לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל יְדוּתוּן מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד

For the chief musician, for Yedutun, a psalm by David.

אַךְ אֶל אֱלֹהִים דּוּמִיָּה נַפְשִׁי מִמֶּנּוּ יְשׁוּעָתִי

For God alone does my soul wait silently and anxiously, for my salvation is from Him.

אַךְ הוּא צוּרִי וִישׁוּעָתִי מִשְׂגַּבִּי לֹא אֶמּוֹט רַבָּה

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not stumble during times when adversity greatly besets me. An alternative understanding of raba, “greatly,” in this phrase is: Even if I stumble a bit, I will not fall “greatly,” all the way down to the ground.

עַד אָנָה תְּהוֹתְתוּ עַל אִישׁ; תְּרָצְּחוּ כֻלְּכֶם כְּקִיר נָטוּי גָדֵר הַדְּחוּיָה

The psalmist addresses his foes: For how long will you terrorize a man? This is the only time that the word tehotetu, translated as “terrorize,” is used in the Bible. Its meaning is derived from the context of the verse. You are murderers, whether actual or potential killers, all of you; it is dangerous to be in your environs, like being near a leaning wall or a tottering fence.

אַךְ מִשְֹּאֵתוֹ יָעֲצוּ לְהַדִּיחַ יִרְצוּ כָזָב בְּפִיו יְבָרֵכוּ ובְקִרְבָּם יְקַלְלוּ סֶלָה

They scheme to bring down a man, any man who has gained prominence, from his lofty position. And when they cannot attack him directly, they resort to slander and lies and speak falsehood against him. Or they bless him with their mouths, but inwardly they curse, Selah.

אַךְ לֵאלֹהִים דּוֹמִּי נַפְשִׁי כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תִּקְוָתִי

The psalmist repeats a variation of verse 2: For God alone wait silently, my soul, for my hope is from Him.

אַךְ הוּא צוּרִי וִישׁוּעָתִי מִשְׂגַּבִּי לֹא אֶמּוֹט

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not stumble.

עַל אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁעִי וּכְבוֹדִי צוּר עֻזִּי מַחְסִי בֵּאלֹהִים

My hope for salvation and my source of glory are with God, rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.

בִּטְחוּ בוֹ בְכָל עֵת עָם שִׁפְכוּ לְפָנָיו לְבַבְכֶם אֱלֹהִים מַחֲסֶה לָּנוּ סֶלָה

Speaking to members of the nation at large, the psalmist admonishes them: Trust only in Him at all times, people, for only on Him is it possible to rely fully. Pour out your heart before Him and tell Him of all your troubles, for only God is a refuge for us, Selah.

אַךְ הֶבֶל בְּנֵי אָדָם כָּזָב בְּנֵי אִישׁ בְּמֹאזְנַיִם לַעֲלוֹת הֵמָּה מֵהֶבֶל יָחַד

One should not put his trust in human beings, for men are nothingness, inconsequential and ephemeral; men of rank are an illusion. If one could weigh their worth, they would rise together on the scales, lighter than nothingness.

אַל תִּבְטְחוּ בְעֹשֶׁק וּבְגָזֵל אַל תֶּהְבָּלוּ חַיִל כִּי יָנוּב אַל תָּשִׁיתוּ לֵב

Do not trust in obtaining wealth through fraud; do not delude yourselves by stealing. Not only is it dishonest and sinful, but practically speaking, if you steal money, your wealth will prove to be elusive and short-lived. If you see in others that wealth built on deception and theft increases, do not pay it heed, for it will not last.

אַחַת דִּבֶּר אֱלֹהִים שְׁתַּיִם זוּ שָׁמָעְתִּי כִּי עֹז לֵאלֹהִים

All these matters are decreed from on high; we are commanded by God to follow a path of proper behavior: God has spoken once, commanding us to follow in the path He has set for us, but I have heard it twice. This verse refers to the two aspects of God’s commandments: to follow God’s will, and to refrain from doing what opposes that will. The Torah, in essence, can be summed up in one phrase: “Turn from evil and do good” (34:15). Might belongs to God, and therefore we must be guided by His words.

ולְךָ אֲדֹנָי חָסֶד כִּי אַתָּה תְשַׁלֵּם לְאִישׁ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ

Moreover, kindness is Yours, my Lord, for You render reward and punishment to every man according to his deeds.