En visdomssalme av Asaf. Lytt, mitt folk, til min lov! Vend øret til ordene fra min munn.

A teaching of Asaph. Listen, my people, to my instruction; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Jeg vil åpne min munn med en lignelse, jeg vil framføre gåter fra fordums tid.

I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter mysteries from ancient times.

De som vi har hørt og kjent, som våre fedre fortalte oss.

Things we have heard and known, which our ancestors have told us.

Vi vil ikke skjule dem for deres barn, men fortelle den kommende generasjon om Herrens lovprisinger, hans styrke og de underfulle gjerninger han har gjort.

We will not hide them from their children, but will tell the next generation the praises of the Lord, His strength, and the wonders He has done.

Han opprettet et vitnesbyrd i Jakob, fastsatte en lov i Israel, som han befalte våre fedre å gjøre kjent for deres barn.

He established a testimony in Jacob and set a law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children,

Dette skulle den kommende generasjon kjenne, barn som skulle bli født, som skulle stå fram og fortelle det til sine barn.

so that the next generation would know them—children yet to be born—and in turn they would rise and tell their children,

Slik skulle de sette sitt håp til Gud, og ikke glemme hans gjerninger, men holde hans bud.

so they would put their trust in God and not forget His deeds but keep His commandments.

De skulle ikke bli som deres fedre – en gjenstridig og opprørsk generasjon, en generasjon med et ustadig hjerte, med ånder som ikke var tro mot Gud.

They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal, whose spirits were not faithful to God.

Efraims sønner, væpnet bueskyttere, vendte om på stridens dag.

The sons of Ephraim, armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle.

De holdt ikke Guds pakt og nektet å vandre etter hans lov.

They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by His teachings.

De glemte hans gjerninger og de undere han hadde latt dem se.

They forgot His deeds and the wonders He had shown them.

For deres fedre hadde han gjort underverker i Egypt, i Soans mark.

He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

Han delte havet og lot dem gå over, han lot vannet stå som en voll.

He divided the sea and let them pass through it; He made the waters stand like a wall.

Han ledet dem om dagen med en sky og hele natten med en ilds skinn.

By day He led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.

Han kløvde klipper i ørkenen og lot dem drikke så mye som fra store dyp.

He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the depths.

Han lot bekker strømme ut av klippen og vann renne som elver.

He brought streams out of the rock and made water flow down like rivers.

Men de fortsatte å synde mot ham og gjorde opprør mot den Høyeste i ørkenen.

But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling against the Most High in the dry wasteland.

De fristet Gud i sitt hjerte, ved å kreve mat til sitt begjær.

They tested God in their hearts by demanding the food they craved.

De talte mot Gud. De sa: 'Kan Gud dekke bord i ørkenen?'

They spoke against God, saying, 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?'

Han slo klippen så vann veltet fram og bekker strømmet ut. 'Kan han også gi brød eller skaffe kjøtt til sitt folk?'

True, He struck the rock, and water gushed out, and streams overflowed. But can He also give us bread or provide meat for His people?

Da Herren hørte det, ble han vred; ild flammet opp mot Jakob, og også Israel vekket hans vrede.

Therefore, when the Lord heard this, He became furious; a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger rose against Israel.

For de trodde ikke på Gud og stolte ikke på hans frelse.

For they did not believe in God or trust in His salvation.

Likevel befalte han skyene der oppe og åpnet himmelens dører.

Yet He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven.

Han lot manna regne over dem til føde og ga dem korn fra himmelen.

He rained down manna for them to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.

Mennesker fikk spise englers brød, han sendte dem mat så mye de kunne få.

Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food to their fill.

Han fikk østvinden til å blåse i himmelen, og ved sin kraft førte han sørvinden fram.

He made the east wind blow in the heavens and guided the south wind by His power.

Han lot kjøtt regne over dem som støv, og vingete fugler som havets sand.

He rained meat on them like dust, birds like the sand of the sea.

Han lot dem falle midt i leiren, rundt om deres boliger.

He made them fall inside their camp, all around their dwellings.

Så spiste de og ble overmett, for han ga dem det de lengtet etter.

They ate and were filled abundantly, for He gave them what they craved.

Men før de hadde stillet sin hunger, mens maten ennå var i deres munn,

But while the food was still in their mouths, they were not yet free of their craving.

da flammet Guds vrede opp mot dem; han drepte de feteste blant dem og slo Israels unge menn til jorden.

Then the anger of God rose against them, and He killed the strongest among them, striking down the young men of Israel.

Ved alt dette syndet de igjen og trodde ikke på hans under.

Despite all this, they kept on sinning and did not believe in His wondrous works.

Derfor lot han deres dager ende i tomhet og deres år i redsel.

So He ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

Når han drepte dem, søkte de ham og vendte om og søkte ivrig etter Gud.

When He killed them, they sought Him; they repented and earnestly sought God.

