Bible in 90 Days

12 The Davar Hashem also came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, thou dwellest in the midst of a bais hameri (rebellious house) which have eynayim to see, and see not; they have oznayim to hear, and hear not; for they are a bais meri (house of rebellion).

³ Therefore, thou ben adam, pack for the Golus thy belongings and go into captivity by day before their eyes; and thou shalt remove from thy makom (place, home) to another makom in their sight; it may be they will consider, though they be bais meri (a rebellious house).

⁴ Then shalt thou bring forth thy gear by day in their sight, as gear for the Golus; and thou shalt go forth at erev in their sight, as they that go forth into the Golus.

⁵ Dig thou through the kir (wall) in their sight, and carry out [everything] thereby.

⁶ In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy katef (shoulder), and carry it forth in the twilight; thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not ha’aretz; for I have set thee for a mofet (sign, symbol, portent) unto Bais Yisroel [see 2Kgs 25:7].

⁷ And I did so as I was commanded. I brought forth my gear by day, as gear for the Golus, and at erev I dug through the kir (wall) with mine yad; I carried it forth in the twilight, and I bore it upon my katef (shoulder) in their sight.

⁸ And in the boker came the Devar Hashem unto me, saying,

⁹ Ben adam, hath not Bais Yisroel, the bais hameri (the rebellious house), said unto thee, What doest thou?

¹⁰ Say thou unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; This massa (burden) concerneth the nasi [i.e. Zedekiah] in Yerushalayim, and kol Bais Yisroel that are among them.

¹¹ Say, I am your mofet; just as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall be carried away into the Golus and go into captivity.

¹² And the nasi that is among them shall bear [his gear] upon his katef (shoulder) in the twilight, and shall go forth; they shall dig through the kir (wall) to carry out thereby; he shall cover his face, that he see not ha’aretz with the ayin (eye) [See 2Kgs 25:7].

¹³ My net also will I spread over him, and he shall be caught in My snare; and I will bring him to Bavel to Eretz Kasdim (Chaldeans); yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there [See 2Kgs 25:7].

¹⁴ And I will scatter toward every ruach (wind) all that are about him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the cherev after them.

¹⁵ And they shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall scatter them among the Goyim, and disperse them throughout the countries.

¹⁶ But I will leave a few anashim of them from the cherev, from the ra’av (famine), and from the dever; that they may declare all their to’avot among the Goyim to where they come; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

¹⁷ Moreover the Devar Hashem came to me, saying,

¹⁸ Ben adam, eat thy lechem with fearful shaking, and drink thy mayim with trembling and with anxiety;

¹⁹ And say unto the am ha’aretz: Thus saith Adonoi Hashem regarding the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and of Admat Yisroel (Land of Israel); they shall eat their lechem with anxiety, and, as desolate, drink their mayim, because her land shall be desolate from all that is therein, because of the chamas of all them that dwell therein.

²⁰ And the towns that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and ha’aretz shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

²¹ And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

²² Ben adam, what is that mashal that ye have in Admat Yisroel, saying, The days drag on, and every chazon (vision) faileth [to come to anything].

²³ Tell them therefore, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will make this mashal to cease, and they shall no more use it as a mashal in Yisroel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, even the fulfillment of kol chazon.

²⁴ For there shall be no more any chazon shav (vain vision) nor smooth divination within Bais Yisroel.

²⁵ For I am Hashem: I will speak, and the davar that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more delayed; for in your days, O Bais Hameri (O Rebellious House), will I say the Davar (Word), and will fulfill it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

²⁶ Again the Devar Hashem came to me, saying.

²⁷ Ben adam, hinei, they of Bais Yisroel say, The chazon that he seeth is for yamim rabbim to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.

²⁸ Therefore say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; There shall none of My Devarim be delayed any more, but the Davar which I have spoken shall be done, saith Adonoi Hashem.

13 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, prophesy against the nevi’im of Yisroel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own levavot, Hear ye the Devar Hashem;

³ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hoy (woe, doom) unto the foolish nevi’im, that follow their own ruach, and have seen nothing!

⁴ O Yisroel, thy nevi’im are like the jackals among ruins.

⁵ Ye have not gone up into the peratzot (breaches), neither repaired the wall for Bais Yisroel to stand firm in the milchamah (battle) in the Yom Hashem.

⁶ They have seen shav (vanity) and kesem kazav (lying divination), saying, Hashem saith; and Hashem hath not sent them; yet they hope that their davar will be fulfilled.

⁷ Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a kesem kazav (lying divination), whereas ye say, Hashem saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

⁸ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because ye have spoken shav (vanity, futility) and seen kazav (lie), therefore, hineni, I am against you, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁹ And Mine yad shall be against the nevi’im that see shav (vanity, futility), and that divine kazav (lie): they shall not be in the sod (council) of My people, neither shall they be written in the Ketav (Register) of Bais Yisroel, neither shall they enter into Admat Yisroel; and ye shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁰ Because, even because they have seduced My people to lead them astray, saying, Shalom; v’ein shalom; and one built up a chayitz (wall, partition, temporary wall), and, hinei, others plastered it with [dissolving] mud-plaster.

¹¹ Say unto them that plaster it with [dissolving, useless] mud-plaster that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing geshem; and great hailstones shall fall; and a ruach se’arot (storm wind) shall burst forth.

¹² Hinei, when the kir (wall) is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the mudplaster wherewith ye have daubed it?

¹³ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; I will even cause a ruach se’arot (storm wind) in My wrath; and there shall be an overflowing geshem in Mine anger, and great hailstones in My fury to destroy.

¹⁴ So will I break down the kir (wall) that ye have plastered with mud-plaster, and bring it down to the ground, so that the yesod (foundation) thereof shall be laid bare, and it shall fall, and ye shall be destroyed in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

¹⁵ Thus will I spend My chemah (wrath) upon the kir (wall), and upon them that have plastered it with mudplaster, and will say unto you, The kir (wall) is no more, neither they that mudplastered it;

¹⁶ Namely, the nevi’im of Yisroel which prophesy concerning Yerushalayim, and which see chazon shalom for her, v’ein shalom, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁷ Likewise, thou ben adam, set thy face against the banot amecha (daughters of your people), which prophesy out of their own lev; and prophesy thou against them,

¹⁸ And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hoy (woe, doom) to the seamstresses of magic charms on wrists, who make mispachot (amulets) for the rosh of every size to hunt nefashot! Will ye hunt the nefashot of My people, and yet save your own nefashot alive?

¹⁹ And will ye profane Me among My people for handfuls of se’orim and for pieces of lechem, to slay the nefashot that should not die, and to save the nefashot alive that should not live, by your kazav (lying) to My people that hear your kazav?

²⁰ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against your magic charms, wherewith ye there hunt to ensnare the nefashot like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the nefashot go, even the nefashot that ye hunt like birds.

²¹ Your mispachot (amulets) also will I tear off, and I will save My people out of your yad, and they shall be no more in your yad (hand, power) to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

²² Because with sheker (falsehood) ye have made the lev tzaddik sad, to whom I have not brought sadness; and strengthened the hands of the rasha, that he should not turn from his derech harah to save his life;

²³ Therefore ye shall see no longer shav (vanity, futility), nor practice divinations; for I will save My people out of your yad; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

14 Then came certain anashim of the zekenim of Yisroel unto me, and sat before me.

² And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

³ Ben adam, these anashim have set up their gillulim (idols) in their lev, and put the michshol (stumbling block) of their avon before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them?

⁴ Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Every ish of Bais Yisroel that setteth up his gillulim in his lev, and putteth the michshol (stumbling block) of his avon before his face, and cometh to the navi; I Hashem will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his gillulim;

⁵ That I may seize Bais Yisroel in their lev, who have become estranged from me, all of them, for their gillulim (idols).

⁶ Therefore say unto Bais Yisroel, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Make teshuvah, and turn yourselves away from your gillulim (idols); and turn away your faces from all your to’avot (abominations).

⁷ For every one of Bais Yisroel, or of the ger that sojourneth in Yisroel, which separateth himself from Me, and setteth up his gillulim (idols) in his lev (heart), and putteth the michshol (stumbling block) of his avon (iniquity) before his face, and cometh to a navi (prophet) to inquire of him concerning Me; I Hashem will answer him by Myself;

⁸ And I will set My face against that ish, and will make him an ot (sign) and for meshalim (proverbs [i.e., make him a byword and an object lesson] and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

⁹ And if the navi be induced to make a pronouncement, I Hashem have induced that navi, and I will stretch out My yad against him, and will make him shmad from the midst of My people Yisroel.

¹⁰ And they shall bear the punishment of their avon; the punishment of the navi shall be even as the punishment of him that inquireth of him;

¹¹ That Bais Yisroel may go no more astray from Me, neither be made tameh any more with all their peysha’im; but that they may be My people, and I may be to them Elohim, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹² The Devar Hashem came again to me, saying,

¹³ Ben adam, when eretz sinneth against Me by persistent ma’al (faithlessness, treachery), then will I stretch out Mine yad upon it, and will break the matteh lechem thereof, and will send ra’av (famine) upon it, and will cut off adam and behemah from it;

¹⁴ Though these three anashim—Noach, Daniel, and Iyov—were in it, they would deliver but their own nefesh by their tzedakah, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ If I cause chayyah ra’ah (wild beasts) to pass through ha’aretz, and they bereave it of children, so that it be desolate, that no one may pass through because of the beasts;

¹⁶ Though these sheloshet ha’anashim were in the midst of it, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, they shall deliver neither banim nor banot; only they shall be delivered, but ha’aretz shall be desolate.

¹⁷ Or if I bring a cherev upon that land, and say, Cherev, pass through ha’aretz; so that I cut off adam and behemah from it;

¹⁸ Though these sheloshet ha’anashim were in it, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, they would deliver neither banim nor banot, but they only themselves would be delivered.

¹⁹ Or if I send a dever (plague) into that land, and pour out My chemah (fury) upon it in dahm, to cut off from it adam and behemah;

²⁰ Though Noach, Daniel, and Iyov were in it, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, they would deliver neither ben nor bat; they would but deliver their own nefashot by their tzedakah.

²¹ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: How much worse will it be when I send My four severe judgments upon Yerushalayim—-the cherev, and the ra’av (famine), and the chayyah ra’ah (wild beast), and the dever—-to cut off from it adam and behemah?

²² Yet, hinei, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought out, both banim and banot; behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their derech and their doings; and ye shall be consoled concerning the ra’ah that I have brought upon Yerushalayim, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

²³ And they shall console you, when ye see their drakhim and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

15 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, how is the etz hagefen (wood of the grapevine) better than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Or will men take a yated (peg) of it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Hinei, it is cast into the eish for fuel; the eish devoureth both the ends of it, and the middle of it is charred. Is it fit for any melachah (work)?

⁵ Hinei, when it was tamim (whole), it was fit for no work; how much less shall it be fit yet for any work, when the eish hath devoured it, and it is charred?

⁶ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: As the etz hagefen among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the eish for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.

⁷ And I will set My face against them; they shall go out from one eish, and another eish shall devour them; and ye shall have da’as that I am Hashem, when I set My face against them.

⁸ And I will make ha’aretz desolate, because they have committed ma’al (unfaithfulness, betrayal of a trust), saith Adonoi Hashem.

16 Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, cause Yerushalayim to know her to’avot (abominations),

³ And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem unto Yerushalayim: Thy origin and thy birth are from Eretz HaKena’ani; avicha was HaEmori (the Amorite) and your em Chittit (a Hittite).

⁴ And as for thy moledot (birth), in the day thou wast born thy navel cord was not cut, neither wast thou washed in mayim to cleanse thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

⁵ None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out into the open sadeh, when thou thyself were loathed, in your yom huledet (day of birth).

⁶ And when I passed by thee, and saw thee flailing about in thine own dahm, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy dahm, Chayi! (live!) Indeed, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy dahm, Chayi!

⁷ I have caused thee to multiply as the tzemach of the sadeh, and thou hast increased and matured, and thou art come to excellent beauty; thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast erom (naked) and bare.

⁸ Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, hinei, thy time was the time of dodim (love); and I spread My kanaf (wing, corner of garment) over thee, and covered thy ervah (nakedness); indeed, I swore an oath unto thee, and entered into a brit with thee, saith Adonoi Hashem, and thou becamest Mine.

⁹ Then washed I thee with mayim; indeed, I thoroughly washed away thy dahm from thee, and I anointed thee with shemen.

¹⁰ I clothed thee also with embroidered cloth, and shod thee with tachash leather, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

¹¹ I decked thee also with jewelry, and I put tzemidim (bracelets) upon thy hands, and a necklace chain on thy neck.

¹² And I put a nezem (ring) in thy nose, and earrings in thine oznayim, and an ateret tiferet upon thine rosh.

¹³ Thus wast thou decked with zahav and kesef; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth; thou didst eat fine flour, and devash, and shemen; and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst become fit for royalty.

¹⁴ And thy shem (name, renown) went forth among the Goyim on account of thy beauty; for it was perfect, through My hadar (splendor) which I had set upon thee, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the zonah because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy harlotry on every one that passed by; his it became.

¹⁶ And of thy begadim thou didst take, and adorned thy bamot te’lu’ot (gaudy high places, cult prostitution brilliantly colored harlot "beds"), and playedst the zonah thereupon; such things should not come, neither should they be.

¹⁷ Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of My zahav and of My kesef, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself tzelamim (images) of zakhar (male, i.e., phallic symbols), and didst play the zonah with them,

¹⁸ And tookest thy embroidered garments, and coveredst them [the idols]; and thou hast set Mine shemen and Mine ketoret before them [the idols].

¹⁹ My lechem also which I gave thee, solet (fine flour), and shemen, and devash, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them [the idols] for a re’ach hannichoach; and it was thus, saith Adonoi Hashem.

²⁰ Moreover thou hast taken thy banim and thy banot, whom thou hast borne unto Me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them [the idols] to be devoured. Was this thy zonah harlotry not enough,

²¹ That thou hast slaughtered My banim, and offered them to cause them to pass through the eish for them [the idols]?

²² And in all thine to’avot and thy zonah harlotry thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast erom (naked) and bare, and wast flailing about in thy dahm.

²³ And it came to pass after all thy ra’ah (wickedness)‖Oy, oy unto thee! saith Adonoi Hashem.

²⁴ That thou hast also built unto thee a gev (eminent place, cult prostitution shrine), and hast made thee a ramah (platform) in every rechov (public square).

²⁵ Thou hast built thy ramah at rosh derech (crossroad), and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast spread open thy raglayim to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy zonah harlotry.

²⁶ Thou hast also played the zonah fornicator with the Mitzrayim, thy very fleshy neighbors; and hast increased thy zonah harlotry, to provoke Me to anger.

²⁷ Hinei, therefore I have stretched out My yad against thee, and have diminished thine food ration, and delivered thee unto the nefesh (passionate desire) of them that hate thee, the banot Pelishtim (daughters of the Philistines), which are ashamed of thy derech zimmah (lewd deportment).

²⁸ Thou hast played the zonah also with Ashur, because thou wast insatiable; indeed, thou hast played the zonah with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

²⁹ Thou hast moreover multiplied thy zenut to eretz Kena’an unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied therewith.

³⁰ How degenerate is thine lev, saith Adonoi Hashem, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of a brazen isha zonah;

³¹ In that thou buildest thine gev in rosh kol derech, and makest thine ramah in every rechov; and hast not been as a zonah, in that thou scornest hire;

³² But as the isha (wife) the mena’efet (one that commiteth adultery), which taketh zarim instead of her ish!

³³ They give nedeh (gifts) to all zonot; but thou givest thy nadan (gift) to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy zenut.

³⁴ And the opposite is in thee from other nashim in thy zonah harlotry, whereas none doth solicit thee to commit zonah harlotry: and in that thou givest an etnan (payment), and no etnan is given unto thee, therefore thou art opposite.

³⁵ Therefore, O zonah, hear the Devar Hashem.

³⁶ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thy passion was poured out, and thy ervah uncovered through thy zonah harlotry with thy lovers, and with all the gillulim (idols) of thy to’avot, and by the dahm of thy banim, which thou didst give unto them;

³⁷ Hineni, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them around about against thee, and will uncover thy ervah (nakedness) unto them, that they may see all thy ervah (nakedness, pudenda).

