¹{An instruction. Of Asaph.} Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

¹En læresalme av Asaf. Lytt, mitt folk, til min lære, bøi eders ører til min munns ord!

²I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,

²Jeg vil oplate min munn med tankesprog, jeg vil la utstrømme gåtefulle ord fra fordums tid.

³Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us:

³Det vi har hørt og vet, og det våre fedre har fortalt oss,

⁴We will not hide [them] 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.

⁴det vil vi ikke dølge for deres barn, men for den kommende slekt fortelle Herrens pris og hans styrke og de undergjerninger som han har gjort.

⁵For 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;

⁵Han har reist et vidnesbyrd i Jakob og satt en lov i Israel, som han bød våre fedre å kunngjøre sine barn,

⁶That the generation to come might know [them], the children that should be born; that they might rise up and tell [them] to their children,

⁶forat den kommende slekt, de barn som skulde fødes, kunde kjenne dem, kunde stå frem og fortelle dem for sine barn

⁷And that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of ùGod, but observe his commandments;

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

⁸And 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 ùGod.

⁸og ikke være som deres fedre, en opsetsig og gjenstridig slekt, en slekt som ikke gjorde sitt hjerte fast, og hvis ånd ikke var trofast mot Gud.

⁹The sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.

⁹Efra'ims barn, de rustede bueskyttere, vendte om på stridens dag.

¹⁰They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

¹⁰De holdt ikke Guds pakt og vilde ikke vandre i hans lov,

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

¹¹og de glemte hans store gjerninger og de under som han hadde latt dem se.

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

¹²For deres fedres øine hadde han gjort under i Egyptens land, på Soans mark*. / {* 4MO 13, 22.}

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

¹³Han kløvde havet og lot dem gå gjennem det og lot vannet stå som en dynge.

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

¹⁴Og han ledet dem ved skyen om dagen og hele natten ved ildens lys.

¹⁵He clave rocks in the wilderness, and gave [them] drink as out of the depths, abundantly;

¹⁵Han kløvde klipper i ørkenen og gav dem å drikke som av store vanndyp.

¹⁶And he brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁶Og han lot bekker gå ut av klippen og vann flyte ned som strømmer.

¹⁷Yet they still went on sinning against him, provoking the Most High in the desert;

¹⁷Men de blev ennu ved å synde mot ham, å være gjenstridige mot den Høieste i ørkenen.

¹⁸And they tempted ùGod in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;

¹⁸Og de fristet Gud i sitt hjerte, så de krevde mat efter sin lyst.

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

¹⁹Og de talte mot Gud, de sa: Kan vel Gud dekke bord i ørkenen?

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

²⁰Se, han har slått klippen så det fløt ut vann, og bekker strømmet over; mon han også kan gi brød, eller kan han komme med kjøtt til sitt folk?

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

²¹Derfor, da Herren hørte det, harmedes han, og ild optendtes mot Jakob, og vrede reiste sig mot Israel,

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

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

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

²³Og han gav skyene der oppe befaling og åpnet himmelens porter.

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

²⁴Og han lot manna regne over dem til føde og gav dem himmelkorn.

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

²⁵Englebrød* åt enhver; han sendte dem næring til mette. / {* d.e. brød fra englenes bolig, himmelbrød.}

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

²⁶Han lot østenvinden fare ut i himmelen og førte sønnenvinden frem ved sin styrke.

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

²⁷Og han lot kjøtt regne ned over dem som støv og vingede fugler som havets sand,

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

²⁸og han lot dem falle ned midt i deres leir, rundt omkring deres boliger.

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

²⁹Og de åt og blev såre mette, og det de lystet efter, gav han dem.

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

³⁰De hadde ennu ikke latt fare det de lystet efter, ennu var deres mat i deres munn,

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

³¹da reiste Guds vrede sig mot dem, og han herjet blandt deres kraftfulle menn, og Israels unge menn slo han ned.

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

³²Med alt dette syndet de enda og trodde ikke på hans undergjerninger.

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

³³Derfor lot han deres dager svinne bort i tomhet og deres år i forskrekkelse.

³⁴When he slew them, then they sought him, and returned and sought early after ùGod;

³⁴Når han herjet blandt dem, da spurte de efter ham og vendte om og søkte Gud

³⁵And they remembered that God was their rock, and ùGod, the Most High, their redeemer.

³⁵og kom i hu at Gud var deres klippe, og den høieste Gud deres gjenløser.

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

³⁶Men de smigret for ham med sin munn og løi for ham med sin tunge.

