentiful as dust; birds as numerous as sand on a beach.
28 Et ceciderunt in medio castrorum eorum: circa tabernacula eorum.
He made them fall right in the middle of their camp, all around where they were living.
29 Et manducaverunt et saturati sunt nimis, et desiderium eorum attulit eis:
They ate until they were full. He gave them the food they longed for.
30 non sunt fraudati a desiderio suo. Adhuc escæ eorum erant in ore ipsorum,
But before they satisfied their appetite, while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 et ira Dei ascendit super eos. Et occidit pingues eorum, et electos Israel impedivit.
God became angry with them and he killed their strongest men, striking them down in the prime of life.
32 In omnibus his peccaverunt adhuc: et non crediderunt in mirabilibus eius.
Despite all this they went right on sinning. Despite the miracles, they refused to trust him.
33 Et defecerunt in vanitate dies eorum: et anni eorum cum festinatione.
So he snuffed out their futile lives, bringing them to an end in terror.
34 Cum occideret eos, quærebant eum: et revertebantur, et diluculo veniebant ad eum.
When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
35 Et rememorati sunt quia Deus adiutor est eorum: et Deus excelsus redemptor eorum est.
They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Savior.
36 Et dilexerunt eum in ore suo, et lingua sua mentiti sunt ei:
They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
37 Cor autem eorum non erat rectum cum eo: nec fideles habiti sunt in testamento eius.
Deep down they were not sincere, and did not keep the agreement they had with him.
38 Ipse autem est misericors, et propitius fiet peccatis eorum: et non disperdet eos. Et abundavit ut averteret iram suam: et non accendit omnem iram suam:
But being compassionate he pardoned their guilt and did not destroy all of them. He often held back his anger—he did not pour out all his fury.
39 Et recordatus est quia caro sunt: spiritus vadens, et non rediens.
He remembered their mortality—that they were like a puff of wind that would not return.
40 Quoties exacerbaverunt eum in deserto, in iram concitaverunt eum in inaquoso?
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
41 Et conversi sunt, et tentaverunt Deum: et sanctum Israel exacerbaverunt.
Again and again they provoked God, causing pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 Non sunt recordati manus eius, die qua redemit eos de manu tribulantis,
They did not remember his strength when he rescued them from their oppressors,
43 Sicut posuit in Ægypto signa sua, et prodigia sua in campo Taneos.
performing miracles in Egypt, doing wonderful things on the plain of Zoan.
44 Et convertit in sanguinem flumina eorum, et imbres eorum, ne biberent.
There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.
45 Misit in eos cœnomyiam, et comedit eos: et ranam, et disperdidit eos.
He sent flies among them to destroy them, and frogs to ruin everything.
46 Et dedit ærugini fructus eorum: et labores eorum locustæ.
He gave their crops to locusts; everything they worked had for was taken by locusts.
47 Et occidit in grandine vineas eorum: et moros eorum in pruina.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their fig trees with freezing rain.
48 Et tradidit grandini iumenta eorum: et possessionem eorum igni.
He handed over their cattle to hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
49 Misit in eos iram indignationis suæ: indignationem, et iram, et tribulationem: immissiones per angelos malos.
He poured out on them his fierce anger—rage and hostility and anguish—sending a band of destroying angels against them.
50 Viam fecit semitæ iræ suæ, non pepercit a morte animabus eorum: et iumenta eorum in morte conclusit.
He sent his unrestrained anger against them; he did not spare them from death, handing them over to the plague.
51 Et percussit omne primogenitum in terra Ægypti: primitias omnis laboris eorum in tabernaculis Cham.
He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the first to be conceived in the tents of Ham.
52 Et abstulit sicut oves populum suum: et perduxit eos tamquam gregem in deserto.
But he led out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.
53 Et deduxit eos in spe, et non timuerunt: et inimicos eorum operuit mare.
He led them to safety, and they were not afraid. He drowned their enemies in the sea.
54 Et induxit eos in montem sanctificationis suæ, montem, quem acquisivit dextera eius. Et eiecit a facie eorum Gentes: et sorte divisit eis terram in funiculo distributionis.
He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountainous land that he had conquered for them.
55 Et habitare fecit in tabernaculis eorum tribus Israel.
He drove out the heathen nations before them. He divided up the land for them to own. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Et tentaverunt, et exacerbaverunt Deum excelsum: et testimonia eius non custodierunt.
But they provoked God Most High, rebelling against him. They did not follow what he had told them.
57 Et averterunt se, et non servaverunt pactum: quemadmodum patres eorum, conversi sunt in arcum pravum.
Just like their forefathers they turned away from God and were unfaithful to him, as twisted as a defective bow.
58 In iram concitaverunt eum in collibus suis: et in sculptilibus suis ad æmulationem eum provocaverunt.
They made him angry with their pagan high places of worship; they made him jealous with their idols.
59 Audivit Deus, et sprevit: et ad nihilum redegit valde Israel.
When God heard their worship he became furious and he totally rejected Israel.
60 Et repulit tabernaculum Silo, tabernaculum suum, ubi habitavit in hominibus.
He abandoned his place at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he lived among the people.
61 Et tradidit in captivitatem virtutem eorum: et pulchritudinem eorum in manus inimici.
He surrendered the Ark of his power, allowing it to be captured; handing it over into enemy hands.
62 Et conclusit in gladio populum suum: et hereditatem suam sprevit.
He handed over his people to be slaughtered by the sword; he was furious with his chosen people.
63 Iuvenes eorum comedit ignis: et virgines eorum non sunt lamentatæ.
Their young men were destroyed by fire; their young women had no wedding songs.
64 Sacerdotes eorum in gladio ceciderunt: et viduæ eorum non plorabantur.
Their priests were killed by the sword; their widows were unable to mourn.
65 Et excitatus est tamquam dormiens Dominus, tamquam potens crapulatus a vino.
Then the Lord woke up as if from sleep, as a warrior sobering up from drinking wine.
66 Et percussit inimicos suos in posteriora: opprobrium sempiternum dedit illis.
He defeated his enemies, striking them on the back, causing them everlasting shame.
67 Et repulit tabernaculum Ioseph: et tribum Ephraim non elegit:
He rejected the descendants of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 Sed elegit tribum Iuda, montem Sion quem dilexit.
Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion which he loves.
69 Et ædificavit sicut unicornium sanctificium suum in terra, quam fundavit in sæcula.
There he built his sanctuary, high like the heavens, on earth that he made to last forever.
70 Et elegit David servum suum, et sustulit eum de gregibus ovium: de post fœtantes accepit eum.
He chose his servant David, taking him from the sheep pens,
71 Pascere Iacob servum suum, et Israel hereditatem suam:
taking him from caring for the sheep and lambs to be a shepherd to the descendants of Jacob—God's special people, Israel.
72 Et pavit eos in innocentia cordis sui: et in intellectibus manuum suarum deduxit eos.
Like a shepherd, he took care of them with sincere devotion, leading them with skillful hands.