³⁸ And I will judge thee, as nashim that are guilty of no’afot (acts of adulteresses, breaking wedlock) and shefach dahm are judged; and I will bring dahm upon thee in chemah (wrath) and kina (jealousy).

³⁹ And I will also give thee into their yad, and they shall throw down thine gev, and shall break down thy ramot (high places, cult prostitution sites of pagan worship); they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee erom (naked) and bare.

⁴⁰ They shall also bring up a kahal against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and hack thee to bits with their charavot (swords).

⁴¹ And they shall burn thine batim (houses) with eish, and execute shefatim (judgments) upon thee in the sight of many nashim; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the zonah, and thou also shalt give no etnan (payment) any more.

⁴² So will I make My chemah (wrath) toward thee to rest, and My kina (jealousy) shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

⁴³ Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast provoked Me in all these things; therefore surely I also will repay thy derech upon thine rosh, saith Adonoi Hashem; and thou shalt not commit this zimmah (lewdness) in addition to all thine to’avot.

⁴⁴ Hinei, every one that useth proverbs shall use this mashal against thee, saying, As is the imma (mother), so is her bat (daughter).

⁴⁵ Thou art bat of thy em, that despised her ish and her banim; and thou art the achot (sister) of thy akhayot, which despised their anashim and their banim; your em was a Chittit (Hittite), and your av an Emori (Amorite).

⁴⁶ And thine elder achot (sister) is Shomron, she and her banot that dwell to thy north; and thy younger achot, that dwelleth to thy south, is Sodom and her banot.

⁴⁷ Yet hast thou not walked after their drakhim, nor done after their to’avot; but, as if that were too little a thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy drakhim.

⁴⁸ As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, Sodom thy achot (sister) hath not done, she nor her banot, as thou hast done, thou and thy banot.

⁴⁹ Hinei, this was the avon Sodom thy achot; ga’on (pride), over fullness of lechem, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her banot, neither did she strengthen the yad of the oni (poor) and evyon (needy).

⁵⁰ And they were haughty, and committed to’evah before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw.

⁵¹ Neither hath Shomron committed half of thy chattot (sins); but thou hast multiplied thine to’avot more than they, and hast made thy akhayot (sisters) seem righteous in all thine to’avot which thou hast done.

⁵² Thou also, which hast judged thy akhayot (sisters), bear thine own shame for thy chattot (sins) that thou hast committed more abominable than theirs; they are more righteous than thou; indeed, be thou disgraced also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast made thy akhayot (sisters) seem righteous.

⁵³ When I shall restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her banot, and the fortunes of Shomron and her banot, then will I restore the fortunes of thy fortune among them:

⁵⁴ That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be disgraced in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.

⁵⁵ When thy akhayot (sisters), Sodom and her banot, shall return to their former state, and Shomron and her banot shall return to their former state, then thou and thy banot shall return to your former state.

⁵⁶ For thy achot (sister) Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy ga’on (pride),

⁵⁷ Before thy ra’ah (wickedness) was uncovered, as at the time of the cherpah (disgrace) of the banot Aram (Syria), and all that are around her, the banot of the Pelishtim (Philistines), which despise thee all around.

⁵⁸ Thou hast borne [the penalty of] thy zimmah (lewdness) and thine to’avot, saith Hashem.

⁵⁹ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the brit (covenant).

⁶⁰ Nevertheless I will remember My Brit (covenant) with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee a Brit Olam.

⁶¹ Then thou shalt remember thy drakhim, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy akhayot (sisters), thine elder and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for banot, but not because of thy brit (convenant) [i.e., Sodom and Shomron had no covenant with Hashem].

⁶² And I will establish My Brit (covenant) with thee; and thou shalt know that I am Hashem;

⁶³ That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I have made kapporah (atonement, i.e., when I am pacified, appeased) toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith Adonoi Hashem.

17 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, put forth an allegory, and speak a mashal unto the Bais Yisroel;

³ And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: A nesher hagadol with great kenafayim (wings), long pinions, full of plumage, which had various colors, came unto Levanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar.

⁴ He broke off its topmost young twig, and carried it into an eretz kena’an (land of trade); he set it in a city of merchants [i.e., Babylon].

⁵ He took also of the zera of ha’aretz, and planted it in a fertile sadeh; he placed it by abundant mayim, and set it out like a willow tree.

⁶ And it yitzmach (sprouted), and became a spreading gefen of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him; so it became a gefen (vine), and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

⁷ There was also another nesher hagadol with great kenafayim (wings) and many feathers; and, hinei, this gefen (vine) did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows where it had been planted.

⁸ It was planted in a sadeh tov by mayim rabbim, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear p’ri, that it might be a majestic gefen.

⁹ Say thou, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Shall it thrive? Shall he not pull up the shorashim (roots) thereof, and cut off the p’ri (fruit) thereof, that it wither? All of its tzemach (sprouted) leaves shall wither, even without great power or many peoples to pluck it up by the shorashim (roots) thereof.

¹⁰ Indeed, hinei, being transplanted, shall it thrive? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows where it tzemach (sprouted).

¹¹ Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹² Say now to bais hameri (the rebellious house), Know ye not what these things mean? Tell them: Hinei, Melech Bavel is come to Yerushalayim, and hath taken HaMelech thereof, and the sarim thereof, and led them with him to Bavel;

¹³ And hath taken of the royal zera, and cut a Brit with him, and hath taken an oath of him; he hath also taken away the mighty of ha’aretz;

¹⁴ That the mamlachah (kingdom) might be abased, that it might not exalt itself, but that by being shomer over his brit it might stand.

¹⁵ But he rebelled against him in sending his malachim into Mitzrayim, that they might give him susim and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Or shall he break the brit (covenant), and be delivered?

¹⁶ As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, surely in the makom where the melech dwelleth that made him melech, whose oath he despised, whose brit he broke, even with him in the midst of Bavel he shall die.

¹⁷ Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great kahal do anything for him in the milchamah, by casting up siege mounds, and building siegework, to cut off many nefashot.

¹⁸ Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the brit, when, hinei, he had given his yad [i.e., promised by oath], and still did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; As I live, surely Mine oath that he hath despised, and My Brit (covenant) that he hath broken, even it will I repay upon his own rosh.

²⁰ And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be caught in My snare, and I will bring him to Bavel, and will execute justice on him there for his ma’al (unfaithfulness) that he hath been unfaithful against Me.

²¹ And all his fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the cherev, and they that survive and remain shall be scattered toward kol ruach (all winds); and ye shall know that I Hashem have spoken it.

²² Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will plant it; I will break off from the top of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and prominent;

²³ On the high mountain of Yisroel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear p’ri (fruit), and be a majestic cedar; and under it shall dwell kol tzippor (every bird) of every wing; in the tzel (shadow) of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

²⁴ And all the trees of the sadeh shall know that I Hashem have brought down the high etz (tree), have exalted the low etz (tree), have dried up the green etz (tree), and have made the etz yavesh (dry tree) to flourish. I Hashem have spoken and have done it.

18 The Devar Hashem came unto me again, saying,

² What mean ye, that ye use this mashal concerning Admat Yisroel, saying, Avot have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the banim are set on edge?

³ As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this mashal in Yisroel.

⁴ Behold, all nefashot are Mine; as the nefesh of the av, so also the nefesh of the ben is Mine; the nefesh that sinneth, it shall die.

⁵ But if an ish be tzaddik, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah,

⁶ And hath not eaten [sacrifices of gillulim, idols] upon the harim, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the gillulim of Bais Yisroel, neither hath made tameh the isha of his neighbor, neither hath come near to an isha niddah,

⁷ And hath not oppressed any ish, but hath restored to the debtor his chavolah (pledge, collateral), hath spoiled none by a robber’s violence, hath given his lechem to the hungry, and hath covered the eirom (naked) with a garment;

⁸ He that hath not loaned gelt on neshekh, neither hath taken any tarbit (interest, usury), that hath withdrawn his yad from iniquity, hath executed mishpat emes between ish and ish,

⁹ Hath walked in My chukkot, and hath been shomer over My mishpatim, to do emes; he is tzaddik, he shall surely live, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁰ If he father a ben-paritz shofech dahm (a violent son who sheds blood), and that doeth the like to his brother,

¹¹ Though he [the av] doeth none of these; he [the ben] hath eaten [sacrifices to idols] upon the harim, and made tameh the isha of his neighbor,

¹² Hath oppressed the oni and evyon, hath spoiled by a robber’s violence, hath not restored the chavol (pledge), and hath lifted up his eyes to the gillulim, hath committed to’evah (abomination),

¹³ Hath loaned gelt upon neshekh (usury), and hath taken tarbit (interest); shall he then live? He shall not live; he hath done all these to’evot; he shall surely die; his dahm shall be upon him.

¹⁴ Now, hinei, if he father a ben, that seeth all the chattot aviv which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not like such,

¹⁵ That hath not eaten [sacrifices to idols] upon the harim, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the gillulim of Bais Yisroel, hath not made tameh the isha of his neighbor,

¹⁶ Neither hath oppressed any ish, hath not withheld the chavol (pledge), neither hath spoiled by a robber’s violence, but hath given his lechem to the hungry, and hath covered the eirom (naked) with a garment,

¹⁷ That hath taken off his yad from the oni, that hath not received neshekh (usury) nor tarbit (interest), hath executed My mishpat, hath walked in My chukkot; he shall not die for the avon aviv, he shall surely live.

¹⁸ As for aviv, because he cruelly oppressed with extortion, spoiled his brother by a robber’s violence, and did that which is not tov among his people, hinei, even he shall die in his avon.

¹⁹ Yet say ye, Why? Doth not the ben bear the avon (iniquity, guilt) of the av? When the ben hath done that which is mishpat and tzedakah, and hath been shomer over all My chukkot, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

²⁰ The nefesh that sinneth, it shall die. The ben shall not bear the avon of the av, neither shall the av bear the avon of the ben; the tzedakat hatzaddik shall be upon him, and the rishat rashah shall be upon him.

²¹ But if the rashah will turn from all his chattot that he hath committed, and be shomer over all My chukkot, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²² All his peysha’im that he hath committed, they shall not be remembered against him: in his tzidkat that he hath done he shall live.

²³ Have I any pleasure at all in the mot rashah? saith Adonoi Hashem. And not that he should make teshuvah from the darkhei of him, and live?

²⁴ But when the tzaddik turneth away from his tzedek, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the to’evot that the rashah doeth, shall he live? All his tzedek that he hath done shall not be remembered; in his ma’al (unfaithfulness) that he hath committed treachery, and in his chattat that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

²⁵ Yet ye say, The Derech Adonoi is not proper. Hear now, O Bais Yisroel: Is My Derech not proper? Is it not the drakhim of you that are not proper?

²⁶ When a tzaddik turneth away from his tzedek, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them, for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

²⁷ Again, when a rashah turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is mishpat and tzedakah, he shall save his nefesh alive.

²⁸ Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his peysha’im that he hath committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

²⁹ Yet saith Bais Yisroel, The Derech Adonoi is not proper. O Bais Yisroel, is My Derech not proper? Is it not the drakhim of you that are not proper?

³⁰ Therefore I will judge you, O Bais Yisroel, every one according to the drakhim of him, saith Adonoi Hashem. Make teshuvah, and turn yourselves from all your peysha’im, so avon shall not be your michshol (stumbling block, downfall).

³¹ Cast away from you all your peysha’im, whereby ye have committed peysha; and get you a lev chadash and a ruach chadashah [i.e., regeneration, new birth see Yn 3:3]; for why will ye die, O Bais Yisroel?

³² For I have no pleasure in the mot of him that dieth, saith Adonoi Hashem; therefore, make teshuva and live!

19 Moreover take thou up a kinah (lament) for the nasi’im of Yisroel,

² And say, What is immecha, a lioness? She lay down among arayot (lions), rearing her cubs among young lions.

³ And she brought up one of her cubs; it became a strong lion, and it learned to tear teref (prey); it devoured adam.

⁴ The Goyim also heard of him; he was trapped in their shachat (pit), and they brought him with hooks unto Eretz Mitzrayim.

⁵ Now when she saw that in vain she had waited, and her tikvah (hope) was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a strong lion.

⁶ And he went up and down among the arayot (lions), he became a strong lion, and learned to tear the teref, and devoured adam.

⁷ And he destroyed their strongholds, and he laid waste their towns; and eretz and the fulness thereof became desolate, through the sound of his roaring.

⁸ Then the Goyim set against him on every side from the medinot (provinces), and spread their reshet (net) over him; he was trapped in their shachat (pit [trap]).

⁹ And they put him in a neckstock with hooks, and brought him to Melech Bavel; they brought him into metzodot (fortresses), that his voice should no more be heard upon the harim of Yisroel.

¹⁰ Immecha is like a gefen (vine) full of shoots, planted by the mayim; she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of mayim rabbim.

¹¹ And she had strong branches that became the shivtei moshlim (scepters of rulers), and her stature towered above the thick branches, and she was seen in her height amid the dense branches.

¹² But she was uprooted in chemah (fury), she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her p’ri; her strong branches were broken and withered; the eish consumed them.

¹³ And now she is planted in the midbar, in a dry and thirsty eretz.

¹⁴ And eish is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her p’ri, so that she hath no strong branch to be a shevet (sceptre) to rule. This is a kinah lament, and shall be for a funeral dirge.

20 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain anashim of the zekenim of Yisroel came to inquire of Hashem, and sat before me.

² Then came the Devar Hashem unto me, saying,

³ Ben adam, speak unto the zekenim of Yisroel, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Are ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will not be inquired of by you.

⁴ Wilt thou judge them, ben adam, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the to’avot of their avot.

⁵ And say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: In the day when I chose Yisroel, and lifted up Mine yad [i.e., took a shevua] unto the zera Bais Ya’akov, and made Myself known unto them in Eretz Mitzrayim, when I lifted up Mine yad unto them, saying, I am Hashem Eloheichem;

⁶ In the day that I lifted up Mine yad unto them, to bring them forth from Eretz Mitzrayim into a land that I had searched out for them, zavat cholov udevash, which is the most beautiful of all lands;

⁷ Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every ish the shikkutzim before his eynayim, and make not yourselves tameh with the gillulim (idols) of Mitzrayim; I am Hashem Eloheichem.

⁸ But they rebelled against Me, and would not pay heed unto Me; they did not every ish cast away the shikkutzim from before their eynayim, neither did they forsake the gillulim (idols) of Mitzrayim; then I said, I will pour out My chemah (wrath) upon them, to vent My anger against them in the midst of Eretz Mitzrayim.

⁹ But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the Goyim, among whom they were living. In bringing them forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, in their sight I made Myself [publicly] known unto them.

¹⁰ Therefore I caused them to go forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and brought them into the midbar.

¹¹ And I gave them My chukkot, and made known to them My mishpatim, which if ha’adam does, he shall even live in them.

¹² Moreover also I gave them My Shabbatot, to be an Ot between Me and them, that they might know that I am Hashem that set them apart as kodesh.

¹³ But Bais Yisroel rebelled against Me in the midbar; they walked not in My chukkot, and they despised My mishpatim, which if ha’adam does, he shall even live in them; and My Shabbatot they greatly defiled; then I said, I would pour out My chemah (wrath) upon them in the midbar, to consume them.

¹⁴ But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the Goyim, in whose sight I brought them out.

¹⁵ Yet also I lifted up My Yad unto them in the midbar, that I would not bring them into ha’aretz which I had given them, zavat cholov udevash, the most beautiful of all lands;

¹⁶ Because they despised My mishpatim, and walked not in My chukkot, but profaned My Shabbatot; for their lev went after their gillulim (idols).

¹⁷ Nevertheless since Mine eye spared them from destroying them, I did not make an end of them in the midbar.

¹⁸ But I said unto their banim in the midbar, Walk ye not in the chukkot of avoteichem, neither be shomer over their mishpatim, nor make yourselves tameh with their gillulim (idols).

¹⁹ I am Hashem Eloheichem; walk in My chukkot, and be shomer over My mishpatim, and do them;

²⁰ And be shomer shabbos over My Shabbatot, keeping them kodesh; and they shall be an Ot between Me and you, that ye may know that I am Hashem Eloheichem .

