1 Cantique d'Asaph. Mon peuple, écoute mes instructions! Prêtez l'oreille aux paroles de ma bouche!

2 J'ouvre la bouche par des sentences, Je publie la sagesse des temps anciens.

3 Ce que nous avons entendu, ce que nous savons, Ce que nos pères nous ont raconté,

4 Nous ne le cacherons point à leurs enfants; Nous dirons à la génération future les louanges de l'Eternel, Et sa puissance, et les prodiges qu'il a opérés.

5 Il a établi un témoignage en Jacob, Il a mis une loi en Israël, Et il a ordonné à nos pères de l'enseigner à leurs enfants,

6 Pour qu'elle fût connue de la génération future, Des enfants qui naîtraient, Et que, devenus grands, ils en parlassent à leurs enfants,

7 Afin qu'ils missent en Dieu leur confiance, Qu'ils n'oubliassent pas les oeuvres de Dieu, Et qu'ils observassent ses commandements,

8 Afin qu'ils ne fussent pas, comme leurs pères, Une race indocile et rebelle, Une race dont le coeur n'était pas ferme, Et dont l'esprit n'était pas fidèle à Dieu.

9 Les fils d'Ephraïm, armés et tirant de l'arc, Tournèrent le dos le jour du combat.

10 Ils ne gardèrent point l'alliance de Dieu, Et ils refusèrent de marcher selon sa loi.

11 Ils mirent en oubli ses oeuvres, Ses merveilles qu'il leur avait fait voir.

12 Devant leurs pères il avait fait des prodiges, Au pays d'Egypte, dans les campagnes de Tsoan.

13 Il fendit la mer et leur ouvrit un passage, Il fit dresser les eaux comme une muraille.

14 Il les conduisit le jour par la nuée, Et toute la nuit par un feu éclatant.

15 Il fendit des rochers dans le désert, Et il donna à boire comme des flots abondants;

16 Du rocher il fit jaillir des sources, Et couler des eaux comme des fleuves.

17 Mais ils continuèrent à pécher contre lui, A se révolter contre le Très-Haut dans le désert.

18 Ils tentèrent Dieu dans leur coeur, En demandant de la nourriture selon leur désir.

19 Ils parlèrent contre Dieu, Ils dirent: Dieu pourrait-il Dresser une table dans le désert?

20 Voici, il a frappé le rocher, et des eaux ont coulé, Et des torrents se sont répandus; Pourra-t-il aussi donner du pain, Ou fournir de la viande à son peuple?

21 L'Eternel entendit, et il fut irrité; Un feu s'alluma contre Jacob, Et la colère s'éleva contre Israël,

22 Parce qu'ils ne crurent pas en Dieu, Parce qu'ils n'eurent pas confiance dans son secours.

23 Il commanda aux nuages d'en haut, Et il ouvrit les portes des cieux;

24 Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la manne pour nourriture, Il leur donna le blé du ciel.

25 Ils mangèrent tous le pain des grands, Il leur envoya de la nourriture à satiété.

26 Il fit souffler dans les cieux le vent d'orient, Et il amena par sa puissance le vent du midi;

27 Il fit pleuvoir sur eux la viande comme de la poussière, Et comme le sable des mers les oiseaux ailés;

28 Il les fit tomber au milieu de leur camp, Tout autour de leurs demeures.

29 Ils mangèrent et se rassasièrent abondamment: Dieu leur donna ce qu'ils avaient désiré.

30 Ils n'avaient pas satisfait leur désir, Ils avaient encore leur nourriture dans la bouche,

31 Lorsque la colère de Dieu s'éleva contre eux; Il frappa de mort les plus vigoureux, Il abattit les jeunes hommes d'Israël.

