Psalms 78
1 Bantu bami, yizwani umthetho wami, nibeke izindlebe zenu emazwini omlomo wami.
2 Umlomo wami ngizowuvula, ngisho umfanekiso, ngizobonakalisa izimfihlakalo zasemandulo,
3 izinto esezwa ngazo sazazi, esazitshelwa ngokhokho.
4 Asiyukubafihlela zona abantwana babo, kodwa siyotshela izizukulwane izibongo zikaSimakade, amandla akhe nemisebenzi emangalisayo ayenzileyo.
5 Wamisa isiyalo kwaJakobe, washaya umthetho kwa-Israyeli, wayala ukuba okhokho bethu bawufundise abantwana babo,
6 ukuze waziwe yisizukulwane esilandelayo, abantwana abayobazala nabo bavuke, batshele abantwana babo ngawo.
7 Bayobeka ithemba labo kuNkulunkulu, bangakhohlwa yimisebenzi kaNkulunkulu, ukuze bagcine imiyalo yakhe.
8 Bangabi njengawoyisemkhulu, isizukulwane esiphambeneyo nesihlubukayo, isizukulwane esingaqinisanga inhliziyo yaso, nesimoya waso wawungathembekile kuNkulunkulu.
9 Abantu bakwa-Efrayimi, sebehlomile bephethe iminsalo, babuyela emuva ngosuku lwempi.
10 Kabasigcinanga isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, benqaba ukuhamba ngomthetho wakhe.
11 Bayikhohlwa imisebenzi yakhe nezimangaliso zakhe ayebabonise khona.
12 Izimangaliso wazenza phambi koyisemkhulu eGibhithe, eZowani.
13 Wehlukanisa ulwandle, wabadabulisa kulo, amanzi wawamisa anjengodonga.
14 Emini wabahola ngefu, ubusuku bonke, ngokukhanya komlilo.
15 Waqhekeza amadwala ehlane, wabaphuzisa benela, kungathi kuvela ekujuleni.
16 Wenza kwagobhoza imithombo edwaleni, amanzi wawenza ageleza njengemifula.
17 Nokho baqhubeka bona kuye, bamhlubuka Ophezukonke ehlane.
18 Bamlinga uNkulunkulu enhliziyweni yabo ngokucela ukudla ababekufisa.
19 Bakhuluma kabi ngoNkulunkulu, bathi: “UNkulunkulu angalendlala yini itafula ehlane na?
20 Noma ashaya idwala kwaphuma amanzi, kwampompoza imifula; angabapha yini isinkwa noma abahlinzeke ngenyama abantu bakhe na?”
21 Ngakho-ke lapho uSimakade ekuzwa lokho, wathukuthela, kwavutha umlilo kwaJakobe, ulaka lwakhe lwehlela ku-Israyeli,
22 ngoba abakholwanga nguNkulunkulu, abaze bethembela ensindisweni yakhe.
23 Nokho wayala amafu, wavula iminyango yezulu,
24 wanisela phezu kwabo imana ukuze badle, wabapha ukudla kwasezulwini.
25 Abantu badla isinkwa sezingelosi, wabathumelela insada yokudla.
26 Wadedela umoya wasempumalanga ezulwini, ngamandla akhe waqhuba umoya waseningizimu.
27 Wanisa inyama phezu kwabo njengothuli, nezinyoni ezinamaphiko zafana nesihlabathi solwandle.
28 Lokho wakwehlisa phakathi kwenkambu yabo, naphakathi kwezindlu zabo.
29 Badla basutha kakhulu, ngokuba Yena wabapha ababekufisa.
30 Babengakehlukani nokufisa kwabo, besakumumethe ukudla kwabo emilonyeni,
31 ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwehlela phezu kwabo, wazibulala iziqhwaga, waziqumba phansi izinsizwa zakwa-Israyeli.
