PSALMS
Chapter 34
1. By David, when
he feigned insanity before Avimelech,1 who then drove him away, and he left. 2.
I bless the Lord at all times; His praise is always in my mouth. 3. My soul
glories in the Lord; let the humble hear it and rejoice. 4. Exalt the Lord with
me, and let us extol His Name together. 5. I sought the Lord and He answered
me; He delivered me from all my fears. 6. Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never humiliated. 7. This poor man called, and the Lord heard;
He delivered him from all his tribulations. 8. The angel of the Lord camps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them. 9. Taste and see that the Lord is
good; fortunate is the man who trusts in Him. 10. Fear the Lord, you His holy
ones, for those who fear Him suffer no want. 11. Young lions may want and
hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 12. Come,
children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 13. Who is the
man who desires life, who loves long life wherein to see goodness? 14. Guard
your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 15. Turn away from
evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. 16. The eyes of the Lord are
directed toward the righteous, and His ears toward their cry. 17. The wrath of
the Lord is upon the evildoers, to excise their memory from the earth. 18. But
when they [repent and] cry out, the Lord hears, and saves them from all their
troubles. 19. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and saves those with a crushed
spirit. 20. Many are the afflictions of a righteous person, but the Lord
rescues him from them all. 21. He protects all his bones; not one of them is
broken. 22. Evil brings death upon the wicked, and the enemies of the righteous
are condemned. 23. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants; all who take
shelter in Him are not condemned.
Chapter 35
1. By David. Fight
my antagonists, O Lord, battle those who battle against me. 2. Take hold of
shield and armor and arise to help me. 3. Draw a spear, and bar the way before
my pursuers; say to my soul, "I am your deliverance.” 4. Let those who
seek my life be shamed and disgraced; let those who devise my harm retreat and
be humiliated. 5. Let them be as chaff before the wind; let the angel of the Lord
thrust them away. 6. Let their path be dark and slippery; let them be chased by
the angel of the Lord. 7. For without cause have they laid their nets in the
pit for me; without cause have they dug [pits] for my soul. 8. Let darkness
come upon him unawares; let the very snare that he hid trap him, in darkness he
will fall in it. 9. And my soul shall exult in the Lord, rejoice in His
deliverance. 10. My entire being shall declare: Lord, who is like You? Who
saves the poor from one stronger than he, the poor and the destitute from one
who would rob him. 11. Corrupt witnesses rise up [against me], they demand of
me things of which I do not know. 12. They repay me evil for good, death for my
soul. 13. But I wore sackcloth when they were ill; I afflicted my soul with
fasting. Let my prayer return upon my own bosom. 14. As if it were my friend,
my brother, I went about; like a mother in mourning, I was bent over in gloom.
15. But when I limped, they rejoiced and gathered; the lowly gathered against
me-even those whom I do not know; they laugh and cannot be quiet. 16. With
flattery and scorn, for the sake of a meal,1 they gnash their teeth at me. 17. My
Lord, how long will You look on? Restore my life from their darkness; from
young lions, my soul. 18. I will thank You in a great congregation, amidst a
mighty nation I will praise You. 19. Let not those who hate me without cause
rejoice over me; [let not] those who despise me without reason wink their eye.
20. For they speak not of peace, rather they scheme deceitful matters against
the broken of the land. 21. They opened their mouths wide against me, they
said, "Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen [his misfortune].” 22. You saw, Lord,
be not silent; my Lord, be not distant from me. 23. Rouse and awaken Yourself
to my judgment, to my cause, my G-d and my Lord. 24. Judge me according to your
righteousness, Lord my G-d; let them not rejoice over me. 25. Let them not say
in their hearts, "Aha! We have our desire!" Let them not say,
"We have swallowed him!” 26. Let them be shamed and disgraced together,
those who rejoice at my trouble; let them be clothed in shame and humiliation,
those who raise themselves arrogantly over me. 27. Let those who desire my
vindication sing joyously and be glad; let them say always, "Let the Lord
be exalted, Who desires the peace of His servant.” 28. My tongue will speak of
Your righteousness, Your praise, all day long.
Chapter 36
1. For the
Conductor, by the servant of the Lord, by David. 2. [I think] in my heart: Sin
says to the wicked, "There is none [who need place] the fear of G-d before
his eyes.” 3. For Sin makes itself appealing to him, until his iniquity be
found and he is hated. 4. The speech of his mouth is evil and deceit; he fails
to reason, to improve. 5. On his bed he contemplates evil, he stands in a path
that is not good; he does not despise evil. 6. O Lord, Your kindness is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness is till the skies. 7. Your righteousness is like the mighty
mountains, Your judgments extend to the great deep; man and beast You deliver,
O Lord. 8. How precious is Your kindness, O G-d; man takes shelter in the
shadow of Your wings. 9. They will be filled by the abundance of Your house;
from the stream of Your Eden, You will give them to drink. 10. For the source
of life is with You; in Your Light do we see light. 11. Extend Your kindness to
those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright of heart. 12. Let not
the foot of the arrogant overtake me; let not the hand of the wicked drive me
away. 13. There1 the doers of evil fell, thrust down,
unable to rise.
TIKKUN HAKLALI
Chapter 42
1. For the
conductor, a maskil of the sons of Korah.
2. As a hart cries
longingly for rivulets of water, so does my soul cry longingly to You, O G-d.
3. My soul thirsts
for G-d, for the living G-d; when will I come and appear before G-d?
4. My tears were
my bread day and night when they say to me all day long, "Where is your
G-d?"
PSALM 89
13. The north and
the south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing of [the greatness] of Your
Name.