1 G ive ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

استَمِعْ يا شَعبِي لِتَعلِيمِي. افتَحُوا آذانَكُمْ إلَى كَلامِي.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old —

سَأفتَحُ فَمِي بِمَثَلٍ. وَسَأنطِقُ بِألغازٍ قَدِيمَةٍ.

3 W hich we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

سَمِعْنا القِصَّةَ وَنَعْرِفُها جَيِّداً، وَقَدْ أخْبَرَنا آباؤُنا بِها.

4 W e will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that He has performed.

لَنْ نُخفِيها عَنِ أولادِنا، بَلْ سَنُخَبِّرُ الجِيلَ الآتِي بِأعمالِ اللهِ المَجِيدَةِ وَعَجائِبِهِ الَّتِي صَنَعَها!

5 F or He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make known to their children,

قَطَعَ عَهداً مَعَ يَعْقُوبَ. وَضَعَ شَرِيعَةً فِي إسْرائِيلَ. أمَرَ آباءَنا بِأنْ يُعَلِّمُوها لِأبنائِهِمْ.

6 T hat the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children,

لِكَي تَعْرِفَ الأجْيالُ الآتِيَةُ بِهَذا العَهْدِ. فِي كُلِّ جِيلٍ يُولَدُ أبناءٌ، يَكْبَرُونَ وَيَنقُلُونَ القِصَصَ لِأبنائِهِمْ.

7 T hat they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments

يَضَعُونَ مَصِيرَهُمْ فِي يَدِ اللهِ. لا يَنْسَوْنَ أعمالَهُ العَجِيبَةَ، وَيَتَّبِعُونَ وَصاياهُ.

8 A nd might not be as their fathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright nor prepared their hearts to know God, and whose spirits were not steadfast and faithful to God.

لَنْ يَكُونُوا كَآبائِهِمْ جِيلاً مُتَمَرِّداً، جِيلاً لَمْ يُكَرِّسْ للهِ نَفسَهُ، وَلَمْ يَتَعَلَّمِ الإخلاصَ للهِ.

9 T he children of Ephraim were armed and carrying bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle.

ارتَدَّ بَنُو أفْرايِمَ فِي المَعرَكَةِ، ارتِدادَ السِّهامِ فِي يَوْمِ الحَرْبِ.

10 T hey kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk according to His law

لَمْ يَحفَظُوا عَهدَهُمْ مَعَ اللهِ. وَرَفَضُوا أنْ يَتبَعُوا وَصَاياهُ.

11 A nd forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.

نَسُوا أعمالَهُ القَوِيَّةَ العَجِيبَةَ، وَمُعْجِزاتِهِ الَّتِي أراهُمْ إيّاها.

12 M arvelous things did He in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

صَنَعَ هَذِهِ الأعمالَ العَجِيبَةَ أمامَ آبائِهِمْ فِي حُقُولِ صُوعَنَ فِي مِصْرَ.

13 H e divided the Sea and caused them to pass through it, and He made the waters stand like a heap.

شَطَرَ البَحرَ الأحمَرَ وَقادَهُمْ عَبرَهُ، وَالماءُ مُكَوَّمٌ كَجَبَلٍ عَلَى جانِبَيْهِمْ.

14 I n the daytime also He led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.

ثُمَّ هَداهُمْ بِالسَّحابَةِ نَهاراً، وَبِنُورِ النّارِ لَيلاً.

15 H e split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as out of the deep.

شَطَرَ الصَّخرَةَ فِي الصَّحراءِ، فَاندَفَعَ الماءُ كَما مِنْ بِئرٍ عَظِيمَةٍ.

16 H e brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.

فَتَدَفَّقَ جَدْوَلُ الماءُ مِنَ الصَّخرَةِ، وَجَرَى كَنَهرٍ.

17 Y et they still went on to sin against Him by provoking and rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness (in the land of drought).

لَكِنَّهُمْ ظَلُّوا يُخطِئُونَ وَيَتَمَرَّدُونَ عَلَى العَلِيِّ فِي تِلكَ الأرْضِ الجّافَةِ.

18 A nd they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their desire and appetite.

ثُمَّ عَزَمُوا عَلَى امتِحانِ اللهِ، فَطَلَبُوا طَعاماً لإشْباعِ شَهِيَّتِهِمْ.

19 Y es, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

تَكَلَّمُوا عَلَى اللهِ وَقالُوا: «أيَستَطِيعُ اللهُ أنْ يُعِدَّ لَنا مائِدَةً فِي الصَّحراءِ؟

20 B ehold, He did smite the rock so that waters gushed out and the streams overflowed; but can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?

