1 Hør, mitt folk, til min lov; bøy ørene til ordene fra min munn.

Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 Jeg vil åpne min munn med lignelser; jeg vil framføre gamle, dunkle ord,

I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,

3 som vi har hørt og kjent, og som våre fedre har fortalt oss.

Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.

4 Vi vil ikke skjule dem for deres barn, men fortelle kommende generasjoner om Herrens pris, hans styrke og de underfulle ting han har gjort.

We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, And his strength, and his wondrous works that he hath done.

5 For han opprettet en lov i Jakob og en ordning i Israel, som han befalte våre fedre å gjøre kjent for sine barn;

For he established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children;

6 for at den kommende generasjon skulle kjenne dem, barna som skulle bli født; at de skulle reise seg og fortelle dem til sine barn,

That the generation to come might know `them', even the children that should be born; Who should arise and tell `them' to their children,

7 så de kunne sette sitt håp til Gud og ikke glemme Guds gjerninger, men holde hans bud.

That they might set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep his commandments,

8 Og ikke være som deres fedre, en gjenstridig og opprørsk generasjon, en generasjon som ikke satte sitt hjerte rett, og hvor ånden ikke var trofast mot Gud.

And might not be as their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that set not their heart aright, And whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

9 Efraims sønner, bevæpnet og med buer, vendte om på kampens dag.

The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.

10 De holdt ikke Guds pakt og nektet å vandre i hans lov;

They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law;

11 de glemte hans gjerninger og de vidunderlige ting han hadde vist dem.

And they forgat his doings, And his wondrous works that he had showed them.

12 Vidunderlige gjerninger gjorde han for deres fedre, i Egypts land, på Zoans mark.

Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 Han delte havet og lot dem gå gjennom; han fikk vannet til å stå som en voll.

He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as a heap.

14 Om dagen ledet han dem med en sky, og hele natten med lys av ild.

In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire.

15 Han kløvde klipper i ørkenen og ga dem rikelig å drikke som fra de store dyp.

He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.

16 Han lot bekker strømme ut av klippen, og lot vannene renne ned som elver.

He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Likevel fortsatte de å synde mot ham, og gjorde opprør mot Den Høyeste i ørkenen.

Yet went they on still to sin against him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

18 De fristet Gud i sitt hjerte ved å kreve mat for sine lyster.

And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire.

19 Ja, de talte mot Gud; de sa: Kan Gud dekke bord i ørkenen?

Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

20 Se, han slo klippen, så vannet strømmet ut, og bekker flommet over; kan han også gi brød? Vil han gi kjøtt til sitt folk?

Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?

21 Da hørte Herren det og ble vred; en ild ble tent mot Jakob, og også sinne reiste seg mot Israel,

Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel;

22 fordi de ikke trodde på Gud og ikke stolte på hans frelse.

Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation.

23 Likevel bød han skyene over og åpnet himmelens dører;

Yet he commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven;

24 han lot manna regne over dem for å spise, og ga dem korn fra himmelen.

And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven.

25 Mennesket åt englers brød; han sendte dem rikelig med mat.

Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He sent them food to the full.

26 Han lot østvinden blåse ut av himmelen og ledet sønnavinden med sin kraft.

He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by his power he guided the south wind.

27 Han lot kjøtt regne over dem som støv, fugler med vinger som havets sand,

He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, And winged birds as the sand of the seas:

28 og han lot det falle midt i leiren, rundt om deres boliger.

And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations.

29 Da åt de og ble overmette, for han ga dem det de ønsket seg.

So they did eat, and were well filled; And he gave them their own desire.

30 De var ennå ikke blitt kvitt begjæret; maten var fortsatt i deres munn,

They were not estranged from that which they desired, Their food was yet in their mouths,

31 da Guds vrede reiste seg mot dem og slo ned de feteste blant dem, og felte Israels unge menn.

When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel.

32 For alt dette syndet de fortsatt, og trodde ikke på hans underfulle gjerninger.

For all this they sinned still, And believed not in his wondrous works.

33 Derfor gjorde han slutt på deres dager i tomhet, og deres år i redsel.

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, And their years in terror.

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

When he slew them, then they inquired after him; And they returned and sought God earnestly.

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

And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their redeemer.

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

But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue.

37 For deres hjerte var ikke rett med ham, og de var ikke trofaste i hans pakt.

For their heart was not right with him, Neither were they faithful in his covenant.

