Mezmurlar 77

¹Asaf'ın öğüt ezgisi. Kulak verin, ey halkım yasama; kulaklarınızı eğin ağzımdan çıkan sözlere.

²Ağzımı mesellerle açacağım, başlangıçtan beri gizli kalmış bilmeceleri haykıracağım.

³Duyduğumuz ve bildiğimiz, atalarımızın bize anlattığı şeyleri,

⁴Onların çocuklarından, gelecek kuşağa gizlemeyeceğiz; Rab'bin övgülerini, gücünü ve yaptığı harikaları anlatacağız.

⁵Yakup'ta bir tanıklık dikti ve İsrail'de bir yasa koydu; bunları çocuklarına bildirsinler diye atalarımıza buyurdu.

⁶Öyle ki gelecek kuşak, doğacak çocuklar bunu bilsin; onlar da ayağa kalkıp kendi çocuklarına anlatsınlar.

⁷Tanrı'ya umut bağlasınlar, Tanrı'nın işlerini unutmasınlar ve O'nun buyruklarını gayretle arasınlar.

⁸Ataları gibi dik kafalı, baş kaldıran, yüreğini doğrultmayan ve ruhu Tanrı'ya sadık kılınmayan bir kuşak olmasınlar diye.

⁹Yay kuşanmış ve ok atan Efraimoğulları, savaş gününde geri döndüler.

¹⁰Tanrı'nın antlaşmasına uymadılar ve O'nun yasasında yürümek istemediler.

¹¹O'nun iyiliklerini ve kendilerine gösterdiği harikalarını unuttular.

¹²Atalarının gözü önünde, Mısır toprağında, Tanis ovasında harikalar yaratmıştı.

¹³Denizi yardı ve onları içinden geçirdi; suları bir tulum gibi ayakta tuttu.

¹⁴Gündüzün bir bulutla, bütün gece ise ateş ışığıyla onlara yol gösterdi.

¹⁵Çölde kayayı yardı ve onlara derinliklerden çıkmış gibi bol su içirdi.

¹⁶Kayadan akarsular çıkardı, suları nehirler gibi akıttı.

¹⁷Ama onlar O'na karşı daha da günah işlemeye devam ettiler, susuz yerde Yüceler Yücesi'ne baş kaldırdılar.

¹⁸Canlarının çektiği yiyeceği isteyerek, yüreklerinde Tanrı'yı sınadılar.

¹⁹Tanrı'ya karşı konuşup şöyle dediler: Tanrı çölde sofra kurabilir mi?

²⁰Evet, kayaya vurdu, sular fışkırdı ve dereler taştı; ama ekmek de verebilir mi, ya da halkına sofra sağlayabilir mi?

²¹Bu yüzden Rab bunu duydu ve öfkesini erteledi; Yakup'a karşı ateş tutuştu ve İsrail'e karşı gazap yükseldi.

²²Çünkü Tanrı'ya inanmadılar ve O'nun kurtarışına güvenmediler.

²³Yine de yukarıdaki bulutlara buyruk verdi ve göklerin kapılarını açtı;

²⁴Yesinler diye üzerlerine man yağdırdı ve onlara göğün ekmeğini verdi.

²⁵İnsan meleklerin ekmeğini yedi; onlara doyasıya azık gönderdi.

²⁶Gökten güney rüzgarını kaldırdı ve gücüyle güneybatı rüzgarını estirdi.

²⁷Üzerlerine toz gibi et, denizlerin kumu kadar kanatlı kuş yağdırdı.

²⁸Bunları ordugahlarının ortasına, konutlarının çevresine düşürdü.

²⁹Yediler ve iyice doydular; Tanrı onlara arzularını getirdi.

³⁰Henüz arzularından vazgeçmemişlerdi, yemekleri hâlâ ağızlarındayken,

³¹Tanrı'nın gazabı üzerlerine yükseldi; onların en güçlülerini öldürdü ve İsrail'in seçkinlerini yere serdi.

³²Bütün bunlara rağmen yine de günah işlediler ve O'nun harikalarına inanmadılar.

³³Bu yüzden Tanrı onların günlerini boşlukla, yıllarını da aceleyle tüketti.

³⁴Tanrı onları öldürdüğünde O'nu arıyorlardı; dönüp şafak vakti Tanrı'ya yöneliyorlardı.

³⁵Tanrı'nın kendilerine yardımcı olduğunu, Yüce Tanrı'nın kendilerini kurtaran olduğunu hatırlıyorlardı.

³⁶Ama ağızlarıyla O'nu sevdiler ve dilleriyle O'na yalan söylediler.

