לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יְהֹוָ֥ה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃ For the leader. Of David. A psalm.
O LORD, You have examined me and know me.
אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּ֣י וְקוּמִ֑י בַּ֥נְתָּה לְ֝רֵעִ֗י מֵרָחֽוֹק׃ When I sit down or stand up You know it;
You discern my thoughts from afar.
אׇרְחִ֣י וְרִבְעִ֣י זֵרִ֑יתָ וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכַ֥י הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.You observe-a my walking and reclining,
and are familiar with all my ways.
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃ There is not a word on my tongue
but that You, O LORD, know it well.
אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃ You hedge me before and behind;
You lay Your hand upon me.
(פלאיה) [פְּלִ֣יאָֽה] דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה לֹא־א֥וּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃ It is beyond my knowledge;
it is a mystery; I cannot fathom it.
אָ֭נָ֥ה אֵלֵ֣ךְ מֵרוּחֶ֑ךָ וְ֝אָ֗נָה מִפָּנֶ֥יךָ אֶבְרָֽח׃ Where can I escape from Your spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
אִם־אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃ If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
if I descend to Sheol, You are there too.
אֶשָּׂ֥א כַנְפֵי־שָׁ֑חַר אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית יָֽם׃ If I take wing with the dawn
to come to rest on the western horizon,
גַּם־שָׁ֭ם יָדְךָ֣ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃ even there Your hand will be guiding me,
Your right hand will be holding me fast.
וָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃ If I say, “Surely darkness bCf. Rashi, Ibn Ezra; meaning of Heb. uncertain.will conceal me,
night will provide me with cover,”-b
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹא־יַחְשִׁ֢יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃ darkness is not dark for You;
night is as light as day;
darkness and light are the same.
כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃ It was You who created my conscience;cLit. “kidneys.”
You fashioned me in my mother’s womb.
אוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נֽוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד׃ I praise You,
for I am awesomely, wondrously made;
Your work is wonderful;
I know it very well.
לֹֽא־נִכְחַ֥ד עָצְמִ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ אֲשֶׁר־עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי בַסֵּ֑תֶר רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת אָֽרֶץ׃ My frame was not concealed from You
when I was shaped in a hidden place,
knit together in the recesses of the earth.
גׇּלְמִ֤י ׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֢ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ (ולא) [וְל֖וֹ] אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃ Your eyes saw my unformed limbs;
they were all recorded in Your book;
in due time they were formed,
aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.to the very last one of them.-a
וְלִ֗י מַה־יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמ֗וּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ How weighty Your thoughts seem to me, O God,
how great their number!
אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃ I count them—they exceed the grains of sand;
I end—but am still with You.
אִם־תִּקְטֹ֖ל אֱל֥וֹהַּ ׀ רָשָׁ֑ע וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י דָ֝מִ֗ים ס֣וּרוּ מֶֽנִּי׃ O God, if You would only slay the wicked—
you murderers, away from me!—
אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹ֭מְרוּךָ לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשׂ֖וּא לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.who invoke You for intrigue,
Your enemies who swear by You falsely.-a
הֲלֽוֹא־מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶשְׂנָ֑א וּ֝בִתְקוֹמְמֶ֗יךָ אֶתְקוֹטָֽט׃ O LORD, You know I hate those who hate You,
and loathe Your adversaries.
תַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃ I feel a perfect hatred toward them;
I count them my enemies.
חׇקְרֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל וְדַ֣ע לְבָבִ֑י בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי וְדַ֣ע שַׂרְעַפָּֽי׃ Examine me, O God, and know my mind;
probe me and know my thoughts.
וּרְאֵ֗ה אִם־דֶּֽרֶךְ־עֹ֥צֶב בִּ֑י וּ֝נְחֵ֗נִי בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עוֹלָֽם׃ {פ}
See if I have vexatious ways,
and guide me in ways everlasting.
