God and His People
1 Listen, my people, to my teaching,
and pay attention to what I say.
2 I am going to use wise sayings
and explain mysteries from the past,
3 things we have heard and known,
things that our ancestors told us.
4 We will not keep them from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the Lord's power and his great deeds
and the wonderful things he has done.
5 He gave laws to the people of Israel
and commandments to the descendants of Jacob.
He instructed our ancestors
to teach his laws to their children,
6 so that the next generation might learn them
and in turn should tell their children.
7 In this way they also will put their trust in God
and not forget what he has done,
but always obey his commandments.
8 They will not be like their ancestors,
a rebellious and disobedient people,
whose trust in God was never firm
and who did not remain faithful to him.
9 The Ephraimites, armed with bows and arrows,
ran away on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep their covenant with God;
they refused to obey his law.
11 They forgot what he had done,
the miracles they had seen him perform.
12 While their ancestors watched, God performed miracles
in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
13 He divided the sea and took them through it;
he made the waters stand like walls.
14 By day he led them with a cloud
and all night long with the light of a fire.
15 He split rocks open in the desert
and gave them water from the depths.
16 He caused a stream to come out of the rock
and made water flow like a river.
17 But they continued to sin against God,
and in the desert they rebelled against the Most High.
18 They deliberately put God to the test
by demanding the food they wanted.
19 They spoke against God and said,
“Can God supply food in the desert?
20 It is true that he struck the rock,
and water flowed out in a torrent;
but can he also provide us with bread
and give his people meat?”
21 And so the Lord was angry when he heard them;
he attacked his people with fire,
and his anger against them grew,
22 because they had no faith in him
and did not believe that he would save them.
23 But he spoke to the sky above
and commanded its doors to open;
24 he gave them grain from heaven,
by sending down manna for them to eat.
25 So they ate the food of angels,
and God gave them all they wanted.
26 He also caused the east wind to blow,
and by his power he stirred up the south wind;
27 and to his people he sent down birds,
as many as the grains of sand on the shore;
28 they fell in the middle of the camp
all around the tents.
29 So the people ate and were satisfied;
God gave them what they wanted.
30 But they had not yet satisfied their craving
and were still eating,
31 when God became angry with them
and killed their strongest men,
the best young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this the people kept sinning;
in spite of his miracles they did not trust him.
33 So he ended their days like a breath
and their lives with sudden disaster.
34 Whenever he killed some of them,
the rest would turn to him;
they would repent and pray earnestly to him.
35 They remembered that God was their protector,
that the Almighty came to their aid.
36 But their words were all lies;
nothing they said was sincere.
37 They were not loyal to him;
they were not faithful to their covenant with him.
38 But God was merciful to his people.
He forgave their sin
and did not destroy them.
Many times he held back his anger
and restrained his fury.
39 He remembered that they were only mortal beings,
like a wind that blows by and is gone.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert;
how many times they made him sad!
41 Again and again they put God to the test
and brought pain to the Holy God of Israel.
42 They forgot his great power
and the day when he saved them from their enemies
43 and performed his mighty acts and miracles
in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
44 He turned the rivers into blood,
and the Egyptians had no water to drink.
45 He sent flies among them, that tormented them,
and frogs that ruined their land.
46 He sent locusts to eat their crops
and to destroy their fields.
47 He killed their grapevines with hail
and their fig trees with frost.
48 He killed their cattle with hail
and their flocks with lightning.
49 He caused them great distress
by pouring out his anger and fierce rage,
which came as messengers of death.
50 He did not restrain his anger
or spare their lives,
but killed them with a plague.
51 He killed the first-born sons
of all the families of Egypt.
52 Then he led his people out like a shepherd
and guided them through the desert.
53 He led them safely, and they were not afraid;
but the sea came rolling over their enemies.
54 He brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains which he himself conquered.
55 He drove out the inhabitants as his people advanced;
he divided their land among the tribes of Israel
and gave their homes to his people.
56 But they rebelled against Almighty God
and put him to the test.
They did not obey his commandments,
57 but were rebellious and disloyal like their ancestors,
unreliable as a crooked arrow.
58 They angered him with their heathen places of worship,
and with their idols they made him furious.
59 God was angry when he saw it,
so he rejected his people completely.
60 He abandoned his tent in Shiloh,
the home where he had lived among us.
61 He allowed our enemies to capture the Covenant Box,
the symbol of his power and glory.
62 He was angry with his own people
and let them be killed by their enemies.
63 Young men were killed in war,
and young women had no one to marry.
64 Priests died by violence,
and their widows were not allowed to mourn.
65 At last the Lord woke up as though from sleep;
he was like a strong man excited by wine.
66 He drove his enemies back
in lasting and shameful defeat.
67 But he rejected the descendants of Joseph;
he did not select the tribe of Ephraim.
