Psalms 78

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

משכיל לאסף האזינה עמי תורתי הטו אזנכם לאמרי פי׃

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

אפתחה במשל פי אביעה חידות מני קדם׃

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

אשר שמענו ונדעם ואבותינו ספרו לנו׃

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.

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

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:

ויקם עדות ביעקב ותורה שם בישראל אשר צוה את אבותינו להודיעם 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:

למען ידעו דור אחרון בנים יולדו יקמו ויספרו לבניהם׃

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

וישימו באלהים כסלם ולא ישכחו מעללי אל ומצותיו ינצרו׃

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.

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

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

בני אפרים נושקי רומי קשת הפכו ביום קרב׃

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

לא שמרו ברית אלהים ובתורתו מאנו ללכת׃

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

וישכחו עלילותיו ונפלאותיו אשר הראם׃

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

נגד אבותם עשה פלא בארץ מצרים שדה צען׃

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

בקע ים ויעבירם ויצב מים כמו נד׃

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

וינחם בענן יומם וכל הלילה באור אש׃

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

יבקע צרים במדבר וישק כתהמות רבה׃

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

ויוצא נוזלים מסלע ויורד כנהרות מים׃

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

ויוסיפו עוד לחטא לו למרות עליון בציה׃

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

וינסו אל בלבבם לשאל אכל לנפשם׃

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

וידברו באלהים אמרו היוכל אל לערך שלחן במדבר׃

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?

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

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

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

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

כי לא האמינו באלהים ולא בטחו בישועתו׃

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

ויצו שחקים ממעל ודלתי שמים פתח׃

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

וימטר עליהם מן לאכל ודגן שמים נתן למו׃

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

לחם אבירים אכל איש צידה שלח להם לשבע׃

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

יסע קדים בשמים וינהג בעזו תימן׃

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

וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול ימים עוף כנף׃

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

ויפל בקרב מחנהו סביב למשכנתיו׃

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

ויאכלו וישבעו מאד ותאותם יבא להם׃

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

לא זרו מתאותם עוד אכלם בפיהם׃

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

ואף אלהים עלה בהם ויהרג במשמניהם ובחורי ישראל הכריע׃

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

בכל זאת חטאו עוד ולא האמינו בנפלאותיו׃

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

ויכל בהבל ימיהם ושנותם בבהלה׃

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

אם הרגם ודרשוהו ושבו ושחרו אל׃

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

ויזכרו כי אלהים צורם ואל עליון גאלם׃

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

ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו׃

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

ולבם לא נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו׃

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.

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

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

ויזכר כי בשר המה רוח הולך ולא ישוב׃

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

כמה ימרוהו במדבר יעציבוהו בישימון׃

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

וישובו וינסו אל וקדוש ישראל התוו׃

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

לא זכרו את ידו יום אשר פדם מני צר׃

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

אשר שם במצרים אתותיו ומופתיו בשדה צען׃

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

ויהפך לדם יאריהם ונזליהם בל ישתיון׃

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

ישלח בהם ערב ויאכלם וצפרדע ותשחיתם׃

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

ויתן לחסיל יבולם ויגיעם לארבה׃

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

יהרג בברד גפנם ושקמותם בחנמל׃

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

ויסגר לברד בעירם ומקניהם לרשפים׃

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

ישלח בם חרון אפו עברה וזעם וצרה משלחת מלאכי רעים׃

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

יפלס נתיב לאפו לא חשך ממות נפשם וחיתם לדבר הסגיר׃

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

ויך כל בכור במצרים ראשית אונים באהלי חם׃

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

ויסע כצאן עמו וינהגם כעדר במדבר׃

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

וינחם לבטח ולא פחדו ואת אויביהם כסה הים׃

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

ויביאם אל גבול קדשו הר זה קנתה ימינו׃

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.

ויגרש מפניהם גוים ויפילם בחבל נחלה וישכן באהליהם שבטי ישראל׃

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

וינסו וימרו את אלהים עליון ועדותיו לא שמרו׃

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

ויסגו ויבגדו כאבותם נהפכו כקשת רמיה׃

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

ויכעיסוהו בבמותם ובפסיליהם יקניאוהו׃

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

שמע אלהים ויתעבר וימאס מאד בישראל׃

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

ויטש משכן שלו אהל שכן באדם׃

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

ויתן לשבי עזו ותפארתו ביד צר׃

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

ויסגר לחרב עמו ובנחלתו התעבר׃

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

בחוריו אכלה אש ובתולתיו לא הוללו׃

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

כהניו בחרב נפלו ואלמנתיו לא תבכינה׃

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

ויקץ כישן אדני כגבור מתרונן מיין׃

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

ויך צריו אחור חרפת עולם נתן למו׃

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

וימאס באהל יוסף ובשבט אפרים לא בחר׃

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

ויבחר את שבט יהודה את הר ציון אשר אהב׃

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

ויבן כמו רמים מקדשו כארץ יסדה לעולם׃

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

ויבחר בדוד עבדו ויקחהו ממכלאת צאן׃

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

מאחר עלות הביאו לרעות ביעקב עמו ובישראל נחלתו׃

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

וירעם כתם לבבו ובתבונות כפיו ינחם׃