Chapter 17

אתְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃

1A prayer of David.
Hear, O ETERNAL One, what is just;
heed my cry, give ear to my prayer,
uttered without guile.

במִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

2My vindication will come from You;
Your eyes will behold what is right.

גבָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃

3You have visited me at night, probed my mind,
You have tested me and found nothing amiss;
I determined that my mouth should not transgress.

דלִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃

4As for mortals’ dealings,
in accord with the command of Your lips,¹
I have kept in view the fate² of the lawless.

התָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃

5My feet have held to Your paths;
my legs have not given way.

ואֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַֽט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃

6I call on You;
You will answer me, God;
turn Your ear to me,
hear what I say.

זהַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃

7Display Your faithfulness in wondrous deeds,
You who deliver with Your right hand
those who seek refuge from assailants.

חשָׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃

8Guard me like the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings

טמִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃

9from the wicked who despoil me,
my mortal enemies who³ encircle me.

יחֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃

10Their hearts are closed to pity;⁴
they mouth arrogance;

יאאַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ עַתָּ֣ה סבבוני [סְבָב֑וּנוּ] עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

11now they hem in our feet on every side;
they set their eyes roaming over the land.

יבדִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְר֑וֹף וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃

12They are⁵ like a lion eager for prey,
a king of beasts lying in wait.

יגקוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃

13Rise, O ETERNAL One! Go forth to meet my enemies.⁶
Bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked with Your sword,

ידמִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ וצפינך [וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮] תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃

14from mortals, O ETERNAL One, with Your hand,
from mortals whose share in life is fleeting.
But as to Your treasured ones,
fill their bellies.⁷
Their children too shall be satisfied,
and have something to leave over for their young.

טואֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃

15Then I, justified, will behold Your face;
awake, I am filled with the vision of You.

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

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