לַמְנַצֵּחַ מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד

For the chief musician, a psalm by David.

אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל דָּל בְּיוֹם רָעָה יְמַלְּטֵהוּ ה'

Happy is one who attends to the helpless. Maskil, translated here as “one who attends to,” more literally means “one who shows understanding for.” The psalmist speaks of a person who not only aids the sick but does so with sensitivity, in a way that maximizes benefit and minimizes embarrassment and shame. The Lord will deliver him in times of trouble.

ה'יִשְׁמְרֵהוּ וִיחַיֵּהוּ וְאֻשַּׁר בָּאָרֶץ וְאַל תִּתְּנֵהוּ בְּנֶפֶשׁ אֹיְבָיו

The Lord will preserve him and sustain him, and he will be made happy on earth. You will not give him over to the will and evil desires of his enemies.

ה' יִסְעָדֶנּוּ עַל עֶרֶשׂ דְּוָי כָּל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ הָפַכְתָּ בְחָלְיוֹ

The Lord will support him on his sickbed; You change his bedding during his illness. God will see to it that he is cared for in his own illness. Changing the bed linens is just one example of how to aid a sick person.

אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי ה' חָנֵּנִי רְפָאָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי חָטָאתִי לָךְ

As for me, I said: Lord, be gracious to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. Although I have sinned against You and realize that I deserve to be punished for my sins, I still pray to You to grant me recovery.

אוֹיְבַי יֹאמְרוּ רַע לִי מָתַי יָמוּת וְאָבַד שְׁמוֹ

My enemies, under the impression that I am mortally ill, speak evil against me, saying: When will he die, and his name be lost?

וְאִם בָּא לִרְאוֹת שָׁוְא יְדַבֵּר לִבּוֹ יִקְבָּץ אָוֶן לוֹ יֵצֵא לַחוּץ יְדַבֵּר

And if someone comes to see me, ostensibly for a thoughtful visit, he speaks his words of encouragement falsely. For in reality, his heart gathers wickedness that he does not speak out loud; only when he goes outside, he speaks of it to others.

יַחַד עָלַי יִתְלַחֲשׁוּ כָּל שׂנְאָי עָלַי יַחְשְׁבוּ רָעָה לִי

Together, all my enemies are whispering about me and my dire situation, considering the evil that has befallen me.

דְּבַר בְּלִיַּעַל יָצוּק בּוֹ ואֲשֶׁר שָׁכַב לֹא יוֹסִיף לָקוּם

This is what they are saying: An incurable, evil illness has taken hold of him; now that he is bedridden, he will never rise again.

גַּם אִישׁ שְׁלוֹמִי אֲשֶׁר בָּטַחְתִּי בוֹ אוֹכֵל לַחְמִי הִגְדִּיל עָלַי עָקֵב

Even my ally, whom I trusted, he who partook of my bread and was thereby graciously sustained by me, has lifted his heel against me, as if ready to trample me.

וְאַתָּה ה' חָנֵּנִי וַהֲקִימֵנִי וַאֲשַׁלְּמָה לָהֶם

But may You, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up from this sickbed, so I might pay them back.

בְּזֹאת יָדַעְתִּי כִּי חָפַצְתָּ בִּי כִּי לֹא יָרִיעַ אֹיְבִי עָלָי

Then I will know You have favored me, for then my enemy will not have occasion to shout in triumph over me any longer.

וַאֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי תָּמַכְתָּ בִּי וַתַּצִּיבֵנִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם

And I, in my innocence, You have supported me; You have kept me upright before You always.

בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן

This verse concludes the first of the five books of Psalms: Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, from eternity to eternity, in all times, amen and amen.