ها إنَّهُ ضَرَبَ الصَّخرَةَ، فَتَدَفَّقَ الماءُ وَمَلأ الوِديانَ. لَكِنْ هَلْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يُوَّفِرَ لَحماً لِشَعبِهِ؟»

21 T herefore, when the Lord heard, He was wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, His anger mounted up against Israel,

لِذَلِكَ، حِينَ سَمِعَ اللهُ ، امتَلأَ غَضَباً. اشْتَعَلَتْ نارٌ عَلَى يَعقُوبَ. وَازدادَ غَضَبُهُ عَلَى إسْرائِيلَ.

22 B ecause in God they believed not, and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save).

لِأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللهِ، وَلَمْ يَثِقُوا بِخَلاصِهِ.

23 Y et He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven;

ثُمَّ أمَرَ اللهُ السُّحُبَ مِنْ فَوْقُ، وَانفَتَحَتِ السَّماواتُ.

24 A nd He rained down upon them manna to eat and gave them heaven’s grain.

فَأمطَرَ عَلَيهِمْ مَنّاً لِيَأكُلُوا. أعطاهُمْ خُبزَ السَّماءِ.

25 E veryone ate the bread of the mighty; God sent them meat in abundance.

أكَلَ أُولَئِكَ البَشَرُ خُبزَ المَلائِكَةِ. أرسَلَ إلَيْهِمْ طَعاماً لإشباعِهِمْ.

26 H e let forth the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by His power He guided the south wind.

أثارَ اللهُ رِياحاً شَرقِيَّةً مِنَ السَّماءِ، وَساقَ رِياحَ الجَنُوبِ حَيثُ يُرِيدُ.

27 H e rained flesh also upon them like the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas.

أمطَرَتْ عَلَيهِمْ أيّاماً أسراباً مِنَ الطُّيُورِ بِعَدَدِ الرَّملِ وَالغُبارِ.

28 A nd He let fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

سَقَطَتِ الطُّيُورُ فِي وَسَطِ مُعَسكَرِهِمْ حَولَ خِيامِهِمْ.

29 S o they ate and were well filled; He gave them what they craved and lusted after.

أكَلُوا كَثِيراً وَشَبِعُوا، أعْطاهُمْ ما اشْتَهُوهُ.

30 B ut scarce had they stilled their craving, and while their meat was yet in their mouths,

لَمْ يَضبُطُوا شَهِيَّتَهُمْ. أكَلُوها فَوراً دُونَ طَبْخٍ وَلَمْ يَشْكُرُوا اللهَ.

31 T he wrath of God came upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel’s chosen youth.

فَنَزَلَ غَضَبُ اللهِ عَلَيهِمْ، وَقَتَلَ حَتَّى أوفَرَهُمْ صِحَّةً، وَأذَلَّ حَتَّى خِيرَةَ جُنُودِ إسْرائِيلَ.

32 I n spite of all this, they sinned still more, for they believed not in (relied not on and adhered not to Him for) His wondrous works.

وَرُغْمَ هَذا كُلِّهِ، ظَلُّوا يُخطِئُونَ، وَلَمْ يُؤمِنُوا بِأعمالِهِ العَجِيبَةِ.

33 T herefore their days He consumed like a breath and their years in terror and sudden haste.

بِالبُطلانِ انتَهَتْ أيّامُهُمْ، وَبِالخَوفِ وَالِارتِعادِ سَنَواتُهُمْ.

34 W hen He slew them, inquired after Him diligently, and they repented and sincerely sought God.

كُلَّما قَتَلَ اللهُ بَعضاً مِنهُمْ لَجَأتْ إلَيهِ بَقِيَّتُهُمْ. بِلَهفَةٍ كانُوا يَعُودُونَ إلَيهِ وَيَنتَظِرُونَهُ.

35 A nd they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.

وَكانُوا يَتَذَكَّرُونَ أنَّ اللهَ هُوَ صَخرَتُهُمْ، وَأنَّ اللهَ العَلِيَّ هُوَ الَّذِي يَفدِيهُمْ.

36 N evertheless they flattered Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues.

حاوَلُوا أنْ يَخْدَعُوهُ بِكَلامِهِمْ، كَذَبُوا عَلَيهِ بِألسِنَتِهِمْ.

