1Поучение на Асаф. Народе мой, слушай Закона ми; чуй думите, които изрекох. (Вт 32:1; Неем 9:9; Пс 105:1; Пс 106:1)2Ще отворя устата си и чрез притчи ще разкрия тайните на миналите времена, (Мт 13:35)3това, което чухме и узнахме и каквото ни разказаха нашите бащи. (Изх 10:2; Изх 13:14; Вт 4:9; Йов 8:8; Йов 15:18; Пс 44:2)4Няма да скрием от децата си, а ще разказваме пред следващото поколение за славата на Господа и за Неговата сила, за чудесата, които Той извърши. (Пс 145:4)5Той даде наредби на Яков и установи закон в Израил, като заповяда на предците ни да разказват на потомците си, (Вт 6:7; Пс 147:19)6за да знае следващото поколение, потомците, които ще бъдат родени, та да разказват те на децата си. (Пс 22:31)7Да се доверяват на Бога и да не забравят делата Му, а да пазят заповедите Му.8И да не бъдат като предците си, род непокорен и непослушен, поколение, което не утвърди сърцето си и чийто дух не беше верен на Бога. (Вт 31:27; Вт 32:5)9Синовете на Ефрем, въоръжени и стрелящи с лъкове, отстъпиха в деня на битката.10Не опазиха завета на Бога и отказаха да изпълняват Неговите наредби;11забравиха делата Му и чудесата, които им бе показал.12Пред очите на предците им извърши чудеса в египетската земя, в полето Цоан.13Раздели морето и ги преведе през него, а водите направи като стена. (Изх 14:21; Изх 15:8)14Денем ги води чрез облак, а цяла нощ – с огнена светлина. (Изх 13:21; Пс 105:39)15Разсече скала в пустинята и ги напои изобилно с вода. (Изх 17:1; Чис 20:2; Пс 105:41; Пс 114:8; Ис 48:21)16И направи така, че да потекат потоци от скалата, водите да потекат като реки.17Но те продължиха да съгрешават спрямо Него; в пустинята се противиха на Всевишния. (Ез 20:13)18Подлагаха на изпитание Бога в сърцето си, като искаха храна да задоволят лакомията си. (Изх 16:2)19И говореха против Бога, казвайки: „Може ли Бог да приготви трапеза в пустинята?20Ето Той удари скалата и потекоха води, рукнаха потоци. Може ли Той да даде хляб и да приготви месо за Своя народ?“21Господ чу и се разгневи; разпали огън против Яков и изсипа гняв над Израил, (Чис 11:1; Вт 32:22)22защото не повярваха в Бога и не се надяваха на спасение от Него.23Той заповяда на облаците и отвори вратите на небето, (4 Цар 7:2; Мал 3:10)24за да излее манна за храна и да им даде небесен хляб. (Изх 16:14; Изх 16:31; Йн 6:31)25Всеки ядеше ангелски хляб. Изпрати им и храна до насита. (Вт 8:3; Пс 105:40; 1 Кор 10:3; Прем 16:20)26Изгони източния вятър на небето и със силата Си доведе на неговото място южния.27И върху тях се изсипаха месо, изобилно като прах, и птици като морски пясък,28които падаха сред стана им, около техните шатри.29И те ядоха и се наситиха, тъй като им даде това, което те желаеха. (Ос 13:6)30А докато не бяха се отказали от лакомията си и храната им беше още в устата,31гневът Божий се изсипа върху тях и изби силните сред тях, повали младите мъже на Израил. (Чис 11:31)32Въпреки всичко това те продължаваха да съгрешават и не вярваха на Неговите чудеса.33Затова Той направи дните им да минават напразно, а годините им – в смут.34Когато ги избиваха, тогава Го търсеха; отвръщаха се от делата си и ревностно търсеха Бога. (Чис 21:7; Вт 32:15; Ис 26:16; Ос 5:15)35И си спомниха, че Бог е тяхната закрила, че Всевишният е техен изкупител.36Лицемереха пред Него с устата си; изричаха лъжи,37защото сърцата им не бяха с Него и не бяха верни на завета Му. (Ис 29:13)38Той обаче беше милостив, прощаваше вината им и не ги погубваше. Много пъти отклоняваше гнева Си и потискаше Своята ярост. (Изх 32:14; Чис 14:20; Пс 85:4; Ис 48:9; Ез 20:21; Ос 11:8)39И помнеше, че те са плът, дихание, което отминава и не се връща.40Колко пъти Му се противиха в пустинята и го натъжаваха в безводната земя? (Вт 9:22)41И продължаваха да подлагат Бога на изпитание и да огорчават Тебе, Светия Израилев.42Не си спомняха за силата на ръката Му, за деня, когато ги избави от потисника,43когато извърши в Египет Своите знамения и на полето Цоан – чудесата Си.44Превърна реките им в кръв, за да не се пият течащите им води; (Изх 7:20)45изпрати им мухи да ги ядат и жаби да ги погубват; (Изх 7:26; Изх 8:16)46даде на насекомите плода на труда им, а изработеното – на скакалците; (Изх 10:12)47лозята им уби с град, а плодните дървета – със слана; (Изх 9:22)48добитъка порази с градушка, стадата им – с мълнии.49Изпрати им Своя пламенен гняв, негодуванието и яростта Си, нещастия и цяло нашествие пратеници на злото.50Проправи път на гнева Си и не запази душите им от смърт, а живота им предаде на мор;51порази всеки първороден в Египет, първенците по сила в шатрите на Хам; (Изх 12:29; Пс 105:36; Пс 136:10)52а народа Си