Make Una Hear, My People

A wisdom psalm of Asaph.

A long teaching poem, wey dem tell so children go learn our Papa works: Egypt, the sea wey split, manna, quail, rebellion and forgetting, again and again — and every time mercy meet am and hold anger back. E end for where the story dey go, with Zion and David.

Chapter 78.

Make una hear, my people, wetin I dey teach; bend una ear come di words wey comot for my mouth.

I go open my mouth talk parable; I go pour out hidden-word wey dey from old-old days— ^a di tins wey we don hear and sabi, wey our papa-dem don tell us. We no go hide dem from dia pikin-dem, but we go tell di next generation di praises of our Papa, im power, and di wonderful tins wey e don do. E set up testimony for Jacob and put law for Israel, wey e command our papa-dem make dem teach dia pikin-dem, so dat di next generation go sabi dem, di pikin-dem wey never born yet, and dem go rise up tell dia own pikin-dem, so dat dem go put dia hope for our Papa and no go forget im works, but go keep im commandments. and dem no go be like dia papa-dem, generation wey get hard head and dey rebel, generation wey im heart no dey loyal, wey im spirit no dey faithful to our Papa.

Di Ephraim people, wey carry weapon and bow, run back for di day of battle. Dem no keep di Covenant of our Papa and dem refuse to live by im law. Dem forget wetin e don do, di wonderful tins wey e don show dem. For dia papa-dem eye e do wonder, for di land of Egypt, for di region of Zoan. ^b E divide di sea and lead dem pass through; e make di water stand up like wall. E lead dem with cloud for daytime and di whole night with fire-light. E split rock for di wilderness and give dem water to drink plenty like di deep sea. E bring stream comot from di rock and make water flow down like river.

But dem continue to dey sin against am, dey rebel against di Most High, our Papa, for di dry land. Dem test our Papa for dia heart by demanding di food wey dia belle dey crave. Dem talk against our Papa, dey say, “God fit spread table for di wilderness?” “Na true, e strike di rock and water gush comot, and stream overflow. But e fit give bread too or provide meat for im people?” So wen our Papa hear, e vex well-well; fire blaze against Jacob, and im anger rise against Israel, because dem no believe for our Papa or trust im salvation. But still, e command di sky for up and open di doors of heaven; e rain down manna make dem chop and give dem di grain of heaven. Human being chop di bread of angel; e send dem food plenty-plenty. E let loose di east wind for di sky and drive di south wind by im power. E rain meat on dem like dust, bird wey get wing like di sand of di sea; e make dem fall for di middle of dia camp, all around dia tent. Dem chop belleful, because e give dem wetin dia belle dey crave. But before dem turn from dia craving, while di food still dey dia mouth, di anger of our Papa rise against dem; e kill di strongest among dem and strike down di young men of Israel.

Even after all dis, dem continue to dey sin; even with im wonder, dem no believe. So e end dia days for emptiness and dia years for sudden fear. Wen e dey kill dem, dem come dey find am; dem repent and seriously find our Papa. Dem remember say our Papa na dia rock, di Most High na dia redeemer. But dem sweet-mouth am with dia mouth, dey lie give am with dia tongue; dia heart no dey loyal to am, and dem no dey faithful to im Covenant. But e, wey full of tender mercy wey dey pain belle, forgive dia sin and no destroy dem. Plenty times e hold back im anger and no pour out all im wrath. E remember say dem na ordinary flesh, breath wey dey pass wey no dey return.

Ah, how many times dem rebel against am for di wilderness and pain im heart for di wasteland! Again and again dem test our Papa and provoke di Holy One of Israel. Dem no remember im power, di day wey e redeem dem from di one wey dey oppress dem, wen e show im signs for Egypt, im wonder for di region of Zoan. E turn dia river to blood, and dem no fit drink from dia stream. E send swarm of fly wey chop dem finish, and frog wey scatter dem. E give dia crop to caterpillar, dia harvest to locust. E destroy dia grape-vine with hail and dia sycamore-fig with frost. E hand dia cattle over to hail, dia livestock to lightning-fire. E let loose against dem im burning anger—wrath, vexation, and trouble—a band of destroying angels. E clear road for im anger; e no save dem from death but hand dia life over to di plague. E strike down all di firstborn of Egypt, di firstfruit of dia strength for di tent of Ham. ^c But e lead im own people comot like sheep and guide dem like flock for di wilderness. E lead dem safe, so dem no fear, but di sea swallow dia enemy-dem. E bring dem to im holy border, to di mountain wey im right hand don win. E drive out nation-dem before dem, share dia inheritance by line, and settle di tribe of Israel for dia house.

But still, dem test and rebel against our Papa, di Most High, and dem no keep im statutes. Dem turn back and no dey faithful like dia papa-dem; dem twist like bow wey dey deceive. Dem make am vex with dia high places and stir up im jealousy with dia idol-dem. ^d Wen our Papa hear, e vex well-well and reject Israel completely. E abandon di tabernacle for Shiloh, di tent wey e bin dey stay among mankind. E hand im strength over to captivity, im glory into enemy hand. E hand im people over to di sword and vex against im inheritance. Fire chop dia young men, and dia young women no get wedding song. Dia priest-dem fall by di sword, and dia widow-dem no fit cry.

Den di Sovereign Papa wake up as if from sleep, like warrior wey wine wake up. E beat im enemy-dem back and put dem to shame wey no dey end. E reject di tent of Joseph and no choose di tribe of Ephraim; but e choose di tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, wey e love. E build im sanctuary like di high places, like di earth wey e establish forever. E choose David im servant and take am comot from di sheep pen; from taking care of di sheep wey dey nurse dia pikin, e bring am come shepherd Jacob im people, Israel im inheritance. And e shepherd dem with true heart and guide dem with hand wey sabi work. ^e

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Psalms 78

Make Una Hear, My People

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