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תהלים פ״ט | Psalms 89, a maskil of Eitan ha-Ezraḥi (translation by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi)

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Source (Hebrew)Translation (English)
מַשְׂכִּיל לְאֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי׃
A wisdom song of Ethan the Ezraḥite
חַסְדֵי יְהֹוָה עוֹלָם
אָשִׁירָה
לְדֹר וָדֹר  אוֹדִיעַ
אֱמוּנָתְךָ בְּפִי׃
כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה
שָׁמַיִם  תָּכִן
אֱמוּנָתְךָ בָהֶם׃
I will sing of YaH’s enduring love
as long as I can;
I will proclaim Your Faithfulness
to future generations.
I realized that the world is built by love;
Your Faithfulness You established
in the very Heavens.
 
כָּרַתִּי בְרִית
לִבְחִירִי
נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְדָוִד עַבְדִּי׃
עַד־עוֹלָם אָכִין זַרְעֶךָ
וּבָנִיתִי לְדֹר־וָדוֹר
כִּסְאֲךָ סֶלָה׃
You let us know:
I have made a covenant
with my chosen one;
I have promised David My servant—
Your seed I will establish forever
and build up your throne
to all generations. Selah.
וְיוֹדוּ שָׁמַיִם
פִּלְאֲךָ יְהֹוָה
אַף־אֱמוּנָתְךָ
בִּקְהַל קְדֹשִׁים׃
כִּי מִי בַשַּׁחַק
יַעֲרֹךְ לַיהֹוָה
יִדְמֶה לַיהֹוָה
בִּבְנֵי אֵלִים׃
אֵל נַעֲרָץ
בְּסוֹד־קְדֹשִׁים רַבָּה
וְנוֹרָא עַל־כׇּל־סְבִיבָיו׃
יְהֹוָה  אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת
מִי־כָמוֹךָ חֲסִין  יָהּ
וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ׃
The heavens praise
Your Wonders, O YaH;
holy beings publicly affirm
Your Faithfulness.
Who in the skies
can be compared to You, YaH?
Who among the angels
can be likened to You, YaH?
Even angels who surround You
are in awe of You, God,
trembling in reverence.
YaH-Tseva’ot — God of Diverse Beings —
who is as kind as You, O YaH,
radiating faithfulness around You?
אַתָּה מוֹשֵׁל בְּגֵאוּת הַיָּם
בְּשׂוֹא גַלָּיו אַתָּה תְשַׁבְּחֵם׃
אַתָּה דִכִּאתָ כֶחָלָל רָהַב
בִּזְרוֹעַ עֻזְּךָ פִּזַּרְתָּ אוֹיְבֶיךָ׃
לְךָ שָׁמַיִם
אַף־לְךָ אָרֶץ
תֵּבֵל וּמְלֹאָהּ אַתָּה יְסַדְתָּם׃
צָפוֹן וְיָמִין
The sea rages, obedient to You;
the waves calm down at Your command.
Sea monsters cannot stand up against You;
with Your strong arm, You have scattered Your enemies.
The Heavens are Yours;
the Earth also is Yours.
You sustain the world and all in it—
the north and the south.
אַתָּה בְרָאתָם
תָּבוֹר וְחֶרְמוֹן
בְּשִׁמְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ׃
לְךָ זְרוֹעַ עִם־גְּבוּרָה
תָּעֹז יָדְךָ תָּרוּם יְמִינֶךָ׃
צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט מְכוֹן כִּסְאֶךָ
חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יְקַדְּמוּ פָנֶיךָ׃
אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם
יֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה
יְהֹוָה בְּאוֹר־פָּנֶיךָ
יְהַלֵּכוּן׃
בְּשִׁמְךָ יְגִילוּן כׇּל־הַיּוֹם
וּבְצִדְקָתְךָ יָרוּמוּ׃
כִּי־תִפְאֶרֶת עֻזָּמוֹ
אָתָּה וּבִרְצוֹנְךָ (תרים) [תָּרוּם] קַרְנֵינוּ׃
כִּי לַיהֹוָה מָגִנֵּנוּ
וְלִקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַלְכֵּנוּ׃
You have created them;
Mounts Tabor and Hermon
stand and sing to Your name.
Your left arm is forceful:
Your right hand increases kindness.
You govern with righteousness and justice;