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

³⁷Og deres hjerte hang ikke fast ved ham, og de var ikke tro mot hans pakt.

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

³⁸Men han, han er miskunnelig, han tilgir misgjerning og forderver ikke; mange ganger lot han sin vrede vende om og lot ikke all sin harme bryte frem.

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

³⁹Og han kom i hu at de var kjød, et åndepust som farer avsted og ikke kommer tilbake.

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

⁴⁰Hvor titt var de ikke gjenstridige mot ham i ørkenen, gjorde ham sorg på de øde steder!

⁴¹And they turned again and tempted ùGod, and grieved the Holy One of Israel.

⁴¹Og de fristet Gud på ny og krenket Israels Hellige.

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

⁴²De kom ikke hans hånd i hu den dag han forløste dem fra fienden,

⁴³How he set his signs in Egypt, and his miracles in the field of Zoan;

⁴³han som gjorde sine tegn i Egypten og sine under på Soans mark.

⁴⁴And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;

⁴⁴Han gjorde deres elver til blod, og sine rinnende vann kunde de ikke drikke.

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

⁴⁵Han sendte imot dem fluesvermer som fortærte dem, og frosk som fordervet dem.

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

⁴⁶Og han gav gnageren* deres grøde og gresshoppen deres høst. / {* d.e. gresshoppen.}

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

⁴⁷Han slo deres vintrær ned med hagl og deres morbærtrær med haglstener.

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

⁴⁸Og han overgav deres fe til haglet og deres hjorder til ildsluer.

⁴⁹He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and distress, -- a mission of angels of woes.

⁴⁹Han slapp sin brennende vrede løs mot dem, harme og forbitrelse og trengsel, en sending av ulykkes-bud.

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

⁵⁰Han brøt vei for sin vrede, sparte ikke deres sjel for døden, overgav deres liv til pesten.

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

⁵¹Og han slo alle førstefødte i Egypten, styrkens førstegrøde i Kams telter.

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

⁵²Og han lot sitt folk bryte op som en fåreflokk og førte dem som en hjord i ørkenen.

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

⁵³Og han ledet dem tryggelig, og de fryktet ikke, men havet skjulte deres fiender.

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

⁵⁴Og han førte dem til sitt hellige landemerke, til det berg hans høire hånd hadde vunnet.

⁵⁵And 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.

⁵⁵Og han drev hedningene ut for deres åsyn og lot deres land tilfalle dem som arvedel og lot Israels stammer bo i deres telter.

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

⁵⁶Men de fristet Gud, den Høieste, og var gjenstridige mot ham, og de aktet ikke på hans vidnesbyrd.

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

⁵⁷De vek av og var troløse, som deres fedre, de vendte om, likesom en bue som svikter.

⁵⁸And they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

⁵⁸Og de vakte hans harme med sine offerhauger og gjorde ham nidkjær med sine utskårne billeder.

⁵⁹God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

⁵⁹Gud hørte det og blev vred, og han blev såre kjed av Israel.

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

⁶⁰Og han forlot sin bolig i Silo, det telt han hadde opslått blandt menneskene.

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

⁶¹Og han overgav sin styrke til fangenskap og sin herlighet i fiendens hånd.

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

⁶²Og han overgav sitt folk til sverdet og harmedes på sin arv.

⁶³The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not praised in [nuptial] song;

⁶³Ild fortærte dets unge menn, og dets jomfruer fikk ingen brudesang.

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

⁶⁴Dets prester falt for sverdet, og dets enker holdt ikke klagemål*. / {* nemlig over sine døde.}

⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth aloud by reason of wine;

⁶⁵Da våknet Herren som en sovende, som en helt som jubler av vin.

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

⁶⁶Og han slo sine motstandere tilbake, påførte dem en evig skam.

⁶⁷And he rejected the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,

⁶⁷Og han forkastet Josefs telt og utvalgte ikke Efra'ims stamme,

⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved;

⁶⁸men han utvalgte Juda stamme, Sions berg som han elsket.

⁶⁹And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

⁶⁹Og han bygget sin helligdom lik høie fjell, lik jorden, som han har grunnfestet for evig tid.

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

⁷⁰Og han utvalgte David, sin tjener, og tok ham fra fårehegnene;

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

⁷¹fra de melkende får som han gikk bakefter, hentet han ham til å vokte Jakob, sitt folk, og Israel, sin arv.

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

⁷²Og han voktet dem efter sitt hjertes opriktighet og ledet dem med sin forstandige hånd.