- At the end. Over the secrets of the son. A Psalm. Pertaining to Dauid.
- I will acknowledge you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I describe all your wonders. - I will be glad and will rejoice in you;
I will sing a psalm to your name, O Most High. - When my enemy turns back, rearwards,
they will grow weak and will perish before your countenance, - because you made my right and my cause;
you sat on a throne, you judging with righteousness. - You rebuked nations, and the impious perished;
their name you blotted out forever and forever and ever. - The swords of the enemy failed completely, and cities you took down;
the memory of them perished with a roar. - And the Lord remains forever;
he prepared his throne in judgment. - And it is he who will judge the world with righteousness;
he will judge peoples with straightness. - And the Lord became a refuge for the laborer,
a helper at opportune times in affliction. - And let those knowing your name hope in you,
because you did not forsake those seeking you, O Lord. - Sing psalms to the Lord residing in Sion.
Declare his practices among the nations, - because while avenging blood he remembered them;
he did not forget the cry of the laborer. - Have mercy on me, O Lord.
See my humiliation from my enemies;
you are the one lifting me up from the gates of death - so that I may proclaim all your praises
in the gates of daughter Sion;
I will rejoice in your salvation. - Nations have been planted in the rot they made;
in this trap, which they hid, their own foot was caught. - The Lord is known when he executes judgments;
the sinner was caught in the work of his own hands.
Ode of an interlude on strings
- Let sinners be turned away to Hades,
all the nations forgetting God. - Because the poor will not be completely forgotten,
the endurance of the laborers will not perish forever. - Arise, O Lord! Do not let humanity prevail;
let nations be judged before you. - Set a lawgiver over them, O Lord;
let nations know that they are human.
Interlude on strings
- Why, O Lord, do you withdraw afar —
do you overlook at opportune times in affliction? - When the impious behaves arrogantly, the poor is set on fire;
they are being caught in the schemes they devise, - because the sinner praises himself for the desires of his soul,
and the one acting unjustly commends himself. - The sinner provoked the Lord,
“According to the fullness of his wrath he will not seek out.”
God is not before him. - His ways are desecrated at every opportunity;
your judgments are being removed from before him;
over all his enemies he will exercise dominion. - For he said in his heart, “I shall not be shaken,
from generation to generation without adversity”— - him whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness and deceit;
under his tongue are grief and hardship. - He sits in ambush with the rich,
in secret places to kill the innocent.
His eyes focus on the laborer; - he lurks in secret like a lion in its cave;
he lurks to seize the poor,
that he may seize a poor one by dragging him off. - In his trap he will humble him;
he will stoop and fall when he exercises dominion over the laborers. - For he said in his heart, “God has forgotten;
he turned away his countenance so as not to be seeing it at all.” - Arise, O Lord God; let your hand be lifted up;
do not forget the laborers. - Why were the impious provoking God?
For he said in his heart, “He will not search earnestly!” - You see, because you note labor and anger,
to deliver them into your hands;
the poor has abandoned himself to you;
you were one helping the orphan. - Crush the arm of the sinner and wicked;
his sin will be sought out,
and he will not be found on account of it. - The Lord is king forever, and forever and ever;
you will perish, O nations, from his land. - O Lord you listened to the desire of the needy;
your ear inclined to the preparation of their heart, - to do justice for the orphan and the humble
so that a human on the earth may not add to boast.
Notes
Verse 3
“Sing a psalm”: or “play the harp”
Verse 12
“Sing psalms”: or “play the harp”
Verse 24
“desires”: EPIThUMIA — Same Greek word as in “you shall not covet”
Verse 27
“I shall not be shaken”: Greek uses double (and occasionally triple) negatives for emphasis. “not” here is a double negative.
Verse 36
“he will not be found”: Greek uses double (and occasionally triple) negatives for emphasis. “not” here is a double negative.
Verse 37
“his land”: or “his earth”
Verse 38
“desire of the needy”: “desire” = EPIThuMIA. EPIThUMIA is bad in vs 24, apparently good here.