Amahubo 78
1 Ihubo ka-Asafu Zwanini imfundiso yami, bantu bami; lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
A maskil of Asaph. My people, attend to my teaching: bend your ears to the words of my mouth,
2 Ngizavula umlomo wami ngemifanekiso, ngizakutsho izinto ezifihlekileyo, izinto zekadeni,
as I open my mouth in a poem on the riddling story of the past.
3 esakuzwayo lesikwaziyo esakutshelwa ngokhokho bethu.
What we have heard and known, and what our ancestors have told us,
4 Kasizukuzifihlela abantwana babo; sizasitshela isizukulwane esizayo ngemisebenzi emangalisayo kaThixo, amandla akhe, lemimangaliso aseyenzile.
we will not hide from their children. We will tell to the next generation the praises and might of the Lord, and the wonders that he has done.
5 Wamisela uJakhobe imithetho wabeka umlayo ko-Israyeli, walaya okhokho bethu ukuthi bawufundise abantwababo,
He set up a testimony in Jacob, a law he appointed in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to make known to their children,
6 ukuze aziwe yisizukulwane esilandelayo, kanye labantwana abazazalwa, kuthi labo batshele abantwababo.
that the next generation should know it, that the children yet to be born should arise and tell their children;
7 Yikho-ke bazabeka ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu njalo abasoze bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe kodwa bagcine imilayo yakhe.
that in God they might put their confidence, and not forget God’s works; but that they might keep his commandments,
8 Kabayikuba njengabokhokho babo ababeyisizukulwana esilobuqholo lesihlamukayo, onhliziyo zabo zazingazinikelanga kuNkulunkulu omoya yabo yayingathembekanga kuye.
and not be like their ancestors, a generation defiant and stubborn, a generation with heart unsteady, and spirit unfaithful towards God.
9 Amadoda ako-Efrayimi, loba ayehlomile ngemitshoko, afulathela mhla welanga lempi;
Ephraimites, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
10 kabasigcinanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuphila ngomthetho wakhe.
They did not keep God’s covenant, they refused to walk in his law.
11 Bakhohlwa lokho ayekwenzile, izimanga ayebatshengise zona.
They forgot what he had done, and the wonders he had shown them.
12 Wenza imimangaliso oyise bekhangele elizweni laseGibhithe, esigodini saseZowani.
He did wonders before their ancestors in the country of Zoan in Egypt.
13 Walwahlukanisa ulwandle wabahola bachapha; wenza amanzi ema aqina saka njengomduli.
Through the sea which he split he brought them, making waters stand up like a heap;
14 Wabahola ngeyezi emini njalo ngokukhanya komlilo ubusuku bonke.
he led them by day with a cloud, all the night with a light of fire.
15 Wawaqhekeza amadwala enkangala wabapha amanzi amanengi njengolwandle;
From the rocks which he split in the wilderness, he gave them to drink as of ocean’s abundance.
16 wantshazisa impophoma emadwaleni amawa wenza amanzi ageleza njengemifula.
He brought streams out of the rock, and made water run down like rivers.
17 Kodwa baqhubeka besona phambi kwakhe, bamhlamukela enkangala yena oPhezukonke.
Yet they still went on sinning against him, they defied the Most High in the desert.
18 Bamlinga uNkulunkulu ngabomo ngokucela ukudla ababekutshisekela.
They willfully challenged God, demanding the food that they longed for.
19 Bamchothoza uNkulunkulu besithi, “Kambe uNkulunkulu angendlala itafula lokudlela enkangala na?
“Is God able,” such was their challenge, “to spread in the desert a table?
20 Wathi lapho etshaya idwala, amanzi antshantshaza, kwageleza amanzi amanengi. Kodwa angasipha njalo lokudla na? Angabalethela inyama abantu bakhe na?”
From the rock that he struck there gushed water, and torrents that overflowed; but can he also give bread, or provide his people with meat?”
21 UThixo wathi ebezwa wathukuthela kakhulu; umlilo wakhe wavuthela kuJakhobe, ulaka lwakhe lwaqina ku-Israyeli,
When the Lord heard this, he was furious, and fire was kindled on Jacob, anger flared up against Israel.
22 ngoba kabamkholwanga uNkulunkulu njalo kabawathembanga amandla okuhlenga kwakhe.
For they put no trust in God, no confidence in his help.
