上帝引导祂的子民

亚萨的训诲诗。

78 我的百姓啊!
你们要听我的教导,
侧耳倾听我的话。
我要开口讲比喻,
道出古时的奥秘,
是我们所闻所知、世代流传下来的事。
我们不要在子孙面前隐瞒事实,
要把耶和华当受称颂的作为、
祂的权能和所行的奇事告诉下一代。
因为祂为雅各制定法度,
为以色列设立律法,
又吩咐我们的祖先把这些律法传给儿女,
好让他们也照样教导自己的子孙后代,
世代相传。
这样,他们就会信靠上帝,
遵行祂的命令,
不忘记祂的作为;
也不会像自己的祖先那样顽梗叛逆,
对上帝不忠,心怀二意。
以法莲人备上了弓箭,
却临阵逃命。
10 他们不遵守上帝的约,
拒绝遵行祂的律法。
11 他们忘记了祂的作为,
忘记了祂为他们所行的奇事。
12 祂曾在埃及,在琐安当着他们祖先的面行神迹。
13 祂把海水分开,
带领他们安然渡过;
祂使海水堆起如墙壁。
14 祂白天以云柱带领他们,
晚上用火柱引导他们。
15 祂在旷野劈开磐石,
供应他们丰沛的水源。
16 祂使水从磐石中滚滚流出,
如滔滔江河。
17 然而,他们仍旧犯罪,
在旷野反叛至高的上帝。
18 他们顽梗地试探上帝,
索要他们想吃的食物。
19 他们抱怨上帝,说:
“难道上帝可以在旷野摆宴席吗?
20 祂击打磐石,
水就涌出,流淌成河,
但祂能赐给我们——祂的子民食物和肉吗?”
21 耶和华听后大怒,
祂的怒火烧向雅各,
祂的怒气撒向以色列。
22 因为他们不相信上帝,也不信靠祂的拯救。
23 祂向穹苍发出命令,
又打开天门,
24 降下吗哪给他们吃,赐下天粮。
25 他们吃了天使的食物,
上帝赐给他们丰富的食物。
26 祂使空中刮起东风,
用大能引来南风,
27 使飞鸟像雨点一般降在他们当中,多如尘埃,
使他们有多如海沙的肉吃。
28 祂使飞鸟降落在他们营中的帐篷周围,
29 让他们尽情地吃,
遂了他们的心愿。
30 但是,他们还没有吃完,
肉还在口中的时候,
31 上帝就向他们发怒,
杀掉了他们当中最强壮的,
消灭了以色列的青年。
32 即使如此,
他们依旧犯罪,
不相信上帝奇妙的作为。
33 所以上帝使他们虚度一生,
让他们的岁月充满恐惧。
34 直到上帝击杀他们的时候,
他们才回转,诚心寻求上帝。
35 他们才想起上帝是他们的磐石,
至高的上帝是他们的救赎主。
36 他们却虚情假意,满口谎言。
37 他们不忠于祂,
也不信守祂的约。
38 但上帝充满怜悯,
赦免了他们的罪,
没有毁灭他们。
祂多次收住怒气,
没有完全发出祂的烈怒。
39 祂顾念他们不过是血肉之躯,
像一阵风转眼消逝。
40 他们在旷野屡屡反叛祂,
使祂伤心。
41 他们再三试探上帝,
惹以色列的圣者发怒。
42 他们忘记了祂的大能,
忘记了祂救他们脱离压迫的日子,
43 也忘记了祂在埃及所行的神迹,
在琐安的田野所行的奇事。
44 祂曾使江河溪流变成血,
以致无人能喝。
45 祂曾使成群的苍蝇吞没他们,
使青蛙毁灭他们。
46 祂将他们的五谷赏给蚱蜢,
让蝗虫吃尽他们的收成。
47 祂用冰雹毁坏他们的葡萄树,
用严霜毁坏他们的无花果树,
48 又用冰雹毁灭他们的牛群,
用闪电毁灭他们的牲畜。
49 祂把怒火、烈怒、愤恨和祸患倾倒在他们身上,
遣下一群降灾的天使。
50 祂的怒气尽发,
使他们被瘟疫吞噬,难逃一死。
51 祂击杀了埃及人所有的长子,
就是含帐篷中头生的儿子。
52 祂领出自己的子民,
好像领出羊群,
引领他们经过旷野,
53 使他们一路平安,免受惊吓,
大海却淹没了他们的仇敌。
54 祂带领自己的子民来到圣地的边界,
来到祂亲手为他们预备的山区,
55 从他们面前赶出外族人,
把外族人的土地分给他们,
作为他们的产业,
使以色列各支派安顿下来。
56 可是,他们仍旧试探上帝,
反叛至高者,不遵行祂的法度。
57 他们跟祖先一样背信弃义,
像断弓一样毫不可靠。
58 他们建造丘坛,惹祂发怒;
他们竖起神像,令祂愤怒。
59 上帝知道了他们的恶行,
怒不可遏,
彻底弃绝了以色列人。
60 祂离弃了设在示罗的圣幕,
就是祂在人间的居所。
61 祂任凭自己的约柜被人掳去,
让自己的荣耀落在敌人手中。
62 祂使自己的子民被刀剑杀戮,
向自己的产业大发怒气。
63 青年被烈火吞噬,
少女无法婚嫁。
64 祭司丧身刀下,
寡妇无法哭丧。
65 那时,主像从睡眠中醒来,
又如酒后醒来的勇士。
66 祂击退仇敌,
叫他们永远蒙羞。
67 祂丢弃了约瑟的子孙,
没有拣选以法莲支派。
68 祂拣选了犹大支派,
祂所喜爱的锡安山。
69 祂为自己建造高耸的圣所,
使它像大地一样长存。
70 祂拣选了祂的仆人大卫,
把他从羊圈中召来,
71 让他离开牧羊的生活,
去牧养祂的子民雅各的后裔,
牧养祂的产业以色列。
72 于是,大卫以正直的心牧养他们,
用灵巧的手带领他们。

