תְהִלִּים 69

1 לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ עַֽל־שֹׁושַׁנִּ֬ים לְדָוִֽד׃ הֹושִׁיעֵ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֤י בָ֖אוּ מַ֣יִם עַד־נָֽפֶשׁ׃

For the music director. To the tune “Lilies.” A psalm of David. God, please save me, because the water is up to my neck!

2 טָבַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בִּיוֵ֣ן מְ֭צוּלָה וְאֵ֣ין מָעֳמָ֑ד בָּ֥אתִי בְמַעֲמַקֵּי־מַ֝֗יִם וְשִׁבֹּ֥לֶת שְׁטָפָֽתְנִי׃

I'm sinking deeper into the mud—there's no solid ground for me to stand. I find myself in deep water; floods wash over me.

3 יָגַ֣עְתִּי בְקָרְאִי֮ נִחַ֪ר גְּרֹ֫ונִ֥י כָּל֥וּ עֵינַ֑י מְ֝יַחֵ֗ל לֵאלֹהָֽי׃

I'm so tired of screaming out for help my throat is totally raw. My eyes are worn out looking for my God to help me.

4 רַבּ֤וּ ׀ מִשַּׂעֲרֹ֣ות רֹאשִׁי֮ שֹׂנְאַ֪י חִ֫נָּ֥ם עָצְמ֣וּ מַ֭צְמִיתַי אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־גָ֝זַ֗לְתִּי אָ֣ז אָשִֽׁיב׃

Those who hate me for no reason are more than the number of hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me by telling lies. How can I give back what I didn't steal?

5 אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ לְאִוַּלְתִּ֑י וְ֝אַשְׁמֹותַ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־נִכְחָֽדוּ׃

God, you know how foolish I am! My sins are not hidden from you.

6 אַל־יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ בִ֨י ׀ קֹוֶיךָ֮ אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֗ה צְבָ֫אֹ֥ות אַל־יִכָּ֣לְמוּ בִ֣י מְבַקְשֶׁ֑יךָ אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Don't let those who trust you be ashamed because of me, Lord God Almighty. Don't let those who follow you be disgraced because of me, God of Israel.

7 כִּֽי־עָ֭לֶיךָ נָשָׂ֣אתִי חֶרְפָּ֑ה כִּסְּתָ֖ה כְלִמָּ֣ה פָנָֽי׃

For your sake I put up with the insults; my face shows my embarrassment.

8 מ֖וּזָר הָיִ֣יתִי לְאֶחָ֑י וְ֝נָכְרִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃

I have become a foreigner to my brother Israelites; a stranger to my very own brothers.

9 כִּֽי־קִנְאַ֣ת בֵּיתְךָ֣ אֲכָלָ֑תְנִי וְחֶרְפֹּ֥ות חֹ֝ורְפֶ֗יךָ נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי׃

My devotion for your house is burning me up inside; the insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me.

10 וָאֶבְכֶּ֣ה בַצֹּ֣ום נַפְשִׁ֑י וַתְּהִ֖י לַחֲרָפֹ֣ות לִֽי׃

I wept and I fasted, but they mocked me;

11 וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לְבוּשִׁ֣י שָׂ֑ק וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמָשָֽׁל׃

I mourned in sackcloth, but they laughed at me.

12 יָשִׂ֣יחוּ בִ֭י יֹ֣שְׁבֵי שָׁ֑עַר וּ֝נְגִינֹ֗ות שֹׁותֵ֥י שֵׁכָֽר׃

People sitting by the town gate gossip about me. I'm the subject of rude songs sung by drunks.

13 וַאֲנִ֤י תְפִלָּתִֽי־לְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה עֵ֤ת רָצֹ֗ון אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּרָב־חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝נֵ֗נִי בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת יִשְׁעֶֽךָ׃

But my prayer is to you, Lord, believing this is a good time to respond to me. God, in your wonderful trustworthy love, answer me with your sure salvation.

14 הַצִּילֵ֣נִי מִ֭טִּיט וְאַל־אֶטְבָּ֑עָה אִנָּצְלָ֥ה מִ֝שֹּֽׂנְאַ֗י וּמִמַּֽעֲמַקֵּי־מָֽיִם׃

Please rescue me from the mud—don't let me sink! Save me from those who hate me and from drowning in the deep waters!

15 אַל־תִּשְׁטְפֵ֤נִי ׀ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת מַ֭יִם וְאַל־תִּבְלָעֵ֣נִי מְצוּלָ֑ה וְאַל־תֶּאְטַר־עָלַ֖י בְּאֵ֣ר פִּֽיהָ׃

Don't let the flood waters wash over me. Don't let the deep waters pull me down. Don't let the grave close over me.

16 עֲנֵ֣נִי יְ֭הוָה כִּי־טֹ֣וב חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ כְּרֹ֥ב רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ פְּנֵ֣ה אֵלָֽי׃

Please answer my prayers, Lord, for you are good and love me with your trustworthy love; because of your kindness, please help me.

17 וְאַל־תַּסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נֶיךָ מֵֽעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־צַר־לִ֝֗י מַהֵ֥ר עֲנֵֽנִי׃

Don't turn away from me, your servant. Please answer me quickly because I'm in trouble.