23 Loba kunjalo walaya umkhathi ngaphezulu wavula iminyango yamazulu;
So he summoned the clouds above; and, opening the doors of heaven,
24 wanisa imana ukuthi badle abantu, wabapha amabele asezulwini.
he rained manna upon them for food, and grain of heaven he gave them.
25 Abantu badla isinkwa sezingilosi; wabathumela konke ukudla ababengakudla.
Everyone ate the bread of angels; he sent them food to the full.
26 Wawukhulula umoya wempumalanga uvela emazulwini, wawukhulula umoya weningizimu ngamandla akhe.
He launched the east wind in the heavens, and guided the south by his power.
27 Wanisela inyama kubo njengothuli, izinyoni eziphaphayo zaba njengetshebetshebe ogwini lolwandle.
He rained meat upon them like dust, winged bird like the sand of the sea.
28 Wazenza zehlela phakathi kwezihonqo zabo, indawana yonke emathenteni abo.
In the midst of their camp he dropped it, all around their tents.
29 Bazitika baze bakhangela, ngoba wayebaphe ababekade bekukhalela.
They ate and were more than filled; he had brought them the thing they desired.
30 Kodwa bengakakutshiyi lokho kudla ababekukhalela belokhu besakunambitha emilonyeni yabo,
But the thing they desired became loathsome: while their food was still in their mouths,
31 ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwavutha kubo; wabulala zona iziqwabalanda zabo, wawahemula amajaha ako-Israyeli.
the wrath of God rose against them. He slew the stoutest among them, and laid low the young men of Israel.
32 Phezu kwakho konke lokhu baqhubeka besona; phezu kwezimanga zakhe, kabazange bakholwe.
Yet for all this they sinned yet more, and refused to believe in his wonders.
33 Ngakho wenza insuku zabo zaphelela ezeni njalo leminyaka yabo yagcwala ukwesaba.
So he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden dismay.
34 Kwakusithi uNkulunkulu angababulala, bamdinge; baphendukele kuye njalo ngokutshiseka.
When he slew them, then they sought after him, they turned and sought God with diligence.
35 Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayelidwala labo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wayenguMhlengi wabo.
They remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Kodwa-ke kwakuyikumyenga ngemilomo yabo, beqamba amanga kuye ngendimi zabo;
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37 inhliziyo zabo zazingabambelelanga kuye, babengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
Their heart was not steady with him, they were faithless to his covenant.
38 Kodwa wayelesihawu; wazithethelela izono zabo kaze ababhubhisa. Isikhathi ngesikhathi waluthoba ulaka lwakhe akaze akuqubula konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
But he is full of pity: he pardons sin and destroys not. Often he turns his anger away, without stirring his wrath at all.
39 Wakhumbula ukuthi babeyinyama nje intshongolo eyedlulayo nje ingabe isabuya.
So he remembered that they were but flesh, breath that passes and does not return.
40 Kodwa ukuthi bamhlamukela kanengi njani enkangala, bamdabukisa egwaduleni!
But how often they rebelled in the desert, and caused him grief in the wilderness,
41 Baphindaphinda ukulinga uNkulunkulu; bamthukuthelisa oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
tempting God again and again, provoking the Holy One of Israel.
42 Kabawakhumbulanga amandla akhe usuku abakhulula ngalo kumncindezeli,
They did not remember his strength, nor the day he redeemed from the foe,
43 usuku lapho aveza khona izibonakaliso zakhe ezimangalisayo eGibhithe, izimanga zakhe esigodini saseZowani.
how he set his signs in Egypt, in the country of Zoan his wonders.
44 Waguqula imifula yabo yaba ligazi; behluleka ukunatha ezifuleni zabo.
He turned their canals into blood, their streams undrinkable.
45 Wathumela imihlambi yezibawu zabantinya, lamaxoxo ababhuqayo.
He sent forth flies, which devoured them; frogs, too, which destroyed them.
46 Amabele abo wawathela izintethe, izithelo zabo isikhongwane.
Their crops he gave to the caterpillar, and the fruits of their toil to the locust.
47 Wathintitha amavini abo ngesiqhotho lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore wayitshazisa ngongqwaqwane.
He slew their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 Inkomo zabo wazithela ngesiqhotho, izifuyo zabo zadliwa yizikhatha zombane.
He delivered their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.