32 Malgré tout cela, ils continuèrent à pécher, Et ne crurent point à ses prodiges.

33 Il consuma leurs jours par la vanité, Et leurs années par une fin soudaine.

34 Quand il les frappait de mort, ils le cherchaient, Ils revenaient et se tournaient vers Dieu;

35 Ils se souvenaient que Dieu était leur rocher, Que le Dieu Très-Haut était leur libérateur.

36 Mais ils le trompaient de la bouche, Et ils lui mentaient de la langue;

37 Leur coeur n'était pas ferme envers lui, Et ils n'étaient pas fidèles à son alliance.

38 Toutefois, dans sa miséricorde, il pardonne l'iniquité et ne détruit pas; Il retient souvent sa colère et ne se livre pas à toute sa fureur.

39 Il se souvint qu'ils n'étaient que chair, Un souffle qui s'en va et ne revient pas.

40 Que de fois ils se révoltèrent contre lui dans le désert! Que de fois ils l'irritèrent dans la solitude!

41 Ils ne cessèrent de tenter Dieu, Et de provoquer le Saint d'Israël.

42 Ils ne se souvinrent pas de sa puissance, Du jour où il les délivra de l'ennemi,

43 Des miracles qu'il accomplit en Egypte, Et de ses prodiges dans les campagnes de Tsoan.

44 Il changea leurs fleuves en sang, Et ils ne purent en boire les eaux.

45 Il envoya contre eux des mouches venimeuses qui les dévorèrent, Et des grenouilles qui les détruisirent.

46 Il livra leurs récoltes aux sauterelles, Le produit de leur travail aux sauterelles.

47 Il fit périr leurs vignes par la grêle, Et leurs sycomores par la gelée.

48 Il abandonna leur bétail à la grêle, Et leurs troupeaux au feu du ciel.

49 Il lança contre eux son ardente colère, La fureur, la rage et la détresse, Une troupe de messagers de malheur.

50 Il donna libre cours à sa colère, Il ne sauva pas leur âme de la mort, Il livra leur vie à la mortalité;

51 Il frappa tous les premiers-nés en Egypte, Les prémices de la force sous les tentes de Cham.

52 Il fit partir son peuple comme des brebis, Il les conduisit comme un troupeau dans le désert.

53 Il les dirigea sûrement, pour qu'ils fussent sans crainte, Et la mer couvrit leurs ennemis.

54 Il les amena vers sa frontière sainte, Vers cette montagne que sa droite a acquise.

55 Il chassa devant eux les nations, Leur distribua le pays en héritage, Et fit habiter dans leurs tentes les tribus d'Israël.

56 Mais ils tentèrent le Dieu Très-Haut et se révoltèrent contre lui, Et ils n'observèrent point ses ordonnances.

57 Ils s'éloignèrent et furent infidèles, comme leurs pères, Ils tournèrent, comme un arc trompeur.

58 Ils l'irritèrent par leurs hauts lieux, Et ils excitèrent sa jalousie par leurs idoles.

59 Dieu entendit, et il fut irrité; Il repoussa fortement Israël.

60 Il abandonna la demeure de Silo, La tente où il habitait parmi les hommes;

61 Il livra sa gloire à la captivité, Et sa majesté entre les mains de l'ennemi.

62 Il mit son peuple à la merci du glaive, Et il s'indigna contre son héritage.

63 Le feu dévora ses jeunes hommes, Et ses vierges ne furent pas célébrées;

64 Ses sacrificateurs tombèrent par l'épée, Et ses veuves ne pleurèrent pas.

65 Le Seigneur s'éveilla comme celui qui a dormi, Comme un héros qu'a subjugué le vin.

66 Il frappa ses adversaires en fuite, Il les couvrit d'un opprobre éternel.

67 Cependant il rejeta la tente de Joseph, Et il ne choisit point la tribu d'Ephraïm;

68 Il préféra la tribu de Juda, La montagne de Sion qu'il aimait.

69 Et il bâtit son sanctuaire comme les lieux élevés, Comme la terre qu'il a fondée pour toujours.

70 Il choisit David, son serviteur, Et il le tira des bergeries;

71 Il le prit derrière les brebis qui allaitent, Pour lui faire paître Jacob, son peuple, Et Israël, son héritage.

72 Et David les dirigea avec un coeur intègre, Et les conduisit avec des mains intelligentes.

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.