изведе като добитък и го водеше като стадо в пустинята. (Изх 13:17; Пс 77:21)53Водеше ги сигурно и те не се бояха, а враговете им ги заля морето; (Изх 14:26)54и ги доведе до границите на Своята светиня, на тази планина, която десницата Му бе придобила. (Изх 15:17)55И изгони оттам народите, а земята раздели чрез жребий и засели Израилевите племена в чуждите шатри. (И Н 11:16; Пс 44:3)56Но те подлагаха на изпитание Всевишния и упорстваха, като не спазваха наредбите Му; (Съд 2:11)57отстъпваха и изменяха като бащите си, измятаха се като негоден лък;58огорчаваха Го със своето идолопоклонство, а със своите идоли пробуждаха гнева Му. (Вт 32:16)59Бог чу и се разгневи, и силно възнегодува против Израил,60като напусна дома Си в Сило, шатъра, в който пребиваваше между хората; (И Н 18:1; Ер 7:12; Ер 26:6)61и остави в плен Своята Сила, а Славата Си – във вражески ръце. (1 Цар 4:11; 1 Цар 4:22)62Предаде на меч Своя народ и презря Своето наследство. (Ер 12:7)63Огън погълна младежите му, а сватбена песен не се изпя за девиците му. (Вт 32:22)64Свещениците му падаха от меч, а вдовиците им не можеха да ги оплакват.65Но Господ се събуди като от сън, като воин, опиянен от вино;66отблъсна враговете Си и ги посрами завинаги.67И отхвърли дома на Йосиф, и не избра племето на Ефрем,68а избра племето на Юда и планината Сион, която обичаше. (Пс 48:3; Пс 87:1)69И съгради светилището Си като във висините и като земята го утвърди завинаги.70Избра служителя Си Давид и го взе от кошарите на овцете; (1 Цар 16:11; 2 Цар 7:8; Пс 89:21; Ез 34:23; Ез 37:24)71отдели го от кърмачките, за да пасе народа Му – Яков, и наследството Му – Израил.72И той ги пасеше с чисто сърце и ги водеше с умението на ръцете си.
1My people, listen to my teaching. Pay attention to what I say.2I will open my mouth and tell a story. I will speak about things that were hidden. They happened a long time ago.3We have heard about them and we know them. Our people who lived before us have told us about them.4We won’t hide them from our children. We will tell them to those who live after us. We will tell them what the LORD has done that is worthy of praise. We will talk about his power and the wonderful things he has done.5He gave laws to the people of Jacob. He gave Israel their law. He commanded our people who lived before us to teach his laws to their children.6Then those born later would know his laws. Even their children yet to come would know them. And they in turn would tell their children.7Then they would put their trust in God. They would not forget what he had done. They would obey his commands.8They would not be like their people who lived long ago. Those people were stubborn. They refused to obey God. They turned away from him. Their spirits were not faithful to him.9The soldiers of Ephraim were armed with bows. But they ran away on the day of battle.10They didn’t keep the covenant God had made with them. They refused to live by his law.11They forgot what he had done. They didn’t remember the wonders he had shown them.12He did miracles right in front of their people who lived long ago. At that time they were living in Egypt, in the area of Zoan.13God parted the Red Sea and led them through it. He made the water stand up like a wall.14He guided them with the cloud during the day. He led them with the light of a fire all night long.15He broke the rocks open in the desert. He gave them as much water as there is in the oceans.16He brought streams out of a rocky cliff. He made water flow down like rivers.17But they continued to sin against him. In the desert they refused to obey the Most High God.18They were stubborn and tested God. They ordered him to give them the food they wanted.19They spoke against God. They said, ‘Can God really put food on a table in the desert?20It is true that he struck the rock, and streams of water poured out. Huge amounts of water flowed down. But can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?’21When the LORD heard what they said, he was very angry. His anger broke out like fire against the people of Jacob. He became very angry with Israel.22That was because they didn’t believe in God. They didn’t trust in his power to save them.23But he gave a command to the skies above. He opened the doors of the heavens.24He rained down manna for the people to eat. He gave them the corn of heaven.25Mere human beings ate the bread of angels. He sent them all the food they could eat.26He made the east wind blow from the heavens. By his power he caused the south wind to blow.27He rained down meat on them like dust. He sent them birds like sand on the seashore.28He