49 Wabathululela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo, intukuthelo yakhe, ukucunuka lenzondo ixuku lezingilosi ezibhubhisayo.
He let loose his hot anger among them, fury and wrath and distress, a band of destroying angels.
50 Wayilungisa indlela yolaka lwakhe; kabaphephisanga ekufeni kodwa wabanikela emikhuhlaneni.
He cleared a path for his anger, did not spare them from death, but gave them over to pestilence.
51 Wawabulala wonke amazibulo aseGibhithe, izithelo zabo zokuqala zokuba ngamadoda emathenteni kaHamu.
He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Kodwa wabakhupha abantu bakhe njengomhlambi wezimvu; wabahola njengezimvu bedabula inkangala.
He led forth his people like sheep, he was guide to his flock in the desert.
53 Wabakhokhela ngonanzelelo, ngakho babengesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwazigubuzela izitha zabo.
Securely he led them, and free from fear, while their foes were drowned in the sea.
54 Kanjalo wabaletha emngceleni welizwe lakhe elingcwele, elizweni lamaqaqa ayelithethe ngesandla sakhe sokunene.
To his holy realm he brought them, to the mountain his right hand had purchased.
55 Wazixotsha izizwe phambi kwabo wabahlukanisela ilizwe lazo laba yilifa; wahlalisa izizwana zako-Israyeli emizini yazo.
He drove out the nations before them, and allotted their land for possession, and their tents for Israel to live in.
56 Kodwa bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamhlamukela oPhezukonke; kabayigcinanga imilayo yakhe.
Yet they tempted and angered the Most High God, they did not observe his decrees.
57 Njengabokhokho babo babengathembekanga bengakholwa, ungeke wathemba njengedandili elenziwe kubi.
They drew back, false like their ancestors; they failed like a treacherous bow.
58 Bamvusa ulaka ngezindawo zabo eziphezulu; baqubula ubukhwele bakhe ngezithombe zabo.
Their shrines stirred him to anger, their idols moved him to jealousy.
59 Wathi uNkulunkulu ngokukuzwa lokho, wathukuthela kakhulu; wamlahla qobo lokumlahla u-Israyeli.
When God heard of this, he was furious, and he spurned Israel utterly.
60 Walidela ithabanikeli lakhe eShilo, ithente ayelakhile phakathi kwabantu.
He abandoned his home in Shiloh, the tent he had pitched among people.
61 Umphongolo wakhe wamandla wawusa ekuthunjweni, inkazimulo yakhe ezandleni zesitha.
He gave his strength up to captivity, his glory to the hands of the foe.
62 Abantu bakhe wabanikela ukudliwa yinkemba; wayethukuthele kakhulu ngelifa lakhe.
He gave his people to the sword, he was furious with his own.
63 Umlilo waziqeda izinsizwa zabo, izintombi zabo zaswela izingoma zomtshado;
Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens had no marriage-song.
64 abaphristi babo babulawa ngenkemba, abafelokazi babo behluleka ukulila.
Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65 INkosi yasivuka njengokade esebuthongweni, njengomuntu ephaphama ekudakweni yiwayini.
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior flushed with wine;
66 Wazitshaya zahlehla izitha zakhe; waziyangisa okungapheliyo.
and he beat back his foes, putting them to perpetual scorn.
67 Khonapho-ke wawakhalala amathente kaJosefa, akaze asikhetha isizwana sika-Efrayimi;
He disowned the tent of Joseph, he rejected the tribe of Ephraim;
68 kodwa wakhetha isizwana sikaJuda, iNtaba iZiyoni ayeyithanda.
but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 Wakha indlu yakhe engcwele njengeziqongo, njengomhlaba awumisela ingunaphakade.
And he built like the heights his sanctuary, like the earth which he founded forever.
70 Wakhetha uDavida inceku yakhe wamthatha ezilugwini zezimvu;
And he chose David his servant, taking him from the sheepfolds.
71 wamsusa ekweluseni izimvu wamletha ukuba ngumelusi wabantu bakhe uJakhobe, baka-Israyeli ilifa lakhe.
From the mother-ewes he brought him, to be shepherd to Jacob his people, and to Israel his inheritance.
72 Njalo uDavida wabelusa ngobuqotho benhliziyo; wabakhokhela ngesandla sobungcitshi.
With upright heart did he shepherd them, and with skilful hands did he guide them.