38 Men han, som er barmhjertig, tilga deres skyld og ødela dem ikke; mange ganger vendte han bort sin vrede, og vekket ikke all sin harme.

But he, being merciful, forgave `their' iniquity, and destroyed `them' not: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath.

39 Han husket at de var kjøtt, en vind som blåser forbi og ikke vender tilbake.

And he remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

40 Hvor ofte gjorde de opprør mot ham i ørkenen og bedrøvet ham i ødemarken!

How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert!

41 De vendte seg igjen og igjen og fristet Gud, og egget Israels Hellighet.

And they turned again and tempted God, And provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42 De husket ikke hans kraft, den dag han forløste dem fra fienden,

They remember not his hand, Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

43 da han satte sine tegn i Egypt og sine under i Zoans mark,

How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan,

44 da han forvandlet elvene deres til blod, slik at de ikke kunne drikke av sine strømmer.

And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.

45 Han sendte sværmer av fluer for å ødelegge dem, og frosker som plaget dem.

He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them.

46 Han overga også avlingene deres til gresshopper, og deres arbeid til gresseten.

He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust.

47 Han ødela vinstokkene deres med hagl, og morbærtrærne deres med frost.

He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost.

48 Han overga buskapen deres til hagl, og flokkene deres til brennende ild.

He gave over their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 Han slapp løs sin brennende vrede, vrede, harme og nød, en forsamling av engler med ødeleggelse.

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil.

50 Han banet vei for sin vrede; han sparte ikke deres sjeler fra døden, men overga dem til pesten,

He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence,

51 og slo alle førstefødte i Egypt, den første frukt av styrken i Hams telt.

And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 Men han førte sitt folk ut som sauer og ledet dem som en flokk i ørkenen.

But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 Han ledet dem trygt, så de ikke fryktet, men havet overveldet deres fiender.

And he led them safely, so that they feared not; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 Han førte dem til sin helligdoms grense, til dette fjellet som hans høyre hånd hadde vunnet.

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.

55 Han drev ut nasjonene for dem, og delte inn deres arv med målesnor, og lot Israels stammer bo i deres telt.

He drove out the nations also before them, And allotted them for an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56 Men de fristet og gjorde opprør mot Den Høyeste Gud, og holdt ikke hans vitnesbyrd;

Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And kept not his testimonies;

57 men vendte seg bort og handlet troløst som deres fedre; de sviktet, som en svikefull bue.

But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers: They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

58 For de vakte hans vrede med sine offerhauger og provoserte ham med sine utskårne bilder.

For they provoked him to anger with their high places, And moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59 Gud hørte det og ble vred, og avskydde Israel sterkt;

When God heard `this', he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;

60 og han forlot sin bolig i Shilo, teltet hvor han hadde bodd blant mennesker;

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent which he placed among men;

61 og han overga sin styrke til fangenskap, og sin herlighet til fiendens hånd.

And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the adversary's hand.

62 Han ga sitt folk også til sverdet, og ble vred på sin arv.

He gave his people over also unto the sword, And was wroth with his inheritance.

63 Ild fortærte deres unge menn; og deres jomfruer fikk ikke giftesanger.

Fire devoured their young men; And their virgins had no marriage-song.

64 Deres prester falt for sverdet; og deres enker sørget ikke.

Their priests fell by the sword; And their widows made no lamentation.

65 Så våknet Herren som fra søvn, som en helt som roper av vinens kraft.

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, Like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

66 Og han slo sine fiender tilbake; han påførte dem evig vanære.

And he smote his adversaries backward: He put them to a perpetual reproach.

67 Han forkastet også Josefs telt, og valgte ikke Efraims stamme,

Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph, And chose not the tribe of Ephraim,

68 men valgte Judas stamme, berget Zion som han elsker.

But chose the tribe of Judah, The mount Zion which he loved.

69 Og han bygde sin helligdom høyt, liksom jorden han har grunnfestet til evig tid.

And he built his sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which he hath established for ever.

70 Han utvalgte David, sin tjener, og tok ham fra fårefoldene;

He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds:

71 fra å følge diende søyer hentet han ham, for å være hyrde for Jakob, sitt folk, og for Israel, sin arv.

From following the ewes that have their young he brought him, To be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

72 Og han var deres hyrde etter sitt hjertes integritet, og ledet dem med sine hendens dyktighet.

So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. Psalm 79 A Psalm of Asaph.