68 Instead he chose the tribe of Judah
and Mount Zion, which he dearly loves.
69 There he built his Temple
like his home in heaven;
he made it firm like the earth itself,
secure for all time.
70 He chose his servant David;
he took him from the pastures,
71 where he looked after his flocks,
and he made him king of Israel,
the shepherd of the people of God.
72 David took care of them with unselfish devotion
and led them with skill.
Dieva laipnība un bardzība Viņa ļaudīm par mācību
1 Asafa pamācība. Klausies, mana tauta, manu mācību, atveriet savas ausis manas mutes vārdiem! 2 Es atdarīšu savu muti runai ar sakāmiem vārdiem, stāstīšu senlaiku mīklas. 3 Ko esam dzirdējuši un zinām un ko mūsu tēvi mums ir stāstījuši, 4 to mēs neslēpsim viņu bērniem, to mēs stāstīsim viņu pēcnācējiem: Tā Kunga slavenos darbus un Viņa spēku, un Viņa brīnumus, ko Viņš ir darījis. 5 Viņš ir cēlis liecību Jēkabā un devis bauslību Israēlā, Viņš ir arī pavēlējis mūsu tēviem, ka tā mācāma viņu bērniem, 6 lai to zinātu vēlākais dzimums, bērni, kas vēl dzims, ka tie celtos un par to stāstītu arī saviem bērniem, 7 lai tie liktu savu cerību uz Dievu un neaizmirstu Dieva darbus, un turētu Viņa pavēles, 8 lai viņi nebūtu tādi kā viņu tēvi, stūrgalvīga un nepaklausīga cilts - cilts, kas savā sirdī nebija pastāvīga, kam gars neturējās pie Dieva. 9 Efraima dēli, kas bija bruņoti stopiem, atkāpās cīņas dienā. 10 Viņi neturēja Dieva iecelto derību un liedzās staigāt Viņa bauslībā, 11 viņi aizmirsa Viņa darbus un brīnumus, ko Viņš bija parādījis. 12 Viņu tēvu priekšā Viņš bija darījis brīnumus Ēģiptes zemē, Coānas laukos. 13 Viņš pāršķīra jūru, lika viņiem tai izsoļot cauri un uzstatīja ūdeni kā aizsprostu; 14 Viņš tos vadīja ar padebesi dienā un cauru nakti ar uguns atspīdumu. 15 Viņš pāršķēla klintis tuksnesī un dzirdināja viņus kā ar dziļuma ūdeņiem papilnam; 16 Viņš lika strūklām izplūst no klints un ūdenim tecēt straumēm. 17 Bet tie joprojām grēkoja pret Viņu un sacēlās pret Visuaugstāko tuksnesī. 18 Viņi kārdināja Dievu savās sirdīs, prasīdami barību pēc savas iekāres. 19 Un viņi runāja pretī Dievam, sacīdami: "Vai Dievs var klāt galdu tuksnesī? 20 Redzi, Viņš gan ir sitis klinti, ka iztecēja ūdens un plūda strauti, bet vai Viņš var Savai tautai dot arī maizi un gaļu?" 21 Tāpēc, kad Tas Kungs to dzirdēja, Viņš apskaitās, un uguns iedegās pret Jēkabu, un dusmas pacēlās pret Israēlu, 22 jo tie neuzticējās Dievam un nepaļāvās uz Viņa palīdzību. 23 Tad Viņš pavēlēja padebešiem augšā un atvēra debesu durvis, 24 lika mannai līt uz viņiem, ko ēst, un deva viņiem debesu labību. 25 Eņģeļu maizi ēda cilvēks, Viņš tiem sūtīja barības papilnam. 26 Viņš lika austriņam celties debesu ārēs un atveda ar Savu spēku dienvidu vēju, 27 un birdināja uz viņiem gaļu kā putekļus un spārnainus putnus kā jūras smiltis. 28 Viņš lika tiem krist viņu nometnes vidū, visapkārt viņu mājokļiem. 29 Viņi ēda un pieēdās, Viņš deva tiem to, ko viņi kāroja, 30 bet viņi vēl nebija tikuši no savas kārības vaļā, vēl ēdiens bija viņu mutē, 31 kad Dieva dusmība cēlās pret viņiem, un Viņš nožņaudza spēcīgos vīrus viņu starpā un nonāvēja Israēla jaunekļus. 32 Tomēr viņi grēkoja joprojām un neticēja Viņa brīnuma darbiem. 33 Tad Viņš lika izgaist viņu dienām nīcībā un viņu gadiem postīgā steigā. 