³⁷Yürekleri O'nunla doğru değildi, O'nun antlaşmasına sadık kalmadılar.

³⁸O ise merhametlidir, günahlarına kefaret eder ve yok etmez; öfkesini defalarca geri çevirdi ve gazabının hepsini uyandırmadı.

³⁹Onların yalnızca bir et olduğunu, esip geçen ve geri dönmeyen bir rüzgar olduğunu hatırladı.

⁴⁰Çölde O'na kaç kez baş kaldırdılar, susuz yerde O'nu kaç kez gücendirdiler!

⁴¹Döne döne Tanrı'yı sınadılar ve İsrail'in Kutsalı'nı kışkırttılar.

⁴²O'nun elini hatırlamadılar; kendilerini sıkıntı verenin elinden kurtardığı günü,

⁴³Mısır'da gösterdiği belirtileri ve Tanis ovasındaki harikalarını unuttular.

⁴⁴Tanrı onların nehirlerini ve akarsularını kana çevirdi, öyle ki içemediler.

⁴⁵Üzerlerine onları yiyip bitiren köpek sineği sürüleri ve onları perişan eden kurbağalar gönderdi.

⁴⁶Ürünlerini ekin küfüne, emeklerinin meyvesini çekirgeye verdi.

⁴⁷Asmalarını doluyla, firavun incir ağaçlarını kırağıyla yok etti.

⁴⁸Hayvanlarını doluya, sürülerini ateşe teslim etti.

⁴⁹Üzerlerine kızgın öfkesini, gazabını, hışmını ve sıkıntısını, kötü meleklerin gönderilişiyle iletti.

⁵⁰Öfkesine yol açtı; canlarını ölümden esirgemedi ve hayvanlarını ölüme teslim etti.

⁵¹Mısır'daki her ilk doğanı, Ham'ın çadırlarındaki tüm emeklerinin ilk meyvesini vurdu.

⁵²Kendi halkını ise koyunlar gibi çıkardı ve onlara çölde bir sürü gibi yol gösterdi.

⁵³Onlara güven içinde yol gösterdi, hiç korkmadılar; düşmanlarını ise deniz kapladı.

⁵⁴Onları kendi kutsal sınırına, sağ elinin edindiği bu dağa getirdi.

⁵⁵Ulusları onların önünden kovdu, miras ipiyle onlara toprak paylaştırdı ve İsrail oymaklarını onların çadırlarına yerleştirdi.

⁵⁶Ama onlar Yüce Tanrı'yı sınayıp O'na baş kaldırdılar ve O'nun tanıklıklarına uymadılar.

⁵⁷Ataları gibi yüz çevirip hainlik ettiler; bükülmüş bir yay gibi ters döndüler.

⁵⁸Tapınma tepeleriyle O'nu öfkelendirdiler ve oyma putlarıyla O'nu kıskandırdılar.

⁵⁹Tanrı bunu duydu, onları görmezden geldi ve İsrail'i tamamen hor gördü.

⁶⁰Şilo'daki konutunu, insanlar arasında kurduğu çadırını terk etti.

⁶¹Gücünü tutsaklığa, güzelliğini düşman eline teslim etti.

⁶²Halkını kılıca teslim etti ve kendi mirasını görmezden geldi.

⁶³Gençlerini ateş yiyip bitirdi, bakireleri için yas tutulmadı.

⁶⁴Kâhinleri kılıçtan geçirildi, dulları ağlayamadı.

⁶⁵O zaman Rab uykudan uyanan biri gibi, şaraptan dolayı akşamdan kalma olmuş güçlü bir adam gibi doğruldu.

⁶⁶Düşmanlarını gerisin geri vurdu ve onları sonsuz bir utanca boğdu.

⁶⁷Yusuf'un çadırını reddetti ve Efraim oymağını seçmedi;

⁶⁸Ancak Yahuda oymağını, sevdiği Siyon Dağı'nı seçti.

⁶⁹Tapınağını tek boynuzlu atınki gibi yüksek, sonsuza dek kurduğu yeryüzü gibi sağlam inşa etti.

⁷⁰Kulu Davut'u seçti ve onu koyun ağıllarından aldı.

⁷¹Doğuran koyunların ardı sıra giden Davut'u, kulu Yakup'u ve mirası İsrail'i gütmesi için getirdi.

⁷²Davut da onlara yüreğinin kötülük bilmezliğiyle çobanlık etti ve ellerinin anlayışıyla onlara yol gösterdi.