37 F or their hearts were not right or sincere with Him, neither were they faithful and steadfast to His covenant.

لَمْ تَكُنْ قُلُوبُهُمْ صادِقَةً نَحوَهُ، وَلَمْ يُخلِصُوا لِعَهدِهِ.

38 B ut He, full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not; yes, many a time He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath and indignation.

لَكِنَّ اللهَ غَفَرَ ذَنبَهُمْ لأجلِ مَحَبَّتِهِ وَلَمْ يُهلِكْهُمْ. هَكَذا هَدَّأَ غَضَبَهُ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ وَرَفَضَ أنْ يُهَيِّجَ غَيظَهُ.

39 F or He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that goes and does not return.

لَمْ يَنْسَ اللهُ أنَّهُمْ كَالرِّيحِ الَّتِي تَمُرُّ فَلا تَعُودُ.

40 H ow often they defied and rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

كَثِيراً ما تَمَرَّدُوا عَلَيهِ فِي الصَّحراءِ. وَأحزَنُوهُ فِي تِلكَ الأراضِي القاحِلَةِ.

41 A nd time and again they turned back and tempted God, provoking and incensing the Holy One of Israel.

وَمَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ امتَحَنُوا وَأحزَنُوا قُدُّوسَ إسْرائِيلَ.

42 T hey remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,

لَمْ يَتَذَكَّرُوا قُوَّتَهُ حِينَ أنقَذَهُمْ مِنَ الضِّيقِ.

43 H ow He wrought His miracles in Egypt and His wonders in the field of Zoan

لَمْ يَتَذَكَّرُوا أنَّهُ أراهُمْ آياتٍ وَعَجائِبَ فِي حُقُولِ صُوعَنَ.

44 A nd turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink from them.

حَوَّلَ الماءَ إلَى دَمٍ فِي الأنهارِ، فَلَمْ يَتَمَكَّنِ المِصرِيُّونَ مِنَ الشُّرْبِ مِنْ جَداوِلِهِمْ.

45 H e sent swarms of flies among them which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them.

أرسَلَ الذُّبابَ فَنَهَشَهُمْ، وَالضَفادِعَ فَدَمَّرَتْهُمْ.

46 H e gave also their crops to the caterpillar and their labor to the locust.

أرسَلَ الجَنادِبَ وَالجَرادَ لِيَأكُلَ مَحاصِيلَهُمْ الَّتِي تَعِبُوا فِيها.

47 H e destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost and ice.

قَضَى عَلَى كُرُومِهِمْ بِالبَرَدِ، وَعَلَى جُمَّيْزِهِمْ بِالصَّقِيعِ.

48 H e gave them up also to the hail and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

قَتَلَ حَيَواناتِهِمْ بِحَبّاتِ البَرَدِ، وَقُطعَانَهُمْ بِالصَّواعِقِ.

49 H e let loose upon them the fierceness of His anger, His wrath and indignation and distress, by sending angels of calamity and woe among them.

أظهَرَ غَضَبَهُ لِلمِصْرِيِّينَ، وَأرسَلَ مَلائِكَةَ الدَّمارِ عَلَيهِمْ.

50 H e leveled and made a straight path for His anger; He did not spare from death but gave their beasts over to the pestilence and the life over to the plague.

أطلَقَ لِغَضَبِهِ العَنانَ، فَلَمْ يَمْنَعِ المَوتَ عَنْهُمْ، وَأسلَمَهُمْ لِلوَباءِ.

51 H e smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

صَرَعَ كُلَّ بِكرٍ لِلمَصرِيِّينَ، أهلَكَ بَوادِرَ القُوَّةِ فِي مَساكِنِ نَسلِ حامَ.

52 B ut led His own people forth like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

وَساقَ شَعبَهُ كَما يَسُوقُ الرّاعِي غَنَمَهُ، قَادَهُمْ في الصَّحْراءِ كَقَطيعٍ.

53 A nd He led them on safely and in confident trust, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

إلَى الأمانِ قادَهُمْ! لَمْ يَخشُوا أعْداءَهُمْ، لِأنَّ اللهَ أغرَقَهُمْ فِي البَحرِ الأحمَرِ.

54 A nd He brought them to His holy border, the border of His sanctuary, even to this mountain which His right hand had acquired.

ثُمَّ قادَهُمْ إلَى حَدِّ جَبَلِهِ المُقَدَّسِ، الجَبَلِ الَّذِي شَكَّلَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ.

55 H e drove out the nations also before and allotted their land as a heritage, measured out and partitioned; and He made the tribes of Israel to dwell in the tents of those dispossessed.

