Maschil of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 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 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 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 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
21 Therefore the LORD heard this , and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he, being full of compassion, 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 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them .
50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this , he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces , like the earth which he hath established for ever.
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
1 Himn i Asafit.
Vër re, o populli im, ligjin tim,
mba vesh fjalët e gojës sime.
2 Gojën do të hap e do të flas me shëmbëlltyra,
do të tregoj të fshehta nga e shkuara.
3 I kemi dëgjuar e i kemi ditur,
etërit tanë na i kanë treguar.
4 Nuk do t'ua mbajmë të fshehta bijve të tyre,
brezit të ardhshëm do t'ua tregojmë,
veprat e lavdishme dhe fuqinë e Zotit,
mrekullitë që ai bëri.
5 Ai vendosi një dëshmi për Jakobin,
caktoi një ligj në Izrael.
Etërve tanë u urdhëroi,
që bijve të tyre t'ua shpallin,
6 që t'i njohë edhe breznia e ardhshme,
bashkë me fëmijët që do të lindin.
E kur të rriten edhe ata,
bijve të vet do t'ua tregojnë,
7 që shpresën ta vënë te Perëndia,
që veprat e Perëndisë mos t'i harrojnë
e urdhërimet e tij t'i mbajnë,
8 që të mos bëhen si etërit e tyre,
një brez kokëfortë e kryengritës,
një brez me zemër të luhatur
e me shpirt të pabesë ndaj Perëndisë.
9 Bijtë e Efraimit, harkëtarë të zotë,
ditën e betejës shpinën kthyen.
10 Nuk e mbajtën besëlidhjen e Perëndisë,
nuk deshën të ecnin sipas ligjit të tij.
11 I harruan veprat e tij
dhe mrekullitë që u kishte dëftyer.
12 Në sy të etërve të tyre bëri mrekulli,
në tokën e Egjiptit, në fushën e Coanit.
13 E ndau detin e i kaloi përmes,
ujërat i ndali e i bëri pirg.
14 Ditën u printe me një re,
gjithë natën me dritë flakëruese.
15 Në shkretëtirë çau shkëmbinj,
u dha të pinë si nga burimet e thella.
16 Përrenj nxori prej shkëmbit,
ujërat i bëri të rrjedhin si lumenj.
17 Por ata vazhduan të mëkatojnë kundër tij,
në vend të shkretë ngritën krye
kundër të Tejlartit.
18 Në zemrat e tyre e tunduan Perëndinë,
kërkuan ushqim siç ua kishte ënda.
19 Kundër Perëndisë folën e thanë:
«A mundet Perëndia të shtrojë tryezë
në mes të shkretëtirës?
20 Ja, ai goditi shkëmbin e ujërat gëluan
dhe si përrenj vërshuan.
Por, a mundet t'i japë edhe bukë
e mish t'i gatitë popullit të vet?».
21 I dëgjoi Zoti e fort u zemërua,
zjarri u ndez kundër Jakobit,
zemërimi vloi kundër Izraelit,
22 se nuk besuan në Perëndinë
e as shpresuan në shpëtimin e tij.
23 Por ai urdhëroi retë prej së larti,
dyert e qiellit i hapi.
24 Si shi ua dërgoi manën për ushqim
e grurë prej qiellit u dha.
25 Çdonjëri hëngri bukë engjëjsh,
u dha ushqim sa u ngopën.
26 Në qiell ngriti erën e lindjes,
me pushtetin e tij bëri të fryjë shiroku.
27 Bëri të bjerë mish mbi ta si pluhuri,
shpendët fluturues si rëra e detit.
28 I bëri të bien mes fushimit të tyre,
rreth e rrotull tendave të tyre.
29 Hëngrën e mirë u ngopën,
çka donin ua dha.
30 Ende nuk ishin ngopur mirë
e ushqimin e kishin në gojë,
31 kur zemërimi i Perëndisë u ndez kundër tyre.
Më të fortët prej tyre i vrau,
të rinjtë e Izraelit i plandosi.
32 E megjithatë mëkatuan sërish
dhe në mrekullitë e tij nuk besuan.
33 Ditët e tyre u përfunduan në kotësi,
vitet e tyre patën fund të tmerrshëm.
34 Kur i vriste, atëherë e kërkonin,
ktheheshin dhe Perëndinë dëshironin.
