| 1 |
לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד׃ |
Lamnatséakh al-hasheminit mizmor ledavid. |
For the leader, upon the Sheminith. A psalm of David. |
| 2 |
הוֹשִׁיעָה יְהוָה כִּי־גָמַר חָסִיד כִּי־פַסּוּ אֱמוּנִים מִבְּנֵי אָדָם׃ |
Hoshi'áh Adonai ki-gamár khasíd, ki-fassú emuním mibbené adám. |
Save, O LORD, for the faithful are gone; the loyal have vanished from among the children of men. |
| 3 |
שָׁוְא יְדַבְּרוּ אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ שְׂפַת חֲלָקוֹת בְּלֵב וָלֵב יְדַבֵּרוּ׃ |
Shav yedabbéru ish et-re'éhu, sefát khalaqót belev valév yedabbéru. |
They speak falsehood, each with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. |
| 4 |
יַכְרִית יְהוָה כָּל־שִׂפְתֵי חֲלָקוֹת לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדֹלוֹת׃ |
Yakhrít Adonai kol-sifté khalaqót, lashón medabbéret guedolót. |
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks proud things, |
| 5 |
אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ לִלְשֹׁנֵנוּ נַגְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ׃ |
Asher amerú: lishonénu nagbír, sefaténu ittánu, mi adón lánu. |
those who say: with our tongue we shall prevail; our lips are our own; who is master over us? |
| 6 |
מִשֹּׁד עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶנְקַת אֶבְיוֹנִים עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְהוָה אָשִׁית בְּיֵשַׁע יָפִיחַ לוֹ׃ |
Missód 'aniyyím me'enqát evyoním, 'attáh aqúm yomár Adonai, ashít be-yésha' yafíakh lo. |
Because of the plundering of the poor and the groaning of the needy, now will I arise, says the LORD; I will grant safety to him who longs for it. |
| 7 |
אִמֲרוֹת יְהוָה אֲמָרוֹת טְהֹרוֹת כֶּסֶף צָרוּף בַּעֲלִיל לָאָרֶץ מְזֻקָּק שִׁבְעָתָיִם׃ |
Imarót Adonai amarót tehorót, késef tsarúf ba'alíl la'árets mezukkáq shiv'atáyim. |
The words of the LORD are pure words, silver refined in a furnace on the earth, purified seven times. |
| 8 |
אַתָּה־יְהוָה תִּשְׁמְרֵם תִּצְּרֶנּוּ מִן־הַדּוֹר זוּ לְעוֹלָם׃ |
Attáh-Adonai tishmerém, titsrennu min-haddór zu le'olám. |
You, O LORD, will guard them; You will preserve us from this generation forever. |
| 9 |
סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן כְּרֻם זֻלּוּת לִבְנֵי אָדָם׃ |
Savív resha'ím yithallakhún, kerúm zullút livné adám. |
The wicked walk on every side, when vileness is exalted among the children of men. |
Brief Commentary
A prayer for a time when the faithful seem to have vanished and flattering, double-hearted speech fills the land. Against this, the psalm sets the pure words of the LORD, likened to silver refined seven times.
It trusts that God will guard and preserve His own, even when vileness is exalted among men.