The Song of the Slandered

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ (For the one directing). לְדָוִ֣ד (Of David) מִזְמ֑וֹר (a Psalm).

1אֱלֹהֵ֥י (O God) תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י (of my praise),

אַֽל־ (not) תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ (be silent).

2  כִּ֤י (For) פִ֪י (the mouth) רָשָׁ֡ע (of the wicked) וּֽפִי־ (and the mouth) מִ֭רְמָה (of the deceitful) עָלַ֣י (against me) פָּתָ֑חוּ (they have opened);

דִּבְּר֥וּ (they speak) אִ֝תִּ֗י (against me) לְשׁ֣וֹן (with a tongue) שָֽׁקֶר׃ (of lies).

3  וְדִבְרֵ֣י (And with words) שִׂנְאָ֣ה (of hatred) סְבָב֑וּנִי (they surround me),

וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֥וּנִי (and they fight me) חִנָּֽם׃ (without cause).

4  תַּֽחַת־ (In exchange for) אַהֲבָתִ֥י (my love) יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי (they accuse me),

וַאֲנִ֥י (and I am) תְפִלָּֽה׃ (of prayer).

5  וַיָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ (And they set) עָלַ֣י (against me) רָ֭עָה (evil) תַּ֣חַת (for) טוֹבָ֑ה (good),

וְ֝שִׂנְאָ֗ה (and hatred) תַּ֣חַת (for) אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ (my love).

6  הַפְקֵ֣ד (Appoint) עָלָ֣יו (over him) רָשָׁ֑ע (a wicked man),

וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן (and an adversary) יַעֲמֹ֥ד (let stand) עַל־ (at) יְמִינֽוֹ׃ (his right hand).

7  בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ (In his being judged), יֵצֵ֣א (may he go forth) רָשָׁ֑ע (as wicked),

וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ (and his prayer) תִּהְיֶ֥ה (come to be) לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃ (as sin).

8  יִֽהְיֽוּ־ (Let be) יָמָ֥יו (his days) מְעַטִּ֑ים (few);

פְּ֝קֻדָּת֗וֹ (his position) יִקַּ֥ח (take) אַחֵֽר׃ (may another).

9  יִֽהְיוּ־ (Let come to be) בָנָ֥יו (his sons) יְתוֹמִ֑ים (fatherless)

וְ֝אִשְׁתּוֹ (and his wife) אַלְמָנָֽה׃ (a widow),

10  וְנ֤וֹעַ (and wandering) יָנ֣וּעוּ (let wander) בָנָ֣יו (his sons), וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ (and beg);

וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ (and let them seek sustenance) מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (from their desolate places).

11  יְנַקֵּ֣שׁ (Let lay a snare) נ֭וֹשֶׁה (the creditor) לְכָל־ (for all) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) ל֑וֹ (is unto him),

וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ (and let plunder) זָרִ֣ים (strangers) יְגִיעֽוֹ׃ (his labour).

12  אַל־ (None) יְהִי־ (shall there be) ל֭וֹ (for him) מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ (one extending) חָ֑סֶד (kindness),

וְֽאַל־ (none) יְהִ֥י (shall there be) ח֝וֹנֵ֗ן (one showing favor) לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃ (to his fatherless).

13  יְהִֽי־ (Let be) אַחֲרִית֥וֹ (his posterity) לְהַכְרִ֑ית (for cutting off);

בְּד֥וֹר (in the generation) אַ֝חֵ֗ר (next) יִמַּ֥ח (let be blotted out) שְׁמָֽם׃ (their name).

14  יִזָּכֵ֤ר׀ (Let be remembered) עֲוֺ֣ן (the iniquity) אֲ֭בֹתָיו (of his fathers) אֶל־ (to) יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH),

וְחַטַּ֥את (and the sin) אִ֝מּ֗וֹ (of his mother) אַל־ (not) תִּמָּֽח׃ (be blotted out).

15  יִהְי֣וּ (Let them be) נֶֽגֶד־ (before) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) תָּמִ֑יד (continually),

וְיַכְרֵ֖ת (that He may cut off) מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (from the earth) זִכְרָֽם׃ (their memory),

16  יַ֗עַן (because) אֲשֶׁ֤ר׀ (that) לֹ֥א (not) זָכַר֮ (he has remembered) עֲשׂ֪וֹת (to do) חָ֥סֶד (kindness),

וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף (and he pursued) אִישׁ־ (the man) עָנִ֣י (poor) וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן (and needy)

וְנִכְאֵ֨ה (and the broken) לֵבָ֬ב (of heart)— לְמוֹתֵֽת׃ (to kill him).