²¹ Notwithstanding, the banim rebelled against Me; they walked not in My chukkot, neither were shomer over My mishpatim to do them, which if ha’adam does, he shall even live in them; they profaned My Shabbatot; then I said, I would pour out My chemah (wrath) upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midbar.

²² Nevertheless, I withdrew Mine yad, and acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the Goyim, in whose sight I brought them forth.

²³ I lifted up Mine yad unto them also in the midbar, that I would scatter them among the Goyim, and disperse them through the countries;

²⁴ Because they had not executed My mishpatim, but had despised My chukkot, and had profaned My Shabbatot, and their eynayim were after the gillulim of their fathers.

²⁵ Therefore I gave them also chukkot that were not tovim, and mishpatim whereby they could not live;

²⁶ And I pronounced them tameh (unclean) because of their own [ritual] gifts, in that they caused to pass through the eish all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Hashem.

²⁷ Therefore, ben adam, speak unto Bais Yisroel, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Yet in this avoteichem have made gidduf (blasphemy) against Me, in that they have been ma’al (unfaithful) to Me.

²⁸ For when I had brought them into ha’aretz, for the which I lifted up Mine yad to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their zevakhim, and there they presented the ka’as (provocation) of their korban; there also they made their re’ach hannichoach, and poured out there their nesakhim.

²⁹ Then I said unto them, What is the bamah whereunto ye go? And the shem whereof is called Bamah (High Place) unto this day.

³⁰ Therefore say unto Bais Yisroel, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Are ye ones making yourself tameh after the manner of avoteichem? And do ye commit zenut after their shikkutzim?

³¹ For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your banim to pass through the eish, ye make yourselves tameh with all your gillulim (idols), even unto this day; and shall I be inquired of by you, O Bais Yisroel? As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will not be inquired of by you.

³² And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all—that ye say, We will be as the Goyim, as the mishpekhot of the countries, to serve wood and even (stone).

³³ As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, surely with a yad chazakah, and with an outstretched zero’a, and with chemah (fury) poured out, will I rule over you;

³⁴ And I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a yad chazakah, and with an outstretched zero’a, and with chemah (wrath) poured out.

³⁵ And I will bring you into the midbar of the peoples, and there will I execute judgment with you face to face.

³⁶ Just as I judged avoteichem in the midbar of the Eretz Mitzrayim, so will I enter into judgment with you, saith Adonoi Hashem.

³⁷ And I will cause you to pass under the shevet (rod), and I will bring you into the bond of the brit (covenant);

³⁸ And I will purge out from among you the rebels and the posh’im against Me; I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn as gerim, and they shall not enter into Eretz Yisroel; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

³⁹ As for you, O Bais Yisroel, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Go ye, serve ye every one his gillulim, and hereafter since ye will not pay heed unto Me; and do not profane Shem Kodshi anymore with your gifts, and with your gillulim.

⁴⁰ For in Har Kodshi, in the mountain of the height of Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem, there shall all Bais Yisroel, all of them in ha’aretz, serve Me; there will I accept them, there will I require your terumot, the reshit of your offerings, with all your kodeshim.

⁴¹ I will accept you as a re’ach hannichoach, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will show Myself Kadosh among you before the eyes of the Goyim.

⁴² And ye shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall bring you into Admat Yisroel, into the country for which I lifted up Mine yad to give it to avoteichem.

⁴³ And there shall ye remember your drakhim, and all your doings, wherein ye have made yourselves tameh; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

⁴⁴ And ye shall know that I am Hashem when I have dealt with you for the sake of Shmi, not according to your wicked drakhim, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye Bais Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem.

^45 (21:1) Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

^46 (21:2) Ben adam, set thy face toward the south, and preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev;

^47 (21:3) And say to the forest of the Negev, Hear the Devar Hashem: Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I will kindle an eish in thee, and it shall devour every green etz (tree) in thee, and every dry etz (tree); the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the Negev to the north shall be scorched by it.

^48 (21:4) And all basar shall see that I Hashem have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.

^49 (21:5) Then said I, Ah Adonoi Hashem! They say of me, Doth he not speak meshalim (parables)?

21 ^(21:6) And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

^2 (21:7) Ben adam, set thy face toward Yerushalayim, and preach against the mikdashim, and prophesy against Admat Yisroel,

^3 (21:8) And say to Admat Yisroel, Thus saith Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, will draw forth My cherev out of its sheath, will cut off from thee the tzaddik and the rasha.

^4 (21:9) Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the tzaddik and the rasha, therefore shall My cherev go forth out of its sheath against kol basar from the Negev to the tzafon (north);

^5 (21:10) That kol basar may know that I Hashem have drawn forth My cherev out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.

^6 (21:11) Sigh therefore, thou ben adam, with a breaking heart; and with bitterness groan before their eynayim.

^7 (21:12) And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Why sighest thou? That thou shalt answer, For the news; because it cometh; and every lev shall melt, and all hands shall go limp with fear, and every ruach shall faint, and all birkayim (knees) shall be weak as mayim; hinei, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith Adonoi Hashem.

^8 (21:13) Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

^9 (21:14) Ben adam, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Adonoi: Say, A cherev, a cherev is sharpened, and also polished;

^10 (21:15) It is sharpened to make a dreadful tevo’ach; it is polished and lightening-like it flashes; should we then make mirth? The Shevet of Beni [Moshiach, Gn 49:10; 2Sm 7] despiseth kol etz (every tree).

^11 (21:16) And it is given to be polished, that it may be grasped with the palm; this cherev is sharpened, and it is polished, to deliver it into the yad of the slayer.

^12 (21:17) Cry and wail, ben adam; for it shall be upon My people, it shall be upon all the nasi’im of Yisroel; including terrors by reason of the cherev shall be upon My people; strike therefore upon thy thigh.

^13 (21:18) Because it is a testing, and what? Even if you despise the scepter [of Moshiach], will it be no more? saith Adonoi Hashem.

^14 (21:19) Thou therefore, ben adam, prophesy, and strike thine hands together, and let the cherev do double damage the third time, the cherev of the slain; it is the cherev for great slaughter—it surrounds them.

^15 (21:20) I have set the point of the cherev against all their she’arim, that their lev may faint, and many may stumble. Ah! It is made for flashing, it is wrapped for slaughter.

^16 (21:21) Go thee one way or the other, either on right hand, or on left, wherever thy face is appointed.

^17 (21:22) I will also strike Mine palm together, and I will appease My chemah (wrath). I Hashem have said it.

^18 (21:23) The Devar Hashem came unto me again, saying,

^19 (21:24) Also, thou, ben adam, appoint thee two drakhim, that the cherev of Melech Bavel may come; both two shall come forth out of one land; and make a sign, put it at the rosh derech (crossroads) to the Ir.

^20 (21:25) Appoint a derech, that the cherev may come to Rabbah Bnei Ammon, and to Yehudah in fortified Yerushalayim.

^21 (21:26) For Melech Bavel stood at the fork in the derech, at the rosh of the two drakhim, to use divination; he shook his khitzim (arrows), he consulted with teraphim, he looked in the liver.

^22 (21:27) At his right hand was the kesem (divination) for Yerushalayim, to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift up the voice with teru’ah (shouting), to appoint battering rams against the she’arim, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a siege work.

^23 (21:28) And it shall be unto them as a kesem shav (false divination) in their sight, to them that have sworn shevu’ot (oaths); but he will call to remembrance the avon, that they may be seized.

^24 (21:29) Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Because ye have made your avon to be remembered, in that your peysha’im are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be captured with the palm.

^25 (21:30) And thou, profane wicked nasi of Yisroel, whose day is come, when avon shall have an end,

^26 (21:31) Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Remove the mitznefet (turban), and take off the ateret; nothing shall be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is exalted.

^27 (21:32) I will make it overthrown, overthrown, overthrown: and it shall be no longer, ad bo asher lo hamishpat (until He come to whom the right it is); and I will give it him [Gn 49:10].

^28 (21:33) And thou, ben adam, prophesy and say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem concerning Bnei Ammon, and concerning their cherpah; even say thou: The cherev, the cherev is drawn; for the slaughter it is polished, to consume like lightning;

^29 (21:34) While they see chazon shav (vain visions) for thee, while they divine a kazav (lie) unto thee, to bring thee upon the tzavarot (necks) of them that are slain, of the resha’im, whose day is come, when their avon shall have an end.

^30 (21:35) Shall I cause it to return into its sheath? I will judge thee in the makom where thou wast created, in thine eretz moledet.

^31 (21:36) And I will pour out Mine za’am (indignation) upon thee, I will blow against thee in the eish of My wrath, and deliver thee into the yad of brutal anashim, skillful in destruction.

^32 (21:37) Thou shalt be for fuel to the eish; thy dahm shall be in the midst of ha’aretz; thou shalt be no more remembered; for I Hashem have spoken it.

22 Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Now, thou ben adam, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the ir hadamim (bloody city)? V’hoda’tah (thou shalt show, make to know, arraign) her all her to’avot (abominations).

³ Then say thou, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, The Ir has shefach dahm in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh gillulim (idols) against herself to make herself tameh (unclean).

⁴ Thou art become guilty by thy shefach dahm; and hast made thyself tameh in thine gillulim (idols) which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy shanot (years); therefore have I made thee a cherpah unto the Goyim, and a kallasa (mockery, laughingstock) to all countries.

⁵ Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock at thee, which art tameh hashem (defiled, unclean of name, reputation) and much in turmoil.

⁶ Hinei, the nasi’im (rulers) of Yisroel, every one has used his zero’a (arm, power) for shefach dahm in thee.

⁷ In thee have they treated with contempt av and em in the midst of thee; they have dealt by oshek (oppression) with the ger (alien, proselyte); in thee have they mistreated the yatom and the almanah.

⁸ Thou hast despised Mine kadoshim, and hast profaned My Shabbatot.

⁹ In thee are anashim that slander to cause shefach dahm; and in thee are they who eat upon the harim; in the midst of thee they commit zimmah (lewdness).

¹⁰ In thee have they uncovered the ervat av (nakedness of their father, i.e., had incest with mother or stepmother), in thee have they raped her that had the teme’at haniddah (the uncleanness of the menstruation period).

¹¹ And ish hath committed to’evah with his neighbor’s isha; and another hath lewdly made tameh his kallah (daughter-in-law); and another in thee hath raped his achot, his bat aviv.

¹² In thee have they taken shochad (bribe) for shefach dahm; thou hast taken neshekh (usury) and tarbit (interest), and thou hast unjustly profited from thy neighbors by oshek (opression, extortion), and hast forgotten Me, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹³ Hinei, therefore I have struck Mine palm at thy betza (dishonest gain) which thou hast made, and at thy bloodshed which hath been in the midst of thee.

¹⁴ Can thine lev stand firm, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I Hashem have spoken it, and will do it.

¹⁵ And I will scatter thee among the Goyim, and disperse thee throughout the countries, and will remove thy tum’a (uncleanness) out of thee.

¹⁶ And thou shalt defile thyself in the sight of the Goyim, and thou shalt know that I am Hashem.

¹⁷ And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁸ Ben adam, Bais Yisroel is to Me become sig (dross, smelting waste product); all they are nechoshet, and bedil (tin), and barzel (iron), and oferet (lead), in the midst of the kur (furnace); they are even the siggim (drosses) of kesef.

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; because ye are all become siggim, hineni, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Yerushalayim.

²⁰ As they gather kesef, and nechoshet, and barzel (iron), and oferet (lead), and bedil (tin), into the midst of the kur (furnace), to blow the eish upon the ore to melt it down; so will I gather you in Mine af (anger) and in My chemah (wrath), and I will position you there, and melt you down.

²¹ Indeed, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the eish of My evrah (wrath), and ye shall be melted down in the midst therof.

²² As kesef is melted down in the midst of the kur (furnace), so shall ye be melted down in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I Hashem have poured out My chemah (wrath) upon you.

²³ And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

²⁴ Ben adam, say unto her, Thou art eretz that is not metoharah (cleansed), nor rained upon in the Yom Za’am (Day of Indignation).

²⁵ There is a kesher of her nevi’im in the midst thereof, like a roaring ari (lion) tearing the prey; they have devoured nefesh; they have taken the khosen (treasure, wealth) and precious things; they have made her many almanot (widows) in the midst thereof.

²⁶ Her kohanim have done violence to My torah, and have profaned Mine kadoshim; they have put no difference between the kodesh and chol (common, profane), neither have they made a distinction between the tameh and the tahor, and have hid their eynayim from My Shabbatot, and I am profaned among them.

²⁷ Her sarim in the midst thereof are like ze’evim (wolves) tearing the prey, to do shefach dahm, and to destroy nefashot, to get betza (dishonest gain).

²⁸ And her nevi’im have plastered them with [dissolving] mud plaster, seeing vain visions, and divining kazav (lies) unto them, saying, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem, when Hashem hath not spoken.

²⁹ The am ha’aretz have used oshek (oppression, extortion) and commmitted gazel (robbery), and have mistreated the oni and evyon; indeed, they have treated the ger without mishpat (justice).

³⁰ And I sought for an ish among them, that should repair the gader (fence), and stand in the peretz (gap, breach) before Me on behalf of ha’aretz, that it might not be destroyed; but I found none.

³¹ Therefore have I poured out Mine za’am (indignation, rage) upon them; I have consumed them with the eish of My evrah (wrath); their own derech have I brought back upon their rosh, saith Adonoi Hashem.

23 The Davar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, there were two nashim, the banot of one em;

³ And they committed zonah harlotry in Mitzrayim; they committed zonah harlotry in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there their betulah bosom was caressed.

⁴ And the shmot of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholivah her achot; and they were Mine, and they bore banim and banot. Thus were their shmot: Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim Oholivah.

⁵ And Oholah (unfaithful to Me) played the zonah when she was Mine; and she lusted for her lovers, for Ashur [the Assyrian] warriors,

⁶ Which were clothed with royal blue, pachot (governors) and seganim (officials), all of them desirable bochurim, parashim (charioteers) driving susim.

⁷ Thus she committed her zonah harlotry with them, with all them that were the choice Bnei Ashur, and with all for whom she lusted; with all their gillulim (idols) she made herself tameh.

⁸ Neither did she give up her zonah harlotry brought from Mitzrayim; for in her youth they lay with her, and they caressed her betulah bosom, and poured out their zenut fornication upon her.

⁹ Therefore I have delivered her into the yad of her lovers, into the yad of the Bnei Ashur, upon whom she lusted.

¹⁰ These uncovered her ervah (nakedness); they took her banim and her banot, and slaughtered her with the cherev; and she became a shem (byword) among nashim; for they had executed judgments upon her.

¹¹ And when her achot Oholivah saw this, she was more depraved in her craving than she, her zonah harlotry became worse than the zonah harlotry of her achot.

¹² She lusted after the Bnei Ashur warriors, pachot and seganim, clothed most gorgeously, parashim driving susim, all of them desirable bochurim.

¹³ Then I saw that she had made herself tameh, that both of them had gone derech echad (the same road).

¹⁴ And that she increased her zonah harlotry; for when she saw anashim portrayed upon the kir (wall), the tzelamim (idol images) of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) portrayed in bright red,

¹⁵ Girded with ezor (belts) upon their waists, with flowing tevulim (turbans) upon their heads, all of them shalishim (ranking officers) to look to, after the demut (appearance) of those of Bnei Bavel Kasdim, their eretz moledet;

¹⁶ And as soon as she saw them with her eynayim, she lusted upon them, and sent malachim unto them into Chaldea.

¹⁷ And the Bnei Bavel came to her into the mishkav dodim (bed of love), and they made her tameh with their zenut (whoredom), and she was defiled by them, and her nefesh turned away from them in disgust.

¹⁸ So she uncovered her zonah harlotry, and uncovered her ervah: then My Nefesh was alienated from her, just as My Nefesh was alienated from her achot.

¹⁹ Yet she multiplied her zonah harlotry, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the zonah in Eretz Mitzrayim.

²⁰ For she lusted upon their pilagshim (illicit lovers), whose basar is as the basar of chamorim, and whose issue is like the issue of susim.

²¹ Thus thou calledst to remembrance the zimmah (lewdness) of thy youth, when those of Mitzrayim caressed thy bosom because of thy youthful bosom.

²² Therefore, O Oholivah, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I will stir up thy lovers against thee, from whom thou hast alienated thy nefesh, and I will bring them against thee on every side;

²³ The Bnei Baval, and all the Kasdim, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all the Bnei Ashur with them; all of them desirable bochurim, pachot and seganim, shalishim and renowned, all of them riding upon susim.