¹Συνέσεως τῷ ᾿Ασάφ. - ΠΡΟΣΕΧΕΤΕ, λαός μου, τῷ νόμῳ μου, κλίνατε τὸ οὖς ὑμῶν εἰς τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου·

²ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου, φθέγξομαι προβλήματα ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς.

³ὅσα ἠκούσαμεν καὶ ἔγνωμεν αὐτὰ καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν διηγήσαντο ἡμῖν,

⁴οὐκ ἐκρύβη ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν, ἀπαγγέλλοντες τὰς αἰνέσεις Κυρίου καὶ τὰς δυναστείας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ, ἃ ἐποίησε.

⁵καὶ ἀνέστησε μαρτύριον ἐν ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ νόμον ἔθετο ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν τοῦ γνωρίσαι αὐτὰ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῶν,

⁶ὅπως ἂν γνῷ γενεὰ ἑτέρα, υἱοὶ οἱ τεχθησόμενοι, καὶ ἀναστήσονται καὶ ἀπαγγελοῦσιν αὐτὰ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῶν·

⁷ἵνα θῶνται ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἐπιλάθωνται τῶν ἔργων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐκζητήσωσιν·

⁸ἵνα μὴ γένωνται ὡς οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν, γενεὰ σκολιὰ καὶ παραπικραίνουσα, γενεά, ἥτις οὐ κατηύθυνε τὴν καρδίαν ἑαυτῆς καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστώθη μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς.

⁹υἱοὶ ᾿Εφραὶμ ἐντείνοντες καὶ βάλλοντες τόξοις ἐστράφησαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου.

¹⁰οὐκ ἐφύλαξαν τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἠβουλήθησαν πορεύεσθαι.

¹¹καὶ ἐπελάθοντο τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν θαυμασίων αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς,

¹²ἐναντίον τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν ἃ ἐποίησε θαυμάσια ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, ἐν πεδίῳ Τάνεως.

¹³διέρρηξε θάλασσαν καὶ διήγαγεν αὐτούς, παρέστησεν ὕδατα ὡσεὶ ἀσκὸν

¹⁴καὶ ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν νεφέλῃ ἡμέρας καὶ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἐν φωτισμῷ πυρός.

¹⁵διέρρηξε πέτραν ἐν ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐν ἀβύσσῳ πολλῇ

¹⁶καὶ ἐξήγαγεν ὕδωρ ἐκ πέτρας καὶ κατήγαγεν ὡς ποταμοὺς ὕδατα.

¹⁷καὶ προσέθεντο ἔτι τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν αὐτῷ, παρεπίκραναν τὸν ῞Υψιστον ἐν ἀνύδρῳ

¹⁸καὶ ἐξεπείρασαν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, τοῦ αἰτῆσαι βρώματα ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν

¹⁹καὶ κατελάλησαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἶπαν· μὴ δυνήσεται ὁ Θεὸς ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν ἐν ἐρήμῳ;

²⁰ἐπεὶ ἐπάταξε πέτραν καὶ ἐρρύησαν ὕδατα καὶ χείμαρροι κατεκλύσθησαν, μὴ καὶ ἄρτον δύναται δοῦναι ἢ ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ;

²¹διὰ τοῦτο ἤκουσε Κύριος καὶ ἀνεβάλετο, καὶ πῦρ ἀνήφθη ἐν ᾿Ιακώβ, καὶ ὀργὴ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ,

²²ὅτι οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ οὐδὲ ἤλπισαν ἐπὶ τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ.

²³καὶ ἐνετείλατο νεφέλαις ὑπεράνωθεν καὶ θύρας οὐρανοῦ ἀνέῳξε

²⁴καὶ ἔβρεξεν αὐτοῖς μάννα φαγεῖν καὶ ἄρτον οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς·

²⁵ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος, ἐπισιτισμὸν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς εἰς πλησμονήν.

²⁶ἀπῇρε Νότον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ Λίβα

²⁷καὶ ἔβρεξεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ χοῦν σάρκας καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄμμον θαλασσῶν πετεινὰ πτερωτά,

²⁸καὶ ἐπέπεσον ἐν μέσῳ παρεμβολῆς αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνωμάτων αὐτῶν,

²⁹καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν σφόδρα, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἤνεγκεν αὐτοῖς,

³⁰οὐκ ἐστερήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν. ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν,

³¹καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς, καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ συνεπόδισεν.

³²ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἥμαρτον ἔτι καὶ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ,

³³καὶ ἐξέλιπον ἐν ματαιότητι αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἔτη αὐτῶν μετὰ σπουδῆς.

