Psalm 78 | New International Reader’s Version

A maskil of Asaph.

1 My people, listen to my teaching. Pay attention to what I say. 2 I will open my mouth and tell a story. I will speak about things that were hidden. They happened a long time ago. 3 We have heard about them and we know them. Our people who lived before us have told us about them. 4 We 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. 5 He 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. 6 Then those born later would know his laws. Even their children yet to come would know them. And they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God. They would not forget what he had done. They would obey his commands. 8 They 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. 9 The soldiers of Ephraim were armed with bows. But they ran away on the day of battle. 10 They didn’t keep the covenant God had made with them. They refused to live by his law. 11 They forgot what he had done. They didn’t remember the wonders he had shown them. 12 He 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. 13 God parted the Red Sea and led them through it. He made the water stand up like a wall. 14 He guided them with the cloud during the day. He led them with the light of a fire all night long. 15 He broke the rocks open in the desert. He gave them as much water as there is in the oceans. 16 He brought streams out of a rocky cliff. He made water flow down like rivers. 17 But they continued to sin against him. In the desert they refused to obey the Most High God. 18 They were stubborn and tested God. They ordered him to give them the food they wanted. 19 They spoke against God. They said, ‘Can God really put food on a table in the desert? 20 It 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?’ 21 When 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. 22 That was because they didn’t believe in God. They didn’t trust in his power to save them. 23 But he gave a command to the skies above. He opened the doors of the heavens. 24 He rained down manna for the people to eat. He gave them the corn of heaven. 25 Mere human beings ate the bread of angels. He sent them all the food they could eat. 26 He made the east wind blow from the heavens. By his power he caused the south wind to blow. 27 He rained down meat on them like dust. He sent them birds like sand on the seashore. 28 He made the birds come down inside their camp. The birds fell all around their tents. 29 People ate until they couldn’t eat any more. He gave them what they had wanted. 30 But even before they had finished eating, God acted. He did it while the food was still in their mouths. 31 His anger rose up against them. He put to death the strongest among them. He struck down Israel’s young men. 32 But even after all that, they kept on sinning. Even after the wonderful things he had done, they still didn’t believe. 33 So he brought their days to an end like a puff of smoke. He ended their years with terror. 34 Every time God killed some of them, the others would seek him. They gladly turned back to him again. 35 They remembered that God was their Rock. They remembered that God Most High had set them free. 36 But they didn’t mean it when they praised him. They lied to him when they spoke. 37 They turned away from him. They weren’t faithful to the covenant he had made with them. 38 But 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. 39 He remembered that they were only human. He remembered they were only a breath of air that drifts by and doesn’t return. 40 How often they refused to obey him in the desert! How often they caused him sorrow in that dry and empty land! 41 Again and again they tested God. They made the Holy One of Israel sad and angry. 42 They didn’t remember his power. They forgot the day he set them free from those who had treated them so badly. 43 They forgot how he had shown them his signs in Egypt. They forgot his miracles in the area of Zoan. 44 He turned the river of Egypt into blood. The people of Egypt couldn’t drink water from their streams. 45 He sent large numbers of flies that bit them. He sent frogs that destroyed their land. 46 He gave their crops to the grasshoppers. He gave their food to the locusts. 47 He destroyed their vines with hail. He destroyed their fig-trees with sleet. 48 He killed their cattle with hail. Their livestock were struck by lightning. 49 Because he was so angry with Egypt, he caused them to have great trouble. In his great anger he sent destroying angels against them. 50 God prepared a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their lives. He gave them over to the plague. 51 He killed the eldest son of each family in Egypt. He struck down the eldest son in every house in the land of Ham. 52 But he brought his people out like a flock. He led them like sheep through the desert. 53 He guided them safely, and they weren’t afraid. But the Red Sea swallowed up their enemies. 54 And 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. 55 He 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. 56 But they tested God. They refused to obey the Most High God. They didn’t keep his laws. 57 They 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. 58 They made God angry by going to their high places. They made him jealous by worshipping the statues of their gods. 59 When God saw what the people were doing, he was very angry. He turned away from them completely. 60 He deserted the holy tent at Shiloh. He left the tent he had set up among his people. 61 He allowed the ark to be captured. Into the hands of his enemies he sent the ark where his glory rested. 62 He let his people be killed by swords. He was very angry with them. 63 Fire destroyed their young men. Their young women had no one to marry. 64 Their priests were killed by swords. Their widows weren’t able to weep. 65 Then the Lord woke up as if he had been sleeping. He was like a warrior waking up from the deep sleep caused by wine. 66 He drove back his enemies. He put them to shame that will last for ever. 67 He turned his back on the tents of the people of Joseph. He didn’t choose to live in the tribe of Ephraim. 68 Instead, he chose to live in the tribe of Judah. He chose Mount Zion, which he loved. 69 There he built his holy place as secure as the heavens. He built it to last for ever, like the earth. 70 He chose his servant David. He took him from the sheepfolds. 71 He brought him from tending sheep to be the shepherd of his people Jacob. He made him the shepherd of Israel, his special people. 72 David cared for them with a faithful and honest heart. With skilled hands he led them.