18 קָרְבָ֣ה אֶל־נַפְשִׁ֣י גְאָלָ֑הּ לְמַ֖עַן אֹיְבַ֣י פְּדֵֽנִי׃

Come here and rescue me; set me free from my enemies.

19 אַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֗עְתָּ חֶרְפָּתִ֣י וּ֭בָשְׁתִּי וּכְלִמָּתִ֑י נֶ֝גְדְּךָ֗ כָּל־צֹורְרָֽי׃

You—you know my shame, my disgrace, my humiliation. You see everything my enemies are doing.

20 חֶרְפָּ֤ה ׀ שָֽׁבְרָ֥ה לִבִּ֗י וָֽאָ֫נ֥וּשָׁה וָאֲקַוֶּ֣ה לָנ֣וּד וָאַ֑יִן וְ֝לַמְנַחֲמִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א מָצָֽאתִי׃

Insults have broken my heart—I am so sick there is no cure. I looked for some sympathy, but there was no one! Nobody showed me any compassion.

21 וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ בְּבָרוּתִ֣י רֹ֑אשׁ וְ֝לִצְמָאִ֗י יַשְׁק֥וּנִי חֹֽמֶץ׃

Instead they gave me bitter herbs to eat and vinegar to drink.

22 יְהִֽי־שֻׁלְחָנָ֣ם לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם לְפָ֑ח וְלִשְׁלֹומִ֥ים לְמֹוקֵֽשׁ׃

May the table set before them become a trap for them, a net that catches them, bringing punishment.

23 תֶּחְשַׁ֣כְנָה עֵ֭ינֵיהֶם מֵרְאֹ֑ות וּ֝מָתְנֵ֗יהֶם תָּמִ֥יד הַמְעַֽד׃

May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.

24 שְׁפָךְ־עֲלֵיהֶ֥ם זַעְמֶ֑ךָ וַחֲרֹ֥ון אַ֝פְּךָ֗ יַשִּׂיגֵֽם׃

Pour out your judgment on them; chase them down in your fierce anger.

25 תְּהִי־טִֽירָתָ֥ם נְשַׁמָּ֑ה בְּ֝אָהֳלֵיהֶ֗ם אַל־יְהִ֥י יֹשֵֽׁב׃

Let the places where they live be deserted. Let their homes be abandoned.

26 כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־הִכִּ֣יתָ רָדָ֑פוּ וְאֶל־מַכְאֹ֖וב חֲלָלֶ֣יךָ יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃

For they persecute those you have punished, and make it even more painful for those you have disciplined.

27 תְּֽנָה־עָ֭וֹן עַל־עֲוֹנָ֑ם וְאַל־יָ֝בֹ֗אוּ בְּצִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃

Punish them for the evil they have done. Don't acquit them.

28 יִ֭מָּחֽוּ מִסֵּ֣פֶר חַיִּ֑ים וְעִ֥ם צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים אַל־יִכָּתֵֽבוּ׃

Blot out their names from the Book of Life. Don't let them be listed with those who do right.

29 וַ֭אֲנִי עָנִ֣י וְכֹואֵ֑ב יְשׁוּעָתְךָ֖ אֱלֹהִ֣ים תְּשַׂגְּבֵֽנִי׃

But I am suffering and in physical pain. God, please save me and keep me safe.

30 אֲהַֽלְלָ֣ה שֵׁם־אֱלֹהִ֣ים בְּשִׁ֑יר וַאֲגַדְּלֶ֥נּוּ בְתֹודָֽה׃

I will praise God's character in song; I will say how incredible he is and how thankful I am.

31 וְתִיטַ֣ב לַֽ֭יהוָה מִשֹּׁ֥ור פָּ֗ר מַקְרִ֥ן מַפְרִֽיס׃

The Lord is happier with this than with offering animals as sacrifices: cattle, or bulls with horns and hooves.

32 רָא֣וּ עֲנָוִ֣ים יִשְׂמָ֑חוּ דֹּרְשֵׁ֥י אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים וִיחִ֥י לְבַבְכֶֽם׃

The humble will see this and be happy. May God encourage everyone who comes to him.

33 כִּֽי־שֹׁמֵ֣עַ אֶל־אֶבְיֹונִ֣ים יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶת־אֲ֝סִירָ֗יו לֹ֣א בָזָֽה׃

God hears the poor, and he does not ignore his people who are in prison.

34 יְֽ֭הַלְלוּהוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם וָאָ֑רֶץ יַ֝מִּ֗ים וְֽכָל־רֹמֵ֥שׂ בָּֽם׃

Praise him heaven and earth, the seas and everything that lives in them!

35 כִּ֤י אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ יֹ֘ושִׁ֤יעַ צִיֹּ֗ון וְ֭יִבְנֶה עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וְיָ֥שְׁבוּ שָׁ֝֗ם וִירֵשֽׁוּהָ׃

For God will save Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah. They will live there and own the land.

36 וְזֶ֣רַע עֲ֭בָדָיו יִנְחָל֑וּהָ וְאֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁ֝מֹ֗ו יִשְׁכְּנוּ־בָֽהּ׃

The descendants of those who follow him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there.