Amahubo 78
1 Lalelani, bantu bami, umthetho wami, libeke indlebe yenu emazwini omlomo wami.
Understanding for Asaph. Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 Ngizavula umlomo wami ngomfanekiso, ngikhuphe izimfihlakalo zendulo,
I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning.
3 esizizwileyo lesizaziyo, obaba abasitshela zona.
How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 Kasiyikuzifihlela abantwana babo, kusizukulwana esilandelayo, silandisa izindumiso zeNkosi, lamandla ayo, lezimangaliso ezenzileyo.
They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders which he hath done.
5 Ngoba wamisa ubufakazi koJakobe, wabeka umlayo koIsrayeli, awulaya obaba, ukuze bawazise abantwana babo,
And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same known to their children:
6 ukuze isizukulwana esilandelayo sazi, abantwana abazazalwa, basukume batshele abantwana babo,
That another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children.
7 ukuze babeke ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu, bangayikhohlwa imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu, kodwa bagcine imithetho yakhe;
That they may put their hope in God and may not forget the works of God: and may seek his commandments.
8 njalo bangabi njengaboyise, isizukulwana esilenkani lesivukelayo, isizukulwana esingaqondisanga inhliziyo yaso, lesimoya waso ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu.
That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 Abantwana bakoEfrayimi, behlomile betshoka ngamadandili, babuyela emuva mhla wempi.
The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.
10 Kabasilondolozanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuhamba emlayweni wakhe.
They kept not the covenant of God: and in his law they would not walk.
11 Bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe lezimangaliso zakhe ayebatshengisa zona.
And they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that he had shewn them.
12 Phambi kwaboyise wenza isimangaliso elizweni leGibhithe, egangeni leZowani.
Wonderful things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Tanis.
13 Waqhekeza ulwandle, wabachaphisa, wenza amanzi ema njengenqumbi.
He divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as in a vessel.
14 Wabakhokhela ngeyezi emini, lebusuku bonke ngokukhanya komlilo.
And he conducted them with a cloud by day: and all the night with a light of fire.
15 Waqhekeza amadwala enkangala, wabanathisa kungathi kuvela ezinzikini ezinkulu.
He struck the rock in the wilderness: and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep.
16 Waseveza izifula edwaleni, wenza amanzi ehla njengemifula.
He brought forth water out of the rock: and made streams run down as rivers.
17 Kodwa baphinda futhi ukona kuye, ngokumvukela oPhezukonke enkangala.
And they added yet more sin against him: they provoked the most High to wrath in the place without water.
18 Bamlinga uNkulunkulu enhliziyweni yabo ngokucela ukudla kwenkanuko yabo.
And they tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their desires.
19 Basebekhuluma bemelene loNkulunkulu bathi: UNkulunkulu angalungisa itafula enkangala yini?
And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Khangela, watshaya idwala, kwampompoza amanzi, lezifula zagabha; anganika lesinkwa yini? angalungisela abantu bakhe inyama na?
Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table for his people?
21 Ngakho iNkosi yezwa yathukuthela; umlilo wasubaselwa uJakobe, njalo lolaka lwavukela uIsrayeli,
Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry: and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel.
22 ngoba kabakholwanga kuNkulunkulu, kabathembanga esindisweni lwakhe.
Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in his salvation.
23 Lanxa walaya amayezi ngaphezulu, wavula iminyango yamazulu,
And he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of heaven.
24 wabanisela imana ukuthi badle, wabapha amabele amazulu.
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven.
25 Umuntu wadla isinkwa sabalamandla; wabathumela ukudla ukuze basuthe.
Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance.
26 Wenza umoya wempumalanga wavunguza emazulwini; langamandla akhe waqhuba umoya weningizimu.
He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.
27 Wasenisela phezu kwabo inyama njengothuli, lenyoni ezilempiko njengetshebetshebe lolwandle;
And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.
28 wazenza zawela phakathi kwenkamba yabo, zagombolozela indawo zabo zokuhlala.
And they fell in the midst of their camp, round about their pavilions.
29 Ngakho badla basutha kakhulu, ngoba wabalethela isiloyiso sabo.
So they did eat, and were filled exceedingly, and he gave them their desire:
30 Kabehlukananga lenkanuko yabo; ukudla kusesemlonyeni wabo,
They were not defrauded of that which they craved. As yet their meat was in their mouth:
31 ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwaselubavukela, wabulala kwabakhulupheleyo babo, watshaya abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli.
And the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.
32 Kulokhu konke bajinga besona, njalo kabakholwanga ngenxa yezimangaliso zakhe.
In all these things they sinned still: and they believed not for his wondrous works.
33 Ngakho waziqeda izinsuku zabo ngeze, leminyaka yabo ovalweni.
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.
34 Lapho ebabulala, bamdinga, baphenduka, bamdingisisa uNkulunkulu.
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and came to him early in the morning.
35 Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulidwala labo, loNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ungumhlengi wabo.
And they remembered that God was their helper: and the most high God their redeemer.
36 Kodwa bamyenga ngomlomo wabo, baqamba amanga kuye ngolimi lwabo.
And they loved him with their mouth: and with their tongue they lied unto him:
37 Ngoba inhliziyo yabo yayingaqondanga kuye, njalo bengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
But their heart was not right with him: nor were they counted faithful in his covenant.
