מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אַ֤ךְ ט֖וֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֱלֹהִ֗ים לְבָרֵ֥י לֵבָֽב׃ A psalm of Asaph.
God is truly good to Israel,
to those whose heart is pure.
וַאֲנִ֗י כִּ֭מְעַט (נטוי) [נָטָ֣יוּ] רַגְלָ֑י כְּ֝אַ֗יִן (שפכה) [שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ] אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃ As for me, my feet had almost strayed,
my steps were nearly led off course,
כִּֽי־קִ֭נֵּאתִי בַּהוֹלְלִ֑ים שְׁל֖וֹם רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֶרְאֶֽה׃ for I envied the wanton;
I saw the wicked at ease.
כִּ֤י אֵ֖ין חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת לְמוֹתָ֗ם וּבָרִ֥יא אוּלָֽם׃ Death has no pangs for them;
their body is healthy.
בַּעֲמַ֣ל אֱנ֣וֹשׁ אֵינֵ֑מוֹ וְעִם־אָ֝דָ֗ם לֹ֣א יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃ They have no part in the travail of men;
they are not afflicted like the rest of mankind.
לָ֭כֵן עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ גַאֲוָ֑ה יַעֲטָף־שִׁ֝֗ית חָמָ֥ס לָֽמוֹ׃ So pride adorns their necks,
lawlessness enwraps them as a mantle.
יָ֭צָא מֵחֵ֣לֶב עֵינֵ֑מוֹ עָ֝בְר֗וּ מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת לֵבָֽב׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Fat shuts out their eyes;
their fancies are extravagant.-a
יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀ וִידַבְּר֣וּ בְרָ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁק מִמָּר֥וֹם יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ They scoff and plan evil;
from their eminence they plan wrongdoing.
שַׁתּ֣וּ בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם פִּיהֶ֑ם וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם תִּהֲלַ֥ךְ בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ They set their mouths against heaven,
and their tongues range over the earth.
לָכֵ֤ן ׀ (ישיב) [יָשׁ֣וּב] עַמּ֣וֹ הֲלֹ֑ם וּמֵ֥י מָ֝לֵ֗א יִמָּ֥צוּ לָֽמוֹ׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.So they pound His people again and again,
until they are drained of their very last tear.-a
וְֽאָמְר֗וּ אֵיכָ֥ה יָדַֽע־אֵ֑ל וְיֵ֖שׁ דֵּעָ֣ה בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ Then they say, “How could God know?
Is there knowledge with the Most High?”
הִנֵּה־אֵ֥לֶּה רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י ע֝וֹלָ֗ם הִשְׂגּוּ־חָֽיִל׃ Such are the wicked;
ever tranquil, they amass wealth.
אַךְ־רִ֭יק זִכִּ֣יתִי לְבָבִ֑י וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן כַּפָּֽי׃ It was for nothing that I kept my heart pure
and washed my hands in innocence,
וָאֱהִ֣י נָ֭גוּעַ כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י לַבְּקָרִֽים׃ seeing that I have been constantly afflicted,
that each morning brings new punishments.
אִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה כְמ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֤ה ד֖וֹר בָּנֶ֣יךָ בָגָֽדְתִּי׃ Had I decided to say these things,
I should have been false to the circle of Your disciples.
וָ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל (היא) [ה֣וּא] בְעֵינָֽי׃ So I applied myself to understand this,
but it seemed a hopeless task
עַד־אָ֭בוֹא אֶל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵ֑ל אָ֝בִ֗ינָה לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃ till I entered God’s sanctuary
and reflected on their fate.
אַ֣ךְ בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת תָּשִׁ֣ית לָ֑מוֹ הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃ You surround them with flattery;
You make them fall through blandishments.
אֵ֤יךְ הָי֣וּ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה כְרָ֑גַע סָ֥פוּ תַ֝֗מּוּ מִן־בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ How suddenly are they ruined,
wholly swept away by terrors.
כַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י בָּעִ֤יר ׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.When You are aroused You despise their image,
as one does a dream after waking, O Lord.-a
כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃ My mind was stripped of its reason,
bLit. “I was pierced through in my kidneys.”my feelings were numbed.-b
וַאֲנִי־בַ֭עַר וְלֹ֣א אֵדָ֑ע בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת הָיִ֥יתִי עִמָּֽךְ׃ I was a dolt, without knowledge;
I was brutish toward You.
וַאֲנִ֣י תָמִ֣יד עִמָּ֑ךְ אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ בְּיַד־יְמִינִֽי׃ Yet I was always with You,
You held my right hand;
בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְ֝אַחַ֗ר כָּב֥וֹד תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃ You guided me by Your counsel
cMeaning of Heb. uncertain; others “And afterward receive me with glory.”and led me toward honor.-c
מִי־לִ֥י בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗ לֹֽא־חָפַ֥צְתִּי בָאָֽרֶץ׃ Whom else have I in heaven?
And having You, I want no one on earth.
כָּלָ֥ה שְׁאֵרִ֗י וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י צוּר־לְבָבִ֥י וְחֶלְקִ֗י אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְעוֹלָֽם׃ My body and mind fail;
but God is the staydLit. “rock.” of my mind, my portion forever.
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה כׇּל־זוֹנֶ֥ה מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ Those who keep far from You perish;
You annihilate all who are untrue to You.
וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ קִ֥רְבַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים לִ֫י־ט֥וֹב שַׁתִּ֤י ׀ בַּאדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר כׇּל־מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ {פ}
As for me, nearness to God is good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
that I may recount all Your works.