לַמְנַצֵּחַ לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מַשְׂכִּיל

To the chief musician, a contemplation by the sons of Korah. The contemplative aspect of this psalm deals with Israel’s devotion to God as the cause of its present suffering. Thus, there is an element of complaint in the psalm, not with regard to the psalmist’s personal woes but rather with regard to those of the nation. Containing both pleas and reminiscence, it has become ever more relevant with the passage of time.

אֱלֹהִים בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ סִפְּרוּ לָנוּ פֹּעַל פָּעַלְתָּ בִימֵיהֶם בִּימֵי קֶדֶם

God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, of the deeds You did in their time, in days of old, such as the conquest of the Land of Israel.

אַתָּה יָדְךָ גּוֹיִם הוֹרַשְׁתָּ וַתִּטָּעֵם תָּרַע לְאֻמִּים וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵם

You, with Your hand, drove out nations, and You planted them, the people of Israel, in their stead; You crushed peoples and sent them away.

כִּי לֹא בְחַרְבָּם יָרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וּזְרוֹעָם לֹא הוֹשִׁיעָה לָּמוֹ כִּי יְמִינְךָ וּזְרוֹעֲךָ וְאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ כִּי רְצִיתָם

For not by their own sword did they, our ancestors, inherit the land; their own arm did not deliver them. Rather, it was Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance that accomplished this for them, for You favored them.

אַתָּה הוּא מַלְכִּי אֱלֹהִים צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב

You are my King, God; command once again victories for Jacob, as You did in the past.

בְּךָ צָרֵינוּ נְנַגֵּחַ בְּשִׁמְךָ נָבוּס קָמֵינוּ

Through You we gore our foes; through Your name we subdue those who rise against us.

כִּי לֹא בְקַשְׁתִּי אֶבְטָח וְחַרְבִּי לֹא תוֹשִׁיעֵנִי

For I do not put trust in my bow; nor will my sword save me.

כִּי הוֹשַׁעְתָּנוּ מִצָּרֵינוּ וּמְשַׂנְאֵינוּ הֱבִישׁוֹתָ

For it is You who delivered us from our foes and shamed those who hate us.

בֵּאלֹהִים הִלַּלְנוּ כָל הַיּוֹם וְשִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם נוֹדֶה סֶלָה

In God we gloried all day long, because of all our triumphs, and we acknowledge Your name forever as the One who enabled our successes, Selah.

אַף זָנַחְתָּ וַתַּכְלִימֵנוּ וְלֹא תֵצֵא בְּצִבְאוֹתֵינוּ

Yet the present reality is completely different: Since then You have neglected and disgraced us, and do not go forth any longer with our armies. We no longer enjoy Your support.

תְּשִׁיבֵנוּ אָחוֹר מִנִּי צָר וּמְשַׂנְאֵינוּ שָׁסוּ לָמוֹ

You have made us turn back in retreat from our foes; our enemies took spoils of war from us for themselves.

תִּתְּנֵנוּ כְּצֹאן מַאֲכָל וּבַגּוֹיִם זֵרִיתָנוּ

You made us like helpless sheep that are eaten, and You scattered us among the nations.

תִּמְכֹּר עַמְּךָ בְלֹא הוֹן וְלֹא רִבִּיתָ בִּמְחִירֵיהֶם

You sold Your people to their enemies as captives for a pittance; You did not set their value high. We are enslaved and subjugated with very little cost to our oppressors.

תְּשִׂימֵנוּ חֶרְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ לַעַג וָקֶלֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵינוּ

You made us a disgrace among our neighbors; we have become objects of scorn and mockery to those around us.

תְּשִׂימֵנוּ מָשָׁל בַּגּוֹיִם מְנוֹד רֹאשׁ בַּלְאֻמִּים

You made an example of us, turning us into paradigms of degradation and disgrace, among the nations; we are a cause for head shaking, a gesture of pity and contempt, among the peoples.

כָּל הַיּוֹם כְּלִמָּתִי נֶגְדִּי וּבֹשֶׁת פָּנַי כִּסָּתְנִי

All day long my dishonor is before me, shame covering my face because of the scorn and contempt heaped on me

מִקּוֹל מְחָרֵף וּמְגַדֵּף מִפְּנֵי אוֹיֵב וּמִתְנַקֵּם

from the voices of revilers and blasphemers, among enemies and avengers.

כָּל זֹאת בָּאַתְנוּ ולֹא שְׁכַחֲנוּךָ וְלֹא שִׁקַּרְנוּ בִּבְרִיתֶךָ

Words of prayer and complaint to God follow: All this befell us, but we did not forget our devotion to You, despite having been subjected to such humiliation and tragedy. We did not deal falsely with Your covenant. We still observe Your commandments.

לֹא נָסוֹג אָחוֹר לִבֵּנוּ וַתֵּט אֲשֻׁרֵינוּ מִנִּי אָרְחֶךָ

Our hearts did not turn back from worshipping You, though You caused our steps to stray from Your path, from the path of Your assistance and salvation,

כִּי דִכִּיתָנוּ בִּמְקוֹם תַּנִּים וַתְּכַס עָלֵינוּ בְצַלְמָוֶת

when You crushed us in a place of howling jackals, that is, in a situation comparable to a desolate wilderness, covering us over in a place of the shadow of death, in a dark and terrifying place.

אִם שָׁכַחְנוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ וַנִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפֵּינוּ לְאֵל זָר

Had we at times forgotten the name of our God and stretched out our palms in prayer to a strange god,

הֲלֹא אֱלֹהִים יַחֲקָר זֹאת כִּי הוּא יֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלֻמוֹת לֵב

would not God have discovered it, since He knows the secrets of the heart? You therefore know the truth, that we have in fact remained loyal to You.

כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָל הַיּוֹם נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כְּצֹאן טִבְחָה

For we are killed all day long for You. The enemies of God express their enmity toward Him by persecuting the people of Israel. We are accounted as sheep for slaughter, seen as easy prey.

עוּרָה לָמָּה תִישַׁן אֲדֹנָי הָקִיצָה אַל תִּזְנַח לָנֶצַח

Arouse Yourself; why do You sleep, Lord? Your disregard for our fate makes it appear as if You are asleep. Awaken, do not neglect us forever.

לָמָּה פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר תִּשְׁכַּח עָנְיֵנוּ וְלַחֲצֵנוּ

Why do You conceal Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?

כִּי שָׁחָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשֵׁנוּ דָּבְקָה לָאָרֶץ בִּטְנֵנוּ

Our soul is stooped over into the dust. We are dejected and of low spirits. It is as if our belly cleaves to the earth, so low have we sunk.

קוּמָה עֶזְרָתָה לָּנוּ וּפְדֵנוּ לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ

Rise up, be our Savior; redeem us for the sake of Your kindness.