38 Kodwa yena elesihawu wathethelela ububi babo, kababhubhisanga; yebo, kanengi walunqanda ulaka lwakhe, kakuvusanga konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
But he is merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not destroy them. And many a time did he turn away his anger: and did not kindle all his wrath.
39 Ngoba wakhumbula ukuthi bayinyama, umoya odlulayo, ongabuyiyo.
And he remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goeth and returneth not.
40 Kanengi kangakanani bemvukela ehlane, bemdabukisa enkangala.
How often did they provoke him in the desert: and move him to wrath in the place without water?
41 Yebo baphenduka bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamdabukisa oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
And they turned back and tempted God: and grieved the holy one of Israel.
42 Kabasikhumbulanga isandla sakhe, usuku abahlenga ngalo esitheni.
They remembered not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of him that afflicted them:
43 Ukuthi wamisa njani izibonakaliso zakhe eGibhithe, lezimangaliso zakhe emmangweni weZowani,
How he wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis.
44 lokuthi waphendula imifula yabo yaba ligazi, lezifula zabo, ukuze banganathi.
And he turned their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might, not drink.
45 Wathumela phakathi kwabo umtshitshi wezibawu, ezabadlayo, lamaxoxo ababhubhisayo.
He sent amongst them divers sores of flies, which devoured them: and frogs which destroyed them.
46 Wasenika imihogoyi isivuno sabo, lomsebenzi wabo isikhonyane.
And he gave up their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust.
47 Wabulala ivini labo ngesiqhotho, lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore ngongqwaqwane.
And he destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost.
48 Wasenikela izifuyo zabo esiqhothweni, lemihlambi yabo kuyo imibane.
And he gave up their cattle to the hail, and their stock to the fire.
49 Waphosela phezu kwabo ukuvutha kolaka lwakhe, ukuthukuthela, lokucunuka, lokuhlupheka, ngokuthuma izithunywa zobubi.
And he sent upon them the wrath of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble, which he sent by evil angels.
50 Walungisela ulaka lwakhe indlela, kanqandanga umphefumulo wabo ekufeni, kodwa wanikela impilo yabo kumatshayabhuqe wesifo.
He made a way for a path to his anger: he spared not their souls from death, and their cattle he shut up in death.
51 Wasetshaya wonke amazibulo eGibhithe, okokuqala kwamandla emathenteni kaHamu.
And he killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: the firstfruits of all their labour in the tabernacles of Cham.
52 Wasebakhupha abantu bakhe njengezimvu, wabakhokhela enkangala njengomhlambi.
And he took away his own people as sheep: and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 Wasebakhokhela bephephile ukuze bangesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwasibekela izitha zabo.
And he brought them out in hope, and they feared not: band the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 Wasebafikisa emkhawulweni wendawo yakhe engcwele, le intaba, isandla sakhe sokunene esayizuzayo.
And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.
55 Wasebaxotsha abezizwe phambi kwabo; wababela ilifa ngomzila, wahlalisa izizwe zakoIsrayeli emathenteni azo.
And he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.
56 Kanti bamlinga, bamvukela uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, kabazigcinanga izifakazelo zakhe.
Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God: and they kept not his testimonies.
57 Kodwa babuyela emuva, benza ngokungathembeki njengaboyise, baphanjulwa njengedandili elikhohlisayo.
And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.
58 Ngoba bamthukuthelisa ngezindawo zabo eziphakemeyo, bavusa umona wakhe ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo.
They provoked him to anger on their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their graven things.
59 UNkulunkulu esizwa wathukuthela, wamenyanya kakhulu uIsrayeli.
God heard, and despised them, and he reduced Israel exceedingly as it were to nothing.
60 Ngakho walitshiya ithabhanekele leShilo, ithente alimisa phakathi kwabantu.
And he put away the tabernacle of Silo, his tabernacle where he dwelt among men.
61 Wasenikela amandla akhe ekuthunjweni, lenkazimulo yakhe esandleni sesitha.
And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy.
62 Wasenikela abantu bakhe enkembeni, waselithukuthelela ilifa lakhe.
And he shut up his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance.
63 Umlilo waqeda amajaha abo, lezintombi zabo kazihlatshelelwanga.
Fire consumed their young men: and their maidens were not lamented.
64 Abapristi babo bawa ngenkemba, labafelokazi babo kabalilanga.
Their priests fell by the sword: and their widows did not mourn.
65 Khona iNkosi yavuka njengobelele, njengeqhawe eliklabalala ngenxa yewayini.
And the Lord was awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine.
66 Yazitshaya izitha zayo emuva, yazithela ihlazo phakade.
And he smote his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.
67 Yasilahla ithente likaJosefa, kayikhethanga isizwe sakoEfrayimi.
And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph: and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 Kodwa yakhetha isizwe sakoJuda, intaba yeZiyoni eyithandayo.
But he chose the tribe of Juda, mount Sion which he loved.
69 Yayakha indlu yayo engcwele njengezingqonga, njengomhlaba ewusekeleyo kuze kube nininini.
And he built his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever.
70 Yasikhetha uDavida inceku yayo, yamthatha ezibayeni zezimvu;
And he chose his servant David, and took him from the hocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes great with young,
71 ekulandeleni izimvukazi ezenyisayo, yamletha ukwelusa uJakobe abantu bayo, loIsrayeli ilifa layo.
To feed Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.
72 Njalo wabelusa njengobuqotho benhliziyo yakhe, wabakhokhela ngobugabazi bezandla zakhe.
And he fed them in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skillfulness of his hands.
