Amahubo 78
1 Ihubo ka-Asafu Zwanini imfundiso yami, bantu bami; lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
A maschil of Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people, listen to the words of my mouth.
2 Ngizavula umlomo wami ngemifanekiso, ngizakutsho izinto ezifihlekileyo, izinto zekadeni,
I will open my mouth in parables; I will sing about hidden things about the past.
3 esakuzwayo lesikwaziyo esakutshelwa ngokhokho bethu.
These are things that we have heard and learned, things that our ancestors have told us.
4 Kasizukuzifihlela abantwana babo; sizasitshela isizukulwane esizayo ngemisebenzi emangalisayo kaThixo, amandla akhe, lemimangaliso aseyenzile.
We will not keep them from their descendants. We will tell the next generation about the praiseworthy deeds of Yahweh, his strength, and the wonders that he has done.
5 Wamisela uJakhobe imithetho wabeka umlayo ko-Israyeli, walaya okhokho bethu ukuthi bawufundise abantwababo,
For he established covenant decrees in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors that they were to teach them to their children.
6 ukuze aziwe yisizukulwane esilandelayo, kanye labantwana abazazalwa, kuthi labo batshele abantwababo.
He commanded this so that the generation to come might know his decrees, the children not yet born, who should tell them in turn to their own children.
7 Yikho-ke bazabeka ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu njalo abasoze bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe kodwa bagcine imilayo yakhe.
Then they would place their hope in God and not forget his deeds but keep his commandments.
8 Kabayikuba njengabokhokho babo ababeyisizukulwana esilobuqholo lesihlamukayo, onhliziyo zabo zazingazinikelanga kuNkulunkulu omoya yabo yayingathembekanga kuye.
Then they would not be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose hearts were not right, and whose spirits were not committed and faithful to God.
9 Amadoda ako-Efrayimi, loba ayehlomile ngemitshoko, afulathela mhla welanga lempi;
The Ephraimites were armed with bows, but they turned back on the day of battle.
10 kabasigcinanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuphila ngomthetho wakhe.
They did not keep the covenant with God, and they refused to obey his law.
11 Bakhohlwa lokho ayekwenzile, izimanga ayebatshengise zona.
They forgot his deeds, the wonderful things that he had shown them.
12 Wenza imimangaliso oyise bekhangele elizweni laseGibhithe, esigodini saseZowani.
They forgot the marvelous things he did in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the land of Zoan.
13 Walwahlukanisa ulwandle wabahola bachapha; wenza amanzi ema aqina saka njengomduli.
He divided the sea and led them across it; he made the waters to stand like walls.
14 Wabahola ngeyezi emini njalo ngokukhanya komlilo ubusuku bonke.
In the daytime he led them with a cloud and all the night with the light of fire.
15 Wawaqhekeza amadwala enkangala wabapha amanzi amanengi njengolwandle;
He split the rocks in the wilderness, and he gave them water abundantly, enough to fill the depths of the sea.
16 wantshazisa impophoma emadwaleni amawa wenza amanzi ageleza njengemifula.
He made streams flow out of the rock and made the water flow like rivers.
17 Kodwa baqhubeka besona phambi kwakhe, bamhlamukela enkangala yena oPhezukonke.
Yet they continued to sin against him, rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18 Bamlinga uNkulunkulu ngabomo ngokucela ukudla ababekutshisekela.
They challenged God in their hearts by asking for food to satisfy their appetites.
19 Bamchothoza uNkulunkulu besithi, “Kambe uNkulunkulu angendlala itafula lokudlela enkangala na?
They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really lay out a table for us in the wilderness?
20 Wathi lapho etshaya idwala, amanzi antshantshaza, kwageleza amanzi amanengi. Kodwa angasipha njalo lokudla na? Angabalethela inyama abantu bakhe na?”
See, when he struck the rock, waters gushed out and streams overflowed. But can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
21 UThixo wathi ebezwa wathukuthela kakhulu; umlilo wakhe wavuthela kuJakhobe, ulaka lwakhe lwaqina ku-Israyeli,
When Yahweh heard this, he was angry; so his fire burned against Jacob, and his anger attacked Israel,
22 ngoba kabamkholwanga uNkulunkulu njalo kabawathembanga amandla okuhlenga kwakhe.
because they did not believe in God and did not trust in his salvation.