love and truth precede You.
Happy is the people
who know the message of the Shofar;
O YaH, they walk
knowing Your approval.
In Your Name shall they rejoice all day;
and in Your righteousness they shall find dignity.
For You are the splendor of their strength;
and in Your favor our destiny shall succeed.
For YaH is our protector;
the Holy One of Israel is our king.
אָז דִּבַּרְתָּ־בְחָזוֹן
לַחֲסִידֶיךָ וַתֹּאמֶר
שִׁוִּיתִי עֵזֶר עַל־גִּבּוֹר
הֲרִימוֹתִי בָחוּר מֵעָם׃
מָצָאתִי דָּוִד עַבְדִּי
בְּשֶׁמֶן קׇדְשִׁי מְשַׁחְתִּיו׃
אֲשֶׁר יָדִי תִּכּוֹן עִמּוֹ
אַף־זְרוֹעִי תְאַמְּצֶנּוּ׃
לֹא־יַשִּׁיא אוֹיֵב בּוֹ
וּבֶן־עַוְלָה לֹא יְעַנֶּנּוּ׃
וְכַתּוֹתִי מִפָּנָיו צָרָיו
וּמְשַׂנְאָיו אֶגּוֹף׃
וֶאֱמוּנָתִי וְחַסְדִּי
עִמּוֹ
וּבִשְׁמִי תָּרוּם קַרְנוֹ׃
וְשַׂמְתִּי בַיָּם יָדוֹ
וּבַנְּהָרוֹת יְמִינוֹ׃
הוּא יִקְרָאֵנִי אָבִי אָתָּה אֵלִי
וְצוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי׃
אַף־אָנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ
עֶלְיוֹן לְמַלְכֵי־אָרֶץ׃
Then You spoke in a vision
to Your pious one, and said:
I have laid help upon you to be mighty;
I have chosen you to a high rank of the people.
I have singled you out, David My servant;
with My holy oil have I anointed you.
My hand has enthroned you;
My arm also shall strengthen you.
No enemy shall prevail upon you;
no villain afflict you.
I will beat down your enemies before they reach you,
and strike down those who hate you.
But My Faithfulness and my Loving Kindness
shall be with you,
and in My Name you will be victorious.
On the seas I will give you control;
on the rivers your governance also.
You will call your Father—your God
and the Rock of your Salvation;
also I will make you My firstborn,
higher than the kings of the Earth.
לְעוֹלָם (אשמור) [אֶשְׁמׇר־]לוֹ חַסְדִּי
וּבְרִיתִי נֶאֱמֶנֶת לוֹ׃
וְשַׂמְתִּי לָעַד זַרְעוֹ
וְכִסְאוֹ כִּימֵי שָׁמָיִם׃
אִם־יַעַזְבוּ בָנָיו תּוֹרָתִי
וּבְמִשְׁפָּטַי לֹא יֵלֵכוּן׃
אִם־חֻקֹּתַי יְחַלֵּלוּ
וּמִצְוֺתַי לֹא יִשְׁמֹרוּ׃
וּפָקַדְתִּי בְשֵׁבֶט פִּשְׁעָם
וּבִנְגָעִים עֲוֺנָם׃
וְחַסְדִּי
לֹא־אָפִיר מֵעִמּוֹ
וְלֹא־אֲשַׁקֵּר בֶּאֱמוּנָתִי׃
I will keep My Truth with you for evermore,
and My Covenant shall stand fast with you.
Your seed, also, I will make to endure forever,
and your throne like the days of Heaven.
If your children forsake My Torah
and do not walk in My judgments,
if they break My statutes
and do not keep My commandments—
then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
and their iniquity with strokes.
Nevertheless, My Loving Kindness
I will not utterly take from you,
nor suffer My Faithfulness to fail.
לֹא־אֲחַלֵּל בְּרִיתִי
וּמוֹצָא שְׂפָתַי
לֹא אֲשַׁנֶּה׃
אַחַת נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בְקׇדְשִׁי
אִם־לְדָוִד אֲכַזֵּב׃
זַרְעוֹ לְעוֹלָם יִהְיֶה
וְכִסְאוֹ כַשֶּׁמֶשׁ נֶגְדִּי׃
כְּיָרֵחַ יִכּוֹן עוֹלָם
וְעֵד בַּשַּׁחַק נֶאֱמָן
סֶלָה׃
My covenant I will not break,
nor alter the word
which was issued from My lips.
Once have I sworn by My Holiness
that I will not lie to you, David,
then your seed shall endure forever,
and your throne like the Sun before Me.
It shall be established forever like the Moon,
and like a faithful witness in Heaven.
Selah.
וְאַתָּה זָנַחְתָּ וַתִּמְאָס