17  וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב (And he loved) קְ֭לָלָה (cursing),

וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ (and let it come to him),

וְֽלֹא־ (and not) חָפֵ֥ץ (he did delight) בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה (in blessing),

וַתִּרְחַ֥ק (and let it be far) מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (from him).

18  וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ (And he clothed himself) קְלָלָ֗ה (with cursing) כְּמַ֫דּ֥וֹ (as his garment),

וַתָּבֹ֣א (and it came in) כַמַּ֣יִם (like the water) בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ (within him)

וְ֝כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן (and like the oil) בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃ (into his bones).

19  תְּהִי־ (May it be) ל֭וֹ (for him) כְּבֶ֣גֶד (like the garment) יַעְטֶ֑ה (wrapped about him)

וּ֝לְמֵ֗זַח (and as a belt) תָּמִ֥יד (continually) יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃ (he girds on).

20  זֹ֤את (This) פְּעֻלַּ֣ת (be the reward) שֹׂ֭טְנַי (of my accusers) מֵאֵ֣ת (from) יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH),

וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים (and of those speaking) רָ֝֗ע (evil) עַל־ (against) נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (my soul).

21  וְאַתָּ֤ה׀ (And You), יְה֘וִ֤ה (O YHWH) אֲדֹנָ֗י (my Lord),

עֲ‍ֽשֵׂה־ (may you act) אִ֭תִּי (with me) לְמַ֣עַן (for the sake) שְׁמֶ֑ךָ (of Your name);

כִּי־ (because) ט֥וֹב (the goodness) חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ (of Your loving devotion), הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ (deliver me).

22  כִּֽי־ (For) עָנִ֣י (poor) וְאֶבְי֣וֹן (and needy) אָנֹ֑כִי (I am),

וְ֝לִבִּ֗י (and my heart) חָלַ֥ל (is pierced) בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ (within me).

23  כְּצֵל־ (Like a shadow) כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ (in its lengthening), נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי (I am gone);

נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי (I am shaken off) כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ (like the locust).

24  בִּ֭רְכַּי (My knees) כָּשְׁל֣וּ (wobble) מִצּ֑וֹם (from fasting),

וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י (and my flesh) כָּחַ֥שׁ (has failed) מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ (of fatness).

25  וַאֲנִ֤י׀ (And I) הָיִ֣יתִי (have become) חֶרְפָּ֣ה (an object of scorn) לָהֶ֑ם (for them);

יִ֝רְא֗וּנִי (they see me) יְנִיע֥וּן (they shake) רֹאשָֽׁם׃ (their head).

26  עָ֭זְרֵנִי (Help me), יְהוָ֣ה (O YHWH) אֱלֹהָ֑י (my God);

ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי (save me) כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ (according to Your loving devotion),

27  וְֽ֭יֵדְעוּ (and that they may know) כִּי־ (that) יָ֣דְךָ (Your hand) זֹּ֑את (this is),

אַתָּ֖ה (You), יְהוָ֣ה (O YHWH), עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃ (have done it).

28  יְקַֽלְלוּ־ (Curse) הֵמָּה֮ (they may), וְאַתָּ֪ה (and You) תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ (will bless).

קָ֤מוּ׀ (May they rise up), וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ (and be put to shame),

וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ (and Your servant) יִשְׂמָֽח׃ (rejoice).

29  יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ (Let be clothed) שׂוֹטְנַ֣י (May my accusers) כְּלִמָּ֑ה (with disgrace),

וְיַעֲט֖וּ (and may they be covered) כַמְעִ֣יל (as the robe) בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ (with their shame).

30  א֘וֹדֶ֤ה (I will confess) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) מְאֹ֣ד (greatly) בְּפִ֑י (with my mouth),

וּבְת֖וֹךְ (and in the midst) רַבִּ֣ים (of the multitudes) אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃ (I will praise Him).

31  כִּֽי־ (For) יַ֭עֲמֹד (He shall stand) לִימִ֣ין (at the right hand) אֶבְי֑וֹן (of the poor),

לְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעַ (to save) מִשֹּׁפְטֵ֥י (from those judging) נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ (his soul).