Zabbuli 78
1 Oluyimba lwa Asafu. Muwulire okuyigiriza kwange mmwe abantu bange, musseeyo omwoyo ku bye njogera.
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 Ndyogerera mu ngero, njogere ebintu eby’ekyama ebyaliwo edda,
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 ebintu bye twawulira ne tumanya; ebintu bajjajjaffe bye baatutegeeza.
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 Tetuubikisenga baana baabwe, naye tunaabuuliranga buli mulembe ogunnaddangawo ebikolwa bya Mukama eby’ekitalo, n’amaanyi ge n’ebyamagero bye yakola.
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 Yawa Yakobo ebiragiro, n’ateeka amateeka mu Isirayiri; n’alagira bajjajjaffe babiyigirizenga abaana baabwe,
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 ab’omu mulembe oguliddirira nabo babimanye, n’abaana abalizaalibwa, nabo babiyigirize abaana baabwe,
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 balyoke beesigenga Katonda, era balemenga okwerabira ebyo byonna Katonda bye yakola; naye bagonderenga ebiragiro bye.
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 Baleme okuba nga bajjajjaabwe, omulembe ogw’abakakanyavu era abajeemu abatali bawulize, ab’emyoyo egitali myesigwa eri Katonda.
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 Abaana ba Efulayimu abaalina obusaale obw’okulwanyisa, naye ne badduka mu lutalo,
[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 tebaatuukiriza ndagaano ya Katonda; ne bagaana okugondera amateeka ga Mukama.
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 Beerabira ebyo bye yakola, n’ebyamagero bye yabalaga.
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 Yakola ebyamagero mu maaso ga bajjajjaabwe nga bali mu nsi y’e Misiri, mu kitundu kya Zowani.
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 Ennyanja yajaawulamu, amazzi ne geetuuma ebbali n’ebbali ng’ebisenge.
[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 Emisana yabakulemberanga n’ekire, n’ekiro n’abakulemberanga n’empagi ey’omuliro.
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 Yayasa enjazi mu ddungu, n’abawa amazzi amangi agaali ng’agava mu buziba bw’ennyanja.
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 Yaggya ensulo mu lwazi, n’akulukusa amazzi ng’emigga.
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 Naye bo ne beeyongera bweyongezi okwonoona, ne bajeemera Oyo Ali Waggulu Ennyo nga bali mu ddungu.
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 Ne bagezesa Katonda mu bugenderevu, nga bamusaba emmere gye baalulunkanira.
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 Era ne boogera ku Katonda; nga bagamba nti, “Katonda asobola okutuliisiza mu ddungu?
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 Weewaawo yakuba olwazi, amazzi ne gakulukuta ng’emigga; naye anaatuwa emmere? Anaawa abantu be ennyama?”
[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 Awo Mukama bwe yawulira ebyo n’asunguwala nnyo; omuliro gwe ne gwaka ku Yakobo, n’obusungu bwe ne bubuubuukira ku Isirayiri.
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 Kubanga tebakkiriza Katonda, era tebeesiga maanyi ge agalokola.
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 Naye era n’alagira eggulu; n’aggulawo enzigi z’omu ggulu.
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 N’abaweereza maanu okuva mu ggulu balye. Yabawa emmere eyava mu ggulu.
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 Abantu ne balya emmere ya bamalayika; Mukama n’abawanga emmere nnyingi eyabamaliranga ddala.
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 N’akunsa empewo ey’Ebuvanjuba okuva mu ggulu, era n’aweereza empewo okuva obukiika obwaddyo n’amaanyi ge.
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 Yatonnyesa ennyama okuva mu ggulu ennyingi ennyo ng’enfuufu; n’abaweereza n’obunyonyi enkumu ennyo ng’omusenyu gw’okulubalama lw’ennyanja.
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 Ebyokulya ebyo n’abisuula wakati mu lusiisira lwabwe; okwetooloola eweema zaabwe.
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 Awo ne balya ne bakkuta nnyo; kubanga yabawa kye baali bayaayaanira.
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 Naye bwe baali nga bakyalulunkana, nga n’emmere ekyali mu kamwa kaabwe,
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 obusungu bwa Mukama ne bubabuubuukirako, n’abattamu abasajja abasinga amaanyi; abavubuka ba Isirayiri ne bazikirizibwa.
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 Naye newaakubadde ebyo byonna byabatuukako, kyokka beeyongera okwonoona; newaakubadde nga yabakolera ebyamagero, naye tebakkiriza.
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 Mukama kyeyava asala ku myaka gyabwe, n’abaleetako okuzikirizibwa okw’amangu era okw’entiisa.
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 Bwe yattanga abamu ku bo, ne balyoka bamunoonya, ne beenenya ne badda gy’ali.
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 Ne bajjukira nti Katonda lwe Lwazi lwabwe; era nti Katonda Ali Waggulu Ennyo ye Mununuzi waabwe.
