Chapter 35

אלְדָוִ֨ד ׀ רִיבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַ֑י לְ֝חַ֗ם אֶת־לֹֽחֲמָֽי׃

1Of David.
O ETERNAL One, strive with my adversaries,
give battle to my foes,

בהַחֲזֵ֣ק מָגֵ֣ן וְצִנָּ֑ה וְ֝ק֗וּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִֽי׃

2take up shield and buckler,
and come to my defense;

גוְהָ֘רֵ֤ק חֲנִ֣ית וּ֭סְגֹר לִקְרַ֣את רֹדְפָ֑י אֱמֹ֥ר לְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יְֽשֻׁעָתֵ֥ךְ אָֽנִי׃

3ready the spear and javelin
against my pursuers;
tell me, “I am your deliverance.”

דיֵבֹ֣שׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָח֣וֹר וְיַחְפְּר֑וּ חֹ֝שְׁבֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃

4Let those who seek my life
be frustrated and put to shame;
let those who plan to harm me
fall back in disgrace.

היִֽהְי֗וּ כְּמֹ֥ץ לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּמַלְאַ֖ךְ יְהוָ֣ה דּוֹחֶֽה׃

5Let them be as chaff in the wind,
GOD’s angel driving them on.

ויְֽהִי־דַרְכָּ֗ם חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקּ֑וֹת וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְ֝הוָ֗ה רֹדְפָֽם׃

6Let their path be dark and slippery,
with GOD’s angel in pursuit.

זכִּֽי־חִנָּ֣ם טָֽמְנוּ־לִ֭י שַׁ֣חַת רִשְׁתָּ֑ם חִ֝נָּ֗ם חָפְר֥וּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

7For without cause they hid a net to trap me;
without cause they dug a pit¹ for me.

חתְּבוֹאֵ֣הוּ שׁוֹאָה֮ לֹֽא־יֵ֫דָ֥ע וְרִשְׁתּ֣וֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַ֣ן תִּלְכְּד֑וֹ בְּ֝שׁוֹאָ֗ה יִפָּל־בָּֽהּ׃

8Let disaster overtake them unawares;
let the net they hid catch them;
let them fall into it when disaster [strikes].

טוְ֭נַפְשִׁי תָּגִ֣יל בַּיהוָ֑ה תָּ֝שִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃

9Then shall I exult in GOD,
rejoice in having been delivered.

יכָּ֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י ׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה֮ יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃

10All my bones shall say,
“ETERNAL One, who is like You?
You save a pauper from someone stronger,
a needy pauper from a despoiler.”

יאיְ֭קוּמוּן עֵדֵ֣י חָמָ֑ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃

11Malicious witnesses appear
who question me about things I do not know.

יביְשַׁלְּמ֣וּנִי רָ֭עָה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָ֗ה שְׁכ֣וֹל לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

12They repay me evil for good,
[seeking] my bereavement.

יגוַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בַּחֲלוֹתָ֡ם לְב֬וּשִׁי שָׂ֗ק עִנֵּ֣יתִי בַצּ֣וֹם נַפְשִׁ֑י וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י עַל־חֵיקִ֥י תָשֽׁוּב׃

13Yet, when they were ill,
my dress was sackcloth,
I kept a fast—
may what I prayed for happen to me!²

ידכְּרֵֽעַ־כְּאָ֣ח לִ֭י הִתְהַלָּ֑כְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵ֝֗ם קֹדֵ֥ר שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃

14I walked about as though it were my friend or my kin;
I was bowed with gloom, like one mourning for a mother.

טווּבְצַלְעִי֮ שָׂמְח֪וּ וְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּ נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ עָלַ֣י נֵ֭כִים וְלֹ֣א יָדַ֑עְתִּי קָֽרְע֥וּ וְלֹא־דָֽמּוּ׃

15But when I stumble, they gleefully gather;
wretches gather against me,
I know not why;
they tear at me without end.

טזבְּ֭חַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵ֣י מָע֑וֹג חָרֹ֖ק עָלַ֣י שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃

16With impious, mocking grimace³
they gnash their teeth at me.

יזאֲדֹנָי֮ כַּמָּ֪ה תִּ֫רְאֶ֥ה הָשִׁ֣יבָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶ֑ם מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗ים יְחִידָתִֽי׃

17O my Sovereign, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their attacks,⁴
my precious life, from the lions,

יחא֭וֹדְךָ בְּקָהָ֣ל רָ֑ב בְּעַ֖ם עָצ֣וּם אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃

18that I may praise You in a great congregation,
acclaim You in a mighty throng.

יטאַֽל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֣י אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר שֹׂנְאַ֥י חִ֝נָּ֗ם יִקְרְצוּ־עָֽיִן׃

19Let not my treacherous enemies rejoice over me,
or those who hate me without reason wink their eyes.

ככִּ֤י לֹ֥א שָׁל֗וֹם יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ וְעַ֥ל רִגְעֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ דִּבְרֵ֥י מִ֝רְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃

20For they do not offer amity,
but devise fraudulent schemes against harmless folk.

כאוַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּ עָלַ֗י פִּ֫יהֶ֥ם אָ֭מְרוּ הֶאָ֣ח ׀ הֶאָ֑ח רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֵֽינוּ׃

21They open wide their mouths at me,
saying, “Aha, aha, we have seen it!”

כברָאִ֣יתָה יְ֭הוָה אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֲל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

22You have seen it, O ETERNAL One;
do not hold aloof!
O my Sovereign, be not far from me!

כגהָעִ֣ירָה וְ֭הָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִ֑י אֱלֹהַ֖י וַֽאדֹנָ֣י לְרִיבִֽי׃

23Wake, rouse Yourself for my cause,
for my claim, O my God and my Sovereign!

כדשָׁפְטֵ֣נִי כְ֭צִדְקְךָ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֗י וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִֽי׃

24Take up my cause, O my ETERNAL God, as You are beneficent,
and let them not rejoice over me.

כהאַל־יֹאמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם הֶאָ֣ח נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ אַל־יֹ֝אמְר֗וּ בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּהוּ׃

25Let them not think,
“Aha, just what we wished!”
Let them not say,
“We have destroyed him!”

כויֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ ׀ יַחְדָּו֮ שְׂמֵחֵ֪י רָעָ֫תִ֥י יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֥שֶׁת וּכְלִמָּ֑ה הַֽמַּגְדִּילִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃

26May those who rejoice at my misfortune
be frustrated and utterly disgraced;
may those who vaunt themselves over me
be clad in frustration and shame.

כזיָרֹ֣נּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ֮ חֲפֵצֵ֪י צִ֫דְקִ֥י וְיֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה הֶ֝חָפֵ֗ץ שְׁל֣וֹם עַבְדּֽוֹ׃

27May those who desire my vindication
sing forth joyously;
may they always say,
“Extolled be GOD
who desires the well-being of one who renders service,”

כחוּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה צִדְקֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֝יּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃

28while my tongue shall recite Your beneficent acts,
Your praises all day long.

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

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