34 Kad Viņš tos žņaudza, tad tie vaicāja pēc Viņa, atgriezās un meklēja Dievu, 35 un atcerējās, ka Dievs ir viņu klints un ka Dievs, Visuaugstākais, ir viņu pestītājs. 36 Bet viņi liekulīgi krāpa Viņu ar savu muti un meloja Viņam ar savu mēli, 37 jo viņu sirds nebija cieši saistīta pie Viņa, un viņi neturējās uzticīgi pie Viņa derības. 38 Taču Viņš bija žēlsirdīgs, piedeva noziegumu un viņus neizdeldēja, bet daudzkārt novērsa Savas dusmas un nelika pamosties visai Savai bardzībai, 39 jo Viņš ņēma vērā to, ka viņi ir miesa, vēja pūsma, kas aizskrien un vairs neatgriežas. 40 Cik reizes viņi To Kungu nekaitināja tuksnesī un neapbēdināja Viņu tuksnešainā vietā! 41 Viņi kārdināja Dievu allaž no jauna un sāpināja Israēla Svēto. 42 Viņi nepieminēja vairs Viņa spēcīgo roku, nedz to dienu, kad Viņš tos izglāba no apspiedējiem, 43 kad Viņš Savas zīmes rādīja Ēģiptē un Savus brīnumus Coānas klajumā. 44 Viņu upes Viņš pārvērta tur par asinīm un padarīja viņu strautus nedzeramus, 45 uzsūtīdams viņiem kukaiņus, kas tos ēda, un vardes, kas viņiem nesa bojā eju, 46 un deva viņu augļus spradžiem un viņu pļauju siseņiem. 47 Viņš sadragāja viņu vīna kokus ar krusu un viņu vīģes kokus ar debesu ledus gabaliem, 48 un nogalināja viņu lopus krusas negaisā un viņu ganāmos pulkus ar zibeņiem. 49 Un Viņš uzsūtīja viņiem Savu dusmu kvēli, bardzību, postu un bēdas, ļaunu eņģeļu pulku. 50 Viņš deva vaļu Savām dusmām, nepasargādams no nāves viņu dvēseles, pamezdams viņu dzīvības mērim. 51 Un Viņš lika nomirt pirmdzimušajiem Ēģiptē, vīru spēka pirmdzimtajiem Hama teltīs, 52 un veda Savu tautu tālākā ceļā kā avis un vadīja viņus kā ganāmo pulku tuksnesī. 53 Un Viņš tos droši vadīja, ka tie nebijās, bet viņu ienaidniekus apklāja jūra. 54 Un Viņš tos veda Savas zemes svētajos novados, uz kalnāju, ko Viņa labā roka bija ieguvusi. 55 Viņš aizdzina tautas, viņiem ienākot, un piešķīra pēc izmestajiem mesliem viņu zemes gabalus Israēlam par mantojuma daļu un lika Israēla ciltīm dzīvot viņu teltīs. 56 Taču viņi kārdināja un kaitināja Dievu, to Visuaugstāko, un neievēroja Viņa liecības. 57 Viņi novērsās un kļuva neuzticīgi kā viņu tēvi, viņi sabruka kā atslābis viltīgs stops. 58 Viņi sarūgtināja Viņu ar saviem elku kalniem un sadusmoja Viņu ar kalpošanu augstienēs saviem elku tēliem. 59 Dievs dzirdēja to un apskaitās, un Israēls Viņam ļoti rieba, un Viņš to pameta pamazām gandrīz pavisam. 60 Viņš pameta Savu mājokli Šīlo, Savu telti, kur Viņš mājoja starp cilvēkiem. 61 Viņš atdeva Savu spēku gūstā un Savu godību ienaidnieka rokā. 62 Viņš nodeva Savu tautu zobena varā un iedegās dusmās pret Savu mantojumu. 63 Viņu jaunekļus aprija uguns, un viņu jaunavām nedziedāja kāzu dziesmas. 64 Viņu priesteri krita no zobena, un viņu atraitnes nevarēja viņus apraudāt. 65 Tad pamodās Tas Kungs kā gulētājs, kā varonis, kas pieceļas no vīna noreibuma, 66 un sita Savus ienaidniekus no mugurpuses, uzkrāva viņiem mūžīgu negodu. 67 Viņš atmeta Jāzepa telti un neizraudzīja Sev vairs Efraima cilti, 68 bet izredzēja Jūdas cilti, Ciānas kalnu, kas Viņam mīļš bija kļuvis. 69 Viņš cēla Savu svētnīcu līdzīgu augstajiem kalniem un tik spēcīgu kā zemi, kurai Viņš mūžīgus pamatus licis. 70 Tad Viņš izraudzīja Dāvidu, Savu kalpu, un ņēma viņu no avju laidariem; 71 Viņš lika viņam nākt no zīdītājām avīm ganīt Jēkabu, Savu tautu, un Israēlu, Savu mantojumu. 72 Un viņš tos ganīja ar skaidru sirdi un vadīja viņus ar sapratīgu roku.