³⁴ὅταν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτούς, τότε ἐξεζήτουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέστρεφον καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν

³⁵καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς βοηθὸς αὐτῶν ἐστι καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ῞Υψιστος λυτρωτὴς αὐτῶν ἐστι.

³⁶καὶ ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτῷ,

³⁷ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ.

³⁸αὐτὸς δέ ἐστιν οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἱλάσκεται ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ διαφθερεῖ καὶ πληθυνεῖ τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐχὶ ἐκκαύσει πᾶσαν τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ.

³⁹καὶ ἐμνήσθη ὅτι σάρξ εἰσι, πνεῦμα πορευόμενον καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστρέφον.

⁴⁰ποσάκις παρεπίκραναν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, παρώργισαν αὐτὸν ἐν γῇ ἀνύδρῳ;

⁴¹καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν καὶ ἐπείρασαν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ παρώξυναν.

⁴²καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθησαν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἡμέρας, ἧς ἐλυτρώσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς θλίβοντος,

⁴³ὡς ἔθετο ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τὰ σημεῖα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ τέρατα αὐτοῦ ἐν πεδίῳ Τάνεως.

⁴⁴καὶ μετέστρεψεν εἰς αἷμα τοὺς ποταμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ὀμβρήματα αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ πίωσιν·

⁴⁵ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς κυνόμυιαν, καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτούς, καὶ βάτραχον, καὶ διέφθειρεν αὐτούς·

⁴⁶καὶ ἔδωκε τῇ ἐρυσίβῃ τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς πόνους αὐτῶν τῇ ἀκρίδι·

⁴⁷ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν χαλάζῃ τὴν ἄμπελον αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς συκαμίνους αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ πάχνῃ·

⁴⁸καὶ παρέδωκεν εἰς χάλαζαν τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ὕπαρξιν αὐτῶν τῷ πυρί·

⁴⁹ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ θλῖψιν, ἀποστολὴν δι᾿ ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν.

⁵⁰ὡδοποίησε τρίβον τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀπὸ θανάτου τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν εἰς θάνατον συνέκλεισε

⁵¹καὶ ἐπάταξε πᾶν πρωτότοκον ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, ἀπαρχὴν παντὸς πόνου αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασι Χάμ,

⁵²καὶ ἀπῇρεν ὡς πρόβατα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ ποίμνιον ἐν ἐρήμῳ

⁵³καὶ ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπ᾿ ἐλπίδι, καὶ οὐκ ἐδειλίασαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάλυψε θάλασσα.

⁵⁴καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ἁγιάσματος αὐτοῦ, ὄρος τοῦτο, ὃ ἐκτήσατο ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ,

⁵⁵καὶ ἐξέβαλεν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν ἔθνη καὶ ἐκληροδότησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν σχοινίῳ κληροδοσίας καὶ κατεσκήνωσεν ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασιν αὐτῶν τὰς φυλὰς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ.

⁵⁶καὶ ἐπείρασαν καὶ παρεπίκραναν τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ῞Υψιστον καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐφυλάξαντο

⁵⁷καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν καὶ ἠθέτησαν, καθὼς καὶ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν, μετεστράφησαν εἰς τόξον στρεβλὸν

⁵⁸καὶ παρώργισαν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς βουνοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς γλυπτοῖς αὐτῶν παρεζήλωσαν αὐτόν.

⁵⁹ἤκουσεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ὑπερεῖδε καὶ ἐξουδένωσε σφόδρα τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ.

⁶⁰καὶ ἀπώσατο τὴν σκηνὴν Σιλώμ, σκήνωμα, ὃ κατεσκήνωσεν ἐν ἀνθρώποις.

⁶¹καὶ παρέδωκεν εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν καλλονὴν αὐτῶν εἰς χεῖρα ἐχθρῶν

⁶²καὶ συνέκλεισεν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ ὑπερεῖδε.

⁶³τοὺς νεανίσκους αὐτῶν κατέφαγε πῦρ, καὶ αἱ παρθένοι αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπενθήθησαν·

⁶⁴οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν ἐν ρομφαίᾳ ἔπεσον, καὶ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν οὐ κλαυθήσονται.

⁶⁵καὶ ἐξηγέρθη ὡς ὁ ὑπνῶν Κύριος, ὡς δυνατὸς κεκραιπαληκὼς ἐξ οἴνου,

⁶⁶καὶ ἐπάταξε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, ὄνειδος αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς.