32 Phezu kwakho konke lokho baqhubeka nokona, abaze bazikholwa izimangaliso zakhe.
33 Ngakho-ke izinsuku zabo waziqeda njengomoya, neminyaka yabo, ngokwesaba.
34 Lapho ebabulala, bamfuna, babuye bamfunisisa uNkulunkulu.
35 Bakhumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyidwala labo; uNkulunkulu Ophezukonke ungumkhululi wabo.
36 Ngemilomo yabo babemthopha, kodwa beqamba amanga bngezilimi zabo.
37 Inhliziyo yabo yayingabambelele kuye, bengathembekile esivumelwanei sakhe.
38 Kepha Yena waba nobubele, wabathethelela ububi babo, akaze ababhubhisa, yebo, wazibamba kaningi olakeni lwakhe, wangayikhiphela kubo yonke intukuthelo yakhe.
39 Wakhumbula ukuthi bangabantu nje, bangumoya owedlulayo ongenakubuya.
40 Babemhlubuka kaningi kangakanani ehlane, bemdabukisa ogwadule!
41 Bamlinga uNkulunkulu bephindelela, bemdabukisa oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
42 Kabazange bawakhumbule amandla akhe, nosuku abahlenga ngalo ezitheni,
43 ngesikhathi enza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso eGibhithe, eZowani.
44 Waphendula imifula yabo yaba yigazi, ukuze bangakwazi ukuphuza emithonjeni yabo.
45 Wabathumelela izibawu ezabalumayo, namaselesele ababhubhisayo.
46 Ukudla kwabo wakunika imiswenya, nomsebenzi wabo, isikhonyane.
47 Imivini yabo wayibulala ngesichotho, nemikhiwane yabo, ngesangquma.
48 Izinkomo zabo wazinikela esichothweni nezimvu nezimbuzi zabo, emibanini.
49 Ukuvutha kolaka lwakhe wakuthululela phezu kwabo, ulaka, ukufutheka nokuhlupheka, ngokuthuma izithunywa zobubi.
50 Walungisela intukuthelo yakhe indlela, akawuphephisanga umphefumulo wabo ekufeni, kepha wanikela ukuphila kwabo ezifweni.
51 Washaya amazibulo wonke aseGibhithe, okokuqala kwamandla abo, emathendeni kaHamu.
52 Kepha abantu bakhe wabakhipha njengezimvu, njengomhlambi wabahola ehlane.
53 Wabahola kahle, abaze besaba; ulwandle lwazisibekela izitha zabo.
54 Wabayisa emngceleni wakhe ongcwele entabeni eyayizungezwe yisandla sakhe sokunene.
55 Waxosha abezizwe phambi kwabo. Wadabula izwe, wababela lona, laba yifa labo, izizwe zakwa-Israyeli wazihlalisa emathendeni azo.
56 Nokho bamlinga, bamhlubuka uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, abaze babugcina ubufakazi bakhe.
57 Bahlehlela emuva, njengoyisemkhulu, bamkhohlisa, baphambuka njengomnsalo ogejile.
58 Bamthukuthelisa ngezindawo zabo eziphakemeyo, bamcunula ngezithombe zabo.
59 Ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu ekuzwa lokho wabathukuthelela, wamlahla impela u-Israyeli.
60 Walilahla ithabanakeli eliseShilo, ithende ayelimise phakathi kwabantu bakhe.
61 Amandla akhe wawanikela ekuthunjweni, nenkazimulo yakhe, esandleni sesitha.
62 Abantu bakhe wabanikela enkembeni, ifa lakhe walithukuthelela.
63 Izinsizwa zakhona zagwinywa ngumlilo, izintombi zakhona zangahayelwa nkondlo.
64 Abaphristi bakhona bawa ngenkemba, abafelokazi bakhona abaze balila.
65 INkosi yayisivuka kwasengathi ibikade ilele njengeqhawe elehlulwe yiwayini.
66 Izitha zayo yazichithela emuva, yazithela ngehlazo elingunaphakade.
67 Yayilahla indlu kaJosefa, ayaze yasikhetha isizwe sakwa-Efrayimi.
68 Kepha yaqoka isizwe sakwaJuda, intaba iZiyoni eyithandayo.
69 Indlu yayo engcwele yayakha njengezintaba, nanjengomhlaba ewusekele kuze kube phakade.
70 Yakhetha uDavide, inceku yayo, yamthatha ezibayeni zezimvu.
71 Wayeselandela izimvukazi ezenyisayo, yamthatha ukuba eluse abantu bayo, uJakobe nefa layo, u-Israyeli.
72 Wabelusa ngenhliziyo eqotho. Wabahola ngesandla esinekhono.