Paraphrase of the Psalms 33–57

This thirty-third revel-song he sang … I will always cry out to the King; unceasingly with my tongue I will bring his praiseworthy song. … my heart in the Immortal … the Immortal around me … Hasten to come near him, and to take light into your hearts … the poor man cried out, and God … him … The Angel of God, ministering, will come here and there around pious men, so that he may save them. Blessed always is the man who trusts his King; for no one of the pious who longs for you has ever [lacked]. Come here to me, dear children, and hear my words. Flee evil-devising, and show yourself a craftsman of good things, always walking in the lovely tracks of peace. The eyes of the King watch over the righteous, and he has given his most ready ear to their prayers … so that he may destroy their memorial from the earth. The pious cried out, and found God as helper; those whose heart is broken God always knows how to help; and by his spirit [he saves] the humble-minded man. Many and frequent [are the afflictions] of the holy … May the Lord himself care for them and guard all their bones; not one of them would be destroyed … The fate of sinners has become destructive and ill-fated. [34] … Taking shield and sharp sword, may you be my helper. Say to my soul: I have become your safe fence. Let blame convict those who track down my soul, and let the sharp messenger of the Immortal keep them off. Let their road become slippery and dark, and let the messenger of the Immortal pursue them swiftly, because secretly, in vain, they set up a net for me … The snare which they do not expect in their minds … them in the net which they themselves wove. But my soul will rejoice in the Lord, and … in his averting light. All my bones will say: Who is like you, Blessed One, rescuing the poor from mighty destroyers, the poor and needy from rapacious ruiners? Witnesses rising up [asked] me what I did not know … But I, hard pressed, put on mourning garments …, and may my prayer, turned back to my bosom, [return] swiftly. Scourges gathered together, and I did not recognize them at all; … were torn by force, and did not perceive the grief. Say, Blessed One, when you will look upon my inescapable necessity … I will sing your hymn among the mighty people. Those who hate me in vain, and wink with their eyes … they said, rejoicing in my evils, that they were spectators. … Nor will you pass over my unknown cause before your eyes … Judge me in your mercy, all-seeing Shepherd; nor let laughter ever be a double pain to my heart. Let shame seize all who rejoice at my ruin; let those who think arrogantly receive blame. Let joy and gladness attend the holy race, who long to see the peace of his servant. Let my tongue often sing your righteousness, your much-famed praise all day long.

This thirty-fifth of the songs … bearing no fear of God the King before his eyes … the tongue upon pains, always seeking to find hateful folly. But even on his bed [he plans] wickedness; nor did he plan to do good, nor to understand … Immortal One, the heaven holds your honoured mercy; your truth dances even among the clouds; your righteousness is like the divine mountains … May you save the herds of four-footed beasts and the races of mortals together. The shelter of your wings will always be the hope of mortals … are laden with the good things of your halls, and … them … of gladness, because the life-giving spring is with you, Blessed One. … your mercy, O King, … and your righteousness to the upright of mind. There all the servants of wickedness fell, nor will they rise up again, uncared for, from there.

