1 G ive ear, O my people, to my law; 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; I will utter riddles from 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 from their sons, shewing forth to the generation to come the praises of Jehovah, and his strength, and his marvellous works which he hath done.

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

5 F or 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;

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

6 T hat the generation to come might know, the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell to their children,

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

7 A nd that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but observe 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 prepared not their heart, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

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

9 T he sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, 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 in his law;

لَمْ يَحفَظُوا عَهدَهُمْ مَعَ اللهِ. وَرَفَضُوا أنْ يَتبَعُوا وَصَاياهُ.

11 A nd forgot his doings, and his marvellous works which he had shewn them.

نَسُوا أعمالَهُ القَوِيَّةَ العَجِيبَةَ، وَمُعْجِزاتِهِ الَّتِي أراهُمْ إيّاها.

12 I n the sight of their fathers had he done wonders, in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.

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

13 H e clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; and made the waters to stand as a heap;

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

14 A nd he led them with a cloud in the daytime, and all the night with the light of fire.

ثُمَّ هَداهُمْ بِالسَّحابَةِ نَهاراً، وَبِنُورِ النّارِ لَيلاً.

15 H e clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave drink as out of the depths, abundantly;

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

16 A nd he brought streams 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 sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;

لَكِنَّهُمْ ظَلُّوا يُخطِئُونَ وَيَتَمَرَّدُونَ عَلَى العَلِيِّ فِي تِلكَ الأرْضِ الجّافَةِ.

18 A nd they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;

ثُمَّ عَزَمُوا عَلَى امتِحانِ اللهِ، فَطَلَبُوا طَعاماً لإشْباعِ شَهِيَّتِهِمْ.

19 A nd they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

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

20 B ehold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?

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

21 T herefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; and fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel:

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

22 B ecause they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation;

لِأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللهِ، وَلَمْ يَثِقُوا بِخَلاصِهِ.

23 T hough he had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens,

ثُمَّ أمَرَ اللهُ السُّحُبَ مِنْ فَوْقُ، وَانفَتَحَتِ السَّماواتُ.

24 A nd had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of the heavens.

فَأمطَرَ عَلَيهِمْ مَنّاً لِيَأكُلُوا. أعطاهُمْ خُبزَ السَّماءِ.

25 M an did eat the bread of the mighty; he sent them provision to the full.

أكَلَ أُولَئِكَ البَشَرُ خُبزَ المَلائِكَةِ. أرسَلَ إلَيْهِمْ طَعاماً لإشباعِهِمْ.

26 H e caused the east wind to rise in the heavens, and by his strength he brought the south wind;

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

27 A nd he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowl as the sand of the seas,

أمطَرَتْ عَلَيهِمْ أيّاماً أسراباً مِنَ الطُّيُورِ بِعَدَدِ الرَّملِ وَالغُبارِ.

28 A nd he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations:

سَقَطَتِ الطُّيُورُ فِي وَسَطِ مُعَسكَرِهِمْ حَولَ خِيامِهِمْ.

29 A nd they did eat, and were well filled; for that they lusted after, he brought to them.

أكَلُوا كَثِيراً وَشَبِعُوا، أعْطاهُمْ ما اشْتَهُوهُ.

30 T hey were not alienated from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouths,

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

31 W hen the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

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

32 F or all this, they sinned still, and believed not in his marvellous works;

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

33 A nd he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

بِالبُطلانِ انتَهَتْ أيّامُهُمْ، وَبِالخَوفِ وَالِارتِعادِ سَنَواتُهُمْ.

34 W hen he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after 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 God, the Most High, their redeemer.

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

36 B ut they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;

حاوَلُوا أنْ يَخْدَعُوهُ بِكَلامِهِمْ، كَذَبُوا عَلَيهِ بِألسِنَتِهِمْ.

37 F or their heart was not firm toward him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

لَمْ تَكُنْ قُلُوبُهُمْ صادِقَةً نَحوَهُ، وَلَمْ يُخلِصُوا لِعَهدِهِ.