⁶⁷καὶ ἀπώσατο τὸ σκήνωμα ᾿Ιωσὴφ καὶ τὴν φυλὴν ᾿Εφραὶμ οὐκ ἐξελέξατο·

⁶⁸καὶ ἐξελέξατο τὴν φυλὴν ᾿Ιούδα, τὸ ὄρος τὸ Σιών, ὃ ἠγάπησε,

⁶⁹καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ὡς μονοκέρωτος τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

⁷⁰καὶ ἐξελέξατο Δαυΐδ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων τῶν προβάτων,

⁷¹ἐξόπισθεν τῶν λοχευομένων ἔλαβεν αὐτόν ποιμαίνειν ᾿Ιακὼβ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ

⁷²καὶ ἐποίμανεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀκακίᾳ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ συνέσει τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ὡδήγησεν αὐτούς.

¹[[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph.] Give heed, O my people, to my law: incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

²I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings [which have been] from the beginning.

³All which we have heard and known, and our fathers have declared to us.

⁴They were not hid from their children to a second generation; [the fathers] declaring the praises of the Lord, and his mighty acts, and his wonders which he wrought.

⁵And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, to make it known to their children:

⁶that another generation might know, even the sons which should be born; and they should arise and declare them to their children.

⁷That they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but diligently seek his commandments.

⁸That they should not be as their fathers, a perverse and provoking generation; a generation which set not its heart aright, and its spirit was not steadfast with God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, bending and shooting [with] the bow, turned [back] in the day of battle.

¹⁰They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.

¹¹And they forgot his benefits, and his miracles which he [had] shewed them;

¹²the miracles which he wrought before their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Tanes.

¹³He clave the sea, and led them through: he made the waters to stand as [in] a bottle.

¹⁴And he guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵he clave a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as in a great deep.

¹⁶And he brought water out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down as rivers.

¹⁷And they sinned yet more against him; they provoked the Most High in the wilderness.

¹⁸And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.

¹⁹They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

²⁰Forasmuch as he smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?

²¹Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

²²Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.

²³Yet he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

²⁴and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

²⁵Man ate angels’ bread; he sent them provision to the full.

²⁶He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the south-west wind.

²⁷And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

²⁸And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

²⁹So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.

³⁰They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,

³¹then the indignation of God rose up against them, and slew the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

³²In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

³³And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.

³⁴When he slew them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

³⁵And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.

³⁶Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

³⁷For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

³⁸But he is compassionate, and will forgive their sins, and will not destroy [them]: yea, he will frequently turn away his wrath, and will not kindle all his anger.

³⁹And he remembered that they are flesh; a wind that passes away, and returns not.

⁴⁰How often did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] anger him in a dry land!

⁴¹Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They remembered not his hand, the day in which he delivered them from the hand of the oppressor.

⁴³How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanes:

⁴⁴and had changed their rivers into blood; and their streams, that they should not drink.

⁴⁵He sent against them the dog-fly, and it devoured them; and the frog, and it spoiled them.

⁴⁶And he gave their fruit to the canker worm, and their labours to the locust.

⁴⁷He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost.

⁴⁸And he gave up their cattle to hail, and their substance to the fire.

⁴⁹He sent out against them the fury of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and affliction, a message by evil angels.

⁵⁰He made a way for his wrath; he spared not their souls from death, but consigned their cattle to death;

⁵¹and smote every first-born in the land of Egypt; the first-fruits of their labours in the tents of Cham.

⁵²And he removed his people like sheep; he led them as a flock in the wilderness.

⁵³And he guided them with hope, and they feared not: but the sea covered their enemies.

⁵⁴And he brought them in to the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand had purchased.

⁵⁵And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.

⁵⁷And they turned back, and broke covenant, even as also their fathers: they became like a crooked bow.

⁵⁸And they provoked him with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

⁵⁹God heard and lightly regarded [them], and greatly despised Israel.

⁶⁰And he rejected the tabernacle of Selom, his tent where he dwelt among men.

⁶¹And he gave their strength into captivity, and their beauty into the enemy’s hand.

⁶²And he gave his people to the sword; and disdained his inheritance.

⁶³Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins mourned not.

⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows shall not be wept for.

⁶⁵So the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] as a mighty man who has been heated with wine.

⁶⁶And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he brought on them a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁷And he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

⁶⁸but chose the tribe of Juda, the mount Sion which he loved.

⁶⁹And he built his sanctuary as [the place] of unicorns; he founded it for ever on the earth.

⁷⁰He chose David also his servant, and took him up from the flocks of sheep.

⁷¹He took him from following the ewes great with young, to be the shepherd of Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance.

⁷²So he tended them in the innocency of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.