Psalms 78

משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי פי׃

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני קדם׃

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו לנו׃

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

לא נכחד מבניהם לדור אחרון מספרים תהלות יהוה ועזוזו ונפלאותיו אשר עשה׃

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את אבותינו להודיעם לבניהם׃

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

למען ידעו דור אחרון בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם׃

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי אל ומצותיו ינצרו׃

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

ולא יהיו כאבותם דור סורר ומרה דור לא הכין לבו ולא נאמנה את אל רוחו׃

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

בני אפרים נושקי רומי קשת הפכו ביום קרב׃

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת׃

They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם׃

And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה צען׃

Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב מים כמו נד׃

He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

וינחם בענן יומם וכל הלילה באור אש׃

In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה׃

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים׃

He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

ויוסיפו עוד לחטא לו למרות עליון בציה׃

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

וינסו אל בלבבם לשאל אכל לנפשם׃

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל לערך שלחן במדבר׃

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

הן הכה צור ויזובו מים ונחלים ישטפו הגם לחם יוכל תת אם יכין שאר לעמו׃

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

לכן שמע יהוה ויתעבר ואש נשקה ביעקב וגם אף עלה בישראל׃

Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו׃

Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח׃

Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן שמים נתן למו׃

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע׃

Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן׃

He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף׃

He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:

ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו׃

And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם׃

So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

לא זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם׃

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע׃

The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

בכל זאת חטאו עוד ולא האמינו בנפלאותיו׃

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.

ויכל בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה׃

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

אם הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו אל׃

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

ויזכרו כי אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם׃

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו׃

Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

ולבם לא נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו׃

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

והוא רחום יכפר עון ולא ישחית והרבה להשיב אפו ולא יעיר כל חמתו׃

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

ויזכר כי בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב׃

For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון׃

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו׃

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

לא זכרו את ידו יום אשר פדם מני צר׃

They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

אשר שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה צען׃

How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל ישתיון׃

And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם׃

He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה׃

He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.

יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל׃

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.

ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים׃

He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

ישלח בם חרון אפו עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים׃

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

יפלס נתיב לאפו לא חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר׃

He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

ויך כל בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי חם׃

And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר׃

But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת אויביהם כסה הים׃

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

ויביאם אל גבול קדשו הר זה קנתה ימינו׃

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

ויגרש מפניהם גוים ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל׃

He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

וינסו וימרו את אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו׃

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה׃

But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו׃

For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל׃

When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם׃

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד צר׃

And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר׃

He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

בחוריו אכלה אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו׃

The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.

כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה׃

Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין׃

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

ויך צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו׃

And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר׃

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:

ויבחר את שבט יהודה את הר ציון אשר אהב׃

But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

ויבן כמו רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם׃

And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן׃

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו׃

From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם׃

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.