38 B ut he was merciful: he forgave the iniquity, and destroyed not; but many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his fury:

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

39 A nd he remembered that they were flesh, a breath that passeth away and cometh not again.

لَمْ يَنْسَ اللهُ أنَّهُمْ كَالرِّيحِ الَّتِي تَمُرُّ فَلا تَعُودُ.

40 H ow oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

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

41 A nd they turned again and tempted God, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.

وَمَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ امتَحَنُوا وَأحزَنُوا قُدُّوسَ إسْرائِيلَ.

42 T hey remembered not his hand, the day when he delivered them from the oppressor,

لَمْ يَتَذَكَّرُوا قُوَّتَهُ حِينَ أنقَذَهُمْ مِنَ الضِّيقِ.

43 H ow he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles 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, that they could not drink;

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

45 H e sent dog-flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them;

أرسَلَ الذُّبابَ فَنَهَشَهُمْ، وَالضَفادِعَ فَدَمَّرَتْهُمْ.

46 A nd he gave their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust;

أرسَلَ الجَنادِبَ وَالجَرادَ لِيَأكُلَ مَحاصِيلَهُمْ الَّتِي تَعِبُوا فِيها.

47 H e killed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with hail-stones;

قَضَى عَلَى كُرُومِهِمْ بِالبَرَدِ، وَعَلَى جُمَّيْزِهِمْ بِالصَّقِيعِ.

48 A nd he delivered up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to thunderbolts.

قَتَلَ حَيَواناتِهِمْ بِحَبّاتِ البَرَدِ، وَقُطعَانَهُمْ بِالصَّواعِقِ.

49 H e cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress,—a mission of angels of woes.

أظهَرَ غَضَبَهُ لِلمِصْرِيِّينَ، وَأرسَلَ مَلائِكَةَ الدَّمارِ عَلَيهِمْ.

50 H e made a way for his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;

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

51 A nd he smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first-fruits of their vigour in the tents of Ham.

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

52 A nd he made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

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

53 A nd he led them safely, so that they were without fear; and the sea covered their enemies.

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

54 A nd he brought them to his holy border, this mountain, which his right hand purchased;

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

55 A nd he drove out the nations before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

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

56 B ut they tempted and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not his testimonies,

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

57 A nd they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.

كَسِهامٍ مُرتَدَّةٍ مُتَقَلِّبَةٍ فِي الطَّيَرانِ، ارتَدُّوا وَهَجَرُوهُ كَآبائِهِمْ.

58 A nd 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 G od heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

سَمِعَ اللهُ هَذا فَغَضِبَ، وَرَفَضَ إسْرائِيلَ رَفضاً.

60 A nd he forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where he had dwelt among men,

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

61 A nd gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;

سَلَّمَ صُندُوقَ عَهدِهِ لِلغُرَباءِ، رَمْزَ قُوَّتِهِ وَمَجدِهِ.

62 A nd delivered up his people unto the sword, and was very wroth with his inheritance:

غَضِبَ عَلَى شَعبِهِ، وَعَيَّنَهُمْ لِلمَوتِ بِالسَّيفِ.

63 T he fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in 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 awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;

فَانتَفَضَ الرَّبُّ كَمُقاتِلٍ يَصحُو مِنَ الخَمرِ.

66 A nd he smote his adversaries in the hinder part, and put them to everlasting reproach.

ضَرَبَ العَدُّوُّ وَرَدَّهُمْ إلَى الوَراءِ، فَأذَلَّهُمْ إلَى الأبَدِ.

67 A nd 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 chose the tribe of Judah, the 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, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

بَنَى مَقْدِسَهُ كِالجِبالِ، وَرَسَّخَ أساسَهُ كَالأرْضِ لِيَدُومَ إلَى الأبَدِ.

70 A nd he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

اخْتارَ داوُدَ خادِمَهُ، وَأخَذَهُ مِنْ حَظائِرِ الغَنَمِ.

71 F rom following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

وَبَعْدَ أنْ رَفَعَهُ أخَذَهُ لِيَرعَى يَعْقُوبَ شَعبَهُ وَإسْرائِيلَ مُقتَناهُ.

72 A nd he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.

فَقادَهُمْ داوُدُ بِقَلبٍ نَقِيٍّ وَحِكمَةٍ بارِعَةٍ.