Do not ever envy, seeing the evildoing man; for these wither at once like grass. Rejoicing in the Immortal, may you obtain all your heart’s desires. … nor cease; and he will [do] all for you, and you will bring out your righteousness like light, and … your … like midday. … appeasing the mighty King. Never let envy of the easiest life [seize] you … flee terrible anger, and … But yet a little while, and the hope of the wicked will pass away at once; and you will track down his seat, but it has become invisible. … [the meek] … will always be guarded … But the Most High, seeing him, will laugh sweetly, knowing that his destructive day comes ready. They stretched the string on the irresistible bow, hastening to seize the poor and to destroy the needy; but may their sharp sword pass through their own breast, and may you, Blessed One, break their groaning bows to pieces. [Better] is the very least to the glorious righteous man … The undefiled Lord himself [knows] the ways …; the portion and lot of the good will always be firmer. … servants will utterly perish everywhere, … when the glory of the King rises … The evildoing man, having borrowed, does not know how to pay back; but the righteous always pities and gives to all. But those who cast evil curses will perish everywhere. By divine nods the footsteps of a man are directed, and may God always delight in his paths. Nor would he be broken, falling upon the destructive clefts of the earth, because the King [holds] his hand as helper. Before, I was young; now old age reaches me … and his seed will be fair-leaved for blessing. Flee evil-devising, and care for good works, and may you dwell in the land; for the Lord loves justice … servants will possess the whole land. … The mouth of the pious will always sing wisdom … But God will not leave him in his hands, nor, when he is judged, … victory; but guard his ways. I saw the evildoer lifted up on high, far above the fragrant cedars of Lebanon, ill-fated; but I no longer noticed him as I passed by, nor did his very ground appear to me as I sought. Guard gentleness, so that you may understand all things upright; for there are good remnants for the man of peace. … And the light of the King has become strength to the holy, and the shield-bearer will come swiftly to them when they are worn down, always stretching out his immortal helping hand; and those who care for divine hope will be saved from evils.

… he suffered, and had the Most High above his sufferings … and how you have fixed your hostile hand upon me. Who could heal my body when you are angry? … and are like a heavy [burden]. Stinking bruises … around me for my folly. I became wretched, and was always worn out in my neck; grieving in evil, I went my way all day long, because countless mockeries held my soul. My body does not know how to take rest from pain … but mine … Nor did our groaning escape you, who know all things. My friends were terrified before me, and my companions stood their feet [far off]; and those who came near me … forced me so much, seeking my dear heart … all day long with reproachful tongues. But I became like one who does not hear, … like one ignorant of all kinds of words, like a man without hearing, who does not know how to bring out rebukes with his tongue. My hope, I beseech you; and may you hear me when I call. For I said: Let me not become a joy to my opponents. When my footstep was moved … our body ready for chilling scourges; nor will grief ever leave my eyes. … and those who gave me an evildoing reward in return for good … Send me, Immortal One, send your helping face.

A famous hymn of David, when … this thirty-eighth sweet song. I said, I will keep our way far from evils, … my tongue in wickedness … a well-fenced guard on our lips; like one deaf and lowly I kept silent, though I cared for good things; and my pain, put to rest, woke up again a second time; and in my meditation tireless fire will be kindled. I said, Blessed One, declare to us the dear end of life. Tell me how great a number of life you have decreed, so that I may know what else is left to me. You have made all my days very old, Shepherd, and you knew the root of my life unmixed. Yet man walks like an image … carried about, stirred in his heart … for whom very much life … Is not the King my hope and tower? From him I obtained a life-giving support of life. He gave me as a reproachful blame to foolish men. I endured, mute and voiceless, since you made me so. Drive your scourges, Blessed One, entirely away from me; for under your strong hand I grieve in heart. You have trained a man by rebukes for destructive transgression, and melted his helpless soul like a spider. Hear my prayer, and listen to my supplication; nor, Blessed One, [pass by] in silence me who sheds tears …, because I am a stranger on the earth and a sojourner. Give me rest from toils, so that I may gather my dear heart, before I go whence there is no coming back.

… God and helper, guiding my footstep in his paths. [Blessed is the man] whose hope is the famous name of God, without false frenzy and vain counsel. Nor has another been like you in your counsels. Proclaiming, I recounted the things that would be more than numbering. Gifts for transgression; he refused every sacrifice. Therefore I came here to fulfil, Father, what you command. About me it is written in …; I have longed to do your [will], Blessed One, and I set your ordinance in the middle of my breast. Nor will I ever hold back my lips from the message at all … I myself [did not hide] righteousness in my heart … nor … your truth in a dark mind … your averting light … I proclaimed your mercy and true counsel to the assembly. Therefore do not you fetter your helping hand far off; warm me always with your mercy and true counsel, because exceeding pain holds me here and there. Transgressions have overtaken me and hidden my light, and they have become more than the hairs of my head. But may you willingly come as helper to me in my need. Let shame seize as many as long to destroy my heart; let shame seize at once those who rejoice at my ruin. Let joy and gladness attend the holy race … your averting light.

