(א) מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד יהוה רֹ֝עִ֗י לֹ֣א אֶחְסָֽר׃
(ב) בִּנְא֣וֹת דֶּ֭שֶׁא יַרְבִּיצֵ֑נִי עַל־מֵ֖י מְנֻח֣וֹת יְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃
(ג) נַפְשִׁ֥י יְשׁוֹבֵ֑ב יַֽנְחֵ֥נִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי־צֶ֝֗דֶק לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֽוֹ׃
(ד) גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑י שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי׃
(ה) תַּעֲרֹ֬ךְ לְפָנַ֨י ׀ שֻׁלְחָ֗ן נֶ֥גֶד צֹרְרָ֑י דִּשַּׁ֥נְתָּ בַשֶּׁ֥מֶן רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י כּוֹסִ֥י רְוָיָֽה׃
(ו) אַ֤ךְ ׀ ט֤וֹב וָחֶ֣סֶד יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִי כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֑י וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְּבֵית־יהוה לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃ {פ}
Jewish Publication Society (1917, slightly adapted)
(1) A psalm of David.The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(2) He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads beside still waters;
(3) He restores my soul;
He guides me in straight paths for the sake of His name.
(4) Yea, though I walk through a valley of shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.
(5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;Y
You have anointed my head with oil; my cup runs over.
(6) Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
ROBERT ALTER, The Book of Psalms
My life he brings back.
He leads me on pathways of justice for His name's sake.
Authors note: The image is of someone who has almost stopped breathing and is revivied, brought back to life.
RABBI RICHARD LEVY, Songs Ascending
My life You restore,
leading me serenly in well worn paths of justice
To glorify Your name.
Author's note: The poet seems to have had past experiences of being protected from death, and seems confident that God will continue that protection.
PAMELA GREENBERG (verse 2b and 3), The Complete Psalms
You guide me toward tranquil waters,
reviving my soul.
You lead me down paths of righteousness,
for that is Your way.
RABBI EDWARD FELD (verses 2 and 3), Joy, Despair and Hope: Reading Psalms
He will lay me down in green pastures
lead me to still water,
renew my life,
guide me in right paths
for the sake of His own name.
Author's note: It's a poem about the extension of the lines of care and love into an infinate and eternal horizon.
For Reflection
How can these words help to refresh/renew my soul on this holiest of days?
How can this Psalm revive my soul, my life, throughout this new year?
How can these words help to refresh/renew my soul on this holiest of days?
How can this Psalm revive my soul, my life, throughout this new year?
For four additional translations and an interpretation see Mishkan HaNefesh, Machzor for the Days of Awe (Yom Kippur), pages 593-596.
נפשי ישובב. רוחי שהופג בצרות ובמנוסה ישובב לקדמותו:
God restores my soul My spirit, which has been weakened by troubles and haste, God will restore to its previous status.
את נַפְשִׁי יְשׁוֹבֵב, ישיב למקומה, ירגיע, יַנְחֵנִי, יוביל אותי בְמַעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק, במסלולים נכונים. ברובד האנושי, אלו הם הנתיבות שבהם יכול אדם להתמיד בחיי צדק, והמציאות שסביב איננה גורמת לו כל עוול. כל אלה אינם גמול על צדקתי; אף שאני נהנה מן הרווחה והשלווה, אין ה' עושה זאת למעני אלא לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ.
God restores my soul. The root of the Hebrew word yeshovev, translated here as “God restores,” sometimes means “to grant rest,” but its basic meaning is “to return.” When one’s soul is troubled or worried, it is not at peace, as though it is not in its natural place, but distanced and dislocated. When the soul returns to its true place, the result is inner peace.
Midrash T'hillim, 23.7
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of mercy...means that [the People of] Israel said: In the age-to-come God will restore us from exile, not for our own merit but for God's sake.