23 Loba kunjalo walaya umkhathi ngaphezulu wavula iminyango yamazulu;
Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of the sky.
24 wanisa imana ukuthi badle abantu, wabapha amabele asezulwini.
He rained down manna for them to eat, and gave them the grain from heaven.
25 Abantu badla isinkwa sezingilosi; wabathumela konke ukudla ababengakudla.
People ate the bread of angels. He sent them food in abundance.
26 Wawukhulula umoya wempumalanga uvela emazulwini, wawukhulula umoya weningizimu ngamandla akhe.
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky, and by his power he guided the south wind.
27 Wanisela inyama kubo njengothuli, izinyoni eziphaphayo zaba njengetshebetshebe ogwini lolwandle.
He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sands of the sea.
28 Wazenza zehlela phakathi kwezihonqo zabo, indawana yonke emathenteni abo.
They fell in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.
29 Bazitika baze bakhangela, ngoba wayebaphe ababekade bekukhalela.
So they ate and were full. He gave them what they craved.
30 Kodwa bengakakutshiyi lokho kudla ababekukhalela belokhu besakunambitha emilonyeni yabo,
But they had not yet filled up; their food was still in their mouths.
31 ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwavutha kubo; wabulala zona iziqwabalanda zabo, wawahemula amajaha ako-Israyeli.
Then God's anger attacked them and killed the strongest of them. He brought down the young men of Israel.
32 Phezu kwakho konke lokhu baqhubeka besona; phezu kwezimanga zakhe, kabazange bakholwe.
Despite this, they continued to sin and did not believe his wonderful deeds.
33 Ngakho wenza insuku zabo zaphelela ezeni njalo leminyaka yabo yagcwala ukwesaba.
Therefore God cut short their days; their years were filled with terror.
34 Kwakusithi uNkulunkulu angababulala, bamdinge; baphendukele kuye njalo ngokutshiseka.
Whenever God afflicted them, they would start to seek him, and they would return and look earnestly for him.
35 Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayelidwala labo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wayenguMhlengi wabo.
They would call to mind that God was their rock and that the Most High God was their rescuer.
36 Kodwa-ke kwakuyikumyenga ngemilomo yabo, beqamba amanga kuye ngendimi zabo;
But they would flatter him with their mouth and lie to him with their words.
37 inhliziyo zabo zazingabambelelanga kuye, babengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
For their hearts were not firmly fixed on him, and they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Kodwa wayelesihawu; wazithethelela izono zabo kaze ababhubhisa. Isikhathi ngesikhathi waluthoba ulaka lwakhe akaze akuqubula konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
Yet he, being merciful, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. Yes, many times he held back his anger and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 Wakhumbula ukuthi babeyinyama nje intshongolo eyedlulayo nje ingabe isabuya.
He called to mind that they were made of flesh, a wind that passes away and does not return.
40 Kodwa ukuthi bamhlamukela kanengi njani enkangala, bamdabukisa egwaduleni!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the barren regions!
41 Baphindaphinda ukulinga uNkulunkulu; bamthukuthelisa oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
Again and again they challenged God and offended the Holy One of Israel.
42 Kabawakhumbulanga amandla akhe usuku abakhulula ngalo kumncindezeli,
They did not think about his power, how he had rescued them from the enemy
43 usuku lapho aveza khona izibonakaliso zakhe ezimangalisayo eGibhithe, izimanga zakhe esigodini saseZowani.
when he performed his terrifying signs in Egypt and his wonders in the region of Zoan.
44 Waguqula imifula yabo yaba ligazi; behluleka ukunatha ezifuleni zabo.
He turned the Egyptians' rivers to blood so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 Wathumela imihlambi yezibawu zabantinya, lamaxoxo ababhuqayo.
He sent swarms of flies that devoured them and frogs that overran their land.
46 Amabele abo wawathela izintethe, izithelo zabo isikhongwane.
He gave their crops to the grasshopper and their labor to the locust.
47 Wathintitha amavini abo ngesiqhotho lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore wayitshazisa ngongqwaqwane.
He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with more hail.