²⁴ And they shall come against thee with weapons, wheeled chariots, and with a kahal amim, which shall set against thee shield and mogen and kova (helmet) all around; they will array themselves against thee; and I will delegate mishpat to them, and they shall judge thee according to their mishpatim.

²⁵ And I will set My kina (jealousy) against thee, and they shall deal in chemah (wrath) with thee; they shall cut off thy nose and thine oznayim; and thy remnant shall fall by the cherev; they shall take thy banim and thy banot; and thy remnant shall be devoured by the eish.

²⁶ They shall also strip thee out of thy begadim, and take away thy beautiful jewels.

²⁷ Thus will I make thy zimmah (lewdness) to cease from thee, and thy zenut brought from Eretz Mitzrayim; so that thou shalt not lift up thine eynayim unto them, nor remember Mitzrayim any more.

²⁸ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hineni, I will deliver thee into the yad of them whom thou hatest, into the yad of them from whom thy nefesh is alienated;

²⁹ And they shall deal with thee b’sinah (in hatred), and shall take away all thou hast labored for, and shall leave thee erom (naked) and bare; and the ervah of thy zonah harlotry shall be uncovered, both thy zimmah (lewdness) and thy zonah harlotry.

³⁰ I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a-whoring after the Goyim, and because thou art made tameh with their gillulim.

³¹ Thou hast walked in the derech of thy achot; so will I give her kos into thine yad.

³² Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Thou shalt drink of thy achot’s kos deep and wide; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and held in derision; it containeth so much, filled to the brim.

³³ Thou shalt be filled with shikkaron (drunkenness) and sorrow, with the kos of horror and desolation, with the kos of thy achot Shomron.

³⁴ Thou shalt even drink it and drain it dry, and thou shalt break it into shards, and tear at thine own breasts; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

³⁵ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast forgotten Me, and thrust Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy zimmah and thy zonah harlotry.

³⁶ Hashem said moreover unto me: Ben adam, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholivah? Indeed, declare unto them their to’avot;

³⁷ That they have committed ni’uf, and dahm is on their hands, and with their gillulim (idols) have they committed ni’uf, and have also caused their banim, whom they bore unto Me, to pass for them through the eish, offering them as [sacrificial] food.

³⁸ Moreover this they have done unto Me: they have defiled My Mikdash in the same day, and have profaned My Shabbatot.

³⁹ For when they had slaughtered their banim to their gillulim (idols), then they came the same day, entering into My Mikdash to profane it; and, hinei, thus have they done in the midst of Mine Bais.

⁴⁰ And furthermore, they sent for anashim to come from afar, unto whom malach (messenger) had been sent; and, hinei, they came; the men for whom thou didst wash thyself, didst paint thy eynayim, and didst deck thyself with jewelry,

⁴¹ And satest upon a glorious mittah (couch), and a shulchan spread before it, whereupon thou hast set Mine ketoret and Mine shemen.

⁴² And a voice of a carefree multitude was with her; and with the anashim of the common rabble were brought Sabeans from the midbar, which put bracelets upon their hands, and ateret tiferet (beautiful crowns) upon their heads.

⁴³ Then said I unto her that was old in niufim (adulteries), Will they now commit zonah harlotry with her, and she with them?

⁴⁴ Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto an isha that playeth the zonah; so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholivah, the women of zimmah (lewdness).

⁴⁵ And the anashim tzaddikim, they shall judge them after the mishpat of no’afot (adulteresses), and after the mishpat of those guilty of shefach dahm; because they are no’afot (adulteresses), and dahm is on their hands.

⁴⁶ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will bring up a kahal upon them, and will give them over to be terrorized and plundered.

⁴⁷ And the kahal shall stone them with stones, and cut them down with their charavot (swords); they shall slay their banim and their banot, and burn up their batim (houses) with eish.

⁴⁸ Thus will I cause zimmah (lewdness) to cease out of ha’aretz, that all nashim may be warned not to practice your zimmah (lewdness).

⁴⁹ And they shall bring your zimmah (lewdness) upon you, and ye shall bear sins of your gillulim (idols); and ye shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

24 Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying [i.e., note Fast of Tevet],

² Ben adam, write thee the shem of the day, even of this very day; Melech Bavel laid his siege against Yerushalayim this very day.

³ And utter a mashal unto the bais hameri (the rebellious house), and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Set on the siyr (cooking pot), set it on, and also pour mayim into it;

⁴ Gather the pieces of meat thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice atzmot (bones).

⁵ Take the choice of the tzon, and arrange also the atzmot at its bottom, and make it boil well, and let them cook the atzmot of it therein.

⁶ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Oy to the ir hadamim (bloody city), to the siyr (pot) whose scum is therein, and whose scum has not been removed from it! Remove it piece by piece; no goral has fallen on it.

⁷ For her dahm is in the midst of her; she set it upon an exposed rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with aphar;

⁸ That it might cause chemah (fury) to come up to take vengeance; I have set her dahm upon the exposed rock, that it should not be covered.

⁹ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Oy to the ir hadamim (bloody city)! I will even make the pyre great.

¹⁰ Heap on wood, kindle the eish, cook the basar, and spice it well, and let the atzmot be burned.

¹¹ Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the nechoshet of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be melted in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.

¹² All efforts are wearied, [scum] is not removed, and her great scum went not forth out of her; in the eish shall be her scum.

¹³ In thy tum’a is zimmah; because I have made thee tahor, and thou wast not tahor, thou shalt not be made tahor from thy tum’a any more, until I have caused My chemah (fury, wrath) to subside upon thee.

¹⁴ I Hashem have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I relent: according to thy drakhim, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ Also the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁶ Ben adam, hineni, I take away from thee the makhmad (darling delight) of thine eynayim with a magefah (stroke); yet neither shalt thou wail nor weep, neither shall thy dema’ot (tears) run down.

¹⁷ Forbear to cry, make no evel (mourning) for the mesim (dead ones); bind the turban of thine rosh upon thee, and put thy sandals upon thy feet, and cover not thy safam (mustache), and eat not lechem anashim (bread of sorrow).

¹⁸ So I spoke unto HaAm (the people) in the boker (morning); and at erev (evening) my isha (wife) died; and I did in the boker (morning, i.e., the next morning after her death the previous evening) just as I was commanded.

¹⁹ And haam (the people) said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou art so doing?

²⁰ Then I answered them. The Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

²¹ Speak unto Bais Yisroel, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I will desecrate My Mikdash, the ga’on (pride) of your power, the makhmad of your [plural] eynayim, and the very passion of your nefesh; and your banim and your banot whom ye have left behind shall fall by the cherev.

²² And ye shall do just as I have done: ye shall not cover your safam (mustache), nor eat lechem anashim.

²³ And your turbans shall be upon your heads, and your sandals upon your feet; ye shall not wail nor weep; but ye shall waste away for your avonot, and groan one toward another.

²⁴ Thus Yechezkel is unto you as a mofet [See Zech 3:8; Isa 8:18]; according to all that he hath done shall ye do; and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

²⁵ Also, thou ben adam, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their ma’oz (stronghold), the joy of their tiferet (glory), the makhmad (desire) of their eynayim, and that on which their nefesh is uplifted—even their banim and their banot,

²⁶ That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear the news [of the fall of Jerusalem] with thine oznayim?

²⁷ In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more mute; and thou shalt be a mofet unto them; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

25 The Devar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, set thy face against the Bnei Ammon, and prophesy against them;

³ And say unto the Bnei Ammon, Hear the Devar Adonoi Hashem: thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou saidst, Aha, against my [Beis Ha] Mikdash, when it was desecrated; and against Admat Yisroel, when it was laid waste; and against the Bais Yehudah, when they went into Golus;

⁴ Hineni, therefore I will deliver thee to the Bnei Kedem for a morashah (possession, inheritance), and they shall set up their camps in thee, and make their mishkanim in thee; they shall eat thy pri, and they shall drink thy cholov (milk).

⁵ And I will make Rabbah a pasture for gemalim (camels), and the Bnei Ammon a resting place for tzon; and ye shall have da’as that I am Hashem.

⁶ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the regel, and rejoiced with all thy malice against Admat Yisroel;

⁷ Hineni, therefore I will stretch out mine yad upon thee, and will hand thee over for plunder to the Goyim; and I will cut thee off from the nations, and I will cause thee to perish from the countries; I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am Hashem.

⁸ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because Moav and Seir do say, Hinei, the Bais Yehudah is like all the Goyim;

⁹ Therefore, hineni, I will open the flank of Moav of its towns, of its towns which are on its frontier, the glory of the Eretz Beit HaYeshimot, Ba’al Meon, and Kiryataim.

¹⁰ Unto the Bnei Kedem along with the Bnei Ammon will I give them as a morashah, so that the Bnei Ammon will not be remembered among the Goyim.

¹¹ And I will execute shfatim (punishments) upon Moav; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

¹² Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because Edom hath dealt against the Bais Yehudah by taking vengeance, and with great asham (guilt) offended, and revenged himself upon them;

¹³ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will also stretch out Mine yad upon Edom, and will cut off adam and behemah from it; and I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan shall they fall by the cherev.

¹⁴ And I will take My vengeance upon Edom by the yad of My people Yisroel; and they shall do in Edom according to Mine anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because the Pelishtim (Philistines) have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with malice in nefesh, to destroy it for the eyvat olam (ancient enmity);

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I will stretch out Mine yad upon the Pelishtim (Philistines), and I will cut off the Keretim, and destroy the she’erit (remnant) of the seacoast.

¹⁷ And I will execute great vengeance upon them with tokhechot chemah (punishments of wrath); and they shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall take my vengeance upon them.

26 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, because that Tzor (Tyre) hath said against Yerushalayim, Aha, she is broken that was the daletot (gates) of the nations; she is turned over to me; I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste;

³ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, O Tzor (Tyre), and will cause Goyim rabbim to come up against thee, like the yam (sea) causeth its waves to come up.

⁴ And they shall destroy the chomot (walls) of Tzor (Tyre), and break down her migdalim (towers); I will also scrape her aphar from her, and make her into a barren rock.

⁵ It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the yam; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem; and it shall become a plunder to the Goyim.

⁶ And her banot which are in the sadeh shall be slain by the cherev; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

⁷ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hineni, I will bring upon Tzor (Tyre) Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, a melech melachim, from the tzafon (north), with sus, and with chariots, and with parashim, and a kahal with much people.

⁸ He shall slay with the cherev thy banot in the sadeh; and he shall heap up a siege mound against thee, and build a ramp against thee, and lift up the shield against thee.

⁹ And he shall set battering rams against thy chomot (walls), and with his weapons he shall break down thy migdalim (towers).

¹⁰ By reason of the abundance of his susim their dust shall cover thee; thy chomot (walls) shall shake at the noise of the parash (warhorse), and of the galgal (wheel), and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy she’arim, as invaders swarm into a breached ir.

¹¹ With the hooves of his susim shall he trample down all thy streets; he shall slay thy people by the cherev, and thy strong pillars shall fall to the eretz.

¹² And they shall plunder thy riches, and pillage thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy chomot, and destroy thy batim (houses) of chemdah (desire, i.e., thy finest dwellings); and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy aphar in the midst of the mayim.

¹³ And I will cause the sound of thy shirim (songs) to cease; and the sound of thy kinnorot shall be no more heard.

¹⁴ And I will make thee like the top of a barren rock; thou shalt be for spreading nets upon; thou shalt be rebuilt no more; for I Hashem have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem to Tzor (Tyre): Shall not the coastlands tremble fearfully at the sound of thy fall, when the chalal (wounded) cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

¹⁶ Then all the nasi’im of the yam shall come down from their kisse’ot (thrones), and lay aside their robes, and put off their embroidered garments; they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon ha’aretz, and shall tremble at every moment, and be horrified at thee.

¹⁷ And they shall take up a kinah (lament, funeral dirge) for thee, and say to thee, How thou hast perished, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned ir (city), which wast chazakah on the yam, she and her inhabitants, which spread their terror—all who live there [in Tyre].

¹⁸ Now shall the coastlands tremble in the day of thy fall; indeed, the coastlands that are in the yam shall be traumatized at thy exile.

¹⁹ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: When I shall make thee a desolate ir, like the towns that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the tehom upon thee, and the mayim harabbim (great waters) shall cover thee;

²⁰ When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the bor (pit), with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of ha’aretz, in places desolate from of old, with them that go down to the bor (pit), so that thou be not inhabited; but I shall bestow splendor on Eretz Chayyim;

²¹ I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more; though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith Adonoi Hashem.

27 The Davar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

² Now, thou ben adam, take up a kinah (lamentation) for Tzor (Tyre);

³ And say unto Tzor (Tyre), O thou that dwell at the entrance of the yam, which art a merchant of the peoples for many coastlands, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; O Tzor (Tyre), thou hast said, I am perfect in beauty.

⁴ Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy bonim (builders) have perfected thy beauty.

⁵ They have built all thy ship plank boards of beroshim (juniper) of Senir; they have taken cedars from Levanon to make masts for thee.

⁶ Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; thy hull of pines inlaid with ivory, they made from that brought out of the isles of Kittim (Cyprus).

⁷ Fine linen with embroidered work from Mitzrayim was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy nes (sail); blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was that which covered thee.

⁸ The inhabitants of Tzidon and Arvad were thy oarsmen; thy chachamim, O Tzor (Tyre), that were in thee, were thy helmsmen.

⁹ The elders of Geval and the chachamim thereof were in thee thy caulkers to caulk thy seams; all the oniyyot of the yam with their oarsmen were in thee to market thy merchandise.

¹⁰ They of Paras (Persia) and of Lud (Lydia] and of Put (Libya) were in thine army, thy anshei hamilchamah; they hanged the mogen and kova (helmet) in thee; they set forth thy splendor.

¹¹ The anashim of Arvad with thine army were upon thy chomot (walls) all around, and the men of Gammad were in thy migdalim (towers); they hung their shields upon thy chomot (walls) all around; they have made thy beauty perfect.

¹² Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with kesef, barzel (iron), bedil (tin), and oferet (lead), they traded for thy goods.

¹³ Yavan, Tuval, and Meshech, they were thy merchants; they traded the nefesh adam and kelim (vessels) of nechoshet for thy merchandise.

¹⁴ They of the Bais Togarmah traded for thy wares with susim and parash and peradim (mules).

¹⁵ The Bnei Dedan were thy merchants; many coastlands were the market of thine yad; they brought thee for a payment karnot (tusks) of shen (ivory) and ebony.

¹⁶ Aram (Syria) was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the goods of thy making; they gave thee for thy wares emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and rubies.

¹⁷ Yehudah, and Eretz Yisroel, they were thy merchants; they traded for thy merchandise chittim (wheat) of Minnit, and balsam oil, and devash, and shemen, and balm.

¹⁸ Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the yayin of Chelbon, and white wool.

¹⁹ Vedan also and Yavan (Greece) provided for your wares with fine yarn; wrought iron, cassia, and cane, were among thy merchandise.

²⁰ Dedan was thy merchant in saddle blankets for riding.

²¹ Arabia, and all the nasi’im of Kedar, they traded with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats; in these were they thy merchants.

²² The merchants of Sheva and Ra’amah, they were thy merchants; they traded as peddlers with choicest spices, and with all kinds of even yekarah (precious stones), and zahav.

²³ Charan, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheva, Asshur (Assyria), and Kilmad, were thy merchants.

²⁴ These were thy merchants in choice things, in purple clothes, and embroidered work, and in chests of multicolored apparel, bound with chavalim (cords) and cedar boxed in thy marketplace.

²⁵ The oniyyot of Tarshish were carriers of thy merchandise; and thou wast filled, and made very glorious in the midst of the yamim (seas).

²⁶ Thy oarsmen have brought thee into mayim rabbim; the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the yamim (seas).

²⁷ Thy riches, and thy wares, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy sailors, thy caulkers, and the dealers in thy merchandise, and all thy anshei hamilchamah, that are in thee, and in all thy kahal (company) which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the yamim (seas) in the day of thy shipwreck.

²⁸ The migroshot (open pasturelands) shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy seamen.

