1For the conductor on jeduthun, a song of Asaph. |
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אלַֽמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַל־יְדוּת֗וּן (כתיב יְדיּת֗וּן) לְאָסָ֥ף מִזְמֽוֹר: |
on jeduthun: Concerning the decrees and the laws that pass over Israel. |
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2My voice is to God, and I shall cry out; my voice is to God, and hearken to me. |
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בקוֹלִ֣י אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶצְעָ֑קָה קוֹלִ֥י אֶל־אֱ֜לֹהִ֗ים וְהַֽאֲזִ֥ין אֵלָֽי: |
3On the day of my distress, I sought the Lord; my wound oozes at night and does not abate; my soul refuses to be comforted. |
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גבְּי֥וֹם צָֽרָתִי֘ אֲדֹנָ֪י דָּ֫רָ֥שְׁתִּי יָדִ֚י | לַ֣יְלָה נִ֖גְּרָה וְלֹ֣א תָפ֑וּג מֵֽאֲנָ֖ה הִנָּחֵ֣ם נַפְשִֽׁי: |
my wound: Heb. ידי, lit. my hand; my wound. |
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my wound oozes: In this exile, which is like night, it oozes pus and gall. |
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and does not abate: Its oozing does not abate. |
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4I remember God and I stir; I speak and my spirit becomes faint, forever. |
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דאֶזְכְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶֽהֱמָיָ֑ה אָשִׂ֓יחָה | וְתִתְעַטֵּ֖ף רוּחִ֣י סֶֽלָה: |
I remember God: The kindness that He used to do for me in the days of my love. |
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I speak: about those acts of kindness and the favors. |
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and my spirit becomes faint: Pasmer in Old French, to faint or swoon. |
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5You held fast the awakenings of my eyes; I throb and I do not speak. |
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האָחַזְתָּ שְׁמֻר֣וֹת עֵינָ֑י נִ֜פְעַ֗מְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אֲדַבֵּֽר: |
You held fast the awakenings of my eyes: Heb. שמרות, an expression of the watch (אשמרת) of the night, for [when] a person awakens from his sleep his mind is settled and his heart returns to him, but I am not like that. In this night of exile, my eyes are always stuck together, like a man sleeping from a clogged heart, and in the troubles that I see, my spirit throbs and I have no speech within me. |
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6I think of days of yore, ancient years. |
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וחִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי יָמִ֣ים מִקֶּ֑דֶם שְׁ֜נ֗וֹת עֽוֹלָמִֽים: |
I think of the days of yore: to remember the kind acts that You performed for our forefathers. |
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7I recall my music at night; I speak with my heart and my spirit searches. |
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זאֶזְכְּרָ֥ה נְגִינָתִ֗י בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה עִם־לְבָבִ֥י אָשִׂ֑יחָה וַיְחַפֵּ֥שׂ רוּחִֽי: |
I recall my music at night: In the days of this exile, which is like night, I remember my melodies that I used to play in days of yore in the Temple. |
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I speak with my heart: I think, and my spirit searches [to ascertain] what is the manner of the Holy One, blessed be He, and I wonder: will He forsake [me] forever? |
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8"Will the Lord forsake [me] forever and nevermore be appeased? |
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חהַֽלְע֣וֹלָמִים יִזְנַ֥ח | אֲדֹנָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יֹסִ֖יף לִרְצ֣וֹת עֽוֹד: |
9Has His kindness ended forever? Has He issued a decree for all generations? |
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טהֶֽאָפֵ֣ס לָנֶ֣צַח חַסְדּ֑וֹ גָּ֥מַר א֜֗וֹמֶר לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר: |
Has… ended forever: Perhaps His kind acts have ended? |
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Has He issued a decree: a perpetual decree that He will never again repent of His anger? |
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10Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He, in anger, shut off His mercy forever?" |
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יהֲשָׁכַ֣ח חַנּ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל אִם־קָפַ֨ץ בְּאַ֖ף רַֽחֲמָ֣יו סֶֽלָה: |
Has… forgotten to be gracious: Heb. חנות, to be gracious, like עשוֹת, to do; ראוֹת, to see. Another explanation: חנות means gracious acts. |