Библия, ревизирано издание

Бог и Неговият народ

(По слав. 77.)

1 Асафово поучение*. Слушай, народе мой, поучението ми; приклони ушите си към думите на устата ми. 2 Ще отворя устата си в притча, ще произнеса гатанки от древността. 3 Това, което чухме и научихме, и нашите бащи ни разказаха, 4 няма да го скрием от синовете им в бъдещото поколение, а ще повествуваме хвалите на ГОСПОДА, неговата сила и чудесните дела, които извърши, 5 защото Той постави свидетелство в Яков и положи закон в Израил, за които заповяда на бащите ни да ги възвестяват на децата си, 6 за да ги знае бъдещото поколение, децата, които щяха да се родят – които на свой ред да ги разказват на своите си деца. 7 За да поставят надеждата си на Бога и да не забравят делата на Бога, а да пазят Неговите заповеди 8 и да не станат като бащите си – упорито и непокорно поколение, поколение, което не утвърди сърцето си и чийто дух не беше непоколебим за Бога. 9 Ефремовите синове, макар въоръжени и опъващи лъкове, се върнаха назад в деня на боя. 10 Не опазиха завета на Бога и в закона Му не склониха да ходят, 11 а забравиха Неговите дела и чудесните неща, които им показа. 12 Пред бащите им извърши чудеса в Египетската земя, в полето Танис. 13 Раздвои морето и ги преведе, и направи водите да стоят като грамада. 14 Води ги денем с облак и цялата нощ с огнена светлина. 15 Разцепи скали в пустинята и ги напои изобилно като от бездни. 16 И изведе потоци из канарата и направи да протекат води като реки. 17 Но те продължиха да съгрешават още пред Него и да огорчават Всевишния в безводната страна. 18 Със сърцето си изпитаха Бога, като искаха ястия за лакомията си*, 19 и говориха против Бога: Може ли Бог да приготви трапеза в пустинята? 20 Ето, Той удари скалата и потекоха води, и потоци се изляха; а може ли и хляб да даде или да достави месо за народа Си? 21 Затова ГОСПОД чу и се разгневи, и огън пламна против Яков, а още и гняв обсипа Израил; 22 защото не повярваха в Бога, нито Му уповаха, че ще ги избави. 23 При все това Той заповяда на облаците горе и отвори небесните врати, 24 и им наваля манна да ядат, и им даде небесно жито. 25 Всеки ядеше ангелски хляб*; прати им храна до насита. 26 Повдигна източен вятър на небето и със силата Си докара южния вятър. 27 Наваля върху тях и месо изобилно като прах, и птици крилати – на брой като морския пясък; 28 и ги направи да паднат сред стана им, около жилищата им. 29 И така, ядоха и се преситиха, като им даде това, което желаеха. 30 А докато още не бяха се отказали от лакомията си и ястието им беше в устата им, 31 гневът Божий ги обсипа и изби по-тлъстите от тях, и повали отбраните на Израил. 32 При всичко това те продължиха да съгрешават и не вярваха независимо от чудесните Му дела. 33 Затова Той изнуряваше дните им със суета и годините им с ужас. 34 Когато ги умъртвяваше, тогава питаха за Него и отново търсеха Бога ревностно; 35 и си спомниха, че Бог им беше канара и Всевишният Бог – техен изкупител. 