לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל שׁוֹשַׁנִּים לְדָוִד

For the chief musician, on shoshanim, by David.

הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֱלֹהִים כִּי בָאוּ מַיִם עַד נָפֶשׁ

The psalm begins with a plea from an individual who is in great peril: Rescue me, God, for the waters have come up to my soul, up to the point where they threaten my life.

טָבַעְתִּי בִּיוֵן מְצוּלָה וְאֵין מָעֳמָד בָּאתִי בְמַעֲמַקֵּי מַיִם וְשִׁבֹּלֶת שְׁטָפָתְנִי

I am sinking in muddy depths without a foothold, with no solid ground underneath to stop me from going under. I am in deep water, and I am unable to swim my way out of it because a whirlpool is sweeping me away.

יָגַעְתִּי בְקָרְאִי ; נִחַר גְּרוֹנִי ; כָּלוּ עֵינַי מְיַחֵל לֵאלֹהָי

I am weary from calling out for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are failing, constantly looking out for the slightest sign of encouragement, as I hope for my God.

רַבּוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי שׂנְאַי חִנָּם עָצְמוּ מַצְמִיתַי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר אֲשֶׁר לֹא גָזַלְתִּי אָז אָשִׁיב

More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate me without cause. I am surrounded by enemies, many of whom have no justifiable reason to hate me. Those who would destroy me, my deceitful enemies, have grown powerful. The most evil among them have fabricated accusations against me for the sole purpose of bringing me down. Because of their false accusations, I am made to give back to them what in actuality I never stole.

אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ לְאִוַּלְתִּי וְאַשְׁמוֹתַי מִמְּךָ לֹא נִכְחָדוּ

The psalmist, as one who has dedicated himself completely to God, notes that although he is far from perfect, the hatred against him is not connected to his personal shortcomings: God, You know my folly, the sins that I have committed, which emanated from foolishness on my part; my wrongs, sins I have committed knowingly, are also not hidden from You. I am unable to hide these sins from You, and do not desire to do so.

אַל יֵבֹשׁוּ בִי קֹוֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי אלוהים צְבָאוֹת אַל יִכָּלְמוּ בִי מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

May those who place their hope in You not be dismayed because of me, my Lord, Lord of hosts. I am regarded by others as a paradigm of a devoted servant of God. If I am allowed to perish, others will be discouraged from following my example. May those who seek You not be shamed because of me, God of Israel.

כִּי עָלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי חֶרְפָּה כִּסְּתָה כְלִמָּה פָנָי

I have shown my complete dedication to You all my life, for I have borne disgrace for Your sake, shame covering my face. I have become an object of disdain and contempt because I am so closely bound with You. The path that I follow is not particularly popular, and it has set me apart from others.

מוּזָר הָיִיתִי לְאֶחָי וְנָכְרִי לִבְנֵי אִמִּי

The psalmist continues to describe the scorn to which he has been subjected: I have been considered a stranger even by my brothers, an alien to my mother’s sons. Shunned even by my close family, I feel totally isolated.

כִּי קִנְאַת בֵּיתְךָ אֲכָלָתְנִי וחֶרְפּוֹת חוֹרְפֶיךָ נָפְלוּ עָלָי

For zealotry for Your House has consumed me; I have exhibited great passion and zeal for Your name and Your Temple. Therefore, the insults of those who revile You fall on me. Because I am so closely identified with You, those who revile You see me as an appropriate target of attack.

וָאֶבְכֶּה בַצּוֹם נַפְשִׁי ותְּהִי לַחֲרָפוֹת לִי

I cry while fasting, and thereby become the object of abuse.

וָאֶתְּנָה לְבוּשִׁי שָׂק וָאֱהִי לָהֶם לְמָשָׁל

And when I garb myself in sackcloth, as a gesture of mourning or self-abnegation, I am made an example for derision.

יָשִׂיחוּ בִי יֹשְׁבֵי שָׁעַר ונְגִינוֹת שׁוֹתֵי שֵׁכָר

Those who sit at the gate, the elders and prominent people of the city, talk derisively about me; I am the subject of mocking songs by ale drinkers, the common folk at the tavern.

וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ ה' עֵת רָצוֹן אֱלֹהִים בְּרָב חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֶאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶךָ

But as for me, let my prayer come to You, Lord, at a time of favor, that this may be a time when You will be receptive to my prayers. God, in the greatness of Your kindness, answer me with the truth of Your deliverance; uphold faithfully that which You have promised, to come to my aid.

הַצִּילֵנִי מִטִּיט וְאַל אֶטְבָּעָה אִנָּצְלָה מִשֹּנְאַי וּמִמַּעֲמַקֵּי מָיִם

Save me from the mire, lest I sink. May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. The psalmist returns to the imagery presented earlier, expressing his feeling of drowning.

אַל תִּשְׁטְפֵנִי שִׁבֹּלֶת מַיִם וְאַל תִּבְלָעֵנִי מְצוּלָה וְאַל תֶּאְטַר עָלַי בְּאֵר פִּיהָ

Do not let the whirlpool wash me away, nor the deep swallow me up, nor the well in which I am drowning close its mouth over me, preventing my escape.

עֲנֵנִי ה' כִּי טוֹב חַסְדֶּךָ כְּרֹב רַחֲמֶיךָ פְּנֵה אֵלָי

Answer me, Lord, for Your kindness is good. Turn to me and save me in the abundance of Your mercy.

וְאַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מֵעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי צַר לִי מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי

Do not hide Your face, or remove Your attention, from Your servant, for I am in distress and imminent danger, and I plead that You make haste to answer me.

קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשִׁי גְאָלָהּ; לְמַעַן אֹיְבַי פְּדֵנִי

Draw near to me and redeem me; ransom me, rescue me, from my enemies, who are in essence Your foes as well.

אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתִי וּבָשְׁתִּי וּכְלִמָּתִי נֶגְדְּךָ כָּל צוֹרְרָי

You know of my humiliation, my shame, and my disgrace, because all the actions of my foes are before You.

חֶרְפָּה שָׁבְרָה לִבִּי וָאָנוּשָׁה וָאֲקַוֶּה לָנוּד וָאַיִן ולַמְנַחֲמִים וְלֹא מָצָאתִי

Humiliation has broken my heart, and I have become desperately ill from it. I seek consolation, but there is none; I look for comforters to treat me with compassion, but I do not find any.

וַיִּתְּנוּ בְּבָרוּתִי רֹאשׁ וְלִצְמָאִי יַשְׁקוּנִי חֹמֶץ

Not only do they lack compassion, but they seek to harm me; they put hemlock in my food, and for my thirst they give me vinegar to drink, which only intensifies my thirst and increases my suffering.

יְהִי שֻׁלְחָנָם לִפְנֵיהֶם לְפָח וְלִשְׁלוֹמִים לְמוֹקֵשׁ

In his misery, the psalmist curses his foes: May their table become a trap. May they be entrapped when they are sitting placidly at their table, and may their time of tranquility prove to be a snare for them.

תֶּחְשַׁכְנָה עֵינֵיהֶם מֵרְאוֹת וּמָתְנֵיהֶם תָּמִיד הַמְעַד

May their eyes grow dim so they cannot see; make their loins continuously unsteady so they cannot stand.

שְׁפָךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעְמֶךָ וַחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ יַשִֹּיגֵם

Pour out Your wrath on them; let the fierceness of Your anger overtake them and punish them.

תְּהִי טִירָתָם נְשַׁמָּה בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם אַל יְהִי יֹשֵׁב

May their fortress be desolate; may none dwell in their tents.

כִּי אַתָּה אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ רָדָפוּ וְאֶל מַכְאוֹב חֲלָלֶיךָ יְסַפֵּרוּ

The psalmist offers justification for his harsh words: For they have pursued me, the one You have smitten. God punished me for my personal sins and deficiencies, as God alone determines who suffers and who dies. And yet they tell with delight of the pain of Your wounded; my enemies take pleasure in speaking of my misery.

תְּנָה עָוֹן עַל עֲוֹנָם וְאַל יָבֹאוּ בְּצִדְקָתֶךָ

Add this iniquity to their other iniquities; when You judge them for their transgressions, let them not be accorded Your righteousness, which You normally extend to everyone.

יִמָּחוּ מִסֵּפֶר חַיִּים וְעִם צַדִּיקִים אַל יִכָּתֵבוּ

When the time comes for You to record the fate of all, may they be blotted out of the book of life. May they not be inscribed for good with the righteous; record them instead among the wicked.

וַאֲנִי עָנִי וְכוֹאֵב יְשׁוּעָתְךָ אֱלֹהִים תְּשַׂגְּבֵנִי

As for me, afflicted and in pain, may Your salvation, God, strengthen me.

אֲהַלְלָה שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים בְּשִׁיר וַאֲגַדְּלֶנּוּ בְתוֹדָה

And then I will praise the name of God in song and magnify Him with thanksgiving,

וְתִיטַב לַה' מִשּׁוֹר פָּר מַקְרִן מַפְרִיס

and may it, my meager tribute of song, please the Lord more than the sacrifice of a full-grown bull with horns and hoofs.

רָאוּ עֲנָוִים יִשְׂמָחוּ דֹּרְשֵׁי אֱלֹהִים וִיחִי לְבַבְכֶם

The humble will see it, Your salvation of me, and be glad, as I am an example to them of one who is fully devoted to God. You who seek God and witness His salvation of me, let your hearts revive; let this salvation provide you with hope and consolation.

כִּי שֹׁמֵעַ אֶל אֶבְיוֹנִים ה'וְאֶת אֲסִירָיו לֹא בָזָה

For the Lord hears the needy, though they lack the means to vow sacrificial tributes to Him, and He does not despise His prisoners, who lack even freedom. He hears the prayers of the lowly people as well, and comes to their rescue.

יְהַלְלוּהוּ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ יַמִּים וְכָל רֹמֵשׂ בָּם

Let Him be praised by heaven and earth, by the seas and everything, all the living creatures, swarming within.

כִּי אֱלֹהִים יוֹשִׁיעַ צִיּוֹן וְיִבְנֶה עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְיָשְׁבוּ שָׁם וִירֵשׁוּהָ

And this is the praise all of them will declare to Him: For God will save Zion and build anew the cities of Judah that have been destroyed, and people will settle there and possess it.

וְזֶרַע עֲבָדָיו יִנְחָלוּהָ וְאֹהֲבֵי שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁכְּנוּ בָהּ

The descendants of His servants, namely Israel, will inherit it, and those who love His name, as opposed to foreigners or enemies, will dwell in it.