²⁹ And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the sailors of the yam, shall come down from their oniyyot, they shall stand upon the shore;

³⁰ And shall cause their kol (voice) to be heard because of thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up aphar (dust) upon their heads, they shall roll themselves in the ashes;

³¹ And they shall [in mourning] make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird themselves with sackcloth and shall weep for thee with mar nefesh and bitter mourning.

³² And in their wailing they shall take up a kinah (lamentation) for thee, and lament over thee, saying, Who is like Tzor, like the destroyed in the midst of the yam?

³³ When thy wares went forth by sea, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the melachim of ha’aretz with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.

³⁴ In the time when thou shalt be broken by the yamim (seas) in the depths of the mayim, thy merchandise and all thy kahal (company) in the midst of thee shall fall.

³⁵ All the inhabitants of the coastlands shall be astonished at thee, and their melachim shall be very afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance.

³⁶ The socharim (merchants) among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a horror, and ad olam (forever) thou shalt be no more.

28 The Davar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, say unto the Nagid Tzor, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thine lev is lifted up [in pride], and thou hast said, El ani (I am a g-d), and I sit on a moshav elohim (seat of g-ds), in the midst of the yamim (seas); yet thou art adam, and not El, though thou set thine mind as the lev elohim;

³ Hinei, thou art more chacham than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee;

⁴ With thy chochmah and with thine tevunah (understanding) thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten zahav and kesef into thy otzarot;

⁵ By thy great chochmah in thy trade hast thou increased thy riches, and thine lev is lifted up [in pride] because of thy riches;

⁶ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast set thine mind as the lev elohim;

⁷ Hineni, therefore I will bring zarim upon thee, the most terrible of the Goyim; and they shall draw their charavot (swords) against the beauty of thy chochmah, and they shall defile thy splendor.

⁸ They shall bring thee down to the shachat (pit), and thou shalt die the deaths [actually death; see intensive plural, Isa 53:9] of them that are slain in the midst of the yamim (seas).

⁹ Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, Elohim ani? But thou art adam, and no El, in the yad of him that slayeth thee.

¹⁰ Thou shalt die the deaths [actually death, see v.8] of the arelim (uncircumcised) by the yad of zarim; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹¹ Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹² Ben adam, take up a kinah (lamentation) upon HaMelech Tzor (Tyre), and say unto him, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Thou wast the chotam (seal) of perfection, full of chochmah, and perfect in beauty.

¹³ Thou hast been in Eden, Gan Elohim; every even yekarah (precious stone) was thy covering, the ruby, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, and the emerald, and zahav; the workmanship of thy hand drums and of thy wind instruments was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

¹⁴ Thou art the keruv mimshach (anointed cherub) that guardeth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the Har Kodesh Elohim; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of eish.

¹⁵ Thou wast tamim in thy drakhim from the day that thou wast created, until wickedness was found in thee.

¹⁶ By the multitude of thy trading they have filled the midst of thee with chamas, and thou hast sinned; therefore I will banish thee as profane out of the Har Elohim; and I will destroy thee, O guardian keruv, from the midst of the stones of eish.

¹⁷ Thine lev was lifted up [in pride] because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy chochmah by reason of thy splendor; I will cast thee to eretz (earth), I will lay thee before melachim, that they may gaze upon thee.

¹⁸ Thou hast defiled thy mikdashim by the multitude of thine avonot, by the avon of thy trading; therefore will I bring forth an eish from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee, and I will reduce thee to ashes upon ha’aretz in the sight of all them that gaze upon thee.

¹⁹ All they that know thee among the peoples shall be appalled at thee; thou shalt be a horror, and thou shalt be no more, ad olam.

²⁰ Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

²¹ Ben adam, set thy face toward Tzidon (Sidon), and prophesy against it,

²² And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, O Tzidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee; and they shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall have executed shefatim (punishments, judgments) in her, and I shall show Myself as set apart as kodesh in her.

²³ For I will send into her dever, and dahm into her streets; and the slain shall be judged in the midst of her by the cherev upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

²⁴ And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the Bais Yisroel, nor any painful kotz (thorn) of all that are around them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

²⁵ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: When I shall have gathered the Bais Yisroel from the people among whom they are scattered, and I shall show Myself as set apart as kodesh in them in the sight of the Goyim, then shall they dwell in their adamah (land) that I have given to Avdi Ya’akov (My servant Jacob).

²⁶ And they shall dwell securely therein, and shall build batim (houses), and plant kramim (vineyards); indeed, they shall dwell securely, when I have executed shefatim (judgments) upon all those that despise them all around them; and they shall know that I am Hashem Eloheihem.

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, set thy face against Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and prophesy against him, and against all Mitzrayim:

³ Speak, and say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, the great monster that lieth in the midst of his channels, which hath said, My Nile is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

⁴ But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the dag (fish) of thy channels to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy river channels, and all the dag (fish) of thy channels shall stick unto thy scales.

⁵ And I will throw thee out into the midbar, thee and all the dag (fish) of thy river channels; thou shalt fall upon the open sadeh; thou shalt not be picked up together, nor gathered; I have given thee for food to the beasts of ha’aretz and to the oph HaShomayim.

⁶ And all the inhabitants of Mitzrayim shall know that I am Hashem, because they have been mishenet kaneh (a staff of reed) to Bais Yisroel.

⁷ When they took hold of thee by thy palm, thou didst splinter, and tear all their katef (shoulder); and when they leaned upon thee, thou broke, and madest all their loins unsteady.

⁸ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I will bring a cherev upon thee, and cut off adam and behemah from thee.

⁹ And Eretz Mitzrayim shall be desolate and in ruins; and they shall know that I am Hashem; because he hath said, The Nile is Mine, and I have made it.

¹⁰ Hineni, therefore I am against thee, and against thy river channels, and I will make Eretz Mitzrayim utterly ruins and desolate, from Migdol to Aswan even unto the border of Kush.

¹¹ No regel of adam shall pass through it, nor regel of behemah shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited arba’im shanah.

¹² And I will make Eretz Mitzrayim desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her towns among the towns that are laid waste shall be desolate arba’im shanah; and I will scatter the Mitzrayim among the Goyim, and will disperse them through the countries.

¹³ Yet thus saith Adonoi Hashem: At the end of arba’im shanah will I gather Mitzrayim from the peoples where they were scattered;

¹⁴ And I will bring back the captives of Mitzrayim, and will cause them to return into Eretz Patros, into the land of their ancestry; and they shall be there a lowly mamlachah.

¹⁵ It shall be the shefalah (lowliest) of the mamlechot; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the Goyim; for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the Goyim.

¹⁶ And it shall be no more the confidence of Bais Yisroel, but shall bring their avon to remembrance, when they turned toward them; but they shall know that I am Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁷ And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the Davar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁸ Ben adam, Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel caused his army to avodah gedolah (labor strenuously) against Tzor (Tyre); every rosh was rubbed bare, and every katef (shoulder) was rubbed raw; yet had he no sachar (pay), nor his army, from Tzor (Tyre), for the avodah that he had served against it;

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hineni, I will give Eretz Mitzrayim unto Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel; and he shall take her wealth, and take her plunder, and pillage her booty; and it shall be the sachar (wages) for his army.

²⁰ I have given him Eretz Mitzrayim as his pay for which he worked, because they worked for Me, saith Adonoi Hashem.

²¹ In that day will I cause the keren (horn, strength) of Bais Yisroel to atzmiach (branch, sprout), and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

30 The Davar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, prophesy, say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Wail ye, Alas for the day!

³ For the day is near, even the Yom Hashem is near, a Yom Anan (Day of Cloud); it shall be the time of the Goyim.

⁴ And the cherev shall come upon Mitzrayim, and great anguish shall be in Kush (Ethiopia), when the slain shall fall in Mitzrayim, and they shall take away her wealth, and her yesodot (foundations) shall be broken down.

⁵ Kush, and Put, and Lud, and all the mixed horde, and Libya, and the Bnei Eretz HaBrit with them, shall fall by the cherev.

⁶ Thus saith Hashem: They also that support Mitzrayim shall fall; and the ga’on (pride) of her strength shall come down; from Migdol to Aswan shall they fall within her by the cherev, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁷ And they shall be desolate betoch (in the midst of) the countries that are desolate, and her towns shall be in the midst of the towns that are laid waste.

⁸ And they shall know that I am Hashem, when I have set an eish in Mitzrayim, and when all her allies shall be destroyed.

⁹ In that day shall malachim go forth from Me in ships to make the complacently secure Ethiopians afraid, and great anguish shall come upon them, as in the Yom Mitzrayim; for, hinei, it cometh.

¹⁰ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; I will also cause the multitude of Mitzrayim to cease by the yad of Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel.

¹¹ He and his army with him, the most terrible of the Goyim, shall be brought in to destroy ha’aretz; and they shall draw their charavot (swords) against Mitzrayim, and fill ha’aretz with the slain.

¹² And I will make the river channels dry, and sell ha’aretz to the yad ra’im; I will make eretz desolate, and all that is therein, by the yad of zarim. I Hashem have spoken it.

¹³ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will also destroy the gillulim (idols), and I will cause their elilim (images, false g-ds) to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a nasi of Eretz Mitzrayim; and I will put fear in Eretz Mitzrayim.

¹⁴ And I will make Patros desolate, and will kindle eish, setting fire to Tzoan, and will execute shefatim (judgments, punishments) in No.

¹⁵ And I will pour My fury upon Siyn, the ma’oz (stronghold) of Mitzrayim; and I will cut off the multitude of No.

¹⁶ And I will kindle eish, setting fire to Mitzrayim; Siyn shall writhe in anguish, and No shall be breached, and Noph shall be taken by storm in broad daylight.

¹⁷ The bochurim of On and of Pi-veset shall fall by the cherev; and these towns shall go into captivity.

¹⁸ At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Mitzrayim; and the ga’on (pride) of her strength shall cease in her; as for her, an anan (a cloud) shall cover her, and her banot shall go into captivity.

¹⁹ Thus will I execute shefatim (judgments) in Mitzrayim; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

²⁰ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

²¹ Ben adam, I have broken the zero’a of Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim; and, hinei, it shall not be bound up to bring refu’ot (healing), nor a splint put on to bind it, to make it strong to hold the cherev.

²² Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, I am against Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and will break his zero’ot (arms), the chazakah (strong), and that which was broken; and I will cause the cherev to fall out of his yad.

²³ And I will scatter Mitzrayim among the Goyim, and will disperse them through the countries.

²⁴ And I will strengthen the zero’ot (arms) of Melech Bavel, and put My cherev in his yad; but I will break the zero’ot of Pharaoh, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of the mortally wounded.

²⁵ But I will strengthen the zero’ot (arms) of Melech Bavel, and the zero’ot (arms) of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall put My cherev into the yad of Melech Bavel, and he shall stretch it out against Eretz Mitzrayim.

²⁶ And I will scatter the Mitzrayim among the Goyim, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

31 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, speak unto Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

³ Hinei, Ashur (the Assyrian) was a cedar in Levanon with yafeh branches, and with a forest shade, and of a high stature; and his top was above the thick boughs.

⁴ The mayim made it grow, the tehom (underground water) set him up in height by her streams flowing all around its planting, and sent her rivulets unto all the trees of the sadeh.

⁵ Therefore his height was exalted above kol atzei hasadeh (all the trees of the field), and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the mayim rabbim, as it sent them out.

⁶ All the oph HaShomayim made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the sadeh give birth to their young, and under his tzel (shadow) dwelt kol Goyim rabbim.

⁷ Thus was he beautiful in his gadol (greatness), in the length of his branches; for his shoresh (root) reached to mayim rabbim.

⁸ The cedars in the Gan Elohim could not compare with him; the pine trees were not like his boughs, and the plane trees were not like his branches; nor any etz (tree) in the Gan Elohim was like unto him in his beauty.

⁹ I have made him beautiful by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the Gan Elohim, envied him.

¹⁰ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because thou hast increased thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top above the thick boughs, and his lev is proudly lifted up in his height,

¹¹ I have therefore delivered him into the yad of the mighty one of the Goyim; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out according to his wickedness.

¹² And zarim, the most terrible of the Goyim, have cut him down, and have left him; upon the harim and in all the ge’ayot (valleys) his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the ravines of the earth; and kol Amei HaAretz (all the nations of the earth) departed from his tzel (shade), and forsook him.

¹³ Upon his ruin shall all the oph Shomayim remain, and all the beasts of the sadeh shall come to his branches;

¹⁴ To the end that none of all the trees by the mayim exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top above the thick boughs, and that no trees that drink mayim may reach up to them in height; for they are all delivered unto mavet, to the depths of ha’aretz, in the midst of the bnei adam, with them that go down to the bor (pit).

¹⁵ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning; I covered the tehom (deep) for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof, and the mayim rabbim were held back; and I caused Levanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the sadeh wilted and fainted for him.

¹⁶ I made the Goyim to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the bor (pit); and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Levanon, all that drink mayim, shall be consoled in the depths of ha’aretz.

¹⁷ They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that be slain with the cherev; and they that were his zero’a, that dwelt under his tzel (shade) in the midst of the Goyim.

¹⁸ To whom art thou thus like in kavod and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the depths of ha’aretz; thou shalt lie in the midst of the arelim (uncircumcised) with them that be slain by the cherev. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith Adonoi Hashem.

32 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, take up a kinah (lamentation) for Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and say unto him, Thou art like a lion of the Goyim, and thou art as a sea monster in the yamim (seas); and thou thrash about in thy rivers, and troubledst the mayim with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.

³ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I will therefore spread out My net over thee with a kahal of amim rabbim; and they shall draw thee up in My net.

⁴ Then will I throw thee upon ha’aretz, I will cast thee forth upon the open sadeh, and will cause all the oph HaShomayim to settle upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of kol ha’aretz (the whole earth) with thee.

⁵ And I will lay thy basar upon the harim, and fill the ge’ayot (valleys) with thy height.

⁶ I will also water with thy flowing dahm eretz even up to the harim; and the ravines shall be full of thee.

⁷ And when I shall put out thy light, I will cover the Shomayim, and make the kokhavim thereof dark; I will cover the shemesh with an anan (cloud), and the yarei’ach (moon) shall not give her light.

⁸ All the bright lights of Shomayim will I make dark over thee, and set choshech upon thy land, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁹ I will also trouble the hearts of amim rabbim (many peoples), when I shall bring thy destruction among the Goyim, into the countries which thou hast not known.

¹⁰ Indeed, I will make amim rabbim (many peoples) appalled at thee, and their melachim shall be horribly afraid because of thee when I brandish My cherev before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every ish for his own nefesh, in the day of thy downfall.

¹¹ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Cherev of Melech Bavel shall come upon thee.

¹² By the charavot (swords) of the gibborim (mighty) will I cause thy multitude to fall, the most terrible of the Goyim, all of them; and they shall plunder the ga’on (pomp) of Mitzrayim, and all the multitude thereof shall be made shmad.

¹³ I will destroy also all the behemah thereof from beside the mayim rabbim; neither shall the regel adam muddy them any more, nor the hooves of beasts muddy them.

¹⁴ Then will I make their mayim clear, and cause their rivers to run like shemen, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ When I shall make Eretz Mitzrayim desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall strike all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am Hashem.

¹⁶ This is the kinah (lamentation) wherewith they shall lament her; the banot of the Goyim shall lament her; they shall lament for her, even for Mitzrayim, and for all her multitude, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁷ It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁸ Ben adam, wail for the multitude of Mitzrayim, and send them down, even her, and the banot of the mighty Goyim, unto the depths of ha’aretz, with them that go down into the bor (pit).

¹⁹ Whom dost thou surpass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid with the arelim (uncircumcised).

²⁰ They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the cherev; she is delivered to the cherev; drag her off and all her multitudes.

²¹ The mightiest among the gibborim shall speak to him out of the midst of Sheol with them [that as allies] help him; they are gone down, they lie with the arelim (uncircumcised), slain by the cherev.

²² Ashur (Assyria) is there and all her kahal; his kevarim are about him; all of them slain, fallen by the cherev;

²³ Whose kevarim are set in the recesses of the bor (pit), and her kahal (company) is all around her kevurah; all of them slain, fallen by the cherev, which caused terror in Eretz Chayyim.

²⁴ There is Elam and all her multitude around her kevurah, all of them slain, fallen by the cherev, which are gone down arelim (uncircumcised) into the lower parts of ha’aretz, which caused their terror in Eretz Chayyim; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the bor (pit).

