1Ein Lehrgedicht von Asaf.
Hör, mein Volk, auf meine Weisung! / Gebt alle Acht auf das, was ich sage!2Ich will euch Weisheitssprüche vermitteln, / Rätsel der Vorzeit erklären.[1] (Mt 13,35)3Was wir hörten und erkannten, / was unsre Väter uns erzählten,4wollen wir ihren Söhnen nicht verschweigen, / das sollen auch künftige Generationen erfahren: / die Ruhmestaten und die Stärke Jahwes / und die Wunder, die er tat.5Er stellte ein Gesetz in Jakob auf, / eine Weisung in Israel, / und gebot unseren Vätern, / dies ihre Kinder zu lehren,6damit auch die nächste Generation sie kennt, / die Kinder, die noch geboren werden, / und auch sie es ihren Kindern erzählen,7damit sie auf Gott ihr Vertrauen setzen, / die Taten Gottes nicht vergessen / und seine Gebote befolgen.8Denn sie sollen nicht ihren Vorfahren gleichen, / einer launischen Generation voll Trotz und Empörung, / deren Geist nicht treu zu Gott hielt.9Die Männer vom Stamm Efraïm,[2] / mit Pfeil und Bogen gerüstet, / ergriffen am Kampftag die Flucht.10Sie hielten sich nicht an Gottes Bund, / sie weigerten sich, seiner Weisung zu folgen.11Sie vergaßen seine machtvollen Taten, / die Wunder, die er sie sehen ließ.12Wunderbares hat er vor ihren Vätern getan / im Land Ägypten, der Gegend von Zoan.[3]13Er teilte das Meer, und sie gingen hindurch, / er ließ das Wasser stehen wie einen Damm.14Am Tag führte er sie mit einer Wolke, / die ganze Nacht mit einem Feuerschein.15Er spaltete Felsen in der Wüste, / aus Wasserfluten durften sie trinken.16Er ließ Bäche aus den Felsen kommen, / das Wasser floss in Strömen herab.17Doch sie hörten mit Sündigen in der Wüste nicht auf, / zeigten dem Höchsten nur ihren Trotz.18Sie forderten Gott heraus / und verlangten Speise nach ihrem Geschmack.19Sie redeten gegen Gott. / „Ist Gott denn fähig“, sagten sie, / „uns einen Tisch in der Wüste zu decken?20Den Felsen hat er zwar geschlagen, / da floss auch Wasser / und Bäche strömten heraus. / Aber kann er uns auch Brot besorgen, / kann er Fleisch verschaffen seinem Volk?“21Als Jahwe das hörte, wurde er zornig. / Feuer flammte gegen Jakob auf, / ein Zorn entbrannte gegen Israel;22denn sie hatten ihrem Gott nicht vertraut / und nicht auf seine Hilfe gebaut.23Trotzdem gab er den Wolken Befehl / und öffnete die Tore des Himmels.24Er ließ Manna auf sie regnen zur Speise, / gab ihnen Himmels-Getreide.[4] (Joh 6,31)25Sie alle aßen das Brot der Engel. / Gottes Speise machte sie satt.26Am Himmel setzte er den Ostwind frei / und zwang den Südwind heran.27Dann ließ er Fleisch auf sie regnen wie Staub / und Vögel wie den Sand am Meer.28Mitten ins Lager ließ er sie fallen, / rings um Israels Zelte.29Da aßen sie und wurden völlig satt. / Er brachte ihnen, was sie verlangten.30Doch ihre Gier war noch nicht gestillt, / noch war die Speise in ihrem Mund, /31da wurde Gott zornig über sie. / Er streckte ihre Stärksten nieder / und brachte die jungen Männer Israels um.32Aber trotzdem sündigten sie weiter / und vertrauten seinen Wundern nicht.33Da nahm er ihrem Leben den Sinn / und ließ ihre Jahre in Schrecken vergehen.34Doch wenn er tötete, fragten sie nach ihm; / dann kehrten sie um und suchten nach Gott.35Dann dachten sie, er sei doch ihr Fels, / Gott, der Höchste, sei ihr Befreier.36Doch wieder betrogen sie ihn mit ihrem Mund, / belogen ihn weiter mit