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 Kyokka baamuwaananga n’emimwa gyabwe, nga bwe bamulimba n’ennimi zaabwe,
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 so tebaali beesigwa mu mitima gyabwe, era nga tebatuukiriza ndagaano ye.
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 Naye ye n’abakwatirwanga ekisa n’abasonyiwanga, n’atabazikiriza; emirundi n’emirundi ng’akoma ku busungu bwe, n’atabamalirako kiruyi kye okubazikiririza ddala.
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 Yajjukira nga baali mubiri bubiri; ng’empewo egenda n’etedda!
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 Baamujeemeranga nnyo bwe baali mu ddungu; ne banakuwaza nnyo omutima gwe.
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 Ne baddamu ne bakema Katonda, ne banyiiza Omutukuvu wa Isirayiri.
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 Tebajjukira buyinza bwe; wadde olunaku lwe yabanunulirako mu mikono gy’omulabe;
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 bwe yalaga obubonero bwe mu Misiri, n’ebyamagero bye mu kitundu kya Zowani,
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 yafuula amazzi g’emigga gyabwe omusaayi, ne batanywa mazzi gaagyo.
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 Yabaweereza agabinja g’ensowera ne zibaluma, n’abaweereza n’ebikere ne bibadaaza.
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 Ebirime n’ebibala byabwe yabiwa enzige ne bulusejjera.
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 Yazikiriza emizabbibu gyabwe n’omuzira, era ne gukuba n’emisukomooli gyabwe.
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 Yatta ente zaabwe n’amayinja g’omuzira; n’ebisibo byabwe ne bittibwa eraddu.
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 Obusungu bwe obungi bwababuubuukirako, n’ekiruyi kye n’obukambwe ne bibamalamu ensa. N’alyoka abasindikira ekibinja kya bamalayika okubazikiriza.
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 Yabalaga obusungu bwe, n’atabasonyiwa kufa, n’abasindikira kawumpuli.
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 Yatta ababereberye bonna ab’omu Misiri, nga be bavubuka ab’ebibala ebibereberye eby’omu nnyumba ya Kaamu.
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 N’alyoka afulumya abantu be ng’endiga, n’abatambuza mu ddungu ng’ekisibo.
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 N’abaluŋŋamya mu mirembe nga tebatya, ennyanja n’esaanyaawo abalabe baabwe.
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 N’abatuusa ku nsalo y’ensi entukuvu; ku lusozi lwe yeewangulira, n’omukono gwe ogwa ddyo.
[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 Yagobamu amawanga nga balaba, n’abagabanyiza ebitundu by’ensi eyo; n’atuuza bulungi ebika bya Isirayiri mu maka gaabyo.
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 Naye era ne bakema Katonda; ne bamujeemera oyo Ali Waggulu Ennyo, ne bagaana okugondera ebiragiro bye.
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 Ne bamuvaako ne baba bakuusa nga bajjajjaabwe bwe baali, ne baggwaamu obwesigwa ng’omutego gw’obusaale omukyamu.
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 Kubanga baasunguwaza Katonda olw’ebifo ebigulumivu bo bye beegunjira okusinzizangamu, ne bamukwasa obuggya olwa bakatonda baabwe abalala.
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 Katonda bwe yabiraba n’asunguwala nnyo, n’aviira ddala ku Isirayiri.
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 N’ava mu weema ey’omu Siiro, eweema mwe yabeeranga ng’ali mu bantu be.
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 N’awaayo amaanyi ge mu busibe, n’ekitiibwa kye n’akiwaayo eri omulabe.
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 Abantu be yabaleka ne battibwa n’ekitala, n’asunguwalira omugabo gwe.
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 Omuliro ne gusaanyaawo abavubuka baabwe abalenzi, ne bawala baabwe ne babulwa ow’okubawasa.
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 Bakabona baabwe battibwa n’ekitala, ne bannamwandu baabwe tebaasobola kubakungubagira.
[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 Awo Mukama n’alyoka agolokoka ng’ali nga ava mu tulo, ng’omusajja omuzira azuukuka mu tulo ng’atamidde.
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 N’akuba abalabe be ne badduka; n’abaswaza emirembe gyonna.
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 Mukama yaleka ennyumba ya Yusufu, n’ekika kya Efulayimu n’atakironda;
[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 naye n’alonda ekika kya Yuda, lwe lusozi Sayuuni lwe yayagala.
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 N’azimba awatukuvu we ne wagulumira ng’ensozi empanvu; ne waba ng’ensi gye yanyweza emirembe gyonna.
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 Yalonda Dawudi omuweereza we; n’amuggya mu kulunda endiga.
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 Ave mu kuliisa endiga, naye alundenga Yakobo, be bantu be, era alabirirenga Isirayiri omugabo gwe, gwe yeerondera.
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 N’abalabirira n’omutima ogutaliimu bukuusa, n’abakulembera n’amagezi g’emikono gye.
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