… the Shepherd will not overlook him on the day of necessity; may he have the King as guard, and caretaker of his life together, and may he be called blessed by God throughout the whole earth. But may the Lord help him even on his bed of evil; he changed his couch and loosed the cares of disease. I myself, O Lord, called on your mercy as helper … Evil and hostile men plotted cares for me, praying: When will my life …? … Going outside, he spoke, gathering all against me. All hostile men murmured against me, and around me they devised a grievously painful load of evils … someone always … This mortal of peace, for he had my hope; whom I fed, I had as an enemy, and he made me less than his heel. Raise me up and have pity on me, so that I may give them what they deserve. From this, Blessed One, I have come to know your gentleness: I perceived that my enemy will not rejoice over me in vain. … Lord, you rose up as helper. Praised for ever is the immortal God of Israel; may he always be highest for ages of ages.

For understanding, once, for the sons … this revel is the forty-first of the song. As a deer longs for the streams of spring waters, so my heart longs for you, Lord most high. My heart thirsted to cry to the living God. When shall I, a mortal, openly see God with my eyes? Days and nights I had groaning as my bread, as they always said: Where is your God? … my … around me … From there to the halls of the heavenly King, with praise and delight, with the famous noise of a feast. … why … my mind within me? Let God be your hope, and I will sing his praise; he himself is the all-seeing defence of my face. My heart was shaken of itself within my mind; … I will call you from the land of Jordan … and your mountain … Your waves came over me, and heavy cares … By day the Lord commands mercy, and at night … a prayer from me to God the King of life. I said to God: Why have you thus always forgotten me? Why do I go about downcast here and there, … when all my bones … They always say to me: Where then is your God? … why … my mind within me? Let God be your hope, and I will sing his praise; he himself is the highest …

This gentle [song] is also one in the forty, about the holy … Judge, O Lord, all that the unjust race has outraged me. My strength, why have you put me away so far from you? Why do I go about downcast here and there, … by which, shining, I shall come to your pure mountain, and be a dweller in your most glorious halls? I will now go to the glorious altar of God; with the clear-sounding lyre, Blessed One, I will sing your praise. … why … my mind within me? Let God be your hope, and I will sing his praise; he himself is the all-seeing defence of my face.

This revel is the forty-third. We have heard with our ears, immortal Shepherd: your hand destroyed races and rooted our fathers; you sacked peoples and drove them from their land. For not by their own sword did they formerly inherit the land, but your hand and the great light of your face, because, persuaded by your heart, you wished to hold them. You yourself are my Lord, and you have always been my God; trusting in you we slay the might of enemies with our horns; calling on your name … For I do not glory in my bow as a hope, nor [did] the long-edged sword … me from evils; the Lord himself … of those who thrust at us. Daily glory is ours with the immortal King, and we will sing your divine name unceasingly. But now you have poured shame on us, thrusting us away so far, and we are ready plunder at the feet of those who hate us. You have given us like sheep for banquets, nor was there any price for the exchange. You made us a reproach to our neighbours and laughter to all around, a much-noised byword to the nations, and a laughable shaking of the head to the peoples who blame. … before my eyes all day … by the voice of the insolent and reproachful man. But we have not forgotten you for the sake of so many [evils], Shepherd, nor … nor turned our heart away from you at all. Will not the Immortal himself track out all these things? For he himself knows the hidden places of the mortal heart. For your sake we are always subdued by death, Shepherd … why so much sleep for me? Wake up, and do not drive us far from your eyelids. Why have you turned your … and forgotten our toils and poverty altogether … for your sake … of our helpless ruin.