made the birds come down inside their camp. The birds fell all around their tents.29People ate until they couldn’t eat any more. He gave them what they had wanted.30But even before they had finished eating, God acted. He did it while the food was still in their mouths.31His anger rose up against them. He put to death the strongest among them. He struck down Israel’s young men.32But even after all that, they kept on sinning. Even after the wonderful things he had done, they still didn’t believe.33So he brought their days to an end like a puff of smoke. He ended their years with terror.34Every time God killed some of them, the others would seek him. They gladly turned back to him again.35They remembered that God was their Rock. They remembered that God Most High had set them free.36But they didn’t mean it when they praised him. They lied to him when they spoke.37They turned away from him. They weren’t faithful to the covenant he had made with them.38But he was full of tender love. He forgave their sins and didn’t destroy his people. Time after time he held back his anger. He didn’t let all his burning anger blaze out.39He remembered that they were only human. He remembered they were only a breath of air that drifts by and doesn’t return.40How often they refused to obey him in the desert! How often they caused him sorrow in that dry and empty land!41Again and again they tested God. They made the Holy One of Israel sad and angry.42They didn’t remember his power. They forgot the day he set them free from those who had treated them so badly.43They forgot how he had shown them his signs in Egypt. They forgot his miracles in the area of Zoan.44He turned the river of Egypt into blood. The people of Egypt couldn’t drink water from their streams.45He sent large numbers of flies that bit them. He sent frogs that destroyed their land.46He gave their crops to the grasshoppers. He gave their food to the locusts.47He destroyed their vines with hail. He destroyed their fig-trees with sleet.48He killed their cattle with hail. Their livestock were struck by lightning.49Because he was so angry with Egypt, he caused them to have great trouble. In his great anger he sent destroying angels against them.50God prepared a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their lives. He gave them over to the plague.51He killed the eldest son of each family in Egypt. He struck down the eldest son in every house in the land of Ham.52But he brought his people out like a flock. He led them like sheep through the desert.53He guided them safely, and they weren’t afraid. But the Red Sea swallowed up their enemies.54And so he brought his people to the border of his holy land. He led them to the central hill country he had taken by his power.55He drove out the nations to make room for his people. He gave to each family a piece of land to pass on to their children. He gave the tribes of Israel a place to make their homes.56But they tested God. They refused to obey the Most High God. They didn’t keep his laws.57They were like their people who lived long ago. They turned away from him and were not faithful. They were like a bow that doesn’t shoot straight. They couldn’t be trusted.58They made God angry by going to their high places. They made him jealous by worshipping the statues of their gods.59When God saw what the people were doing, he was very angry. He turned away from them completely.60He deserted the holy tent at Shiloh. He left the tent he had set up among his people.61He allowed the ark to be captured. Into the hands of his enemies he sent the ark where his glory rested.62He let his people be killed by swords. He was very angry with them.63Fire destroyed their young men. Their young women had no one to marry.64Their priests were killed by swords. Their widows weren’t able to weep.65Then the Lord woke up as if he had been sleeping. He was like a warrior waking up from the deep sleep caused by wine.66He drove back his enemies. He put them to shame that will last for ever.67He turned his back on the tents of the people of Joseph. He didn’t choose to live in the tribe of Ephraim.68Instead, he chose to live in the tribe of Judah. He chose Mount Zion, which he loved.69There he built his holy place as secure as the heavens. He built it to last for ever, like the earth.70He chose his servant David. He took him from the sheepfolds.71He brought him from tending sheep to be the shepherd of his people Jacob. He made him the shepherd of Israel, his special people.72David cared for them with a faithful and honest heart. With skilled hands he led them.