35 Kujtoheshin se Perëndia ishte shkëmbi i tyre,
Perëndia, i Tejlarti, shpenguesi i tyre.
36 Por, me gojë e mashtronin,
me gjuhën e tyre i thoshin rrena.
37 Zemra e tyre nuk ishte përherë me të,
besëlidhjes së tij nuk i qëndruan besnikë.
38 Por ai është i dhembshur e paudhësinë ua falte.
Nuk i shkatërronte, zemërimin shpesh e ndalte
dhe furinë e tij nuk e linte të flakëronte.
39 Kujtohej se ishin prej mishi,
si era që shkon e më nuk kthehet.
40 Sa herë iu ngritën kundër në shkretëtirë!
Sa herë e hidhëruan në vend të shkretë!
41 Ktheheshin dhe prapë e tundonin Perëndinë,
e trishtonin të shenjtin e Izraelit.
42 Nuk u kujtohej më dora e tij e fuqishme,
dita kur i çliroi prej armikut:
43 shenjat, që kishte bërë në Egjipt,
veprat e mrekullueshme në fushën e Coanit.
44 Lumenjtë e armikut i kishte kthyer në gjak,
edhe rrjedhat e ujit, që të mos pinin më.
45 U dërgoi mori grethash, që t'i thumbonin,
bretkosa, që t'i shkatërronin.
46 Të korrat e tyre ua dha krimbave,
karkalecave mundin e tyre.
47 Vreshtat ua rrënoi me breshër,
pemët e fikut me brymë.
48 Me breshër ua goditi edhe bagëtinë,
me rrufe, gjënë e gjallë.
49 Dërgoi mbi ta flakën e zemërimit të tij,
furinë, mërinë e fatkeqësinë;
u dërgoi engjëj të këqij.
50 I hapi udhë zemërimit të tij,
jetën prej vdekjes nuk ua kurseu,
por i la në dorë të murtajës.
51 Shfarosi çdo të parëlindur në Egjipt,
frytin e parë të fuqisë së tyre në tendat e Kamit.
52 Si dhentë e ngriti prej andej popullin e tij,
u priu në shkretëtirë porsi grigjës.
53 I udhëhoqi me kujdes e frikë nuk patën,
armiqtë e tyre i mbuloi deti.
54 I çoi në vendin e tij të shenjtë,
në malin, që kishte fituar e djathta e tij.
55 Dëboi kombe para tyre
e tokën ua ndau me short për trashëgim.
Fiset e Izraelit i vuri të banojnë
nëpër tendat e tyre.
56 Por ata e tunduan përsëri,
ngritën krye kundër Perëndisë, të Tejlartit,
e dëshmitë e tij nuk i mbajtën.
57 U shmangën e, si etërit e tyre, të pabesë u treguan,
si harku i shtrembër, ata dredhuan.
58 Me faltoret në vende të larta e bënë të zemërohet,
me idhujt e gdhendur ia ndezën furinë.
59 E dëgjoi Perëndia e flakë u ndez,
rëndë e përçmoi Izraelin.
60 E braktisi tendën e Shilohut,
banesën, që kishte ngritur mes njerëzve.
61 Forcën e tij e la të bjerë në robëri,
lavdinë e tij në duart e armikut.
62 Popullin e tij ia dorëzoi shpatës,
kundër trashëgimisë së vet flakë u ndez.
63 Djelmoshat e tyre i përpiu zjarri,
vashave nuk u kënduan.
64 Priftërinjtë e tyre ranë prej shpatës,
vejushat nuk i vajtuan.
65 E u ngrit Zoti, si prej gjumit,
si luftëtari trim, kur e kap vera.
66 Pas shpine u ra armiqve,
me turp të përjetshëm i mbuloi.
67 Poshtë e hodhi tendën e Jozefit,
fisin e Efraimit nuk e zgjodhi.
68 Zgjodhi fisin e Judës,
malin e Sionit, që fort e deshi.
69 Të lartë shumë e ndërtoi shenjtëroren,
ashtu si tokën, e themeloi në amshim.
70 E zgjodhi Davidin, shërbëtorin e tij,
prej tufave të dhenve e mori.
71 E mori prej deleve që mëndnin,
për të kullotur Jakobin, popullin e tij,
dhe Izraelin, trashëgiminë e tij.
72 Me zemër të pastër i udhëhoqi,
me duar të afta u priu.