תהלים כ״ו | Psalms 26, by David translated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi

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Date: 2022-07-03

Last Updated: 2022-07-03

Categories: Congregation & Community, Tehilim Book 1 (Psalms 1–41)

Tags: devotional interpretation, interpretive translation, Psalms 26, הקפות haḳafot

Excerpt: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's translation of Psalms 26 was first published in Psalms in a Translation for Praying (Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia: 2014), p. 41. . . .


Content:
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
לְדָוִד
David
שׇׁפְטֵנִי יְהֹוָה
כִּי־אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי הָלַכְתִּי
וּבַיהֹוָה בָּטַחְתִּי
לֹא אֶמְעָד׃
בְּחָנֵנִי יְהֹוָה וְנַסֵּנִי
(צרופה) [צׇרְפָה] כִלְיוֹתַי וְלִבִּי׃
YaH! Examine me;
notice that I walked with simplicity.
In You, YaH, I placed my trust;
I will not stumble.
Observe me YaH! See all of me;
help me clear my conscience and my heart.
כִּי־חַסְדְּךָ לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי
וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בַּאֲמִתֶּךָ׃
לֹא־יָשַׁבְתִּי
עִם־מְתֵי־שָׁוְא
וְעִם נַעֲלָמִים
לֹא אָבוֹא׃
Before my eyes I see Your Grace.
But if truth be my guide,
keep me from hanging out
with the criminals
who have secret agendas;
don’t let me partner with them.
שָׂנֵאתִי קְהַל מְרֵעִים
וְעִם־רְשָׁעִים לֹא אֵשֵׁב׃
אֶרְחַץ
בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי
וַאֲסֹבְבָה אֶת־מִזְבַּחֲךָ יְהֹוָה׃
לַשְׁמִעַ בְּקוֹל תּוֹדָה
וּלְסַפֵּר כׇּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ׃
I despise the meeting places of felons;
I will not sit down with malicious ones.
Instead, I will wash my hands,
dedicating them to purity
and I will circle Your altar
to proclaim my gratitude
and to tell of Your miracles.
יְהֹוָה אָהַבְתִּי מְעוֹן בֵּיתֶךָ
וּמְקוֹם מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶךָ׃
YaH! I delight in being at home in Your House,
the very place inhabited by Your Glory.
אַל־תֶּאֱסֹף עִם־חַטָּאִים נַפְשִׁי
 
וְעִם־אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים חַיָּי׃
אֲשֶׁר־בִּידֵיהֶם זִמָּה
וִימִינָם מָלְאָה שֹּׁחַד׃
Don’t let me die with those who fail You;
I don’t want to share my life
with bloodthirsty people.
Their actions are of treachery;
their hands are filthy with bribes.
וַאֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי אֵלֵךְ
פְּדֵנִי וְחׇנֵּנִי׃
רַגְלִי עָמְדָה בְמִישׁוֹר
בְּמַקְהֵלִים
אֲבָרֵךְ יְהֹוָה׃ 
I will continue to walk in simplicity,
support me with Your Grace.
Let my steps be on the straight road—
then in Your assemblies
I will praise You, YaH.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s translation of Psalms 26 was first published in Psalms in a Translation for Praying (Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia: 2014), p. 41.

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

 

Contributor: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Co-authors:

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