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Has He, in anger, shut off His mercy forever: Heb. קפץ, an expression of (Deut. 15:7): “and do not close (תקפץ) your hand,” i.e., has He shut off the mercy forever because of the anger? |
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11And I said, "This is to terrify me, the change of the right hand of the Most High." |
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יאוָֽאֹמַר חַלּ֣וֹתִי הִ֑יא שְׁ֜נ֗וֹת יְמִ֣ין עֶלְיֽוֹן: |
And I said, “This is to terrify me”: My thoughts tell me, “This is only to terrify me and frighten me into returning to Him.” |
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to terrify me: Heb. חלותי, like לחלוֹתי, to terrify me, an expression of sickness and terror. |
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the change of the right hand of the Most High: How the right hand of the Most High changed. It was mighty with strength and now He has withdrawn His right hand. |
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12I recall the deeds of Yah when I remember Your wonder from time immemorial. |
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יבאֶזְכּ֥וֹר (כתיב אֶזְכֹּ֥יר) מַֽעַלְלֵי־יָ֑הּ כִּי־אֶזְכְּרָ֖ה מִקֶּ֣דֶם פִּלְאֶֽךָ: |
13And I meditate over all Your works, and I speak of Your deeds. |
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יגוְהָגִ֥יתִי בְכָל־פָּֽעֳלֶ֑ךָ וּבַֽעֲלִ֖ילוֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה: |
And I meditate over all Your works: that You have already done for us. |
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14O God, Your way is in sanctity. Who is a power as great as God? |
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ידאֱלֹהִים בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ מִי־אֵ֥ל גָּ֜ד֗וֹל כֵּֽאלֹהִֽים: |
Your way is in sanctity: Your manner is to sanctify Your name in the world, to execute justice upon the wicked. |
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15You are the God Who works wonders; You made known Your might among the peoples. |
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טואַתָּ֣ה הָ֖אֵל עֹ֣שֵׂה פֶ֑לֶא הוֹדַ֖עְתָּ בָֽעַמִּ֣ים עֻזֶּֽךָ: |
16You redeemed Your people with Your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph forever. |
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טזגָּאַ֣לְתָּ בִּֽזְר֣וֹעַ עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּנֵי־יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב וְיוֹסֵ֣ף סֶֽלָה: |
17The waters perceived You, O God, the waters perceived You, they trembled, even the deeps quaked. |
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יזרָ֘א֚וּךָ מַּ֨יִם | אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים רָא֣וּךָ מַּ֣יִם יָחִ֑ילוּ אַ֖ף יִרְגְּז֣וּ תְהֹמֽוֹת: |
The waters perceived You: [The] mighty [waters perceived You] when You were revealed by the sea. |
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18They poured forth thick waters; the skies let out a voice, even your arrows went abroad. |
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יחזֹ֚רְמוּ מַ֨יִם | עָב֗וֹת ק֖וֹל נָֽתְנ֣וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים אַף־חֲ֜צָצֶ֗יךָ יִתְהַלָּֽכוּ: |
They poured forth thick waters: The skies poured forth a stream of thick waters. |
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Your arrows: Heb. חצציך, like חִצֶי. |
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19The sound of Your thunder is like a wheel; the lightning illuminated the world; the earth shook and quaked. |
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יטק֚וֹל רַֽעַמְךָ֨ | בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָֽגְזָ֥ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ: |
like a wheel: Heb. בגלגל, like כגלגל. The sound of Your thunder [rolled] like a wheel on the sea to confuse the camp of the Egyptians. |
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20In the sea was Your way, and Your path in the mighty waters, and Your steps were not known. |
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כבַּיָּ֚ם | דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ ֖וּשְׁבִֽילְךָ (כתיב וּ֖שְׁבִֽילְיךָ) בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וְ֜עִקְּבוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א נוֹדָֽעוּ: |
and Your steps were not known: The steps are not recognizable on the water. [The word] ועקבותי means trazes in Old French, footprints. |
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21You led Your people like sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron. |
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כאנָחִ֣יתָ כַצֹּ֣אן עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּֽיַד־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאַֽהֲרֹֽן: |