Psalmorum 78
1 intellectus Asaph adtendite populus meus legem meam inclinate aurem vestram in verba oris mei
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 aperiam in parabola os meum eloquar propositiones ab initio
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 quanta audivimus et cognovimus ea et patres nostri narraverunt nobis
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 non sunt occultata a filiis eorum in generationem alteram narrantes laudes Domini et virtutes eius et mirabilia eius quae fecit
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 et suscitavit testimonium in Iacob et legem posuit in Israhel quanta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filiis suis
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 ut cognoscat generatio altera filii qui nascentur et exsurgent et narrabunt filiis suis
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 ut ponant in Deo spem suam et non obliviscantur opera Dei et mandata eius exquirant
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 ne fiant sicut patres eorum generatio prava et exasperans generatio quae non direxit cor suum et non est creditus cum Deo spiritus eius
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 filii Effrem intendentes et mittentes arcus conversi sunt in die belli
[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 non custodierunt testamentum Dei et in lege eius noluerunt ambulare
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 et obliti sunt benefactorum eius et mirabilium eius quae ostendit eis
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 coram patribus eorum quae fecit mirabilia in terra Aegypti in campo Taneos
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 interrupit mare et perduxit eos statuit aquas quasi utrem
[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 et deduxit eos in nube diei et tota nocte in inluminatione ignis
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 interrupit petram in heremo et adaquavit eos velut in abysso multa
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 et eduxit aquam de petra et deduxit tamquam flumina aquas
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 et adposuerunt adhuc peccare ei in ira excitaverunt Excelsum in inaquoso
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 et temptaverunt Deum in cordibus suis ut peterent escas animabus suis
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 et male locuti sunt de Deo dixerunt numquid poterit Deus parare mensam in deserto
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 quoniam percussit petram et fluxerunt aquae et torrentes inundaverunt numquid et panem potest dare aut parare mensam populo suo
[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 ideo audivit Dominus et distulit et ignis accensus est in Iacob et ira ascendit in Israhel
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 quia non crediderunt in Deo nec speraverunt in salutare eius
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 et mandavit nubibus desuper et ianuas caeli aperuit
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 et pluit illis manna ad manducandum et panem caeli dedit eis
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 panem angelorum manducavit homo cibaria misit eis in abundantiam
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 transtulit austrum de caelo et induxit in virtute sua africum
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 et pluit super eos sicut pulverem carnes et sicut harenam maris volatilia pinnata
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 et ceciderunt in medio castrorum eorum circa tabernacula eorum
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 et manducaverunt et saturati sunt nimis et desiderium eorum adtulit eis
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 non sunt fraudati a desiderio suo adhuc escae eorum erant in ore ipsorum
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 et ira Dei ascendit in eos et occidit pingues eorum et electos Israhel inpedivit
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 in omnibus his peccaverunt adhuc et non crediderunt mirabilibus eius
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 et defecerunt in vanitate dies eorum et anni eorum cum festinatione
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 cum occideret eos quaerebant eum et revertebantur et diluculo veniebant ad Deum
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 et rememorati sunt quia Deus adiutor est eorum et Deus excelsus redemptor eorum est
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 et dilexerunt eum in ore suo et lingua sua mentiti sunt ei
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 cor autem ipsorum non erat rectum cum eo nec fideles habiti sunt in testamento eius
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 ipse autem est misericors et propitius fiet peccatis eorum et non perdet eos et abundabit ut avertat iram suam et non accendet omnem iram suam
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 et recordatus est quia caro sunt spiritus vadens et non rediens
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 quotiens exacerbaverunt eum in deserto in ira concitaverunt eum in inaquoso
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 et conversi sunt et temptaverunt Deum et Sanctum Israhel exacerbaverunt
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 non sunt recordati manus eius die qua redemit eos de manu tribulantis
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 sicut posuit in Aegypto signa sua et prodigia sua in campo Taneos
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 et convertit in sanguine flumina eorum et imbres eorum ne biberent
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 misit in eos cynomiam et comedit eos et ranam et disperdit eos
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 et dedit erugini fructus eorum et labores eorum lucustae
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 et occidit in grandine vineam eorum et moros eorum in pruina
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 et tradidit grandini iumenta eorum et possessionem eorum igni
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 misit in eos iram indignationis suae indignationem et iram et tribulationem inmissionem per angelos malos
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 viam fecit semitae irae suae non pepercit a morte animarum eorum et iumenta eorum in morte conclusit
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 et percussit omne primitivum in terra Aegypti primitias laborum eorum in tabernaculis Cham
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 et abstulit sicut oves populum suum et perduxit eos tamquam gregem in deserto
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 et deduxit eos in spe et non timuerunt et inimicos eorum operuit mare
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 et induxit eos in montem sanctificationis suae montem quem adquisivit dextera eius et eiecit a facie eorum gentes et sorte divisit eis terram in funiculo distributionis
[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 et habitare fecit in tabernaculis eorum tribus Israhel
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 et temptaverunt et exacerbaverunt Deum excelsum et testimonia eius non custodierunt
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 et averterunt se et non servaverunt pactum quemadmodum patres eorum conversi sunt in arcum pravum
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 et in ira concitaverunt eum in collibus suis et in sculptilibus suis ad aemulationem eum provocaverunt
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 audivit Deus et sprevit et ad nihilum redegit valde Israhel
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 et reppulit tabernaculum Selo tabernaculum suum ubi habitavit in hominibus
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 et tradidit in captivitatem virtutem eorum et pulchritudinem eorum in manus inimici
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 et conclusit in gladio populum suum et hereditatem suam sprevit
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 iuvenes eorum comedit ignis et virgines eorum non sunt lamentatae
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 sacerdotes eorum in gladio ceciderunt et viduae eorum non plorabuntur
[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 et excitatus est tamquam dormiens Dominus tamquam potens crapulatus a vino
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 et percussit inimicos suos in posteriora obprobrium sempiternum dedit illis
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 et reppulit tabernaculum Ioseph et tribum Effrem non elegit
[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 et elegit tribum Iuda montem Sion quem dilexit
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 et aedificavit sicut unicornium sanctificium suum in terra quam fundavit in saecula
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 et elegit David servum suum et sustulit eum de gregibus ovium de post fetantes accepit eum
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 pascere Iacob servum suum et Israhel hereditatem suam
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 et pavit eos in innocentia cordis sui et in intellectibus manuum suarum deduxit eos
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