²⁵ They have set her a mishkav (bed) in the midst of the slain with all her multitude; her kevarim are all around him; all of them arelim (uncircumcised), slain by the cherev; for they spread terror in Eretz Chayyim, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the bor (pit); he is put in the midst of them that are slain.

²⁶ There is Meshech, Tuval, and all her multitude; her kevarim are all around him; all of them arelim (uncircumcised), slain by the cherev, though they caused their terror in Eretz Chayyim.

²⁷ And they shall not lie with the gibborim that are fallen of the arelim (uncircumcised), which are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of milchamah; and they have laid their charavot (swords) under their heads, but their avonot shall be upon their atzmot, though they were the terror of the gibborim in Eretz Chayyim.

²⁸ Indeed, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the arelim (uncircumcised), and shalt lie with them that are slain with the cherev.

²⁹ There is Edom, her melachim, and all her nasi’im, which despite their gevurah (might) are laid beside them that were slain by the cherev; they shall lie with the arelim (uncircumcised), and with them that go down to the bor.

³⁰ There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all those of Tzidon, which are gone down with the slain; in shame at the terror which they caused by their gevurah (might); and they lie as arelim (uncircumcised) with them that be slain by the cherev, and bear their shame with them that go down to the bor.

³¹ Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be consoled over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the cherev, saith Adonoi Hashem.

³² For I have caused My terror in Eretz Chayyim; and he shall be laid in the midst of the arelim (uncircumcised) with them that are slain with the cherev, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith Adonoi Hashem.

33 Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben Adam, speak to the Bnei Amecha, and say unto them, When I bring the cherev upon eretz, if the Am HaAretz take ish echad (one man) within their midst, and appoint him for their tzofeh (watchman, sentinel),

³ If when he seeth the cherev come upon HaAretz, he blow the shofar, and warn HaAm;

⁴ Then whosoever heareth the sound of the shofar, and taketh not warning; if the cherev come, and take him away, his dahm shall be upon his own rosh.

⁵ He heard the sound of the shofar, and took not warning; his dahm shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall save his nefesh.

⁶ But if the tzofeh (watchman, sentinel) see the cherev coming, and blow not the shofar, and HaAm be not warned; if the cherev come, and take any nefesh from among them, he is taken away in his avon (iniquity); but for his dahm will I require [an accounting] at the yad HaTzofeh.

⁷ So thou, O Ben Adam, I have set thee a tzofeh unto the Bais Yisroel; therefore thou shalt hear the Davar at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.

⁸ When I say unto the rashah (wicked man), O rashah, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the rashah from his derech, that rashah shall die in his avon (iniquity); but for his dahm will I require [an accounting] at thine yad.

⁹ Nevertheless, if thou warn the rashah of his derech to turn from it; if he does not turn from his derech, he shall die in his avon (iniquity); but thou hast saved thy nefesh.

¹⁰ Therefore, O thou Ben Adam, speak unto Bais Yisroel: Thus ye have spoken, saying, If peysha’einu (our transgressions, rebellions) and chattoteinu (our sins) be upon us, and because of them we are rotting away, how should we then live?

¹¹ Say unto them, As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I have no pleasure in the mot of the rashah; but that the rashah make teshuvah from his derech and live; shuvu (turn ye), shuvu (turn ye) from your drakhim hara’im; for why will ye die, O Bais Yisroel?

¹² Therefore, thou Ben Adam, say unto the Bnei Amecha, The tzidkat hatzaddik (righteousness of a righteous man) shall not save him in his Yom Peysha (Day of Rebellion, Day of his Transgession); as for the rishat harashah, he shall not fall thereby in his Yom Shuv (Day of Turning, Repentance) from his resha; neither shall the tzaddik be able to live his tzedakah in his Yom Chattot (day when he commits sin).

¹³ When I shall say to the tzaddik, that he shall surely live, if he trust in his own tzedakah, and commit evil, all his tzidkot (righteousnesses) shall not be remembered; but for his evil that he hath committed, he shall die in it.

¹⁴ Again, when I say unto the rashah, Thou shalt surely die and he turn from his chattat, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah;

¹⁵ If the rashah give back the chavol (borrower’s pledge), give back what he has stolen, walk in the chukkot hachayyim, without committing evil; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

¹⁶ None of his chattot that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; he hath done that which is mishpat and tzedakah; he shall surely live.

¹⁷ Yet the Bnei Amecha say, The Derech Adonoi is not proper; but as for them, their derech is not proper.

¹⁸ When the tzaddik turneth from his tzedakah, and committeth evil, he shall even die thereby.

¹⁹ But if the rashah turn from his resha, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah, he shall live thereby.

²⁰ Yet ye say, The Derech Adonoi is not proper. O ye Bais Yisroel, I will judge you every one according to his drakhim.

²¹ And it came to pass in the twelfth shanah of our Golus, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Yerushalayim came unto me, saying, The Ir (City, Jerusalem) has fallen [see Ezek. 24:26].

²² Now the Yad Hashem was upon me in the erev before he that was escaped arrived; and He had opened my mouth before he came to me in the boker; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

²³ Then the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

²⁴ Ben Adam, they that inhabit those ruins of Admat Yisroel speak, saying, Avraham was one, and he inherited HaAretz; but we are rabbim; HaAretz is given to us for an inherited possession.

²⁵ Therefore say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Ye eat al hadahm [Leviticus 19:26] and lift up your eyes toward your gillulim, and do shefach dahm—even so shall you inherit the possession of HaAretz?

²⁶ Ye rely upon your cherev, ye work toevah, and ye defile every one his neighbor’s isha; and shall ye inherit as a possession HaAretz?

²⁷ Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: As I live, surely they that are in the ruins shall fall by the cherev, and him that is in the open sadeh will I give to the wild animals to be devoured, and they that be in the metzudot (strongholds) and in the me’arot (caves) shall die of dever (plague).

²⁸ For I will make HaAretz most desolate, and the ga’on (pride, pomp) of her oz (strength) shall cease; and the harim of Yisroel shall be desolate, that none pass through.

²⁹ Then shall they know that I am Hashem, when I have made HaAretz a desolation and a waste because of all their to’avot which they have committed.

³⁰ Also, thou Ben Adam, the Bnei Amecha still are talking against thee by the kirot (walls) and in the doorways of the batim (houses), and speak one to another, every one to achiv (his brother), saying, Come, now, and hear what is the Davar that cometh forth from Hashem.

³¹ And they come unto thee as Am cometh, and they sit before thee as Ami, and they hear thy devarim, but they will not practice them; for with their mouth there is agavim (lusts), but their lev pursueth after their betza (unjust gain).

³² And, hinei, thou art unto them nothing more than one with a kol yafeh (beautiful voice) who sings shir agavim (sensual love songs) and can play well on a musical instrument; for they hear thy devarim, but they do them not.

³³ And when this cometh to pass‖hinei, it will come‖then shall they know that a navi hath been among them.

34 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben Adam, prophesy against the ro’im (shepherds) of Yisroel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem unto the ro’im (shepherds); Oy to the ro’im (shepherds) of Yisroel who are ro’im tending to themselves! Should not the ro’im (shepherds) be ro’im tending to the tzon (flock)?

³ Ye eat the chelev, and ye clothe you with the tzemer (wool), ye slaughter the healthy; but ye are not ro’im that tend the tzon.

⁴ The weak have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was cholah (sick), neither have ye bound up the nishberet (injured ones), neither have ye brought back that which was straying, neither have ye sought haovedet (the lost); but with chazekah (force) and with perek (harshness, severity) have ye ruled them.

⁵ And they were scattered, because there is no ro’eh; and they became okhel (food) to kol chayyat hasadeh, when they were scattered.

⁶ My tzon wandered through all the harim, and upon every high givah (hill); yes, My tzon was scattered upon all the face of ha’aretz, and none did search or seek after them.

⁷ Therefore, ye ro’im, hear the Devar Hashem:

⁸ As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, surely because My tzon became a prey, and My tzon became okhel to kol chayyat hasadeh, because there was no ro’eh, neither did My ro’im (shepherds) search for My tzon, but the ro’im (shepherds) were ro’im tending to themselves, and tended not My tzon;

⁹ Therefore, O ye ro’im, hear the Devar Hashem:

¹⁰ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against the ro’im; and I will require an accounting for My tzon at their yad, and cause them to cease from being ro’im to the tzon; neither shall the ro’im (shepherds) be ro’im tending to themselves any more; for I will save My tzon from their mouth, that they may not be okhel for them.

¹¹ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I, even I, will both search for My tzon, and seek after them.

¹² As a ro’eh seeketh after his tzon in the day that he is among his tzon that are scattered; so will I seek after My tzon, and will save them out of kol hamekomot (all the places) where they have been scattered there in the yom anan va’arafel (day of clouds and thick darkness).

¹³ And I will bring them out from HaAmim, and gather them from the aratzot (countries), and will bring them to their own adamah, and I will tend them as Ro’eh upon the harim of Yisroel by the ravines, and in all the moshevei HaAretz.

¹⁴ I will give them feeding of a roeh in a mireh tov (good pasture) and upon the high harim of Yisroel shall their naveh (fold, abode of sheep) be; there shall they lie in a naveh tov, and in a mireh shamen (fat pasture) shall they feed upon the harim of Yisroel.

¹⁵ As a ro’eh will I tend My tzon, and I will cause them to lie down, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁶ I will seek haovedet (that which was lost), and bring back that which was straying, and will bind up the nishberet (that which was injured), and will strengthen the cholah (sick); but I will destroy the shemenah (stout, sleek) and the chazakah; I will tend to them with mishpat (justice).

¹⁷ And as for you, O My tzon, thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hineni, I judge between seh and seh, between the rams and the goats.

¹⁸ Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the mireh hatov (good pasture), that ye must also trample down with your raglayim what is left of your mirim (pastures)? And to have drunk of the clear mayim, but ye must also foul the rest with your raglayim?

¹⁹ And as for My tzon, they feed on that which ye have trampled with your raglayim; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your raglayim.

²⁰ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem unto them; Hineni, I, even I, will act as shofet between the seh biryah (fat lamb) and between the seh razah (emaciated lamb).

²¹ Because ye have thrust with flank and with shoulder, and butted all the weak emaciated ones with your karnayim, till ye have scattered them abroad;

²² Therefore will I save My tzon, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will act as shofet between seh and seh.

²³ And I will set up Ro’eh Echad over them, He shall tend them as ro’eh, even Avdi Dovid; He shall feed them. He shall be their Ro’eh.

²⁴ And I Hashem will be their Elohim, and Avdi Dovid [Moshiach] a Nasi among them; I Hashem have spoken.

²⁵ And I will make with them a Brit Shalom, and will cause the chayyah ra’ah to cease out of HaAretz; and they shall dwell safely in the midbar, and sleep in the ye’arot (forests).

²⁶ And I will make them and the places surrounding My givah (hill) a brocha; and I will cause the geshem to come down in its season; there shall be gishmei brocha (showers of blessing).

²⁷ And the etz hasadeh shall yield her p’ri, and ha’aretz shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their adamah, and shall know that I am Hashem, when I have broken the bars of their ol (yoke), and saved them out of the yad haovedim (hand, power of enslavers) of them.

²⁸ And they shall no more be a prey to the Goyim, neither shall the chayyat HaAretz devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

²⁹ And I will raise up for them a planting of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with ra’av in HaAretz, neither bear the shame of the Goyim any more.

³⁰ Thus shall they know that I Hashem Eloheihem am with them, and that they, even Bais Yisroel, are My people, saith Adonoi Hashem.

³¹ And ye My tzon, the tzon of My mireh, are adam, and I am Eloheichem, saith Adonoi Hashem.

35 Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, set thy face against Har Se’ir, and prophesy against it,

³ And say unto it, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, O Har Se’ir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out Mine yad against thee, and I will make thee a desolation and a waste.

⁴ I will lay thy towns waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am Hashem.

⁵ Because thou hast had an eivat olam (ancient enmity), and delivered over the Bnei Yisroel to the power of the cherev at the time of their calamity, in the time of their avon ketz (final punishment).

⁶ Therefore, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will turn thee unto dahm, and dahm shall pursue thee; since thou hast not hated dahm, even dahm shall pursue thee.

⁷ Thus will I make Har Se’ir most desolate, and cut off from it him that goeth and him that cometh.

⁸ And I will fill his harim with his slain; in thy geva’ot (hills), and in thy ge’ayot (valleys) and in all thy ravines, shall they fall that are slain with the cherev.

⁹ I will make thee shimemot olam (eternal desolations), and thy towns shall not be inhabited; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

¹⁰ Because thou hast said, These two Goyim [Israel and Judah] and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; although Hashem was there;

¹¹ Therefore, as I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine kina (jealousy) which thou hast showed in thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them, when I have judged thee.

¹² And thou shalt know that I am Hashem, and that I have heard all thy insults which thou hast spoken against the harim of Yisroel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given to us to consume.

¹³ Thus with your mouth ye have boasted of your greatness against Me, have multiplied your devarim against Me; I have heard them.

¹⁴ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: When kol ha’aretz (the whole earth) rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.

¹⁵ As thou didst rejoice at the nachalah of the Bais Yisroel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee; thou shalt be desolate, O Har Se’ir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

36 Also, thou Ben Adam, prophesy unto the harim of Yisroel, and say, Ye harim of Yisroel hear the Devar Hashem.

² Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because the oyev hath said against you, Aha, even the bamot olam (ancient heights) are ours in possession,

³ Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because they have made you desolate, and crushed you on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the she’erit HaGoyim, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are slandered by the people:

⁴ Therefore, ye harim of Yisroel, hear the Devar Adonoi Hashem: Thus saith Adonoi Hashem to the harim, and to the geva’ot, to the ravines, and to the ge’ayot, to desolate ruins, to towns deserted which became a plunder and mockery to the she’erit HaGoyim that are all around;

⁵ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Surely in the eish of My kina have I spoken against the she’erit HaGoyim, and against all Edom, which have given My land into their possession with simchat kol levav, with she’at nefesh (scorn of soul, contempt), as her migrash for plunder.

⁶ Prophesy therefore concerning Admat Yisroel, and say unto the harim, and to the geva’ot (hills), to the ravines, and to the ge’ayot (valleys), Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I have spoken in My kina (jealousy) and in My chemah (fury), because ye have borne the scorn of the Goyim;

⁷ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; I have lifted up Mine yad [in oath-taking], Surely the Goyim that are around you, they shall bear their own scorn.

⁸ But ye, O harim of Yisroel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your p’ri to My people Yisroel; for their return [home] is at hand.

⁹ For, hineni, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be plowed and sown;

¹⁰ And I will multiply adam upon you, kol Bais Yisroel, even all of it; and the towns shall be inhabited, and the ruins shall be rebuilt;

¹¹ And I will multiply upon you adam and behemah; and they shall increase and become numerous; and I will make you inhabited as in former times, and I will make you more prosperous than before; and ye shall know that I am Hashem.

¹² Indeed, I will cause adam to walk upon you, even My people Yisroel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their nachalah, and thou shalt no more again bereave them of their children.

¹³ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Because they say unto you, Thou art a land which devourest adam, and hast bereaved thy nation of children;

¹⁴ Therefore thou shalt devour adam no more, neither bereave thy nation any more, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁵ Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the taunts of the Goyim any more, neither shalt thou bear the cherpah of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nation to stumble any more, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁶ Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁷ Ben adam, when Bais Yisroel dwelt in their own land, they made it tameh by their own derech and by their doings; their derech was before Me as the tumat haniddah (contamination of a woman during her menstrual period).

¹⁸ Therefore I poured My chemah upon them for their shefach dahm upon ha’aretz, for their gillulim wherewith they had made it tameh;

¹⁹ And I scattered them among the Goyim, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their derech and according to their doings I judged them.

²⁰ And when they entered unto the Goyim, to where they went, they profaned Shem Kodshi (Name of My Holiness, Holy Name), when they said to them, These are the Am Hashem, and are gone forth out of His land.

²¹ But I had concern for Shem Kodshi (Name of My Holiness, Holy Name), which Bais Yisroel had profaned among the Goyim, where they went.

²² Therefore say unto Bais Yisroel, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: I do not this for your sakes, O Bais Yisroel, but for the sake of Shem Kodshi, which ye have profaned among Goyim where ye went.