This is the forty-fourth hymn. Our heart has brought forth a good word; I have a tongue like the pen of a swift-writing man. You flash in beauty beyond the rest of the mortal race; grace has been poured on your wise lips, because God himself has fastened on you ageless praise. Trusting in your beauty, and confident in your glorious bloom, for the sake of holy gentleness and true work, your right hand will lead in wonders; … ready against the breasts of the enemies of the king. … Therefore God himself poured his anointing on you, anointing you with the oil of delight above all your fellows. Myrrh and stacte and cassia [waft] from your [garments] out of ivory temples, with which your heart too was gladdened. … daughters …, the glory of mighty kings. In robes woven with gold the queen stood near. Hear, child, looking, and incline your dear ear to me. For he himself also ruled formerly before you, and the maidens of Tyre bowed the knee to him with soothing gifts; the rich of the land will entreat your face with prayer. All the glory of the royal maiden was within … to the king … honour … your honour are the companions of the mighty queen. Let them be led to the seat of joy and good gladness … into the temple of the mighty King. Instead of your fathers your sons will be [born] to you; may you establish them [rulers] of the whole earth. I will remember you greatly … I will sing your fair name to generations of generations, from now and hereafter and to unceasing generations, from now and hereafter and to the ages to come.

A revel-song concerning hidden things, which the divine lyre brought to light, is the forty-fifth. The immortal God has become my fence and strength; therefore we would not cower when the earth is much stirred, nor when the mountains move into the depths of the sea. The mountains whirled at his divine strength. … of the river of God gladden …; he made his … undefiled; nor will it ever cease, God sitting in its midst … has the all-seeing eye as helper. The ruler of the heavenly powers is our helper; God himself, the champion of Jacob, has become ours. Come, friends, let us see the wondrous works of the King, the signs he made over the fruitful field, stopping wars over the whole circle of the earth. May he break the bow and … the shield, and burn the shields with the onrush of raging fire. Consider, holding still, that the immortal God has come to be, most high among the nations, and above the whole earth. The ruler of the heavenly powers is our helper; God himself, the champion of Jacob, has become ours.

A gentle song upon the forty-sixth. … shout to God the King with your voice, because he has become most high and fearful to all together, reigning over every boundary of the earth. Choosing, he gave us a dear and gentle inheritance, the portion of Jacob, always pleasing to God. God [went up] with a shout, a hymn of victory; the sound of the clear trumpet … went up. Sing to our King with wise songs, because the immortal God rules over the whole earth. Sing to me with a wise heart and a prudent word. The Immortal has acquired great might over all peoples; God himself upon [his] undefiled … Facing God, the rulers of the earth were armed in their transgression.

… was written as a delight for the sons of Korah; they sang it for the second [day] … The Immortal is to be praised, and indeed he alone has become great, around his city and his mountain always undefiled; widening joy on the earth from every side … the mountains of Zion … The Immortal has become conspicuous in his towers. All the kings of the earth came, gathering …; may they receive frequent pains like a woman giving birth, … as when by force he seizes ships … Was it not, then, a mere report? For the deed accompanies the words. In the famous city of God, of God, King of powers, the Shepherd himself fixed its foundation unshakable. In the midst of your peoples, O Lord, may you grant mercy. … Lord, your name … so let your praise be to the ends of the whole earth. … of your righteousness, Shepherd. … set your hearts on him and on his might, because he himself is always King and also God; from former generations … ageless, he will shepherd us in all things.

The forty-eighth also has … Hear, countless races, what my mind hides within, the poor together with those who care for unspeakable wealth. With the meditation of our heart … I will incline my keen-hearing ear to the varied riddle. Why do I still tremble at the shuddering and helpless day? Rich men, … in their might, whose spirit is overweening upon their possessions — will he not appease God the begetter for the sake of the world, paying as penalty the price of the immortal soul? When he sees the wise dying, he will tread on evil; the fool will perish together, foolishly and childishly, and will leave … to others of their halls … so that they will dwell in halls continually; they had a name from the earth, from which they were born, subdued. The childish mortal, concerned with honours, did not understand. … this road of destruction will be a net upon them … like sheep, … counsellors took Hades … under the yoke the neck … In Hades their help will be useless. May God free my heart from the necessity of death. Never fear in your heart the wealth of mortals, nor will the unspeakable glory of his house be laid down with him. … will perish together, … will perish together. Only his strength, dear to the living, will be praised, and he will praise you greatly, when you accomplish some good for him. He will go thus to the ancient generation of his fathers. The childish mortal, concerned with honours, did not understand … he embraced such a nature.

