Salmos 78

(En Maskil af Asaf.) Lyt, mit folk til min lære, bøj eders øre til ord fra min Mund;

jeg vil åbne min Mund med Billedtale, fremsætte Gåder fra fordums Tid,

hvad vi har hørt og ved, hvad vore Fædre har sagt os;

vi dølger det ikke for deres Børn, men melder en kommende Slægt om HERRENs Ære og Vælde og Underne, som han har gjort.

Han satte et Vidnesbyrd i Jakob, i Israel gav han en Lov, idet han bød vore Fædre at lade deres Børn det vide,

at en senere Slægt kunde vide det, og Børn, som fødtes siden, stå frem og fortælle deres Børn derom,

så de slår deres Lid til Gud og ikke glemmer Guds Gerninger, men overholder hans Bud,

ej slægter Fædrene på, en vanartet, stridig Slægt, hvis Hjerte ikke var fast, hvis Ånd var utro mod Gud

- Efraims Børn var rustede Bueskytter, men svigted på Stridens Dag -

Gudspagten holdt de ikke, de nægtede at følge hans Lov;

hans Gerninger gik dem ad Glemme, de Undere, han lod dem skue.

Han gjorde Undere for deres Fædre i Ægypten på Zoans Mark;

han kløvede Havet og førte dem over, lod Vandet stå som en Vold;

han ledede dem ved Skyen om Dagen, Natten igennem ved Ildens Skær;

han kløvede Klipper i Ørkenen, lod dem rigeligt drikke som af Strømme,

han lod Bække rinde af Klippen og Vand strømme ned som Floder.

Men de blev ved at synde imod ham og vække den Højestes Vrede i Ørkenen;

de fristede Gud i Hjertet og krævede Mad til at stille Sulten,

Det hørte HERREN, blev vred, der tændtes en Ild mod Jakob, ja Vrede kom op mod Israel,

fordi de ikke troede Gud eller stolede på hans Frelse.

Da bød han Skyerne oventil, lod Himlens Døre åbne

og Manna regne på dem til Føde, han gav dem Himmelkorn;

Mennesker spiste Englebrød, han sendte dem Mad at mætte sig med.

Han rejste Østenvinden på Himlen, førte Søndenvinden frem ved sin Kraft;

Kød lod han regne på dem som Støv og vingede Fugle som Havets Sand,

lod dem falde midt i sin Lejr, rundt omkring sine Boliger;

Og de spiste sig overmætte, hvad de ønskede, lod han dem få.

Men før deres Attrå var stillet, mens Maden var i deres Mund,

rejste Guds Vrede sig mod dem; han vog deres kraftige Mænd, fældede Israels Ynglinge.

Og dog blev de ved at synde og troede ej på hans Undere.

Da lod han deres Dage svinde i Tomhed og endte brat deres År.

Når han vog dem, søgte de ham, vendte om og spurgte om Gud,

kom i Hu, at Gud var deres Klippe, Gud den Allerhøjeste deres Genløser.

De hyklede for ham med Munden, løj for ham med deres Tunge;

deres Hjerter holdt ikke fast ved ham, hans Pagt var de ikke tro.

Og dog er han barmhjertig, han tilgiver Misgerning, lægger ej øde, hans Vrede lagde sig Gang på Gang, han lod ikke sin Harme fuldt bryde frem;

han kom i Hu, de var Kød, et Pust, der svinder og ej vender tilbage.

Hvor tit stod de ham ikke imod i Ørkenen og voldte ham Sorg i det øde Land!

De fristede alter Gud, de krænkede Israels Hellige;

hans Hånd kom de ikke i Hu, de Dag han friede dem fra Fjenden,

da han gjorde sine Tegn i Ægypten, sine Undere på Zoans Mark,

forvandlede deres Floder til Blod, så de ej kunde drikke af Strømmene,

sendte Myg imod dem, som åd dem, og Frøer, som lagde dem øde,

gav Æderen, hvad de avlede, Græshoppen al deres Høst,

slog deres Vinstokke ned med Hagl, deres Morbærtræer med Frost,

prisgav Kvæget for Hagl og deres Hjorde for Lyn.

Han sendte sin Vredesglød mod dem, Harme, Vrede og Trængsel, en Sendefærd af Ulykkesengle;

frit Løb gav han sin Vrede, skånede dem ikke for Døden, gav deres Liv til Pris for Pest;

alt førstefødt i Ægypten slog han, Mandskraftens Førstegrøde i Kamiternes Telte,

lod sit Folk bryde op som en Hjord, ledede dem som Kvæg i Ørkenen,

ledede dem trygt, uden Frygt, mens Havet lukked sig over deres Fjender;

han bragte dem til sit hellige Land, de Bjerge, hans højre vandt,

drev Folkeslag bort foran dem, udskiftede ved Lod deres Land og lod Israels Stammer bo i deres Telte.

Dog fristed og trodsede de Gud den Allerhøjeste og overholdt ikke hans Vidnesbyrd;

de faldt fra, var troløse som deres Fædre, svigtede som en slappet Bue,

de krænkede ham med deres Offerhøje, æggede ham med deres Gudebilleder.

Det hørte Gud og blev vred følte højlig Lede ved Israel;

han opgav sin Bolig i Silo, det Telt, hvor han boede blandt Mennesker;

han gav sin Stolthed i Fangenskab, sin Herlighed i Fjendehånd,

prisgav sit Folk for Sværdet, blev vred på sin Arvelod;

Ild fortærede dets unge Mænd, dets Jomfruer fik ej Bryllupssange,

dets Præster faldt for Sværdet, dets Enker holdt ikke Klagefest.

Da vågnede Herren som en, der har sovet, som en Helt, der er døvet af Vin;

han slog sine Fjender på Ryggen, gjorde dem evigt til Skamme.

Men han fik Lede ved Josefs Telt, Efraims Stamme udvalgte han ikke;

han udvalgte Judas Stamme, Zions Bjerg, som han elsker;

han byggede sit Tempel himmelhøjt, grundfæstede det evigt som Jorden.

Han udvalgte David, sin Tjener, og tog ham fra Fårenes Folde,

hentede ham fra de diende Dyr til at vogte Jakob, hans Folk, Israel, hans Arvelod;

han vogtede dem med oprigtigt Hjerte, ledede dem med kyndig Hånd.

[Maschil of Asaph.] Give ear, O my people, {to} my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. {Maschil...: or, A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction}

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

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

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.

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:

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

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

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. {that...: Heb. that prepared not their heart}

The children of Ephraim, {being} armed, {and} carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. {carrying: Heb. throwing forth}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? {furnish: Heb. order}

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?

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

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

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

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

Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. {Man...: or, Every one did eat the bread of the mighty}

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

He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: {feathered...: Heb. fowl of wing}

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

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

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

The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen {men} of Israel. {smote...: Heb. made to bow} {Chosen...: or, young men}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, {and} grieve him in the desert! {provoke: or, rebel against}

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

They remembered not his hand, {nor} the day when he delivered them from the enemy. {from...: or, from affliction}

How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: {wrought: Heb. set}

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

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

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

He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost. {destroyed: Heb. killed} {frost: or, great hailstones}

He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. {gave...: Heb. shut up} {hot...: or, lightnings}

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

He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; {He made...: Heb. He weighed a path} {life...: or, beasts to the murrain}

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. {given...: Heb. praised}

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

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

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

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

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

And he built his sanctuary like high {palaces}, like the earth which he hath established for ever. {established: Heb. founded}

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

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

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