1 قصيدة لآساف. اصغ يا شعبي الى شريعتي. اميلوا آذانكم الى كلام فمي.2 افتح بمثل فمي. اذيع الغازا منذ القدم.3 التي سمعناها وعرفناها وآباؤنا اخبرونا.4 لا نخفي عن بنيهم الى الجيل الآخر مخبرين بتسابيح الرب وقوته وعجائبه التي صنع.5 اقام شهادة في يعقوب ووضع شريعة في اسرائيل التي اوصى آباءنا ان يعرّفوا بها ابناءهم6 لكي يعلم الجيل الآخر. بنون يولدون فيقومون ويخبرون ابناءهم7 فيجعلون على الله اعتمادهم ولا ينسون اعمال الله بل يحفظون وصاياه8 ولا يكونون مثل آبائهم جيلا زائغا وماردا جيلا لم يثبت قلبه ولم تكن روحه امينة لله9 بنو افرايم النازعون في القوس الرامون انقلبوا في يوم الحرب.10 لم يحفظوا عهد الله وابوا السلوك في شريعته11 ونسوا افعاله وعجائبه التي اراهم.12 قدام آبائهم صنع اعجوبة في ارض مصر بلاد صوعن.13 شق البحر فعبّرهم ونصب المياه كندّ.14 وهداهم بالسحاب نهارا والليل كله بنور نار.15 شق صخورا في البرية وسقاهم كانه من لجج عظيمة.16 اخرج مجاري من صخرة واجرى مياها كالانهار.17 ثم عادوا ايضا ليخطئوا اليه لعصيان العلي في الارض الناشفة.18 وجربوا الله في قلوبهم بسؤالهم طعاما لشهوتهم.19 فوقعوا في الله. قالوا هل يقدر الله ان يرتب مائدة في البرية.20 هوذا ضرب الصخرة فجرت المياه وفاضت الاودية. هل يقدر ايضا ان يعطي خبزا ويهيئ لحما لشعبه.21 لذلك سمع الرب فغضب واشتعلت نار في يعقوب وسخط ايضا صعد على اسرائيل.22 لانهم لم يؤمنوا بالله ولم يتكلوا على خلاصه.23 فامر السحاب من فوق وفتح مصاريع السموات24 وامطر عليهم منّا للأكل وبر السماء اعطاهم.25 اكل الانسان خبز الملائكة. ارسل عليهم زادا للشبع.26 اهاج شرقية في السماء وساق بقوته جنوبية27 وامطر عليهم لحما مثل التراب وكرمل البحر طيورا ذوات اجنحة.28 واسقطها في وسط محلتهم حوالي مساكنهم.29 فأكلوا وشبعوا جدا واتاهم بشهوتهم.30 لم يزوغوا عن شهوتهم طعامهم بعد في افواههم31 فصعد عليهم غضب الله وقتل من اسمنهم. وصرع مختاري اسرائيل.32 في هذا كله اخطأوا بعد ولم يؤمنوا بعجائبه33 فافنى ايامهم بالباطل وسنيهم بالرعب.34 اذ قتلهم طلبوه ورجعوا وبكروا الى الله35 وذكروا ان الله صخرتهم والله العلي وليّهم.36 فخادعوه بافواههم وكذبوا عليه بالسنتهم.37 اما قلوبهم فلم تثبت معه ولم يكونوا امناء في عهده38 اما هو فرؤوف يغفر الاثم ولا يهلك وكثيرا ما رد غضبه ولم يشعل كل سخطه.39 ذكر انهم بشر ريح تذهب ولا تعود.40 كم عصوه في البرية واحزنوه في القفر.41 رجعوا وجربوا الله وعنّوا قدوس اسرائيل.42 لم يذكروا يده يوم فداهم من العدو43 حيث جعل في مصر آياته وعجائبه في بلاد صوعن44 اذ حول خلجانهم الى دم ومجاريهم لكي لا يشربوا.45 ارسل عليهم بعوضا فاكلهم وضفادع فافسدتهم.46 اسلم للجردم غلتهم وتعبهم للجراد.47 اهلك بالبرد كرومهم وجميزهم بالصقيع.48 ودفع الى البرد بهائمهم ومواشيهم للبروق.49 ارسل عليهم حمو غضبه سخطا ورجزا وضيقا جيش ملائكة اشرار.50 مهد سبيلا لغضبه. لم يمنع من الموت انفسهم بل دفع حياتهم للوبإ51 وضرب كل بكر في مصر. اوائل القدرة في خيام حام.52 وساق مثل الغنم شعبه وقادهم مثل قطيع في البرية.53 وهداهم آمنين فلم يجزعوا. اما اعداؤهم فغمرهم البحر.54 وادخلهم في تخوم قدسه هذا الجبل الذي اقتنته يمينه.55 وطرد الامم من قدامهم وقسمهم بالحبل ميراثا واسكن في خيامهم اسباط اسرائيل56 فجربوا وعصوا الله العلي وشهاداته لم يحفظوا57 بل ارتدّوا وغدروا مثل آبائهم. انحرفوا كقوس مخطئة.58 اغاظوه بمرتفعاتهم واغاروه بتماثيلهم.59 سمع الله فغضب ورذل اسرائيل جدا60 ورفض مسكن شيلو الخيمة التي نصبها بين الناس.61 وسلم للسبي عزه وجلاله ليد العدو.62 ودفع الى السيف شعبه وغضب على ميراثه.63 مختاروه اكلتهم النار وعذاراه لم يحمدن.64 كهنته سقطوا بالسيف وارامله لم يبكين65 فاستيقظ الرب كنائم كجبار معّيط من الخمر.66 فضرب اعداءه الى الوراء. جعلهم عارا ابديا.67 ورفض خيمة يوسف ولم يختر سبط افرايم.68 بل اختار سبط يهوذا جبل صهيون الذي احبه.69 وبنى مثل مرتفعات مقدسه كالارض التي اسسها الى الابد.70 واختار داود عبده واخذه من حظائر الغنم.71 من خلف المرضعات أتى به ليرعى يعقوب شعبه واسرائيل ميراثه.72 فرعاهم حسب كمال قلبه وبمهارة يديه هداهم
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.4 We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done.5 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:6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:8 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 steadfast with God.9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;11 And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.12 Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.15 He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.19 Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?20 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?21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,24 And had rained down manna on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.25 Man did eat angels'food: he sent them meat to the full.26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.27 He rained flesh also on them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:28 And he let it fall in the middle of their camp, round about their habitations.29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,31 The wrath of God came on them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passes away, and comes not again.40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!41 Yes, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.43 How he had worked his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.46 He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.49 He cast on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.55 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.56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy' hand.62 He gave his people over also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he has established for ever.70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.