Translation of Psalms 1 - 41.

G. V. Wigram.

from 'Memorials' Vol. 2, Part Second, CRITICAL.

1876-7.

N.B. p goes before a perfect tense, and f before a future or present, of an indicative mood; b before an infinitive; c before an imperative; d before participles; v before Vav, etc., however else translated.

PSALM 1.

1 Blessed is The man that p has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, v and in the way of sinners p has not stood, v and in the seat of d the scornful p has not sat.

2 But in the law of Jehovah his delight; v and in his law f he meditates day v and night.

3 v And * p he was to be like a tree d planted by the rivers of waters, that f brings forth his fruit in his season; v and his leaf f does not wither; v and all that f he does f shall prosper.

4 Not so The ungodly; but like the chaff that the wind f drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly f shall not stand† in the judgment, v or sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For Jehovah is d knowing the way of the righteous; v but the way of the ungodly f shall perish.

* See Rom. 4: 17. Such was the counsel of God.

†John 5: 29. Query.

PSALM 2.

1 Why p have raged the Nations, v and why do the side-nations * f imagine a vain thing?

2 Kings of the earth f do set themselves, v and d rulers p have taken counsel together, against Jehovah, and against his Anointed, saying,

3 f We will break asunder their bands, v and f cast away their cords from us.

4 d He sitting in the heavens f shall laugh; Adonay f shall have them in derision.

5 Then f shall he speak to them in his wrath, v and in his sore displeasure f vex them;

6 v Yet I p have set my King upon Zion, hill of my holiness.

7 f I will declare the decree: Jehovah p has said to me, my Son art thou; t This day p have I begotten thee.

8 c Ask of me, v and f I will give thee the Nations for thine inheritance, v and for thy possession the ends of earth.

9 f Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; like a vessel of d a moulder f thou shalt dash them in pieces:

10 v And now ye kings c be wise; c be instructed ye d judges of earth.

11 c Serve Jehovah with fear, v and c rejoice with trembling.

12 c Kiss the Son, lest f he shall be angry, v and f ye perish from the way; for f does his wrath burn even as a little. Blessed are all d trusting in him.

* 'Leummim,' side-nations.

PSALM 3.

1 A psalm of David. b In his fleeing from the face of Absalom his son.

2 Jehovah, how p have increased my troublers! many d those rising up against me;

3 Many d those saying of my soul, No help for him in Elohim. Pause.

4 v But thou, Jehovah, art a shield round about me; my glory, v and d the one lifting up my head.

5 With my voice to Jehovah f I cry; v and f he hears me from the hill of his holiness. Pause.

6 I p laid me down v and f I sleep; p I awoke; for Jehovah f sustains me.

7 Not f will I fear ten thousands of the People, that around p have set themselves against me.

8 c Arise, Jehovah; c save me, my Elohim; for p thou hast smitten all d my enemies on the cheekbone; the teeth of the ungodly p hast thou broken.

9 Of [or to] Jehovah is The salvation; on thy People is thy blessing. Pause.

PSALM 4.

1 For d the chief musician* on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

2 b In My calling, c hear me, Elohim of my righteousness; p thou hast made enlargement for me in the distress; c have mercy on me, v and c hear my prayer.

3 Ye sons of men, how long is my glory for a shame? f ye love vanity, f ye seek after lying. Pause.

4 v But c know that Jehovah p has set apart the godly for himself; Jehovah f hears b in my calling on him.

5 c Stand in awe, v and f ye shall not sin; c commune with your own heart on your bed, v and c be still. Pause.

6 c Sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousness, v and c trust in Jehovah.

7 Many d are saying, Who f will show us good? c Lift thou up the light of thy countenance on us, Jehovah.

8 p Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time their corn and their wine p increased.

9 In peace f will I both lay me down v and f sleep; for thou, Jehovah, alone, f makest me to dwell in safety.

*Chief musician; lit. d the one that has excelled.

PSALM 5.

1 For d the chief Musician on The flutes. A psalm of David.

2 My words c give ear to, Jehovah, c consider my meditation;

3 c Hearken to the voice of my cry, my King v and my Elohim; for to thee f I pray.

4 Jehovah, in the morning f thou wilt hear my voice; in the morning f will I direct my prayer to thee, v and f will look up:

5 For thou art not an El desirous of wickedness; not f shall dwell with thee evil;

6 Not f shall stand d the foolish before thine eyes; f thou hast hated all d workers of iniquity.

7 f Thou wilt destroy d those speaking lies; Jehovah f abhors the man of blood v and deceit.

8 v But I, — in the multitude of thy mercy, f I will come to thy house; f I will worship toward the temple of thy holiness in thy fear.

9 Jehovah, c lead me in thy righteousness because of d my enemies; c make straight before my face thy way.

10 For there is nothing in their mouth* d upright; their inward part is wickedness: a sepulchre open their throat; with their tongue f they flatter.

11 c Destroy thou them, Elohim; f they shall fall by their own counsels; in the multitude of their transgressions c cast them out; for p they have rebelled against thee.

12 v But f shall rejoice all d those trusting in thee; for ever f shall they shout for joy; v and f thou defendest them; v and f shall be joyful in thee d the lovers of thy name.

13 For thou f wilt bless, Jehovah, the righteous; as a shield f wilt thou with favour compass him.

*Lit. 'his mouth'; i.e. the mouth of every one of them. — ED.

PSALM 6.

1 For d the chief Musician on stringed instruments. On The 8th. A Psalm of David.

2 Jehovah, not in thine anger f wilt thou rebuke me; v and not in thy hot-displeasure f wilt thou chasten me.

3 c Have mercy on me, Jehovah, for d weak am I; c heal me, Jehovah, for my bones p have been vexed.

4 v And my soul p has been sore vexed; v but thou, Jehovah, how long!

5 c Return, Jehovah, c deliver my soul; c save me for the sake of thy mercy.

6 For remembrance of thee, in death, there is none; in the grave* who f will give thee thanks?

7 p I have been wearied with my groaning; f I make to swim my bed through all the night; with my tears my couch f I water.

8 Mine eye p has been consumed by grief; p it has waxed old because of all d my enemies.

9 c Depart from me, all d ye working iniquity; for Jehovah p has heard the voice of my weeping.

10 Jehovah p has heard my supplication; Jehovah f receives my prayer.

11 All d my enemies f shall be ashamed v and f shall be sore vexed; f they shall return; f they shall be suddenly ashamed.

*It is 'Sheol,' the grave; not Gehenna, hell.

PSALM 7.

1 A wandering-ode. Of David. Which p he sang to Jehovah, on the words of Cush the Benjamite.

2 Jehovah my Elohim, in thee p have I trusted; c save me from all d persecuting me, v and c deliver me;

3 Lest f he shall tear like a lion my soul, d rending in pieces, v and none d delivering.

4 Jehovah my Elohim, if p I have done this; if the existence of iniquity is in my hands;

5 If p I have rewarded evil to d the one peaceful to me; v yea, f I deliver d him being mine enemy causelessly:

6 d The enemy f shall persecute my soul, v and f take it; v yea, f tread down my life to the earth, v and f cause my honour to dwell in the dust. Pause.

7 c Arise, Jehovah, in thine anger, c lift up thyself because of the rage d of my enemies; v and c awake for me the judgment p thou hast commanded.

8 v So the congregation of side-nations f shall compass thee about; v and for its sake c return thou on high.

9 Jehovah f shall judge the Peoples; c judge me, Jehovah, according to my righteousness, v and according to my integrity upon me.

10 Assuredly, now, the wickedness of the wicked f shall come to an end; v but f thou wilt establish the righteous; v and d trier of hearts v and reins is righteous Elohim.

11 My shield is of Elohim, d saving the upright of heart,

12 Elohim is d judge of [or for] the righteous, v and El is d angry every day.

13 If f one turns not, his sword f will he whet; his bow p he has bent, v and f makes it ready;

14 v and for him p he has prepared instruments of death; he f works his arrows against d the persecutors.

15 Behold, f he travails with iniquity, v and p has conceived mischief, v and p has brought forth falsehood.

16 A pit p he made; v and f he digs it, v and f falls into the ditch f he makes.

17 His mischief f shall return on his own head, v and on his own pate his violence f shall come down.

18 f l will praise Jehovah according to his righteousness; v and f I will sing the name of Jehovah Most High, as praise.

PSALM 8.

1 For d the chief-Musician on The wine Vat. A Psalm of David.

2 Jehovah our Lord [Adonim], how excellent thy name in all The earth! as to which c set* thou thy glory above The heavens.

3 Out of the mouth of babes v and d sucklings p hast thou ordained strength, because of d thy enemies b to still the d enemy v and d avenger.

4 When f I consider thy heavens, work of thy fingers, moon v and stars which p thou hast ordained;

5 What is man, that f thou art mindful of him? v and the son of man, that f thou visitest him?

6 v For f thou makest him a little lower than the angels [elohim], v and with glory v and honour f thou crownest him.

7 f Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; all p thou hast put under his feet;

8 Sheep v and oxen all of them, v yea, also, beasts of the field;

9 Fowl of heavens v and fishes of The sea - d passing the paths of the seas.

10 Jehovah, our Lord [Adonim], how excellent thy name in all The earth!

*The word rendered here "set thou" is in the imperative. It occurs twenty-four times in the Old Testament, and here only was translated "hast set," which it could not be.

PSALM 9.

1 For d the chief-Musician, concerning death for the son, A Psalm of David.

2 f I will praise Jehovah, with all my heart; f I will show forth all thy marvellous works.

3 f I will be glad v and f rejoice in thee; f I will sing praise to thy name, Most High.

4 In b the turning back of d my enemies, f they shall fall v and f perish from thy presence.

5 For p thou hast maintained my right v and my cause; p thou satest in the throne d judging [or judge of] righteousness.

6 p Thou hast rebuked the Nations, p thou hast destroyed the wicked; their name p thou hast put out for ever v and ever.

7 O d enemy, destructions p have ended for perpetuity; v and cities p thou hast destroyed; their memorial p has perished with them.

8 v But Jehovah f endures for ever: p he has prepared for judgment his throne.

9 v And he f will judge the world in righteousness, f he will minister judgment to the side-nations in uprightness.

10 v And Jehovah f will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge for times in trouble.

11 v And f will trust in thee d those knowing thy name; for not p hast thou forsaken d those seeking thee, Jehovah.

12 c Sing praises to Jehovah, d the dweller in Zion: c declare among The Peoples his doings.

13 For d making inquisition for blood, them p he remembered; p not has he forgotten the cry of the humble.

14 c Have mercy on me, Jehovah! c consider [Raah] my trouble d from my haters, d thou that art lifting me up from the gates of death:

15 That f I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion; f I will rejoice in thy salvation.

16 The Nations p have sunk down in the pit p they made; in the net which p they hid, their own foot p has been taken.

17 Jehovah p has been known by the judgment p he has executed; in the work of his hands the wicked d is snared. Meditation. Pause.

18 The wicked f shall be turned into hell;* all the Nations forgetting Elohim.

19 For not alway - f shall be forgotten the needy; — [nor] the expectation of the poor f perish for ever.

20 c Arise, Jehovah; f man shall not prevail; the Nations f shall be judged in thy presence.

21 c Put, Jehovah, fear on them; the Nations f shall know that they are men. Pause.

*'Sheol,' the grave.

PSALM 10.

1 Why, Jehovah, f standest thou in the distance? f thou hidest for the times in trouble!

2 In the pride of the wicked f he persecutes the poor; f they will be taken in the devices which p they have imagined.

3 For the wicked p has boasted of his soul's desire, v and p has blessed d the covetous; — Jehovah p has abhorred him.*

4 The wicked according to the pride of his countenance, f will not seek; Elohim, there is none, is all his thoughts.

5 His ways f are grievous at every time; thy judgments are a height far above him; all d his enemies, f he puffs at them.

6 p He has said in his heart, f I shall not be moved, who am not for ever and ever in adversity.