The forty-ninth song of David. The God of gods called the whole earth, gathering it into one, from the rising of the shining sun to its setting. The immortal God will be present openly to mortals, nor will anyone be ignorant of God; for he will not allow it. Around him … roared greatly … the starry heaven near, and the much-nourishing earth, so that he might judge the peoples, … so that they may proclaim lovely righteousness, because the honoured King judges among all. Hear, my race, and I will tell you what is lawful. Hear me, Israel; for I will teach you above others: I myself am God to you, and I have become God for you. I do not care about calves, which you rear in your halls; I will refuse the strong sheep from your flock. For I myself made all things, which the forest nourishes on the mountains, … whatever … nor do the birds, abundant through the air, escape my notice; for our divine hand fashioned all things. I do not accept bulls, nor will I drink the blood of goats. Offer to God a sweet sacrifice; for praise has become his sacrifice; and pay to the Most High the thanks of your vows. … you call me as helper in necessity; I am a good helper to you, and you will sing my glory. … [why do you declare] my righteous ordinances, and carry my covenant on your lips? You always hate to think good thoughts, and you have always refused the grace of our words. And you had your foot running together with the evil-minded robber, … sitting … of your brother … evil things, and you wove helpless ruin for your mother’s son. These things you did, and I was quiet toward you. You thought lawless things, that I would be like you in mind; I will set your transgressions before you, always rebuking. The most blessed sacrifice to me is a pleasing hymn; this road shows the life-giving force of the Immortal.

Once David, yielding to unseemly love, then also slew the woman’s husband; and Nathan, having been shown obedient to God, … with remedies …; but he, not unworthily of the nobility of his ways, propitiates the gentle Master, and moves him himself to pity toward … This psalm is the fiftieth song. … with groans and tears, to the godlike King … the merciful heart of God … my … more than water. Because I have recognized lawlessness in my heart, and my wickedness is before my eyes, I sinned against you, Blessed One, and did pain before you, so that you may appear holy in your words among all, and in judgment you alone will be superior to others. For in lawlessness my father, having yielded, sowed me, and in wickedness my lady mother conceived me. And you taught me the paths of your hidden wisdom, and you will make me much whiter than snow, washing me. All the bones of the worn-down will rejoice in you. … and my … a heart, O Lord, in my breast … nor take your holy spirit from me at all. Give me back the delight of light, O King, and establish my strength with a ruling spirit. And the wicked will return to you again from every side. Light of my life, my tongue … your … Open my lips, Blessed One, and let them pour out your justice … [if] you commanded, I would offer [a sacrifice] ready. A humble spirit is the care of the Immortal as sacrifice; the Lord will not despise a humble and gentle heart. May you give to Zion, Blessed One, blessed things according to your will; … burnt offering and … then they will offer calves on your altar.

This is the fifty-first song. Why, mighty one, do you trust in your evil? … your tongue … thus, sawing deceit like a sharp, whetted razor; instead of righteousness all lawless things … every word of the tongue … Therefore the Lord will destroy you utterly, taking away your glory … cutting you off, he will remove you from your house, and may he tear your inglorious root from the earth. And they will say such things about him, smiling: “This man refused to have the immortal God as helper.” But I flourish like an olive tree about the divine seat, now and hereafter for continual generations, always receiving your sweet name with your holy ones.