48 Inkomo zabo wazithela ngesiqhotho, izifuyo zabo zadliwa yizikhatha zombane.
He rained hail on their cattle and hurled lightning bolts at their livestock.
49 Wabathululela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo, intukuthelo yakhe, ukucunuka lenzondo ixuku lezingilosi ezibhubhisayo.
The fierceness of his anger lashed out against them. He sent wrath, fury, and trouble like agents who bring disaster.
50 Wayilungisa indlela yolaka lwakhe; kabaphephisanga ekufeni kodwa wabanikela emikhuhlaneni.
He leveled a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague.
51 Wawabulala wonke amazibulo aseGibhithe, izithelo zabo zokuqala zokuba ngamadoda emathenteni kaHamu.
He killed all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Kodwa wabakhupha abantu bakhe njengomhlambi wezimvu; wabahola njengezimvu bedabula inkangala.
He led his own people out like sheep and guided them through the wilderness like a flock.
53 Wabakhokhela ngonanzelelo, ngakho babengesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwazigubuzela izitha zabo.
He led them secure and unafraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 Kanjalo wabaletha emngceleni welizwe lakhe elingcwele, elizweni lamaqaqa ayelithethe ngesandla sakhe sokunene.
Then he brought them to the border of his holy land, to this mountain that his right hand acquired.
55 Wazixotsha izizwe phambi kwabo wabahlukanisela ilizwe lazo laba yilifa; wahlalisa izizwana zako-Israyeli emizini yazo.
He drove out the nations from before them and assigned them their inheritance. He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Kodwa bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamhlamukela oPhezukonke; kabayigcinanga imilayo yakhe.
Yet they challenged and defied the Most High God and did not keep his solemn commands.
57 Njengabokhokho babo babengathembekanga bengakholwa, ungeke wathemba njengedandili elenziwe kubi.
They were unfaithful and acted treacherously like their fathers; they were as undependable as a faulty bow.
58 Bamvusa ulaka ngezindawo zabo eziphezulu; baqubula ubukhwele bakhe ngezithombe zabo.
For they made him angry with their high places and provoked him to jealous anger with their idols.
59 Wathi uNkulunkulu ngokukuzwa lokho, wathukuthela kakhulu; wamlahla qobo lokumlahla u-Israyeli.
When God heard this, he was angry and completely rejected Israel.
60 Walidela ithabanikeli lakhe eShilo, ithente ayelakhile phakathi kwabantu.
He abandoned the sanctuary of Shiloh, the tent where he had lived among people.
61 Umphongolo wakhe wamandla wawusa ekuthunjweni, inkazimulo yakhe ezandleni zesitha.
He allowed his strength to be captured and gave his glory into the enemy's hand.
62 Abantu bakhe wabanikela ukudliwa yinkemba; wayethukuthele kakhulu ngelifa lakhe.
He handed his people over to the sword, and he was angry with his heritage.
63 Umlilo waziqeda izinsizwa zabo, izintombi zabo zaswela izingoma zomtshado;
Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no wedding songs.
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 awakened as one from sleep, like a warrior who shouts because of wine.
66 Wazitshaya zahlehla izitha zakhe; waziyangisa okungapheliyo.
He drove his adversaries back; he put them to everlasting shame.
67 Khonapho-ke wawakhalala amathente kaJosefa, akaze asikhetha isizwana sika-Efrayimi;
He rejected the tent of Joseph, and he did not chose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 kodwa wakhetha isizwana sikaJuda, iNtaba iZiyoni ayeyithanda.
He chose the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion that he loved.
69 Wakha indlu yakhe engcwele njengeziqongo, njengomhlaba awumisela ingunaphakade.
He built his sanctuary like the heavens, like the earth that he has established forever.
70 Wakhetha uDavida inceku yakhe wamthatha ezilugwini zezimvu;
He chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.
71 wamsusa ekweluseni izimvu wamletha ukuba ngumelusi wabantu bakhe uJakhobe, baka-Israyeli ilifa lakhe.
He took him from following the ewes with their young, and he brought him to be shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his heritage.
72 Njalo uDavida wabelusa ngobuqotho benhliziyo; wabakhokhela ngesandla sobungcitshi.
David shepherded them with the integrity of his heart, and he guided them with the skill of his hands.
