Amahubo 78
1 Lalelani, bantu bami, umthetho wami, libeke indlebe yenu emazwini omlomo wami.
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 Ngizavula umlomo wami ngomfanekiso, ngikhuphe izimfihlakalo zendulo,
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 esizizwileyo lesizaziyo, obaba abasitshela zona.
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 Kasiyikuzifihlela abantwana babo, kusizukulwana esilandelayo, silandisa izindumiso zeNkosi, lamandla ayo, lezimangaliso ezenzileyo.
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 Ngoba wamisa ubufakazi koJakobe, wabeka umlayo koIsrayeli, awulaya obaba, ukuze bawazise abantwana babo,
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 ukuze isizukulwana esilandelayo sazi, abantwana abazazalwa, basukume batshele abantwana babo,
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 ukuze babeke ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu, bangayikhohlwa imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu, kodwa bagcine imithetho yakhe;
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 njalo bangabi njengaboyise, isizukulwana esilenkani lesivukelayo, isizukulwana esingaqondisanga inhliziyo yaso, lesimoya waso ungathembekanga kuNkulunkulu.
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 Abantwana bakoEfrayimi, behlomile betshoka ngamadandili, babuyela emuva mhla wempi.
[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 Kabasilondolozanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bala ukuhamba emlayweni wakhe.
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 Bakhohlwa izenzo zakhe lezimangaliso zakhe ayebatshengisa zona.
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 Phambi kwaboyise wenza isimangaliso elizweni leGibhithe, egangeni leZowani.
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 Waqhekeza ulwandle, wabachaphisa, wenza amanzi ema njengenqumbi.
[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 Wabakhokhela ngeyezi emini, lebusuku bonke ngokukhanya komlilo.
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 Waqhekeza amadwala enkangala, wabanathisa kungathi kuvela ezinzikini ezinkulu.
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 Waseveza izifula edwaleni, wenza amanzi ehla njengemifula.
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 Kodwa baphinda futhi ukona kuye, ngokumvukela oPhezukonke enkangala.
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 Bamlinga uNkulunkulu enhliziyweni yabo ngokucela ukudla kwenkanuko yabo.
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 Basebekhuluma bemelene loNkulunkulu bathi: UNkulunkulu angalungisa itafula enkangala yini?
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 Khangela, watshaya idwala, kwampompoza amanzi, lezifula zagabha; anganika lesinkwa yini? angalungisela abantu bakhe inyama na?
[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 Ngakho iNkosi yezwa yathukuthela; umlilo wasubaselwa uJakobe, njalo lolaka lwavukela uIsrayeli,
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 ngoba kabakholwanga kuNkulunkulu, kabathembanga esindisweni lwakhe.
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 Lanxa walaya amayezi ngaphezulu, wavula iminyango yamazulu,
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 wabanisela imana ukuthi badle, wabapha amabele amazulu.
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 Umuntu wadla isinkwa sabalamandla; wabathumela ukudla ukuze basuthe.
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 Wenza umoya wempumalanga wavunguza emazulwini; langamandla akhe waqhuba umoya weningizimu.
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 Wasenisela phezu kwabo inyama njengothuli, lenyoni ezilempiko njengetshebetshebe lolwandle;
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 wazenza zawela phakathi kwenkamba yabo, zagombolozela indawo zabo zokuhlala.
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 Ngakho badla basutha kakhulu, ngoba wabalethela isiloyiso sabo.
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 Kabehlukananga lenkanuko yabo; ukudla kusesemlonyeni wabo,
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwaselubavukela, wabulala kwabakhulupheleyo babo, watshaya abakhethiweyo bakoIsrayeli.
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 Kulokhu konke bajinga besona, njalo kabakholwanga ngenxa yezimangaliso zakhe.
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 Ngakho waziqeda izinsuku zabo ngeze, leminyaka yabo ovalweni.
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 Lapho ebabulala, bamdinga, baphenduka, bamdingisisa uNkulunkulu.
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulidwala labo, loNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ungumhlengi wabo.
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 Kodwa bamyenga ngomlomo wabo, baqamba amanga kuye ngolimi lwabo.
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 Ngoba inhliziyo yabo yayingaqondanga kuye, njalo bengathembekanga esivumelwaneni sakhe.
