לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל בַּמְּעָרָה

For the chief musician, al tashhet·, apparently a reference to an ancient poem or melody on which this psalm is based. An instruction by David, written when he was in the cave fleeing from Saul, an incident described in I Samuel 24.

חָנֵּנִי אֱלֹהִים חָנֵּנִי כִּי בְךָ חָסָיָה נַפְשִׁי וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ אֶחְסֶה עַד יַעֲבֹר הַוּוֹת

Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me. For in You I take refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will shelter, until calamity passes.

אֶקְרָא לֵאלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן לָאֵל גֹּמֵר עָלָי

I cry out to God Most High, to the Almighty who completes for me. The word gomer, translated here as “completes,” is interpreted by some commentators as if it were written gomel, meaning “who repays me for my good deeds.” If gomer is understood literally, it seems that David is asking God to bring his rescue to a successful conclusion. David’s situation in the meantime remains precarious; he has found no more than a temporary shelter.

יִשְׁלַח מִשָּׁמַיִם וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנִי חֵרֵף שֹׁאֲפִי סֶלָה יִשְׁלַח אֱלֹהִים חַסְדּוֹ וַאֲמִתּוֹ

May He send forth from heaven and deliver me, and put to shame those who desire my destruction, Selah. May God dispatch His kindness and His truth.

נַפְשִׁי בְּתוֹךְ לְבָאִם אֶשְׁכְּבָה לֹהֲטִים בְּנֵי אָדָם שִׁנֵּיהֶם חֲנִית וְחִצִּים וּלְשׁוֹנָם חֶרֶב חַדָּה

I lie amid men who are as ferocious as lions, anxious beasts, among men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a honed sword. The people surrounding me are even more dangerous than beasts, because they are armed. Moreover, their mouths, through their slander and disparagement, are as perilous as actual weapons.

רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ

The psalmist turns to God in prayer: Rise above the heavens, God; let Your glory extend over all the earth.

רֶשֶׁת הֵכִינוּ לִפְעָמַי כָּפַף נַפְשִׁי כָּרוּ לְפָנַי שִׁיחָה נָפְלוּ בְתוֹכָהּ סֶלָה

They prepared a net for me to step onto, to bend my spirit; they dug a pit before me, but ultimately they themselves fell into it, Selah.

נָכוֹן לִבִּי אֱלֹהִים נָכוֹן לִבִּי אָשִׁירָה וַאֲזַמֵּרָה

From here, the psalm concludes with words of praise and gratitude: My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready. I will sing and give praise.

עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר

Awaken, my soul! Awaken, my harp and lyre with which I sing God’s praises; I will wake the dawn. Even before daybreak I will begin to sing this psalm.

אוֹדְךָ בָעַמִּים אֲדֹנָי אֲזַמֶּרְךָ בַּלְאֻמִּים

I will give thanks to You, my Lord, among the peoples; I will sing Your praise among the nations.

כִּי גָדֹל עַד שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ וְעַד שְׁחָקִים אֲמִתֶּךָ

For Your kindness is great, reaching to the heavens, Your truth, in fulfillment of Your promise to protect me, to the sky.

רוּמָה עַל שָׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ

The psalm ends by repeating verse 6 as a refrain: Rise above the heavens, God; let Your glory extend over all the earth.