Chapter 109

אלַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃

1For the leader. Of David. A psalm.
O God of my praise,
do not keep aloof,

בכִּ֤י פִ֪י רָשָׁ֡ע וּֽפִי־מִ֭רְמָה עָלַ֣י פָּתָ֑חוּ דִּבְּר֥וּ אִ֝תִּ֗י לְשׁ֣וֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃

2for the wicked and the deceitful
open their mouth against me;
they speak to me with lying tongue.

גוְדִבְרֵ֣י שִׂנְאָ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנִי וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֥וּנִי חִנָּֽם׃

3They encircle me with words of hate;
they attack me without cause.

דתַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃

4They answer my love with accusation
and I must stand judgment¹

הוַיָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ עָלַ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה וְ֝שִׂנְאָ֗ה תַּ֣חַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃

5They repay me with evil for good,
with hatred for my love.

והַפְקֵ֣ד עָלָ֣יו רָשָׁ֑ע וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן יַעֲמֹ֥ד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃

6Appoint someone wicked over him;
may an accuser stand at his right side;

זבְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃

7may he be tried and convicted;
may he be judged and found guilty.

חיִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים פְּ֝קֻדָּת֗וֹ יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר׃

8May his days be few;
may another take over his position.²

טיִֽהְיוּ־בָנָ֥יו יְתוֹמִ֑ים וְ֝אִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃

9May his children be orphans,
his wife a widow.

יוְנ֤וֹעַ יָנ֣וּעוּ בָנָ֣יו וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

10May his children wander from their hovels,
begging in search of [bread].

יאיְנַקֵּ֣שׁ נ֭וֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ זָרִ֣ים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃

11May his creditor seize all his possessions;
may strangers plunder his wealth.

יבאַל־יְהִי־ל֭וֹ מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ חָ֑סֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י ח֝וֹנֵ֗ן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃

12May no one show him mercy;
may none pity his orphans;

יגיְהִֽי־אַחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית בְּד֥וֹר אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם׃

13may his posterity be cut off;
may their names be blotted out in the next generation.

ידיִזָּכֵ֤ר ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אֲ֭בֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וְחַטַּ֥את אִ֝מּ֗וֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃

14May God be ever mindful of his father’s iniquity,
and may the sin of his mother not be blotted out.

טויִהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃

15May GOD be aware of them always
and cause their names to be cut off from the earth,

טזיַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א זָכַר֮ עֲשׂ֪וֹת חָ֥סֶד וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף אִישׁ־עָנִ֣י וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃

16because he was not minded to act kindly,
and hounded to death the poor and needy man,³
one crushed in spirit.

יזוַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב קְ֭לָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ וְֽלֹא־חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה וַתִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

17He loved to curse—may a curse come upon him!
He would not bless—may blessing be far from him!

יחוַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ קְלָלָ֗ה כְּמַ֫דּ֥וֹ וַתָּבֹ֣א כַמַּ֣יִם בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ וְ֝כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃

18May he be clothed in a curse like a garment,
may it enter his body like water,
his bones like oil.

יטתְּהִי־ל֭וֹ כְּבֶ֣גֶד יַעְטֶ֑ה וּ֝לְמֵ֗זַח תָּמִ֥יד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃

19Let it be like the cloak he wraps around him,
like the belt he always wears.

כזֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃

20May GOD thus repay my accusers,
all those who speak evil against me.

כאוְאַתָּ֤ה ׀ יְה֘וִ֤ה אֲדֹנָ֗י עֲ‍ֽשֵׂה־אִ֭תִּי לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּי־ט֥וֹב חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃

21Now You, O GOD, my Sovereign,
act in my behalf as befits Your name.
Good and faithful as You are, save me.

כבכִּֽי־עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֣וֹן אָנֹ֑כִי וְ֝לִבִּ֗י חָלַ֥ל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃

22For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is pierced within me.

כגכְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃

23I fade away like a lengthening shadow;
I am shaken off like locusts.

כדבִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃

24My knees give way from fasting;
my flesh is lean, has lost its fat.

כהוַאֲנִ֤י ׀ הָיִ֣יתִי חֶרְפָּ֣ה לָהֶ֑ם יִ֝רְא֗וּנִי יְנִיע֥וּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃

25I am the object of their scorn;
when they see me, they shake their head.

כועָ֭זְרֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃

26Help me, O my ETERNAL God;
save me in accord with Your faithfulness—

כזוְֽ֭יֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָ֣דְךָ זֹּ֑את אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃

27that all may know that it is Your hand,
that You, O ETERNAL One, have done it.

כחיְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ קָ֤מוּ ׀ וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמָֽח׃

28Let them curse, but You bless;
let them rise up, but come to grief,
while Your servant rejoices.

כטיִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שׂוֹטְנַ֣י כְּלִמָּ֑ה וְיַעֲט֖וּ כַמְעִ֣יל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃

29My accusers shall be clothed in shame,
wrapped in their disgrace as in a robe.

לא֘וֹדֶ֤ה יְהוָ֣ה מְאֹ֣ד בְּפִ֑י וּבְת֖וֹךְ רַבִּ֣ים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃

30My mouth shall sing much praise to GOD;
I will acclaim in the midst of a throng,

לאכִּֽי־יַ֭עֲמֹד לִימִ֣ין אֶבְי֑וֹן לְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵ֥י נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

31because [God] stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save them from those who would condemn them.

Sefaria: Tanach with Ta'amei Hamikra · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org