תְהִלִּים 73

1 מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אַ֤ךְ ט֭וֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֱלֹהִ֗ים לְבָרֵ֥י לֵבָֽב׃

A psalm of Asaph. Yes, God is good to the upright, the Lord to the pure in heart.

2 וַאֲנִ֗י כִּ֭מְעַט נָטָ֣יוּ רַגְלָ֑י כְּ֝אַ֗יִן שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃

But my feet were almost gone, my steps had nearly slipped,

3 כִּֽי־קִ֭נֵּאתִי בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים שְׁל֖וֹם רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֶרְאֶֽה׃

through envy of godless braggarts, when I saw how well they fared.

4 כִּ֤י אֵ֖ין חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת לְמוֹתָ֗ם וּבָרִ֥יא אוּלָֽם׃

For never a pang have they, their body is sound and sleek.

5 בַּעֲמַ֣ל אֱנ֣וֹשׁ אֵינֵ֑מוֹ וְעִם־אָ֝דָ֗ם לֹ֣א יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃

They have no trouble like mortals, no share in human pain.

6 לָ֭כֵן עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ גַאֲוָ֑ה יַעֲטָף־שִׁ֝֗ית חָמָ֥ס לָֽמוֹ׃

So they wear their pride like a necklace, they put on the garment of wrong,

7 יָ֭צָא מֵחֵ֣לֶב עֵינֵ֑מוֹ עָ֝בְר֗וּ מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת לֵבָֽב׃

their eyes stand out with fatness, their heart swells with riotous fancies.

8 יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀ וִידַבְּר֣וּ בְרָ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁק מִמָּר֥וֹם יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃

Their speech is mocking and evil, condescending and crooked their speech.

9 שַׁתּ֣וּ בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם פִּיהֶ֑ם וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

They have set their mouth in the heavens, while their tongue struts about on the earth.

10 לָכֵ֤ן ׀ יָשׁ֣וּב עַמּ֣וֹ הֲלֹ֑ם וּמֵ֥י מָ֝לֵ֗א יִמָּ֥צוּ לָֽמוֹ׃

Small wonder that people resort to them, and drink deep draughts of their lore.

11 וְֽאָמְר֗וּ אֵיכָ֥ה יָדַֽע־אֵ֑ל וְיֵ֖שׁ דֵּעָ֣ה בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃

‘How does God know?’ they say, ‘And has the Most High any knowledge?’

12 הִנֵּה־אֵ֥לֶּה רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י ע֝וֹלָ֗ם הִשְׂגּוּ־חָֽיִל׃

See! These are the godless, with wealth and ease ever increasing.

13 אַךְ־רִ֭יק זִכִּ֣יתִי לְבָבִ֑י וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן כַּפָּֽי׃

Yes, in vain have I kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence;

14 וָאֱהִ֣י נָ֭גוּעַ כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י לַבְּקָרִֽים׃

for all the day long was I plagued not a morning but I was chastised.

15 אִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה כְמ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֤ה ד֭וֹר בָּנֶ֣יךָ בָגָֽדְתִּי׃

But to resolve to speak like they do would be treachery to your children.

16 וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל ה֣וּא בְעֵינָֽי׃

So I sought to understand it, but a wearisome task it seemed:

17 עַד־אָ֭בוֹא אֶל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵ֑ל אָ֝בִ֗ינָה לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃

till I entered the holy world of God and saw clearly their destiny.

18 אַ֣ךְ בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת תָּשִׁ֣ית לָ֑מוֹ הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃

Yes, you set them on slippery places; down to destruction you hurl them.

19 אֵ֤יךְ הָי֣וּ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה כְרָ֑גַע סָ֥פוּ תַ֝֗מּוּ מִן־בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃

One moment and then what a horror of ruin! They are finished and ended in terrors.

20 כַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָי בָּעִ֤יר ׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃

Like a dream, when one wakes, shall they be, whose phantoms the waker despises.

21 כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃

So my bitterness of mind and the pain that stabbed my heart

22 וַאֲנִי־בַ֭עַר וְלֹ֣א אֵדָ֑ע בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת הָיִ֥יתִי עִמָּֽךְ׃

show how dull I was and stupid just like a beast before you.

23 וַאֲנִ֣י תָמִ֣יד עִמָּ֑ךְ אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ בְּיַד־יְמִינִֽי׃

But I am always with you, you have hold of my right hand.

24 בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְ֝אַחַ֗ר כָּב֥וֹד תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃

By a plan of yours you guide me and will afterward take me to glory.

25 מִי־לִ֥י בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗ לֹא־חָפַ֥צְתִּי בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Whom have I in the heavens but you? And on earth there is none I desire beside you.

26 כָּלָ֥ה שְׁאֵרִ֗י וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י צוּר־לְבָבִ֥י וְחֶלְקִ֗י אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְעוֹלָֽם׃

Though flesh and heart waste away, yet God is the rock of my heart, yet God is my portion forever.

27 כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה כָּל־זוֹנֶ֥ה מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

For see! Those who are far from you must perish, you destroy all who are false to you.

28 וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ קִֽרֲבַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים לִ֫י־ט֥וֹב שַׁתִּ֤י ׀ בַּאדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר כָּל־מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

But I am happy when close to God; the Lord my God I have made my refuge, that I may recount all the things you have done.