De husket at Gud var deres klippe, og Gud Den Høyeste var deres forløser.

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their Redeemer.

Men de smigret ham med sin munn, og med sin tunge løy de for ham.

But they deceived Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues.

Deres hjerte var ikke trofast mot ham, og de holdt ikke hans pakt.

Their hearts were not faithful to Him, nor were they loyal to His covenant.

Likevel var han barmhjertig; han dekket over synd og ødela ikke. Gang på gang holdt han sin vrede tilbake og vekket ikke all sin harme.

Yet He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. Time and again, He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath.

Han husket at de var kjøtt – en vind som farer bort og ikke vender tilbake.

He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

Hvor ofte gjorde de opprør mot ham i ørkenen og voldet ham sorg i ødemarken!

How often they provoked Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the wasteland!

De fristet Gud på ny og krenket Israels Hellige.

Again and again they tested God and limited the Holy One of Israel.

De husket ikke hans makt, den dagen da han fridde dem fra fienden.

They did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from their enemy,

Han viste sine tegn i Egypt og sine under i Soans mark.

when He displayed His signs in Egypt, His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

Han forvandlet elvene deres til blod, så de ikke kunne drikke av sine vannløp.

He turned their rivers to blood, and they could not drink from their streams.

Han sendte fluesvermer mot dem, som fortærte dem, og frosker, som ødela dem.

He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.

Han ga deres avling til gresshopper, deres arbeidsfrukt til gressetere.

He gave their crops to the caterpillar and the fruit of their labor to the locust.

Han ødela deres vintrær med hagl, og deres morbærtrær med frost.

He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost.

Han overga deres husdyr til hagl og deres buskap til flammende lyn.

He gave over their cattle to the hail and their livestock to lightning.

Han sendte sin glødende vrede mot dem, harme, raseri og nød, en flokk av ødeleggelsens engler.

He unleashed His burning anger, fury, rage, and hostility—a band of destroying angels.

Han ga sin vrede fritt løp, han sparte ikke deres sjel fra døden, men overga deres liv til pesten.

He prepared a path for His anger; He did not spare them from death but delivered their lives to the plague.

Han slo alle førstefødte i Egypt, førstegrøden av manndoms krefter i Hams telt.

He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.

Men sitt folk lot han dra som en fåreflokk; han førte dem som en hjord gjennom ørkenen.

But He led His people like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

Han ledet dem trygt, og de fryktet ikke, men havet dekket deres fiender.

He led them safely, so they were unafraid, but the sea covered their enemies.

Han førte dem til sitt hellige land, til det fjellet hans høyre hånd hadde vunnet.

He brought them to His holy border, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.

Han drev ut folkeslag for dem; han fordelte dem med målesnor som en arv og lot Israels stammer bo i deres telt.

He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance with a measuring line; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

Men de fristet og trosset Den Høyeste Gud og holdt ikke hans vitnesbyrd.

But they tested and rebelled against God Most High and did not keep His decrees.

De falt fra og var troløse som sine fedre, de vendte om som en sviktende bue.

They turned back and were disloyal like their ancestors; they became twisted like a deceitful bow.

De gjorde ham vred med sine offerhauger og vekte sjalusi med sine utskårede bilder.

They angered Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their carved images.

Gud hørte det og ble vred; han avviste Israel fullstendig.

When God heard this, He became furious and greatly rejected Israel.

Han forlot sin bolig i Shilo, teltet han hadde reist blant menneskene.

He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where He had dwelled among humanity.

Han overga sin styrke til fangenskap og sin herlighet i fiendens hånd.

He gave His strength into captivity and His beauty into the hand of the adversary.

Han overga sitt folk til sverdet og ble vred på sin arv.

He handed His people over to the sword, and His inheritance became the object of His fury.

Ild fortærte ungdommene deres, og jentene deres sang ingen bryllupssanger.

Fire consumed their young men, and their virgins were not given in marriage.

Prestene deres falt for sverdet, og enkene deres kunne ikke gråte.

Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.

Da våknet Herren som en som har sovet, som en helt som våkner opp fra vinens rus.

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a warrior recovering from wine.

Han slo sine fiender på flukt og påførte dem en evig skam.

He struck His enemies backward and covered them with everlasting disgrace.

Han forkastet Josefs telt og valgte ikke Efraims stamme.

He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

Han valgte Judas stamme, Sion-fjellet, som han elsket.

But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.

Han bygde sin helligdom som himmelens høyder, som jorden han grunnla for evig.

He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that He established forever.

Han utvalgte sin tjener David og tok ham fra saueinnhegningene.

He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds.

Fra å ha fulgt de diende sauene, førte han ham til å gjete Jakob, sitt folk, og Israel, sin arv.

From tending the nursing ewes, He brought him to shepherd Jacob, His people, and Israel, His inheritance.

Han gjette dem med et hjertes helhet og ledet dem med kløktige hender.

He shepherded them with a heart of integrity and guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.