1 'n Onderwysing van Asaf. My volk, luister na my onderrig; neig julle oor tot die woorde van my mond.
2 Ek wil my mond open met 'n spreuk, raaisels uit die voortyd laat stroom.
3 Wat ons gehoor het en weet en ons vaders ons vertel het,
4 sal ons nie verberg vir hulle kinders nie, maar aan die volgende geslag vertel die roemryke dade van die HERE en sy mag en sy wonders wat Hy gedoen het.
5 Hy tog het 'n getuienis opgerig in Jakob en 'n wet gegee in Israel, wat Hy ons vaders beveel het -- om dit aan hulle kinders bekend te maak,
6 sodat die volgende geslag dit kan weet, die kinders wat gebore word, dat hulle kan opstaan en vertel aan hulle kinders,
7 en hulle vertroue op God kan stel en die dade van God nie vergeet nie, maar sy gebooie kan bewaar,
8 en nie word soos hulle vaders nie, 'n koppige en wederstrewige geslag, 'n geslag met 'n onvaste hart en wie se gees nie trou was teenoor God nie.
9 Die kinders van Efraim, gewapende boogskutters, het omgespring op die dag van oorlog.
10 Hulle het die verbond van God nie gehou nie en geweier om te wandel in sy wet.
11 En hulle het sy dade vergeet en sy wonders wat Hy hulle laat sien het.
12 Voor hulle vaders het Hy wonders gedoen, in die land Egipte, die veld van Soan.
13 Hy het die see geklief en hulle laat deurgaan en die waters laat staan soos 'n wal.
14 En Hy het hulle bedags gelei met 'n wolk en die hele nag met 'n lig van vuur.
15 Hy het rotse gekloof in die woestyn en hulle oorvloedig laat drink soos uit watervloede.
16 En Hy het strome laat uitgaan uit die rots en die waters laat afloop soos riviere.
17 Nog het hulle voortgegaan om teen Hom te sondig, om wederstrewig te wees teen die Allerhoogste in die dor land.
18 En hulle het God versoek in hul hart deur voedsel te vra na hulle sin.
19 En hulle het teen God gespreek, hulle het gesê: Sou God 'n tafel kan dek in die woestyn?
20 Kyk, Hy het die rots geslaan, dat waters gevloei en spruite gestroom het -- sou Hy ook brood kan gee of vleis kan verskaf aan sy volk?
21 Daarom het die HERE gehoor en toornig geword, en 'n vuur is aangesteek teen Jakob, en toorn het ook opgegaan teen Israel;
22 omdat hulle in God nie geglo en op sy hulp nie vertrou het nie.
23 En Hy het aan die wolke daarbo bevel gegee en die deure van die hemel oopgemaak;
24 en Hy het manna op hulle laat reën om te eet en koring van die hemel aan hulle gegee.
25 Mense het die brood van die engele geëet; Hy het hulle volop padkos gestuur.
26 Hy het die oostewind laat uitbreek aan die hemel en die suidewind deur sy sterkte aangevoer;
27 en Hy het vleis soos stof op hulle laat reën en gevleuelde voëls soos sand aan die seë;
28 en Hy het dit binne-in sy laer laat val, rondom sy wonings.
29 Toe het hulle geëet en ten volle versadig geword, en hulle begeerte het Hy bevredig.
30 Hulle was nie weg van hul begeerte nie -- hulle voedsel was nog in hulle mond --
31 toe die toorn van God teen hulle opgegaan het en Hy 'n slagting onder hulle kragtige manne aangerig en die jongmanne van Israel neergewerp het.
32 Ondanks dit alles het hulle verder gesondig en nie aan sy wonders geglo nie.
33 So het Hy dan hulle dae laat vergaan in nietigheid en hulle jare in verskrikking.
34 Elke keer as Hy hulle gedood het, het hulle na Hom gevra en teruggekom en God gesoek;
35 en hulle het daaraan gedink dat God hul rots was en God, die Allerhoogste, hul verlosser.
36 En hulle het Hom met hul mond gevlei en Hom met hul tong belieg;
37 maar hulle hart het nie aan Hom vasgehou nie, en hulle was nie trou in sy verbond nie.
38 Maar Hy is barmhartig, Hy versoen die ongeregtigheid en verdelg nie, en dikwels wend Hy sy toorn af en wek nie al sy grimmigheid op nie.
39 En Hy het daaraan gedink dat hulle vlees was, 'n wind wat weggaan en nie terugkom nie.
40 Hoe dikwels was hulle wederstrewig teen Hom in die woestyn, het hulle Hom gegrief in die wildernis;
41 en hulle het God opnuut versoek en die Heilige van Israel gekrenk.