ihrer Zunge.37Denn ihr Herz hing nicht an ihm, / sie blieben seinem Bund nicht treu.38Trotzdem blieb er voll Erbarmen, / vergab ihre Schuld und tötete sie nicht. / Oft hielt er seinen Zorn zurück / und ließ seine Wut nicht erwachen.39Er wusste ja, dass sie vergänglich sind, / ein Hauch, der verweht und nicht wiederkehrt.40Wie oft haben sie ihm in der Wüste getrotzt, / wie oft ihn dort in der Steppe betrübt!41Immer wieder provozierten sie Gott, / kränkten den Heiligen Israels.42Sie dachten nicht mehr an seine mächtigen Taten, / als er sie vom Unterdrücker befreite;43sie vergaßen seine Zeichen in Ägypten, / seine Wunder in der Gegend von Zoan:44Er verwandelte deren Ströme in Blut, / ungenießbar wurde fließendes Wasser.45Er schickte ihnen quälende Fliegen; / Frösche verseuchten ihr Land.46Den Heuschrecken gab er ihren Ernteertrag, / den grässlichen Fressern, was sie erarbeitet hatten.47Ihren Weinstock zerschlug er mit Hagel, / ihre Maulbeerfeigen mit dem Wettersturz.48Auch ihr Vieh gab er dem Hagel preis / und ihre Herden den Blitzen.49Er ließ seinen glühenden Zorn auf sie los, / rasende Wut, furchtbare Plagen, / eine Schar von Engeln des Unheils.50Er ließ seinem Zorn freien Lauf, / verschonte sie nicht vor dem Tod, / sondern lieferte sie aus an die Pest.51Jede Erstgeburt in Ägypten tötete er, / die Erstlinge ihrer Kraft in den Zelten Hams.[5] (1Mo 9,18)52Wie Schafe führte er sein Volk weg, / wie eine Herde brachte er sie durch die Wüste.53Er führte sie sicher, sie mussten nichts fürchten, / aber ihre Feinde bedeckte das Meer.54Er brachte sie in sein heiliges Land, / zu diesem Berg, den er ihnen erworben hat.55Er vertrieb die Völker vor ihnen ‹aus dem Land› / und verteilte dies mit der Messschnur als Erbbesitz. / So ließ er die Stämme Israels in deren Zelten wohnen.56Doch sie stellten Gott auf die Probe. / Sie trotzten dem Höchsten / und hielten seine Gebote nicht.57Wie ihre Väter fielen sie treulos von ihm ab. / Wie ein trügerischer Bogen schnellten sie herum.58Durch ihre Opferhöhen erbitterten sie ihn, / mit ihren Götzen reizten sie seine Eifersucht.59Da entbrannte sein Zorn, / und er verwarf Israel ganz.60Er gab seine Wohnung in Schilo auf, / das Zelt, in dem er bei ihnen wohnte. (Jer 7,12)61Seine Kraft[6] gab er in Gefangenschaft, / seine Herrlichkeit in die Hand der Bedränger. (1Sam 4,17; 2Chr 6,41; Ps 132,8)62Sein Volk übergab er dem Schwert, / so zornig war er über sein Erbe.63Seine jungen Männer fraß das Feuer, / den Mädchen sang keiner das Hochzeitslied.64Seine Priester fielen durch das Schwert, / und die Witwen konnten ihren Tod nicht betrauern.65Da erwachte der Herr, als hätte er geschlafen / wie ein Held, der sich aufrüttelt vom Wein.66Er schlug seine Feinde zurück / und bedeckte sie mit ewiger Schande.67Doch die Nachkommen Josefs verwarf er, / lehnte den Stamm Efraïm als Führer ab,68wählte aber den Stamm Juda aus / und den Zionsberg, den er liebte.69Wie Himmelshöhen baute er sein Heiligtum, / wie die Erde, die er auf Dauer gegründet hat.70Als seinen Diener wählte er David, / nahm ihn weg von den Pferchen der Schafe.71Von den Muttertieren holte er ihn weg, / dass er weiden sollte Jakob, sein Volk, / und Israel, sein Eigentum.72Aufrichtig sorgte David für sie / und führte sie mit kluger Hand.
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.
1A Maskil[1] of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! (Ps 49,1; Ps 50,1; Ps 50,7; Jes 51,4)2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, (4Mo 21,27; Ps 49,4; Mt 13,35)3things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. (Ps 44,1)4We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (2Mo 12,26; 2Mo 13,8; 2Mo 13,14; 5Mo 11,19; Jos 4,6; Hi 15,18; Ps 78,11; Ps 78,32; Joe 1,3)5He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, (Ps 19,7; Ps 81,5; Ps 147,19)6that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, (Ps 78,4; Ps 102,18)7so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; (Ps 77,12; Ps 105,45)8and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. (2Mo 32,9; 2Mo 33,3; 5Mo 9,7; 5Mo 9,24; 5Mo 31,27; 2Kön 17,14; 2Chr 30,7; Hi 11,13; Ps 78,37; Jer 5,23; Hes 20,18)9The Ephraimites, armed with[2] the bow, turned back on the day of battle. (Ps 78,57)10They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. (2Kön 17,15)11They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. (Ps 78,4; Ps 106,13)12In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. (4Mo 13,22; Ps 72,18; Ps 78,43; Jes 19,11; Jes 19,13; Hes 30,14)13He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. (2Mo 14,21; 2Mo 15,8; Ps 136,13)14In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. (Ps 105,39)15He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. (2Mo 17,6; Ps 78,20; Ps 105,41; Ps 114,8; Jes 48,21)16He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. (4Mo 20,8; 4Mo 20,10)17Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. (5Mo 9,22; Ps 78,40; Ps 78,56; Jes 63,10)18They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. (5Mo 6,16; Ps 78,41; Ps 78,56; Ps 95,9; Ps 106,14; 1Kor 10,9)19They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? (2Mo 16,3; 4Mo 11,4; 4Mo 20,3; 4Mo 21,5; Ps 23,5)20He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” (Ps 78,15)21Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, (4Mo 11,1)22because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. (Ps 78,8; Ps 78,32; Ps 78,37)23Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, (1Mo 7,11; Mal 3,10)24and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. (2Mo 16,4; Ps 105,40; Joh 6,31)25Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. (Ps 78,29; Ps 103,20)26He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; (4Mo 11,31)27he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; (1Mo 13,16; 1Mo 22,17)28he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. (2Mo 16,13; 4Mo 11,31)29And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. (4Mo 11,4; 4Mo 11,19; 4Mo 11,34)30But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, (4Mo 11,33; Hi 20,23)31the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. (Ps 78,63; Jes 10,16)32In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. (4Mo 14,11; Ps 78,22)33So he made their days vanish like[3] a breath,[4] and their years in terror. (4Mo 14,29; 4Mo 14,35; 4Mo 26,64; Ps 39,5)34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. (Hos 5,15)35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. (2Mo 15,13; 5Mo 32,4; 5Mo 32,15; 5Mo 32,31; Ps 74,2)36But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. (Jes 29,13; Jes 57,11; Hes 33,31)37Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. (Ps 51,10; Ps 78,8)38Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. (2Mo 34,6; 4Mo 14,20)39He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. (1Mo 6,3; Hi 7,7; Hi 10,9; Ps 103,14)40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! (Ps 78,17; Ps 78,56; Ps 106,14; Ps 107,11; Eph 4,30)41They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. (Ps 71,22; Ps 78,18)42They did not remember his power[5] or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, (Ri 8,34)43when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan. (2Mo 4,21; 2Mo 7,3; 2Mo 11,9; Ps 78,12; Ps 105,27; Ps 106,22; Apg 7,36)44He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams. (2Mo 7,17)45He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. (2Mo 8,2; 2Mo 8,21)46He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust. (2Mo 10,12)47He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost. (2Mo 9,23)48He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts. (2Mo 9,19)49He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. (2Mo 12,13; 2Mo 12,23; 2Sam 24,16)50He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague.51He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. (2Mo 12,29; Ps 105,23; Ps 105,27; Ps 105,36; Ps 106,22; Ps 135,8; Ps 136,10)52Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. (Ps 77,20)53He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. (2Mo 14,13; 2Mo 14,19; 2Mo 14,27; 2Mo 15,10)54And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. (2Mo 15,17; Ps 68,16; Ps 74,2; Jes 11,9; Jes 57,13)55He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. (Jos 23,4; Ps 44,2; Ps 135,12; Ps 136,21; Apg 13,19)56Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, (Ri 2,11; Ps 78,18; Ps 78,40)57but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. (Ps 78,9; Hos 7,16)58For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. (3Mo 26,30; 4Mo 25,11; 5Mo 7,5; 5Mo 7,25; 5Mo 12,2; 5Mo 12,3; 5Mo 31,29; 5Mo 32,16; 5Mo 32,21; Ri 2,12; 1Kön 11,7; 1Kön 12,31; Hes 20,28)59When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. (5Mo 3,26; Ps 78,62; Ps 106,40)60He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, (Jos 18,1; 1Sam 4,11; Jer 7,12; Jer 7,14; Jer 26,6)61and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe. (1Sam 4,21; Ps 63,2; Ps 96,6; Ps 132,8)62He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. (1Sam 4,10; Ps 78,59)63Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. (Ps 79,5; Ps 89,46; Jer 7,34)64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. (1Sam 4,11; Hi 27,15)65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. (Ps 35,23; Ps 73,20)66And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame. (Ps 40,14)67He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, (Ps 80,1; Ps 81,5)68but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. (Ps 87,2)69He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever.70He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; (1Sam 16,12)71from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. (1Sam 10,1; 2Sam 5,2; 2Sam 7,8; Ps 28,9)72With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. (1Kön 9,4; Ps 77,20; Ps 101,2)