Daily Tehillim - Psalms - Daily Torah Study

Chapter 69

1. For the Conductor, on the shoshanim,1 by David.

2. Deliver me, O God, for the waters have reached until my soul!

3. I have sunk in muddy depths without foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the current sweeps me away.

4. I am wearied by my crying, my throat is parched; my eyes pined while waiting for my God.

5. More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate me without reason. Mighty are those who would cut me off, those who are my enemies without cause. What I have not stolen, I will then have to return.

6. O God, You know my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from You.

7. Let not those who hope in You be shamed through me, O my Lord, God of Hosts; let not those who seek You be disgraced through me, O God of Israel,

8. because for Your sake I have borne humiliation, disgrace covers my face.

9. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons,

10. for the envy of Your House has consumed me, and the humiliations of those who scorn You have fallen upon me.

11. And I wept while my soul fasted, and it was a humiliation to me.

12. I made sackcloth my garment, and became a byword for them.

13. Those who sit by the gate speak of me, and [of me] are the songs of drunkards.

14. May my prayer to You, Lord, be at a gracious time; God, in Your abounding kindness, answer me with Your true deliverance.

15. Rescue me from the mire, so that I not sink; let me be saved from my enemies and from deep waters.

16. Let not the current of water sweep me away, nor the deep swallow me; and let not the pit close its mouth over me.

17. Answer me, Lord, for Your kindness is good; according to Your abundant mercies, turn to me.

18. Do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress-hurry to answer me.

19. Draw near to my soul and liberate it; redeem me, so that my enemies [not feel triumphant].

20. You know my humiliation, my shame, and my disgrace; all my tormentors are before You.

21. Humiliation has broken my heart, and I have become ill. I longed for comfort, but there was none; for consolers, but I did not find.

22. They put gall into my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

23. Let their table become a trap before them, and [their] serenity, a snare.

24. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and let their loins continually falter.

25. Pour Your wrath upon them, and let the fierceness of Your anger overtake them.

26. Let their palace be desolate, let there be no dweller in their tents,

27. for they persecute the one whom You struck, and tell of the pain of Your wounded ones.

28. Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not enter into Your righteousness.

29. May they be erased from the Book of Life, and let them not be inscribed with the righteous.

30. But I am poor and in pain; let Your deliverance, O God, streng-then me.

31. I will praise the Name of God with song, I will extol Him with thanksgiving!

32. And it will please the Lord more than [the sacrifice of] a mature bull with horns and hooves.

33. The humble will see it and rejoice; you seekers of God, [see] and your hearts will come alive.

34. For the Lord listens to the needy, and He does not despise His prisoners.

35. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that moves within them,

36. for God will deliver Zion and build the cities of Judah, and they will settle there and possess it;

37. and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His Name will dwell in it.

Footnotes

A musical instrument shaped like a shoshana, a rose (Metzudot).

Chapter 70

David prays that his enemies be shamed and humiliated for their shaming him and reveling in his troubles. Then the righteous will rejoice, and chant songs and praises always.

1. For the Conductor, by David, to remind.

2. O God, [come] to rescue me; O Lord, hurry to my aid.

3. Let those who seek my life be shamed and disgraced; let those who wish me harm retreat and be humiliated.

4. Let those who say, "Aha! Aha!" be turned back in return for their shaming [me].

5. Let all who seek You rejoice and delight in You, and let those who love Your deliverance say always, "May God be exalted!”

6. But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God! You are my help and deliverer; O God, do not delay!

Chapter 71

In this awe-inspiring prayer, David speaks of his enemies' desire to kill him, declaring him deserving of death.

1. I have taken refuge in You, O Lord; I will never be shamed.

2. Rescue me and deliver me in Your righteousness; incline Your ear to me and save me.

3. Be for me a sheltering rock, to enter always. You have ordered my salvation, for You are my rock and my fortress.

4. O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked, from the palm of the scheming and violent.

5. For You are my hope, O my Lord, God, my security since my youth.

6. I have relied on You from the womb; You drew me from my mother's innards; my praise is of You always.

7. I became an example to the masses, yet You were my mighty refuge.

8. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise, all day long with Your glory.

9. Do not cast me aside in old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails;

10. for my enemies say of me, and those who watch my soul conspire together,

11. saying, "God has forsaken him. Give chase and catch him, for there is no rescuer.”

12. O God, do not distance Yourself from me; my God, hurry to my aid.

13. Let the adversaries of my soul be shamed and consumed; let those who seek my harm be enwrapped in disgrace and humiliation.

14. But as for me, I will always hope; I will add to all Your praises.

15. My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, all day long of Your deliverance, for I do not know their number.

16. I come with the strength of my Lord, God; I mention Your righteousness, Yours alone.

17. O God, You have taught me since my youth, and to this day I tell of Your wonders.

18. Even into old age and hoariness, O God, do not abandon me, until I tell of Your might to the generations, and of Your strength to all who are to come.

19. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens, for You do great things; O God, who is like You!

20. You, Who has shown me many and grievous troubles, You will revive me again; You will lift me again from the depths of the earth.

21. You will increase my greatness; You will turn and console me.

22. I too1 will thank You on the lyre for Your faithfulness, My God; I will sing to You on the harp, O Holy One of Israel.

23. My lips will rejoice when I sing to you, as well as my soul which You have redeemed.

24. My tongue will also utter Your righteousness all day, for those who seek my harm are shamed and disgraced.

Footnotes

As you increase my greatness, so will I increase your praise (Metzudot).