הִתְעַבַּרְתָּ עִם־מְשִׁיחֶךָ׃
נֵאַרְתָּה בְּרִית עַבְדֶּךָ
חִלַּלְתָּ לָאָרֶץ נִזְרוֹ׃
פָּרַצְתָּ כׇל־גְּדֵרֹתָיו
שַׂמְתָּ מִבְצָרָיו מְחִתָּה׃
But You have cast off and rejected Your anointed;
You have been angry with him.
You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown to the ground.
You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his fortresses to ruin.
שַׁסֻּהוּ כׇּל־עֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ
הָיָה חֶרְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנָיו׃
הֲרִימוֹתָ יְמִין צָרָיו
הִשְׂמַחְתָּ כׇּל־אוֹיְבָיו׃
All who pass by the way plunder him;
he is a taunt to his neighbors.
You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
אַף־תָּשִׁיב
צוּר חַרְבּוֹ
וְלֹא הֲקֵימֹתוֹ
בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃
הִשְׁבַּתָּ
מִטְּהָרוֹ
וְכִסְאוֹ
לָאָרֶץ מִגַּרְתָּה׃
הִקְצַרְתָּ
יְמֵי עֲלוּמָיו
הֶעֱטִיתָ עָלָיו
בּוּשָׁה סֶלָה׃
You have turned back
the edge of his sword
and have not made him prevail
in the battle.
You have dulled
his brightness
and cast his throne
down to the ground.
The days of his youth
You have shortened;
You have covered him
with shame. Selah.
עַד־מָה יְהֹוָה
תִּסָּתֵר לָנֶצַח
תִּבְעַר כְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ חֲמָתֶךָ׃
זְכׇר־אֲנִי מֶה־חָלֶד
עַל־מַה־שָּׁוְא
בָּרָאתָ
כׇל־בְּנֵי־אָדָם׃
מִי גֶבֶר יִחְיֶה
וְלֹא יִרְאֶה־מָּוֶת
יְמַלֵּט נַפְשׁוֹ
מִיַּד־שְׁאוֹל
סֶלָה׃
How long, YaH?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Shall Your wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short
my lifetime is;
have You created people
for oblivion?
Who is the person who lives,
and shall not see death?
Shall he save his soul
from the power of Sheol?
Selah.
אַיֵּה 
חֲסָדֶיךָ הָרִאשֹׁנִים  אֲדֹנָי
נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לְדָוִד בֶּאֱמוּנָתֶךָ׃
זְכֹר אֲדֹנָי
חֶרְפַּת עֲבָדֶיךָ
שְׂאֵתִי בְחֵיקִי
כׇּל־רַבִּים עַמִּים׃
אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּ
אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְהֹוָה
אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּ
עִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחֶךָ׃
YaH, what happened
to Your promise of loving kindness,
in which You swore loyalty to David?
Take note, Adonai,
of the disgrace of Your servants—
how in my bosom I carry the insults
of all the many peoples,
with which Your enemies, O YaH,
have insulted us,
with which they have insulted
the footsteps of Your anointed?
 
בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם
אָמֵן   וְאָמֵן׃
[And still I say:]
Blessed be YaH always—always!
Amen and Amen.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s translation of Psalms 89 was first published in Psalms in a Translation for Praying (Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia: 2014), pp. 145-148. 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. Reb Zalman often provides YaH as the circumlocution for the Tetragrammaton. In the penultimate verse, where the masoretic Hebrew has “Adonai” (my Lord) rather than the Tetragrammaton, and so I have replaced ‘YaH’ with Adonai in brackets. –Aharon Varady

 


 

 

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