36 Но с устата си Го ласкаеха и с езика си Го лъжеха; 37 защото сърцето им не беше право пред Него, нито бяха верни на завета Му. 38 Но Той, като многомилостив, прощаваше беззаконието им и не ги погубваше. Да! Много пъти въздържаше гнева Си и не изливаше цялото Си негодувание; 39 а си спомняше, че бяха плът, вятър, който прехожда и не се връща. 40 Колко пъти Го огорчаваха в пустинята и Го разгневяваха в безводната страна, 41 като отново изпитваха Бога и предизвикваха Святия Израилев! 42 Не си спомняха силата на ръката Му в деня, когато ги избави от противника, 43 как показа в Египет знаменията Си и чудесата на полето Танис 44 и превърна водите им в кръв и потоците им, и не можаха да пият; 45 как прати върху тях рояци мухи, които ги изпохапаха, и жаби, които ги изпогубиха, 46 и предаде произведенията им на гъсеници и трудовете им на скакалци. 47 Как порази с град лозята им и със светкавици – черниците им, 48 и предаде на град добитъка им и стадата им – на мълнии; 49 как изля върху тях пламенния Си гняв, негодуване, ярост и неволя – нашествие на ангелите на нещастието, – 50 изравни път за гнева Си, не пощади от смърт душата им, а предаде на мор живота им; 51 как порази всеки първороден, заведе ги като стадо в Египет, първородните на силите им – в шатрите на Хама, 52 а народа Си изведе като овце и ги заведе като стадо в пустинята, 53 и ги води безопасно, така че не се бояха, а неприятелите им – морето ги покри; 54 как ги въведе в святия Си предел, в тази поляна, която десницата Му придоби, 55 и изгони пред тях народите, и им ги раздели за наследство с въже, и в шатрите им настани Израилевите племена. 56 Но въпреки това те изпитваха Всевишния Бог и се бунтуваха против Него, и не пазеха свидетелствата Му, 57 а се връщаха назад и постъпваха невярно, както бащите им; измятаха се като неверен лък. 58 Защото Го разгневяваха с високите си места и с изваяните си идоли Го подбуждаха към ревност. 59 Чу Бог и възнегодува, и много се погнуси от Израил, 60 така че напусна скинията в Сило – шатъра, който беше поставил между хората, 61 и предаде на плен Силата Си, Славата Си в неприятелска ръка. 62 Също и народа Си предаде на меч, като се разгневи на наследството Си. 63 Огън погълна момците им и девиците им не се възпяваха с венчални песни. 64 Свещениците им паднаха от меч; и вдовиците им не плакаха. 65 Тогава Господ се събуди като от сън, като силен мъж, който, ободрен от вино, вика; 66 и като порази враговете Си, отблъсна ги назад и ги предаде на вечен срам. 67 При това Той се отказа от Йосифовия шатър и Ефремовото племе не избра; 68 а избра Юдовото племе, хълма Сион, който възлюби. 69 Съгради светилището Си като небесните възвишения, като земята, която е утвърдил завинаги. 70 Избра и слугата Си Давид и го взе от кошарите на овцете; 71 от подир дойните овце го доведе, за да пасе народа Му Яков и наследството Му Израил. 72 Така той ги пасеше според незлобието на сърцето си и ги водеше с изкуството на ръцете си.

Psalm 78 | New International Reader’s Version Библия, ревизирано издание

A maskil of Asaph.

Бог и Неговият народ

(По слав. 77.)