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 Kodwa yena elesihawu wathethelela ububi babo, kababhubhisanga; yebo, kanengi walunqanda ulaka lwakhe, kakuvusanga konke ukuthukuthela kwakhe.
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 Ngoba wakhumbula ukuthi bayinyama, umoya odlulayo, ongabuyiyo.
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 Kanengi kangakanani bemvukela ehlane, bemdabukisa enkangala.
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 Yebo baphenduka bamlinga uNkulunkulu, bamdabukisa oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
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 Kabasikhumbulanga isandla sakhe, usuku abahlenga ngalo esitheni.
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 Ukuthi wamisa njani izibonakaliso zakhe eGibhithe, lezimangaliso zakhe emmangweni weZowani,
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 lokuthi waphendula imifula yabo yaba ligazi, lezifula zabo, ukuze banganathi.
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 Wathumela phakathi kwabo umtshitshi wezibawu, ezabadlayo, lamaxoxo ababhubhisayo.
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 Wasenika imihogoyi isivuno sabo, lomsebenzi wabo isikhonyane.
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 Wabulala ivini labo ngesiqhotho, lemikhiwa yabo yesikhamore ngongqwaqwane.
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 Wasenikela izifuyo zabo esiqhothweni, lemihlambi yabo kuyo imibane.
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 Waphosela phezu kwabo ukuvutha kolaka lwakhe, ukuthukuthela, lokucunuka, lokuhlupheka, ngokuthuma izithunywa zobubi.
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 Walungisela ulaka lwakhe indlela, kanqandanga umphefumulo wabo ekufeni, kodwa wanikela impilo yabo kumatshayabhuqe wesifo.
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 Wasetshaya wonke amazibulo eGibhithe, okokuqala kwamandla emathenteni kaHamu.
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 Wasebakhupha abantu bakhe njengezimvu, wabakhokhela enkangala njengomhlambi.
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 Wasebakhokhela bephephile ukuze bangesabi; kodwa ulwandle lwasibekela izitha zabo.
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 Wasebafikisa emkhawulweni wendawo yakhe engcwele, le intaba, isandla sakhe sokunene esayizuzayo.
[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 Wasebaxotsha abezizwe phambi kwabo; wababela ilifa ngomzila, wahlalisa izizwe zakoIsrayeli emathenteni azo.
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 Kanti bamlinga, bamvukela uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, kabazigcinanga izifakazelo zakhe.
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 Kodwa babuyela emuva, benza ngokungathembeki njengaboyise, baphanjulwa njengedandili elikhohlisayo.
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 Ngoba bamthukuthelisa ngezindawo zabo eziphakemeyo, bavusa umona wakhe ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo.
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 UNkulunkulu esizwa wathukuthela, wamenyanya kakhulu uIsrayeli.
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 Ngakho walitshiya ithabhanekele leShilo, ithente alimisa phakathi kwabantu.
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 Wasenikela amandla akhe ekuthunjweni, lenkazimulo yakhe esandleni sesitha.
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 Wasenikela abantu bakhe enkembeni, waselithukuthelela ilifa lakhe.
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 Umlilo waqeda amajaha abo, lezintombi zabo kazihlatshelelwanga.
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 Abapristi babo bawa ngenkemba, labafelokazi babo kabalilanga.
[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 Khona iNkosi yavuka njengobelele, njengeqhawe eliklabalala ngenxa yewayini.
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 Yazitshaya izitha zayo emuva, yazithela ihlazo phakade.
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 Yasilahla ithente likaJosefa, kayikhethanga isizwe sakoEfrayimi.
[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 Kodwa yakhetha isizwe sakoJuda, intaba yeZiyoni eyithandayo.
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 Yayakha indlu yayo engcwele njengezingqonga, njengomhlaba ewusekeleyo kuze kube nininini.
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 Yasikhetha uDavida inceku yayo, yamthatha ezibayeni zezimvu;
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 ekulandeleni izimvukazi ezenyisayo, yamletha ukwelusa uJakobe abantu bayo, loIsrayeli ilifa layo.
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 Njalo wabelusa njengobuqotho benhliziyo yakhe, wabakhokhela ngobugabazi bezandla zakhe.
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