Of wise David, concerning godlike Maeleth; and this is the fifty-second hymn. The fool said in his heart that there is no God. Devising shameful things, they perished by their works. There is no doer of good order, not even one. … to see whether there was anyone seeking God the Lord. All turned aside together … There is no doer of good order, not even one. But those ignorant of good things, always counsellors of ruin, … they forgot God the King. They were greatly afraid where there was no need of fear. All the bones of those who care to please men were scattered, and the Immortal himself, despising them, gave them … When God turns back the day of slavery of the people …

When the Ziphites … led … to Saul …, spared, and they said that David was hidden among them, the fifty-third song is his. May your name, O King, save me far from evils, and, having measured me, may you judge me thus by your strength … hear my …, highest Shepherd; … your keen-hearing ear to our words, because a foreign race of enemies armed itself against me, and they did not remember God the King in their minds. Surely God will be a helper to me when I call, and may the Lord fight continually for my life. … In your truth, O King, may you blind them. But I will bring you a sacrifice with a longing mind; I will sing your name, O King, for it is good, because you have rescued my soul from every necessity.

Being the fiftieth with four other good ones. Hear my prayer, highest Shepherd … hearing, and … toil … and raging they set bitter wrath in their hearts. Our heart around me is struck with trouble; fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered … And I said: Who would give me wings like a dove, so that my body … from toil? I set my flight far off, and made my lodging in the desert … I perceived … and contradiction in the city; … bears … and toil; nor let deceitful toil be lacking from their paths … and of the words of the hated one … Did we not both taste sweet feasting beside you … the dear house of God? May a death worthy of their works come upon the destructive, and … into the pit of Hades still … But I cried out, and God heard my voice. From dawn I will speak, and in the evening and at midday … many, trusting, opposed me … For they have no ransom, and do not care for God. The counsel of the immortal Lord watched near; their words became softer than oil, but among them they were like destructive darts. And always … But may you bring them down, O King, into the pit of destruction; may murderous and deceitful men perish in the middle of life. But I … in the King …

… those who set their mind within … He cried shrilly to his King, and God rescued him from toils; and this is the fifty-fifth song. Be gracious to me; for a man greatly tramples me with his feet. From on high, from dawn, many … I would fear no one, since you have become my hope. Why do I tremble at a mortal man? God has become my hope. They always hated our words in their hearts; they always devised evil plans against me, always keeping watch on our heel. As they lay in ambush to destroy my dear heart … I declared to you, O Lord, our sweet life, and you set my tears before your eyes, when I call, O King, on your helping hand. I knew that God, all-seeing, was mine. I do not tremble at a mortal man; God has become my hope. I have vows, by which, Blessed One, I will sing praise to you, because you loosed my heart, heavily pained, from death … you took my feet from slipping. May I sing the great light to God, the King of the living.

This little song too is David’s, when … Saul … he cried the fifty-sixth song. Be gracious to me, all-seeing King, and pity me, because I always keep my dear heart very confident in you. Trusting in the shady shelter of your wings, may I call with prayers to the most high God, the King, … for whose sake I bring all life-giving gifts. And he gave those who trample me to reproach … He sent his truth and his compassionate counsel, and rescued my heart from the midst of destructive whelps. I myself lay down, troubled by chilling ruin. Men whose teeth are shield and dart, … and whose tongue is altogether like a sword. And may your unspeakable glory reach over all the earth. … fell into the pit … they set before my eyes. My heart is ready, All-seeing One, my heart is ready; my glory will sing you, and in … Awake for me, honoured and ageless glory of wisdom; awake for me, lyre and psaltery of my hymns. I will cry to the peoples a resounding word to you, O Lord, and sing a lyre-struck praise to many peoples. You have mercy above the heavens, and your truth flies over against the clouds. And may your unspeakable glory reach over all the earth.

Never to destroy … this is the fifty-seventh hymn. Do you truly speak holy words, and do you direct straight justice for mortals, sons? … devising on earth; from the belly they have wandered, always speaking lies. Like a deaf asp, … nor does it care for … of the wise man. God has broken the tooth in their bitter mouth. They become blameworthy in vain, as water goes past. They forgot the fire of the sun that came upon them. Before your thornbush knows its thorns, … may [the righteous] wash his dear hands in the blood of the sinner, declaring that the fruit of the righteous is glorious, that God is the avenger of the works of mortals on earth.