7 Cursing p has filled his mouth f and deceit v and fraud; under his tongue mischief v and evil.

8 f He sits in the lurking-places of the villages; in the secret places f he murders the innocent; his eyes f are privily set against the poor;

9 f He lies in wait in the secret place, as a lion in his den; f he lies in wait b to catch the poor: f he catches the poor b by drawing him into his net;

10 f He crouches, he f humbles himself, v and the poor p have fallen by his strong ones.

11 p He said in his heart, El p has forgotten; p he has hid his face; p he has not seen — for ever;

12 c Arise, Jehovah, El c lift up thy hand; f thou wilt not forget the humble.

13 Wherefore p has the wicked contemned Elohim; p he has said in his heart, f thou wilt not require it.

14 p Thou hast seen it, for thou f beholdest mischief v and spite, b to requite it with thy hand; the poor f commits himself to thee; of the fatherless thou p hast been d the helper.

15 c Break thou the arm of the wicked v and evil; f thou wilt seek out his wickedness till f thou shalt not find any.

16 Jehovah is King for ever v and ever; the Nations p have perished out of his land.

17 The desire of the humble p thou hast heard, Jehovah; f thou preparest their heart, f thou causest thine ear to hear;

18 b To judge the fatherless v and oppressed, till not any more the man from The earth f shall repeat b to oppress.

* So A.V., but 'He has abhorred Jehovah' is better, which verse 13 would seem to confirm. — ED.

PSALM 11.

1 For d the chief-musician. David's. In Jehovah p have I trusted; how f say ye to my soul, c Flee, bird, to your mountain:

2 For, lo, The wicked f bend the bow, p they have made ready their arrow on the string to b shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.

3 If The foundations f are destroyed, the righteous what p has he done?

4 Jehovah is in the temple of his holiness; Jehovah, in the heavens is his throne; his eyes f behold, his eyelids f try the children of men:

5 Jehovah f tries the righteous; v but the wicked v and d the lover of violence his soul p has hated.

6 He f shall rain on the wicked snares, fire v and brimstone, v and a wind of burnings; portion of their cup.

7 For righteous Jehovah righteousness p has loved; his countenance f beholds the upright.

PSALM 12.

1 For d the chief-Musician on The 8th. A Psalm of David.

2 c Help, Jehovah; for the godly man p has ceased; for the faithful p have failed from among the children of men.

3 Vanity f they speak, each with his neighbour; with lip of flatteries and with a double heart [lit. a heart and a heart] f do they speak.

4 Jehovah f shall cut off all lips of flatteries, the tongue d speaking proud things,

5 Which p have said, with our tongue f will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord [adon] over us?

6 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now f will I arise, f saith Jehovah; f I will set him in safety as to him that f puffs at him.

7 The words of Jehovah are pure words; silver d tried in furnace of earth, d purified seven times.

8 Thou f shalt keep them, Jehovah; f thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

9 The wicked f walk around, according to f the exalting of the vilest of the children of men.

PSALM 13.

1 For d the chief-Musician. A Psalm of David.

2 Till when, Jehovah, f wilt thou forget me? For ever? Till when f hidest thou thy face from me.

3 Till when f shall I take counsel in my soul, sorrow is in my heart daily; till when f shall d mine enemy be exalted over me?

4 c Consider, c hear me, Jehovah my Elohim; c lighten mine eyes, lest f I sleep The sleep of death;

5 Lest d my enemy f shall say, p I have prevailed against him; my troublers f rejoice when f I am moved.

6 v But I in thy mercy p have trusted; my heart f shall rejoice in thy salvation; f I will sing to Jehovah, for p he has dealt bountifully with me.

PSALM 14.

1 For d the chief-Musician. Of David. The fool p has said in his heart, No, Elohim. p They have been corrupt, p have done abominable works; there is none d doing good.

2 Jehovah p looked down from heaven on the children of men, b to see whether there was the existence of d an understanding one, d seeking Elohim.

3 p Have these all gone aside, together? p Have they become filthy? Is there none d doing good, none, not even one!

4 Whether p have all d the workers of iniquity no knowledge? d eating up my People p they have eaten bread; on Jehovah p have they not called.

5 There p they feared a great fear; for Elohim is in the generation of the righteous.

6 The