²³ And I will show as kodesh My Shem HaGadol, which was profaned among the Goyim, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the Goyim shall know that I am Hashem, saith Adonoi Hashem, when I shall be set apart as kodesh in you before their eynayim.

²⁴ For I will take you from among the Goyim, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own adamah (land).

²⁵ Then will I sprinkle mayim tehorim upon you, and ye shall be tahor; from all your tum’a, and from all your gillulim (idols), will I make you tahor.

²⁶ A lev chadash also will I give you, and a ruach chadashah will I put within you; and I will take away the lev haeven (stony heart) out of your basar, and I will give you a lev basar.

²⁷ And I will put My Ruach [Hakodesh] within you, and cause you to walk in My chukkot, and ye shall be shomer over My mishpatim, and do them.

²⁸ And ye shall dwell in ha’aretz that I gave to avoteichem; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your Elohim.

²⁹ I will also save you from all your tumot (uncleannesses); and I will call for the dagan (grain), and will increase it, and lay no ra’av (famine) upon you.

³⁰ And I will multiply the p’ri ha’etz, and the increase of the sadeh, that ye shall receive no more cherpah of ra’av (famine) among the Goyim.

³¹ Then shall ye remember your own drakhim ra’im, and your doings that were not tovim, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your avonot and for your to’avot.

³² Not for your sakes do I this, saith Adonoi Hashem, be it known unto you; be ashamed and humiliated for your own drakhim, O Bais Yisroel.

³³ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; In the day that I shall have made you tahor from all your avonot, I will also cause you to resettle the towns, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.

³⁴ And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay shemamah (desolate) in the sight of all that passed by.

³⁵ And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like Gan Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined towns are become fortified, and are inhabited.

³⁶ Then the Goyim that are left all around you shall know that I Hashem rebuilt the ruined places, and replanted that that was desolate; I Hashem have spoken it, and I will do it.

³⁷ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Also I will be inquired of by Bais Yisroel, to act in behalf of them; I will increase them adam as numberous as tzon.

³⁸ As the tzon kadashim, as the tzon Yerushalayim in her mo’adim, so shall the ruined cities be filled with tzon adam; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

37 The Yad Hashem was upon me, and carried me out in the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of atzmot,

² And caused me to pass by them round about; and, hinei, there were rabbot me’od in the open valley; and, hinei, they were very dry.

³ And He said unto me, Ben Adam, can these atzmot live? And I answered, Adonoi Hashem, Thou knowest.

⁴ Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these atzmot, and say unto them, O ye atzmot hayeveshot, hear the Devar Hashem.

⁵ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem unto these atzmot: Hinei, I will cause ruach to enter into you, and ye shall live;

⁶ And I will lay gidim (sinews, tendons) upon you, and will bring up basar upon you, and cover you with ohr (skin), and put ruach in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall have da’as that I am Hashem.

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and hinei a rattling, and the atzmot came together, etzem to its etzem.

⁸ And when I beheld, hinei, the gidim and the basar came up upon them, and the ohr covered them above; but there was no ruach in them.

⁹ Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the ruach; prophesy, Ben Adam, and say to the ruach, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Come from the arba ruchot, O ruach, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the ruach came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their raglayim, a chayil gadol me’od me’od.

¹¹ Then He said unto me, Ben Adam, these atzmot are the kol Bais Yisroel. Hinei, they say, Our atzmot are dried up, and tikvateinu (our hope) is gone; nigzarnu lanu (we are cut off).

¹² Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, O My people, I will open your keverot, and cause you to come up out of your keverot, and bring you into Admat Yisroel (the Land of Israel).

¹³ And ye shall know that I am Hashem, when I have opened your keverot, O My people, and brought you up out of your keverot,

¹⁴ And shall put My Ruach in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land; then shall ye know that I Hashem have spoken it, and performed it, saith Hashem.

¹⁵ The Devar Hashem came again unto me, saying,

¹⁶ Moreover, thou ben adam, take thee Etz Echad, and write upon it, For Yehudah, and for the Bnei Yisroel his chaverim; then take another Etz Echad, and write upon it, For Yosef, the Etz Ephrayim and for kol Bais Yisroel his chaverim;

¹⁷ And join them one to another into Etz Echad; and they shall become achadim (one) in thine yad.

¹⁸ And when the Bnei Amecha speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

¹⁹ Say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, I will take the Etz Yosef, which is in the Yad Ephrayim, and the Shivtei Yisroel his chaverim, and will put them with him, even with the Etz Yehudah, and make them Etz Echad, and they shall be Echad in Mine Yad.

²⁰ And the Etzim whereon thou writest shall be in thine yad before their eyes.

²¹ And say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hinei, I will take the Bnei Yisroel from among the Goyim, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;

²² And I will make them Goy Echad in the land upon the mountains of Yisroel; and Melech Echad shall be Melech to them all; and they shall be no more two Goyim, neither shall they be divided into two Mamlachot any more at all.

²³ Neither shall they make themselves tameh any more with their gillulim, nor with their shikkutzim, nor with any of their peysha’im; but I will save them out of all their moshavot wherein they have sinned, and will make them tahor; so shall they be My people, and I will be their Elohim.

²⁴ And Avdi Dovid [Moshiach] shall be Melech over them; and they all shall have Ro’eh Echad; they shall also walk in My mishpatim, and observe My chukkot, and do them.

²⁵ And they shall dwell in HaAretz that I have given unto Avdi Ya’akov, wherein your Avot have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their banim, and their bnei banim ad olam; and Dovid Avdi [Moshiach] shall be their Nasi l’olam.

²⁶ Moreover I will make a Brit Shalom with them; it shall be a Brit Olam with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My Mikdash in the midst of them l’olam.

²⁷ My Mishkan also shall be with them; yes, I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

²⁸ And the Goyim shall know that I Hashem set apart as kodesh Yisroel, when My Mikdash shall be in the midst of them l’olam (forever).

38 And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

² Ben adam, set thy face against Gog, Eretz HaMagog, the nasi rosh Meshech and Tuval, and prophesy against him,

³ And say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, O Gog, the nasi rosh Meshech and Tuval;

⁴ And I will turn thee around, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will take thee out, and all thine army, susim and parashim, all of them splendidly outfitted, even a kahal rav with body shields and mogen, all of them handling charavot (swords);

⁵ Paras, Kush, and Put with them; all of them with mogen and kova (helmet);

⁶ Gomer, and all its hordes; Bais Togarmah of the north parts, and all his troops; and amim rabbim (many peoples) with thee.

⁷ Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy kahal that are assembled unto thee, and serve thou as guard unto them.

⁸ After yamim rabbim thou shalt be visited; in the acharit hashanim (future years) thou shalt invade eretz that is recovering from cherev (sword, war), and [whose inhabitants] have been regathered out of amim rabbim, on the harim of Yisroel, which have long lain desolate; but it [the regathered people] is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.

⁹ Thou shalt ascend and advance like a storm, thou shalt be like a storm cloud covering ha’aretz, thou, and all thy troops, and many peoples with thee.

¹⁰ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; It shall also come to pass, that on that day thoughts will arise into thy mind, and thou shalt devise a machashevet ra’ah (an evil plan);

¹¹ And thou shalt say, I will go up and invade eretz of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell securely, all of them dwelling without chomot (walls), and having neither bars nor gates,

¹² To take a plunder, and to take a booty; to turn thine yad upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are regathered out of the Goyim, which have gotten mikneh (livestock) and goods, that dwell in the midst of ha’aretz.

¹³ Sheva, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take plunder? Hast thou gathered thine army to take booty? To carry away kesef and zahav, to take away mikneh (livestock) and goods, to take a great plunder?

¹⁴ Therefore, Ben Adam, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: In that day when My people Yisroel dwelleth securely, thou wilt know it!

¹⁵ And thou shalt come from thy makom (place) out of the far north, thou, and amim rabbim (many peoples) with thee, all of them riding upon susim, a kahal gadol, and a mighty army;

¹⁶ And thou shalt come up against My people Yisroel, like an anan (cloud) covering ha’aretz; it shall be in the acharit hayamim, and I will bring thee against My land, so that the Goyim may know Me, when I shall be shown as set apart as kodesh in thee, O Gog, before their eynayim.

¹⁷ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by My avadim the nevi’im of Yisroel, which prophesied in those days that after many years I would bring thee against them?

¹⁸ And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against Admat Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem, that My hot chemah (fury) shall be aroused.

¹⁹ For in My kina (jealousy) and in the eish of My evrah (wrath) have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a ra’ash gadol (great earthquake) in Admat Yisroel;

²⁰ So that the dagim of the yam, and the oph HaShomayim, and the beasts of the sadeh, and all creeping things that creep upon ha’adamah, and kol ha’adam that are upon the face of adamah, shall shake at My presence, and the harim shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every chomah shall fall to the ground.

²¹ And I will call for a cherev against him throughout all My harim, saith Adonoi Hashem; cherev of every ish shall be against his brother.

²² And I will judge him with dever and with dahm; and I will rain upon him, and upon his troops, and upon the amim rabbim (many peoples) that are with him, a torrential rain, and great hailstones, eish, and burning gofrit.

²³ Thus will I magnify Myself, and set Myself apart as kodesh and I will make Myself known in the eynayim of Goyim rabbim, and they shall know that I am Hashem.

39 Therefore, thou Ben Adam, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Hineni, I am against thee, O Gog, nasi rosh Meshech and Tuval;

² And I will turn thee around, and drive thee on, and will cause thee to come up from the far north, and will bring thee upon the harim of Yisroel;

³ And I will knock thy keshet out of thy left hand, and will cause thine khitzim to fall out of thy right hand.

⁴ Thou shalt fall upon the harim of Yisroel, thou, and all thy troops, and the peoples with thee; I will give thee unto the birds of prey of every sort, and to the beasts of the sadeh to be devoured.

⁵ Thou shalt fall upon the open sadeh; for I have spoken it, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁶ And I will send an eish on Magog, and among them that dwell complacently secure in the coastlands; and they shall know that I am Hashem.

⁷ So will I make Shem Kodshi (Name of My Holiness, Holy Name) known in the midst of My people Yisroel; and I will not let them profane Shem Kodshi (Name of My Holiness, Holy Name) any more: and the Goyim shall know that I am Hashem Kadosh b’Yisroel.

⁸ Hinei, it is coming, and it shall be done, saith Adonoi Hashem; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

⁹ And they that dwell in the towns of Yisroel shall go forth, and shall use for fuel and set on fire the weapons, both the mogen and the bucklers, the keshet and the khitzim, and the clubs, and the spears, and they shall burn them with eish sheva shanim;

¹⁰ So that they shall take no wood [for fuel] out of the sadeh, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with eish; and they shall plunder those that plundered them, and pillage those that looted them, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a makom kever (burial place) there in Yisroel—the valley of those who pass by, east of the yam; and it shall block the path of the passersby; and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude; and they shall call it Gey Hamon Gog.

¹² And seven months shall Bais Yisroel be burying them, that they may make ha’aretz tahor.

¹³ Indeed, kol Am Ha’Aretz shall bury them; and it shall give them renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁴ And they shall set apart anshei tamid (a regular detail of men) to work at passing through ha’aretz to bury those passing through, those bodies remaining upon the face of ha’aretz, to make it tahor; for the whole of seven months shall they make the search.

¹⁵ And the ones passing through ha’aretz, when any seeth an etzem adam (human bone), then shall he build a tziyun (marker) beside it, until the mekabberim (buriers) have buried it in the Gey Hamon Gog.

¹⁶ And also the shem of the Ir shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they make ha’aretz tahor.

¹⁷ And, thou ben adam, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the sadeh, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to My zevach (sacrificial feast) that I do sacrifice for you, even a Zevach Gadol upon the harim of Yisroel, that ye may eat basar, and drink dahm.

¹⁸ Ye shall eat the basar gibborim, and drink the dahm of the nasi’im of ha’aretz, as of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

¹⁹ And ye shall eat chelev until ye be glutted, and drink dahm until ye be shikkaron, from My Zevach which I have sacrificed for you.

²⁰ Thus ye shall be filled at My shulchan with susim and riders, with gibbor, and with all ish hamilchamah, saith Adonoi Hashem.

²¹ And I will set My Kavod among the Goyim, and kol HaGoyim shall see My mishpat that I have executed, and My yad that I have laid upon them.

²² So Bais Yisroel shall know that I am Hashem Eloheihem from that day and forward.

²³ And the Goyim shall know that Bais Yisroel went into the Golus for their avon; because they were unfaithful to Me; therefore hid I My face from them, and gave them into the yad of their enemies; so fell they all by the cherev.

²⁴ According to their tumah and according to their peysha’im have I dealt with them, and hid My face from them.

²⁵ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Now will I bring back the captives of Ya’akov, and have compassion upon kol Bais Yisroel, and will be jealous for Shem Kodshi (Name of My Holiness, Holy Name);

²⁶ After that they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness whereby they have been unfaithful against Me, when they dwelt securely in their adamah, and none made them afraid.

²⁷ When I have brought them back from the nations, and regathered them out of the lands of their oyevim, and am set apart as kodesh through them in the sight of Goyim rabbim;

²⁸ Then shall they know that I am Hashem Eloheihem, Who caused them to be led into the Golus among the Goyim; but I have regathered them unto their own adamah (land), and have left none of them behind any more in the Golus.

²⁹ Neither will I hide My face any more from them; for I have poured out My Ruach upon Bais Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem.

40 In the five and twentieth year of our Golus, in the rosh hashanah [of Yovel (Jubilee)], in the tenth day of the month in the fourteenth year [573 B.C.E.] after the fall of the Ir [Yerushalayim] in the selfsame day the Yad Hashem was upon me, and brought me there.

² In the marot Elohim (visions of G-d, Divine visions) He brought me to Eretz Yisroel, and set me upon a very high mountain, on which was a mivneh (structure) resembling an ir to the negev (south).

³ And He brought me there, and, hinei, there was an ish, whose appearance was like the appearance of nechoshet, with a cord of linen in his yad, and a keneh hamiddah (measuring rod); and he [the angelic being] stood in the sha’ar (i.e., the Eastern Gate; see further 43:1-5; 44:1-3; Hashem’s glory enters and exits here and Moshiach, see 44:3).

⁴ And the ish said unto me, Ben Adam, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine lev upon all that I shall show thee; for l’ma’an (to the intent, in order that) I might show them unto thee art thou brought here; declare all that thou seest to Bais Yisroel.

⁵ And, hinei, a chomah (wall) was on the outside of the Bais [Hamikdash] compound and was surrounding it, and in the yad of the ish was a keneh hamiddah of six long cubits, each a cubit and a handbreadth; so he [the angelic being] measured the thickness of the structure [of the chomah], one rod; and the wall’s height, one rod.

⁶ Then came he [the angelic being] unto the sha’ar (gateway) which faceth eastward, and went up the ma’alot (steps, stairs) thereof, and measured the saf (threshold) of the sha’ar, which was one rod deep;

⁷ And every ta (recess) was one rod wide, and one rod deep; and between the ta’im (rooms) were five cubits; and the saf (threshold) of the sha’ar next to the ulam of the sha’ar on the inside was one rod.

⁸ He [the angelic being] measured also the ulam of the sha’ar on the inside, one rod.

⁹ Then he measured the ulam of the sha’ar, eight cubits; and the jambs thereof, two cubits; and the ulam of the sha’ar was on the inside.

¹⁰ And the ta’im of the sha’ar eastward were shloshah on this side, and shloshah on that side; they three were of the same measurement; and the jambs had the same measurement on this side and on that side.

¹¹ And he measured the width of the petach (opening) of the sha’ar, ten cubits; and the length of the sha’ar, thirteen cubits.

¹² The boundary line also before the ta’ot (recesses) was one cubit on this side, one cubit on that side; and the ta were six cubits deep on this side, and six cubits on that side.

¹³ He [the angelic being] measured then the sha’ar from the ceiling of one ta to the ceiling of another; the width was five and twenty cubits; petach [opening of the recess] was opposite to petach.

¹⁴ He [the angelic being] made [measurement] of the ulam, threescore cubits, even unto the jamb of the khatzer at the sha’ar all around.

¹⁵ And from the front of the sha’ar, the outer side, unto the front of the interior ulam vestibule was fifty cubits.

