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תהלים י״ד | Psalms 14, by David translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi

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Source (Hebrew)Translation (English)
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
1 David sings
אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ
אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים
The bully says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
הִֽשְׁחִ֗יתוּ הִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עֲלִילָ֗ה
אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב׃
3 הַכֹּ֥ל סָר֮ יַחְדָּ֢ו נֶ֫אֱלָ֥חוּ
אֵ֤ין עֹֽשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב
אֵ֝֗ין גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃
The schemes of the mob are abominable;
not one of them does anything good.
3 They form a gang to terrorize people;
not a single one of them
does any good.
4a הֲלֹ֥א יָדְעוּ֮ כׇּל־פֹּ֢עֲלֵ֫י־אָ֥וֶן
אֹכְלֵ֣י עַ֭מִּי
אָ֣כְלוּ לֶ֑חֶם
5a שָׁ֤ם ׀ פָּ֣חֲדוּ פָ֑חַד
6a עֲצַת־עָנִ֥י תָבִ֑ישׁוּ
4b יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ׃
4a Don’t those sinners know?
They scarf up my people
as if they were their bread.
5a They have reason to panic.
6a They shame the poor for being poor;
4b not one of them calls on God.
2 יְֽהֹוָ֗ה מִשָּׁמַיִם֮
הִשְׁקִ֢יף עַֽל־בְּנֵי־אָ֫דָ֥ם
לִ֭רְאוֹת הֲיֵ֣שׁ מַשְׂכִּ֑יל
דֹּ֝רֵ֗שׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
5b כִּֽי־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
בְּד֣וֹר צַדִּֽיק׃
6b כִּ֖י יְהֹוָ֣ה מַחְסֵֽהוּ׃
2 YaH looks down from the heavens,
scanning human beings,
looking to see if there is anyone aware,
seeking God.
5b God will protect
the generation of the righteous,
6b for YaH is their Protector.
 
7 מִ֥י יִתֵּ֣ן מִצִּיּוֹן֮ יְשׁוּעַ֢ת יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל
בְּשׁ֣וּב יְ֭הֹוָה שְׁב֣וּת עַמּ֑וֹ
יָגֵ֥ל יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יִשְׂמַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
May it happen soon—
7 that God will send
the salvation of Israel from Zion.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s translation and reworking of Psalms 14 was first published in Psalms in a Translation for Praying (Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia: 2014), p. 17.

Reb Zalman was, in 2009, an early advocate of the Open Siddur Project and generously shared his liturgical and prayer work with the project following his vision of a common “Database Davvenen.” I have set his translation opposite the Masoretic Hebrew text of the psalm according to the phrasing he provided. –Aharon Varady

 


 

 

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