That the Generation to Come Might Know

A [a]Maskil of Asaph.

78 (A)Give ear, O my people, to my [b]instruction;
(B)Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will (C)open my mouth in a parable;
I will pour forth (D)dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known,
And (E)our fathers have recounted to us.
We will (F)not conceal them from their children,
But (G)recount to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh,
And His strength and His (H)wondrous deeds that He has done.

For He established a (I)testimony in Jacob
And set a (J)law in Israel,
Which He (K)commanded our fathers
That they should [c](L)teach them to their children,
(M)That the generation to come might know, even (N)the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and (O)recount them to their children,
That they should set their confidence in God
And (P)not forget the deeds of God,
But (Q)observe His commandments,
And (R)not be like their fathers,
A (S)stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that (T)did not [d]prepare its heart
And whose spirit was not (U)faithful to God.

The sons of Ephraim [e]were (V)archers equipped with bows,
Yet (W)they turned back in the day of battle.
10 They (X)did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to (Y)walk in His law;
11 So they (Z)forgot His acts
And His [f]wondrous deeds that He had shown them.
12 (AA)He did wonders before their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the (AB)field of Zoan.
13 He (AC)split the sea and caused them to pass through,
And He made the waters stand (AD)up like a heap.
14 Then He led them with the cloud by (AE)day
And all the night with a (AF)light of fire.
15 He was (AG)splitting the rocks in the wilderness
And so gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
16 He (AH)brought forth streams also from the cliff face
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To (AI)rebel against the Most High in the desert.
18 And in their heart they (AJ)put God to the test
By asking for (AK)food according to their desire.
19 Then they spoke against God;
They said, “(AL)Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, He (AM)struck the rock so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He give bread also?
Will He prepare [g](AN)meat for His people?”

21 Therefore Yahweh heard and [h]was (AO)full of wrath;
And a fire was kindled against Jacob
And anger also mounted against Israel,
22 Because they (AP)did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.
23 Yet He commanded the skies above
And (AQ)opened the doors of heaven;
24 He (AR)rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them (AS)grain from heaven.
25 Man ate the bread of [i]angels;
He sent them provision (AT)to satisfy.
26 He (AU)led forth the east wind in the heavens
And by His strength He guided the south wind.
27 Then He rained [j]meat upon them like the dust,
Even (AV)winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
28 He caused them to fall in the midst of His camp,
All around His dwelling places.
29 So they (AW)ate and were very satisfied,
And their desire He brought to them.
30 [k]Before they had satisfied their desire,
(AX)While their food was in their mouths,
31 The (AY)anger of God rose against them
And killed [l]some of their (AZ)stoutest ones,
And [m]subdued the choice men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this they (BA)still sinned
And (BB)did not believe in His wondrous deeds.
33 So He brought (BC)their days to an end in [n]futility
And their years in sudden terror.

34 When He killed them, then they (BD)sought Him,
And returned and sought (BE)earnestly for God;
35 And they remembered that God was their (BF)rock,
And the Most High God their (BG)Redeemer.
36 But they (BH)deceived Him with their mouth
And (BI)lied to Him with their tongue.
37 For their heart was not (BJ)prepared to remain with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38 But He, being (BK)compassionate, (BL)atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them;
And He abounded in (BM)turning back His anger
And did not arouse all His wrath.
39 Thus (BN)He remembered that they were but (BO)flesh,
A [o](BP)wind that goes and does not return.

40 How often they (BQ)rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And (BR)grieved Him in the (BS)wasteland!
41 Again and again they [p](BT)tested God,
And pained the (BU)Holy One of Israel.
42 They (BV)did not remember (BW)His [q]power,
The day when He (BX)redeemed them from the adversary,
43 When He performed His (BY)signs in Egypt
And His (BZ)miracles in the field of Zoan,
44 And (CA)turned their rivers to blood,
And their streams, they could not drink.
45 He sent among them swarms of (CB)flies which devoured them,
And (CC)frogs which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their crops to the (CD)grasshopper
And the fruit of their labor to the (CE)locust.
47 He killed their vines with (CF)hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He gave over their (CG)cattle also to the hailstones
And their herds to bolts of lightning.
49 He (CH)sent upon them His burning anger,
Fury and indignation and [r]distress,
[s]A band of destroying angels.
50 He leveled a path for His anger;
He did not hold back their soul from death,
But (CI)gave over their life to the plague,
51 So He (CJ)struck all the firstborn in Egypt,
The (CK)first of their vigor in the tents of (CL)Ham.
52 But He (CM)led forth His own people like sheep
And guided them in the wilderness (CN)like a flock;
53 He led them (CO)safely, so that they did not fear;
But (CP)the sea covered their enemies.

54 So (CQ)He brought them to His holy [t]land,
To this [u](CR)hill country (CS)which His right hand had acquired.
55 He also (CT)drove out the nations before them
And (CU)apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they [v](CV)tested and (CW)rebelled against the Most High God
And did not keep His testimonies,
57 But turned back and (CX)acted treacherously like their fathers;
They (CY)turned aside like a treacherous bow.
58 For they (CZ)provoked Him with their (DA)high places
And (DB)aroused His jealousy with their (DC)graven images.
59 God heard and [w]was filled with (DD)wrath
And greatly (DE)rejected Israel;
60 So that He (DF)abandoned the (DG)dwelling place at Shiloh,
The tent [x]which He caused to dwell among men,
61 And gave up His (DH)strength to captivity
And His beauty (DI)into the hand of the adversary.
62 He also (DJ)gave over His people to the sword,
And [y]was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
63 (DK)Fire devoured [z]His choice men,
And [aa]His (DL)virgins had no wedding songs.
64 [ab]His (DM)priests fell by the sword,
And [ac]His (DN)widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord (DO)awoke as if from sleep,
As if He were a (DP)warrior [ad]overcome by wine.
66 He (DQ)struck His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting reproach.
67 He also (DR)rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount (DS)Zion which He loved.
69 And He (DT)built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has founded forever.
70 He also (DU)chose David His servant
And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 From (DV)following the [ae](DW)nursing ewes He brought him
To (DX)shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel (DY)His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the (DZ)integrity of his heart,
And led them with his skillful hands.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 78 Title Possibly Contemplative, Didactic, Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 78:1 Or law
  3. Psalm 78:5 Lit make them known
  4. Psalm 78:8 Or put right
  5. Psalm 78:9 Or being
  6. Psalm 78:11 Or miracles
  7. Psalm 78:20 Lit flesh
  8. Psalm 78:21 Or became infuriated
  9. Psalm 78:25 Lit mighty ones
  10. Psalm 78:27 Lit flesh
  11. Psalm 78:30 Lit They were not estranged from
  12. Psalm 78:31 Lit among their fat ones
  13. Psalm 78:31 Lit caused to bow down
  14. Psalm 78:33 Lit vanity, a mere breath
  15. Psalm 78:39 Or breath
  16. Psalm 78:41 Or put God to the test
  17. Psalm 78:42 Lit hand
  18. Psalm 78:49 Or trouble
  19. Psalm 78:49 Lit A deputation of angels of evil
  20. Psalm 78:54 Lit border, territory
  21. Psalm 78:54 Or mountain
  22. Psalm 78:56 Or put to the test
  23. Psalm 78:59 Or became infuriated
  24. Psalm 78:60 Some ancient versions where He dwelt
  25. Psalm 78:62 Or became infuriated
  26. Psalm 78:63 Or their
  27. Psalm 78:63 Or their
  28. Psalm 78:64 Or Their
  29. Psalm 78:64 Or their
  30. Psalm 78:65 Or sobered up from
  31. Psalm 78:71 Lit ewes which gave suck

Psalm 78

A maskil[a] of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching;(A)
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;(B)
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.(C)
We will not hide them from their descendants;(D)
    we will tell the next generation(E)
the praiseworthy deeds(F) of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders(G) he has done.
He decreed statutes(H) for Jacob(I)
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,(J)
    and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget(K) his deeds
    but would keep his commands.(L)
They would not be like their ancestors(M)
    a stubborn(N) and rebellious(O) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him.

The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(P)
    turned back on the day of battle;(Q)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(R)
    and refused to live by his law.(S)
11 They forgot what he had done,(T)
    the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(U) in the sight of their ancestors
    in the land of Egypt,(V) in the region of Zoan.(W)
13 He divided the sea(X) and led them through;
    he made the water stand up like a wall.(Y)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
    and with light from the fire all night.(Z)
15 He split the rocks(AA) in the wilderness
    and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
    and made water flow down like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin(AB) against him,
    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(AC)
    by demanding the food they craved.(AD)
19 They spoke against God;(AE)
    they said, “Can God really
    spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
    and water gushed out,(AF)
    streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
    Can he supply meat(AG) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
    his fire broke out(AH) against Jacob,
    and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
    or trust(AI) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
    and opened the doors of the heavens;(AJ)
24 he rained down manna(AK) for the people to eat,
    he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind(AL) from the heavens
    and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
    birds(AM) like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
    all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—(AN)
    he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
    even while the food was still in their mouths,(AO)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
    he put to death the sturdiest(AP) among them,
    cutting down the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(AQ)
    in spite of his wonders,(AR) they did not believe.(AS)
33 So he ended their days in futility(AT)
    and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(AU) him;
    they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(AV)
    that God Most High was their Redeemer.(AW)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(AX)
    lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(AY) to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(AZ)
    he forgave(BA) their iniquities(BB)
    and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(BC)
    and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(BD)
    a passing breeze(BE) that does not return.

40 How often they rebelled(BF) against him in the wilderness(BG)
    and grieved him(BH) in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;(BI)
    they vexed the Holy One of Israel.(BJ)
42 They did not remember(BK) his power—
    the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,(BL)
43 the day he displayed his signs(BM) in Egypt,
    his wonders(BN) in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;(BO)
    they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies(BP) that devoured them,
    and frogs(BQ) that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,(BR)
    their produce to the locust.(BS)
47 He destroyed their vines with hail(BT)
    and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock(BU) to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,(BV)
    his wrath, indignation and hostility—
    a band of destroying angels.(BW)
50 He prepared a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death
    but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,(BX)
    the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.(BY)
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;(BZ)
    he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
    but the sea engulfed(CA) their enemies.(CB)
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to the hill country his right hand(CC) had taken.
55 He drove out nations(CD) before them
    and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;(CE)
    he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56 But they put God to the test
    and rebelled against the Most High;
    they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors(CF) they were disloyal and faithless,
    as unreliable as a faulty bow.(CG)
58 They angered him(CH) with their high places;(CI)
    they aroused his jealousy with their idols.(CJ)
59 When God heard(CK) them, he was furious;(CL)
    he rejected Israel(CM) completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,(CN)
    the tent he had set up among humans.(CO)
61 He sent the ark of his might(CP) into captivity,(CQ)
    his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;(CR)
    he was furious with his inheritance.(CS)
63 Fire consumed(CT) their young men,
    and their young women had no wedding songs;(CU)
64 their priests were put to the sword,(CV)
    and their widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,(CW)
    as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
    he put them to everlasting shame.(CX)
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;(CY)
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,(CZ)
    Mount Zion,(DA) which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary(DB) like the heights,
    like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David(DC) his servant
    and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep(DD) he brought him
    to be the shepherd(DE) of his people Jacob,
    of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;(DF)
    with skillful hands he led them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term