42 Hulle het nie aan sy hand gedink, aan die dag toe Hy hulle van die teëstander verlos het nie;
43 toe Hy sy tekens gedoen het in Egipte en sy wonders in die veld van Soan.
44 En Hy het hulle riviere verander in bloed en hulle strome, sodat hulle nie kon drink nie.
45 Hy het onder hulle steekvlieë gestuur wat hulle verteer het, en paddas wat verwoesting oor hulle gebring het.
46 En Hy het hulle opbrings aan die kaalvreter gegee en die vrug van hulle werk aan die treksprinkaan.
47 Hy het hulle wingerdstok deur die hael doodgemaak en hulle wildevyeboom deur ryp.
48 Ook het Hy hulle diere aan die hael oorgegee en hulle vee aan die blitse.
49 Hy het die gloed van sy toorn onder hulle gestuur, grimmigheid en woede en benoudheid, 'n uitsending van ongeluksbodes.
50 Hy het 'n pad vir sy toorn gebaan, hulle siel nie gered van die dood nie, maar hulle lewe aan die pes oorgegee.
51 En Hy het al die eersgeborenes in Egipte getref, die eerstelinge van hul krag in die tente van Gam.
52 Maar Hy het sy volk laat wegtrek soos skape en hulle gelei soos 'n kudde in die woestyn.
53 Ja, Hy het hulle veilig gelei, sodat hulle nie gevrees het nie; maar die see het hulle vyande oordek.
54 En Hy het hulle gebring na sy heilige grondgebied, na die bergland wat sy regterhand verwerf het.
55 En Hy het nasies voor hulle uit verdrywe en die aan hulle as afgemete erfdeel laat val, en Hy het die stamme van Israel in hulle tente laat woon.
56 Maar hulle het Hom versoek en was wederstrewig teen God, die Allerhoogste, en hulle het sy getuienisse nie onderhou nie.
57 En hulle was afvallig en het troueloos gehandel soos hul vaders; hulle het omgedraai soos 'n bedrieglike boog.
58 En hulle het Hom geterg deur hul hoogtes en deur hul gesnede beelde sy jaloersheid gewek.
59 God het dit gehoor en toornig geword, en Hy het Israel heeltemal verwerp.
60 En Hy het die tabernakel in Silo prysgegee, die tent wat Hy opgeslaan het onder die mense.
61 En Hy het sy sterkte oorgegee in gevangenskap en sy heerlikheid in die hand van die teëstander.
62 En Hy het sy volk oorgelewer aan die swaard en toornig geword op sy erfdeel.
63 Die vuur het hulle jongmanne verteer, en hulle jongedogters is nie geprys nie.
64 Hulle priesters het deur die swaard geval, en hulle weduwees het nie geween nie.
65 Toe het die Here wakker geword soos een wat slaap, soos 'n held wat oorweldig is deur die wyn;
66 en Hy het sy teëstanders van agter geslaan, Hy het hulle 'n ewige smaadheid aangedoen.
67 En Hy het die tent van Josef verwerp, en die stam van Efraim het Hy nie uitverkies nie,
68 maar die stam van Juda uitverkies, die berg Sion wat Hy liefhet.
69 En Hy het sy heiligdom soos hemelhoogtes gebou, soos die aarde wat Hy vir ewig gegrondves het.
70 En Hy het sy kneg Dawid uitverkies en hom van die skaapkrale af geneem.
71 Agter die lammerooie het Hy hom gaan weghaal, om Jakob, sy volk, op te pas en Israel, sy erfdeel.
72 En hy het hulle opgepas na die opregtheid van sy hart en hulle gelei met die verstandige oorleg van sy hande.
1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth.
2 Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times;
3 Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers.
4 We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done.
5 He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children;
6 So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children;
7 So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws;
8 And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God.
9 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
10 They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law;
11 They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see.
12 He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that.
14 In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire.
15 The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters.
16 He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers.
17 And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land;
18 Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
19 They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?
20 See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people?
21 So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel;
22 Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation.
23 And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open;
24 And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure.
26 He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power.
27 He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea,
28 And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents.
29 So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire;
30 But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders.
33 So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble.
34 When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
35 In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour.
36 But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
37 And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him.
38 But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry.
39 So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
40 How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
41 Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters;
43 How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan;
44 So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.
45 He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction.
46 He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts.
47 He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold.
48 Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks.
49 He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them.
50 He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease.
51 He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
52 But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock.
53 He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea.
54 And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his;
55 Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place.
56 But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws;
57 Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
58 They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images.
59 When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
60 So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men;
61 And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater.
62 He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage.
63 Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song.
64 Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them.
65 Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine.
66 His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever.
67 And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim;
68 But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure.
69 And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever.
70 He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks;
71 From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage.
72 So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.