לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר

To the chief musician, a psalm by David. God of my praise, do not keep silent. Although I am presently unable to respond to my enemies’ taunts, may You not remain silent but punish them as they deserve.

אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ כִּי פִי רָשָׁע וּפִי מִרְמָה עָלַי פָּתָחוּ דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר

For the mouths of the wicked and the mouths of the deceitful have opened against me. Some of the accusations against me are founded on deceit; others are simply malicious. They speak of me with a lying tongue.

ודִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה סְבָבוּנִי וַיִּלָּחֲמוּנִי חִנָּם

Hateful words surround me. In the past, my enemies kept silent; it is only now, when I have fallen from power, that they are able to condemn me and fight against me. They fought against me without cause.

תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִי יִשְׂטְנוּנִי ואֲנִי תְפִלָּה

In return for my love toward them, they accuse me; I am all prayer. With this unusual expression, David defines himself not merely as someone who prays but as someone whose whole essence is prayer.

וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלַי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה וְשִׂנְאָה תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִי

They requited my good with evil, hatred in place of my love. Assuming that the context of this psalm is Avshalom’s rebellion, this verse refers both to a once-beloved son, who had been treated with great compassion by David, and to the king’s former friends and deputies who joined the insurrection.

הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל יְמִינוֹ

David now enumerates the curses cast upon him by his enemies. Addressing God, they said: Appoint a wicked one, that is, the forces of evil, administered by an avenging angel, over him; have an adversary stand at his right.

בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ יֵצֵא רָשָׁע וּתְפִלָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה לַחֲטָאָה

When he is judged before You, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be regarded as sin, unaccepted and dismissed with contempt.

יִהְיוּ יָמָיו מְעַטִּים פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵר

May his days be few, may he die soon, and may another take his position.

יִהְיוּ בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָה

May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם

May his orphaned children have to wander from place to place and beg for their sustenance, scrounging because of their ruin, because nothing will be left of what their father had accrued.

יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה לְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעוֹ

May creditors seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

אַל יְהִי לוֹ מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד וְאַל יְהִי חוֹנֵן לִיתוֹמָיו

May there be no one to offer him kindness during his lifetime, no one to pity his orphans after his death.

יְהִי אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית בְּדוֹר אַחֵר יִמַּח שְׁמָם

May his legacy be cut off; may their names, the names of David and his offspring, be blotted out from the coming generations.

יִזָּכֵר עֲוֹן אֲבֹתָיו אֶל ה' וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל תִּמָּח

With their names blotted out, the only preserved memories of them would be those of sin and iniquity: May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord; may his mother’s sin not be erased. This is not an allusion to any specific sins of David’s parents, but to the many misdeeds that all human beings commit throughout their lifetimes.

יִהְיוּ נֶגֶד ה' תָּמִיד וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָם

May these sins be before the Lord continually; may He cut off their memory from the earth.

יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא זָכַר עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד וַיִּרְדֹּף אִישׁ עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן נִכְאֵה לֵבָב לְמוֹתֵת

David’s accusers now explain why they believe he deserves to be cursed in this manner: For he did not remember to practice kindness. He drove to death the poor, the needy, and the brokenhearted.

וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה ותְּבוֹאֵהוּ וְלֹא חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה וַתִּרְחַק מִמֶּנּוּ

He loved curses. During his reign he disregarded the curses that his detractors might level at him, and they will now come upon him. He laughed off their curses, but now they would affect him. He had no desire for blessings, and they will now be far from him.

וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה כְּמַדּוֹ וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ וכשֶּׁמֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָיו

May he be clothed in curses, as with a garment; may they enter his body like water that is imbibed, like oil rubbed into the skin, seeping into his bones.

תְּהִי לוֹ כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה וּלְמֵזַח תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶהָ

May he wrap them as a garment around him, like a belt he constantly fastens.

זֹאת פְּעֻלַּת שׂטְנַי מֵאֵת ה' וְהַדֹּבְרִים רָע עַל נַפְשִׁי

Following this recitation of the curses hurled at him when he was downtrodden, pursued, and in a seemingly hopeless situation, curses that express pent-up hostility and possibly longstanding hatred, David goes on to say: This is what those who hate me do, they who speak against me; it is from the Lord.

וְאַתָּה אלוהים אֲדֹנָי עֲשֵׂה אִתִּי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ כִּי טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ הַצִּילֵנִי

Having cited his enemies’ deep hatred for him, David turns to God in prayer: You, Lord my God, do to me for the sake of Your name; rescue me, for Your mercy is good.

כִּי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי וְלִבִּי חָלַל בְּקִרְבִּי

For I am poor and needy, my heart hollow within me, devoid of feeling, confidence, and strength.

כְּצֵל כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי; נִנְעַרְתִּי כָּאַרְבֶּה

I walk along, fading like a lengthening shadow as the sun is about to set, tossed about like a locust driven from place to place by the wind.

בִּרְכַּי כָּשְׁלוּ מִצּוֹם וּבְשָׂרִי כָּחַשׁ מִשָּׁמֶן

My knees are weak from fasting, my flesh grown gaunt.

וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לָהֶם יִרְאוּנִי יְנִיעוּן רֹאשָׁם

I have become a disgrace to them in my weakness and desperation; they see me and shake their heads in disparagement and contempt.

עָזְרֵנִי ה' אֱלֹהָי הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי כְחַסְדֶּךָ

David turns to God with a direct plea for assistance: Help me, Lord my God; deliver me, as befits Your kindness.

וְיֵדְעוּ כִּי יָדְךָ זֹּאת אַתָּה ה' עֲשִׂיתָהּ

They will know that it is not my sins or lack of power that have brought about my vulnerable situation, but it is Your hand, that You, Lord, have done it, and consequently You can reverse the situation and restore me to my previously exalted position.

יְקַלְלוּ הֵמָּה וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ קָמוּ ויֵּבֹשׁוּ וְעַבְדְּךָ יִשְׂמָח

They may curse, but You will bless. They rose against me, but they will be shamed, while Your servant will rejoice.

יִלְבְּשׁוּ שׂוֹטְנַי כְּלִמָּה וְיַעֲטוּ כַמְעִיל בָּשְׁתָּם

Those who hate me will be clothed in dishonor, wrapped in their shame like a cloak. Once I return to power, my enemies will be left with nothing but shame for having conspired against me.

אוֹדֶה ה' מְאֹד בְּפִי וּבְתוֹךְ רַבִּים אֲהַלְלֶנּוּ

When that time comes, with my mouth, I will give abundant thanks to the Lord; in the midst of multitudes I will glorify Him.

כִּי יַעֲמֹד לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן לְהוֹשִׁיעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵי נַפְשׁוֹ

For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to deliver him from those who judge him. Although attempts have been made to falsely charge him with all manner of evil, God will save him.