ثُمَّ طَرَدَ الشُّعُوبَ مِنَ الأرْضِ المُمتَدَّةِ أمامَهُمْ. وَخَصَّصّ لَهُمْ حِصَّتَهُمْ مِنَ الأرْضِ، مُسكِناً قَبائِلِ إسْرائِيلَ فِي مَساكِنِ أعدائِهِمْ.

56 Y et they tempted and provoked and rebelled against the Most High God and kept not His testimonies.

لَكِنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ عَصُوهُ دائِماً وَامتَحَنُوا اللهَ العَلِيَّ، وَلَمْ يَحفَظُوا شَهاداتِهِ.

57 B ut they turned back and dealt unfaithfully and treacherously like their fathers; they were twisted like a warped and deceitful bow.

كَسِهامٍ مُرتَدَّةٍ مُتَقَلِّبَةٍ فِي الطَّيَرانِ، ارتَدُّوا وَهَجَرُوهُ كَآبائِهِمْ.

58 F or they provoked Him to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.

أغضَبُوهُ بِمَعابِدِهِمِ العالِيَةِ، وَأثارُوا سَخَطَهُ بِأصنامِهِمْ.

59 W hen God heard this, He was full of wrath; and He utterly rejected Israel, greatly abhorring and loathing,

سَمِعَ اللهُ هَذا فَغَضِبَ، وَرَفَضَ إسْرائِيلَ رَفضاً.

60 S o that He forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent in which He had dwelt among men,

هَدَمَ الخَيمَةَ المُقَدَّسَةَ فِي شِيلُوهَ، حَيثُ كانَ يَسكُنُ بَينَ النّاسِ.

61 A nd delivered His strength and power (the ark of the covenant) into captivity, and His glory into the hands of the foe (the Philistines).

سَلَّمَ صُندُوقَ عَهدِهِ لِلغُرَباءِ، رَمْزَ قُوَّتِهِ وَمَجدِهِ.

62 H e gave His people over also to the sword and was wroth with His heritage.

غَضِبَ عَلَى شَعبِهِ، وَعَيَّنَهُمْ لِلمَوتِ بِالسَّيفِ.

63 T he fire devoured their young men, and their bereaved virgins were not praised in a wedding song.

التَهَمَتِ النّارُ الجُنُودَ المُدَرَّبِينَ، وَما غَنَّتِ العَذارَى أغانِيَ الفَرَحِ!

64 T heir priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

سَقَطَ الكَهَنَةُ بِالسَّيفِ. وَلَمْ تَتَمَكَّنِ الأرامِلُ مِنَ البُكاءِ عَلَيْهِمْ.

65 T hen the Lord awakened as from sleep, as a strong man whose consciousness of power is heightened by wine.

فَانتَفَضَ الرَّبُّ كَمُقاتِلٍ يَصحُو مِنَ الخَمرِ.

66 A nd He smote His adversaries in the back; He put them to lasting shame and reproach.

ضَرَبَ العَدُّوُّ وَرَدَّهُمْ إلَى الوَراءِ، فَأذَلَّهُمْ إلَى الأبَدِ.

67 M oreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim.

ثُمَّ رَفَضَ اللهُ خَيمَةَ يُوسُفَ، وَلَمْ يَخْتَرْ قَبِيلَةَ أفْرايِمَ.

68 B ut He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.

اختارَ عَشِيرَةَ يَهُوذا لِلْمُلْكِ، وَجَبَلَ صِهْيَوْنَ الَّذِي اختارَهُ مَوقِعاً لِهَيكَلِهِ.

69 A nd He built His sanctuary like the heights and like the earth which He established forever.

بَنَى مَقْدِسَهُ كِالجِبالِ، وَرَسَّخَ أساسَهُ كَالأرْضِ لِيَدُومَ إلَى الأبَدِ.

70 H e chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;

اخْتارَ داوُدَ خادِمَهُ، وَأخَذَهُ مِنْ حَظائِرِ الغَنَمِ.

71 F rom tending the ewes that had their young He brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob His people, of Israel His inheritance.

وَبَعْدَ أنْ رَفَعَهُ أخَذَهُ لِيَرعَى يَعْقُوبَ شَعبَهُ وَإسْرائِيلَ مُقتَناهُ.

72 S o was their shepherd with an upright heart; he guided them by the discernment and skillfulness his hands.

فَقادَهُمْ داوُدُ بِقَلبٍ نَقِيٍّ وَحِكمَةٍ بارِعَةٍ.