¹⁶ And there were chalonot atumot (closed niches) for the ta’im, the sha’ar and for their side walls and these were interior of the sha’ar all around, and likewise the ulam vestibules: and chalonot were round about on the inside; and upon each jamb were timorim (palm trees).

¹⁷ Then he [the angelic being] brought me into the khatzer hakhitzonah (outer courtyard), and, hinei, there were leshakhot (chambers), and ritzpah (pavement) constructed for the khatzer (courtyard) all around; thirty leshakhot were along the ritzpah.

¹⁸ And the ritzpah was by the side of the she’arim running the length of the she’arim, the lower ritzpah.

¹⁹ Then he [the angelic being] measured the width from the forefront of the lower sha’ar unto the forefront of the khatzer hapenimi (inner courtyard) on its outside, a hundred cubits eastward and northward.

²⁰ And the sha’ar of the khatzer hakhitzonah that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the width thereof.

²¹ And the ta’im thereof were shloshah on this side and shloshah on that side; and the jambs thereof and the ulam thereof were after the measure of the first sha’ar; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the width five and twenty cubits.

²² And their chalonot, and their ulam vestibules, and their timorim, had the same measurements as the sha’ar that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by ma’alot sheva; and the ulam thereof were before them.

²³ And the sha’ar of the khatzer hapenimi (inner courtyard) was facing toward the north, and toward the east; and he [the angelic being] measured from sha’ar to sha’ar a hundred cubits.

²⁴ After that he [the angelic being] brought me toward the south, and, hinei, a sha’ar toward the south; and he measured the jambs thereof and the ulam vestibules thereof according to these measures.

²⁵ And there were chalonim in it and in the ulam vestibule thereof round about, like those chalonot; the length was fifty cubits, and the width five and twenty cubits.

²⁶ And there were ma’alot shivah (seven steps, stairs) to go up to it, and the ulam vestibule thereof were before them; and it had timorim, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the jambs thereof.

²⁷ And there was a sha’ar in the khatzer hapenimi toward the south; and he [the angelic being] measured from sha’ar to sha’ar toward the south a hundred cubits.

²⁸ And he [the angelic being] brought me to the khatzer hapenimi through the south sha’ar; and he [the angelic being] measured the south sha’ar according to these measures;

²⁹ And the ta’im thereof, and the jambs thereof, and the ulam vestibule thereof, according to these measures; and there were chalonot in it and in the ulam vestibule thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits wide.

³⁰ And the ulam vestibules round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits wide.

³¹ And the ulam vestibules thereof were facing the khatzer hachatzonah (the outer courtyard); and timorim were upon the jambs thereof; and the going up to it had ma’alot shmoneh (eight steps, stairs).

³² And he [the angelic being] brought me into the khatzer hapenimi toward the east; and he measured the sha’ar according to these measures.

³³ And the ta’im thereof, and the jambs thereof, and the ulam vestibule thereof, were according to these measures; and there were chalonot therein and in the ulam vestibule thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits wide.

³⁴ And the ulam vestibule thereof was toward the khatzer hakhitzonah; and timorim were upon the jambs thereof, on this side, and on that side; and the going up to it had ma’alot shmoneh.

³⁵ And he [the angelic being] brought me to the northern sha’ar, and measured it according to these measures:

³⁶ The ta’im thereof, the jambs thereof, and the ulam vestibules thereof, and the chalonot to it round about; the length was fifty cubits, and the width five and twenty cubits.

³⁷ And the jambs thereof were toward the khatzer hakhitzonah; and timorim were upon the jambs thereof, on this side, and on that side; and the going up to it had ma’alot shmoneh.

³⁸ And the lishka and the entryways thereof were by the ulam vestibules of the she’arim, where they washed the olah (burnt offering).

³⁹ And in the ulam of the sha’ar were two shulchanot (tables) on this side, and two shulchanot on that side, to slaughter thereon the olah and the chattat and the asham.

⁴⁰ And at the side outside, as one goeth up to the petach hasha’ar hatzafonah, were two shulchanot; and on the other side, which was at the ulam of the sha’ar, were two shulchanot.

⁴¹ Four shulchanot were on this side, and four shulchanot on that side, by the side of the sha’ar; eight shulchanot, whereupon they slaughtered [shachat].

⁴² And the four shulchanot were of hewn stone for the olah (burnt offering), of a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; whereupon also they placed the kelim wherewith they slaughtered the olah (burnt offering) and the zevach.

⁴³ And within were hooks, one handbreadth, set up inside all around; and upon the shulchanot was the basar of the korban.

⁴⁴ And outside the sha’ar hapenimi were the lishkhot of the sharim (singers) in the khatzer hapenimi, which was at the side of the northern sha’ar; and their view was toward the south; one at the side of the eastern sha’ar having the view toward the north.

⁴⁵ And he [the angelic being] said unto me, This lishka, whose view is toward the south, is for the Kohanim, the Shomrei Mishmeret HaBeis [HaMikdash].

⁴⁶ And the lishka whose view is toward the north is for the Kohanim, the Shomrei Mishmeret HaMizbe’ach; these are the Bnei Tzadok among the Bnei Levi, which come near to Hashem to minister unto Him.

⁴⁷ So he [the angelic being] measured the khatzer (court), a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits wide, foursquare; and the Mizbe’ach was before the Beis [HaMikdash].

⁴⁸ And he [the angelic being] brought me to the Ulam of the Beis [HaMikdash], and measured each jamb of the Ulam, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side; and the width of the sha’ar was shalosh cubits on this side, and shalosh cubits on that side.

⁴⁹ The length of the Ulam was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits, and he [the angelic being] brought me by the ma’alot whereby they went up to it; and there were ammudim (pillars) by the doorposts, one on this side, and another on that side.

41 Afterward he [the angelic being] brought me to the Heikhal, and measured the jambs, six cubits wide on the one side, and six cubits wide on the other side, which was the width of the Ohel.

² And the width of the Petach (Entrance) was ten cubits; and the ketefot (shoulders, sidewalls) of the Petach were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side; and he [the angelic being] measured the depth thereof, forty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits.

³ Then he went into the Penimah (the Innermost [Holy of Holies]), and measured the jamb of the Petach, two cubits; and the Petach, six cubits; and the width of the Petach, sheva (seven) cubits.

⁴ So he measured the depth thereof, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, along the Heikhal; and he [the angelic being] said unto me, This is the Kodesh HaKodashim.

⁵ After he [the angelic being] measured the wall of the Beis [HaMikdash], six cubits; and the width of every tzela (side chamber, cell), four cubits, around the Beis [HaMikdash] on every side.

⁶ And the tzela’ot (side chambers, cells) were tzela over tzela, thirty-three in number; and there were ledges on the wall which was of the Beis for the tzela’ot round about, that they might take hold there, but they had not hold in the wall of the Beis [HaMikdash].

⁷ And tzela’ot (side chambers, cells) were broader at each story; a ramp spiraled upward by stages around the Beis [HaMikdash]; therefore the width of the Beis increased as it went upward, so from the lowest to the highest through the middle.

⁸ I saw also the height of the Beis [HaMikdash] all around; the yesodot (foundations) of the tzela’ot were a full rod of six cubits long.

⁹ The thickness of the wall, which was for the tzela toward the outside, was five cubits; and that which was open was the space at the end of the tzela’ot of the Beis [HaMikdash].

¹⁰ And between the leshakhot was the space the width of twenty cubits around the Beis [HaMikdash] all around.

¹¹ And the petach of the tzela were toward the space that was open, one petach toward the north, and another petach toward the south; and the width of the place that was open was five cubits all around.

¹² Now the Binyan (building, structure) that was before the Gizrah (separation, separating courtyard, restricted space, behind the Beis HaMikdash) at the end toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the Binyan was five cubits thick all around, and the length thereof ninety cubits.

¹³ So he [the angelic being] measured the Beis [HaMikdash], a hundred cubits long; and the Gizrah, and the Binyan, with the walls thereof, a hundred cubits long;

¹⁴ Also the width of the face of the Beis [HaMikdash], and of the Gizrah toward the east, a hundred cubits.

¹⁵ And he [the angelic being] measured the length of the Binyan along the front of the Gizrah which was behind it, and the atikeha (corner structures) thereof on the one side and on the other side, a hundred cubits, with the Heikhal Hapenimi, and the ulam vestibules of the Khatzer;

¹⁶ The doorposts, and the narrow chalonim, and the atikim balconies around on their three stories, opposite the saf (threshold), paneled with etz all around, and from the ground up to the chalonot, and the chalonot were covered;

¹⁷ To that above the Petach, even unto the Beis HaPenimi, and at the outside, and by the wall all around penimi (inner) and khitzon (outer), by measure.

¹⁸ And it was carved with keruvim and timorim, so that a palm tree was between a keruv and a keruv; and every keruv had two faces;

¹⁹ So that the face of an adam was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side; it was carved throughout kol HaBeis all around.

²⁰ From the ground unto above the Petach were keruvim and timorim carved, and on the wall of the Heikhal.

²¹ The mezuzas of the Heikhal were squared; as for the front of the Kodesh [HaKodashim], the appearance of the one [mezuzah] was like the appearance of the other.

²² The Mizbe’ach was of etz and was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the sides thereof, were of etz; and he [the angelic being] said unto me, This is the shulchan that is before Hashem.

²³ And the Heikhal and the Kodesh had two delatot.

²⁴ And the delatot had two doors apiece, two turning doors; two delatot for the one door, and two delatot for the other door.

²⁵ And there were carved on them, on the delatot of the Heikhal,keruvim and timorim, like those carved upon the [interior] walls; and there was a beam upon the face of the Ulam at the outside.

²⁶ And there were narrow chalonim and timorim on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the Ulam, and upon the tzela’ot of the Beis [HaMikdash], and thick beams.

42 Then he [the angelic being] brought me forth into the khatzer hakhatzonah, the way toward the north; and he brought me into the lishka that was opposite the Gizrah, and which was opposite the Binyan toward the north.

² Before the length of a hundred cubits was the Petach HaTzafon, and the width was fifty cubits.

³ Opposite the twenty cubits of the khatzer hapenimah, and opposite the ritzpah which was for the khatzer hakhitzonah, was atik (balcony) against atik in three stories.

⁴ And before the leshakhot was a mahalach (walkway) ten cubits in width leading inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.

⁵ Now the upper leshakhot were narrow; for the atikim took space from these, from the lower, and from the middlemost of the Binyan.

⁶ For they were in three stories, but had not ammudim like the ammudim of the khatzerot; therefore they were set back from the ground more than the lowest and the middlemost.

⁷ And the wall that was outside over against the leshakhot, toward the khatzer hakhitzonah on the forepart of the leshakhot, the length thereof was fifty cubits.

⁸ For the length of the leshakhot that were in the khatzer hakhitzonah was fifty cubits; and, hineh, before the Heikhal were a hundred cubits.

⁹ And from below these leshakhot was the entrance on the east side, as one goeth into them from the khatzer hakhitzonah.

¹⁰ In the thickness of the wall of the khatzer toward the east, facing the Gizrah, and over against the Binyan, were leshakhot (side rooms).

¹¹ And the derech before them was like the appearance of the leshakhot which were toward the north, as long as they, and as wide as they; and all their exits were both according to their arrangements, and according to their doorways.

¹² And according to the doorways of the leshakhot that were toward the south was a petach in the rosh of the derech, even the derech directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.

¹³ Then said he [the angelic being] unto me, The leshakhot hatzafon and the leshakhot hadarom, which are before the Gizrah, they are leshakhot hakodesh, where the Kohanim that approach unto Hashem shall eat the kadshei hakadashim; there shall they put the kadshei hakadashim, and the minchah, and the chattat, and the asham (trespass offering); for the place is kadosh.

¹⁴ When the Kohanim enter therein, then shall they not go out of the Kodesh into the khatzer hakhitzonah, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are kodesh; and shall put on begadim acherim (other garments); then shall they approach the precinct of the people.

¹⁵ Now when he [the angelic being] had made an end of measuring the Beis HaPenimi, he brought me forth toward the sha’ar whose view is toward the east, and measured it all around.

¹⁶ He measured the eastern side with the measuring rod, five hundred rods, with the keneh hamiddah (measuring rod) all around.

¹⁷ He measured the northern side, five hundred rods, with the keneh hamiddah all around.

¹⁸ He measured the southern side, five hundred rods, with the keneh hamiddah.

¹⁹ He turned about to the western side, and measured five hundred rods with the keneh hamiddah.

²⁰ He measured it by the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred rods long, and five hundred wide, lehavdil (to make a separation) between the Kodesh (Holy Precinct, area) and the Chol (Common Precinct, area).

43 Afterward he [the angelic being] brought me to the sha’ar, even the sha’ar that looketh toward the east;

² And, hinei, the Kavod Elohei Yisroel came from the derech of the east; and His voice was like a kol mayim rabbim and ha’aretz was radiant with His Kavod.

³ And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when He came to destroy the Ir; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the Nahar Kevar; and I fell upon my face.

⁴ And the Kavod Hashem came into the Beis [HaMikdash] by the derech of the sha’ar whose view is toward the east.

⁵ So the Ruach [Hakodesh] lifted me up, and brought me into the khatzer hapenimi and, hinei, the Kavod Hashem filled the Beis [HaMikdash].

⁶ And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the Beis [HaMikdash]; and the ish was standing beside me.

⁷ And He said unto me, Ben Adam, this is the makom (place, home) of My Kisse, and the makom of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the Bnei Yisroel l’olam, and My Shem Kadosh, shall Bais Yisroel no more make tameh, neither they, nor their melachim, by their zenut (whoredom), nor by the pegarim (buried dead bodies) of their melachim in their high places.

⁸ In their setting of their threshold by My threshold, and their mezuzah by My mezuzah, and the wall between Me and them, they have even made tameh My Shem Kodesh by their to’evot that they have committed; therefore I have consumed them in Mine anger.

⁹ Now let them put away their zenut (whoredom), and the pegarim (buried dead bodies) of their melachim, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them l’olam.

¹⁰ Thou Ben Adam, declare the Beis [HaMikdash] to Bais Yisroel, that they may be ashamed of their avonot; and let them measure the tachnit (perfection, design).

¹¹ And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the tzurah (form, fashion) of the Beis [HaMikdash], and the techunah (arrangement) thereof, and the exits thereof, and the entrances thereof, and all the tzurot thereof, and all the chukkot thereof, and all the tzurot thereof, and all the torot thereof; and write it before their eyes, that they may be shomer over the whole tzurah thereof, and all the chukkot thereof, and do them.

¹² This is the torat HaBeis [HaMikdash]: upon the rosh hahar the entire boundary thereof round about shall be kodesh kadashim. Hinei, this is the torat HaBeis [HaMikdash].

¹³ And these are the middot HaMizbe’ach (measurements of the Mizbe’ach) in cubits. The cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth; even the base shall be a cubit (in height), and the width a cubit, and the moulding thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span; and this shall be for the gav (height, back) of the Mizbe’ach.

¹⁴ And from the base upon ha’aretz even to the lower enclosure shall be two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the lesser enclosure even to the greater enclosure shall be four cubits, and the width one cubit.

¹⁵ So the ariel (surface of the altar, hearth) shall be four cubits; and from the hearth and upward shall be four keranot (horns).

¹⁶ And the hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long, by twelve wide.

¹⁷ And the enclosure shall be square, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide; and the moulding about it shall be half a cubit; and the base thereof shall be a cubit about; and its ma’alot (steps, stairs) shall look toward the east.

¹⁸ And He said unto me, Ben Adam, thus saith Adonoi Hashem: These are the chukkot HaMizbe’ach in the Yom when they shall build it, to offer olah thereon, and to sprinkle dahm thereon.

¹⁹ And thou shalt give to the Kohanim the Levi’im that are of the Zera Tzadok, which approach unto Me, to minister unto Me, saith Adonoi Hashem, a young bull for a chattat.

²⁰ And thou shalt take of the dahm thereof, and put it on the four karnot of it, and on the four pinnot of the enclosure, and upon the moulding round about; thus shalt thou cleanse and make kapporah for it.

²¹ Thou shalt take the bull also of the chattat, and shall burn it in the mifkad (appointed place) of the Beis [HaMikdash], outside the Mikdash.

²² And on the second day thou shalt offer a male of the goats tamim (without blemish) for a chattat; and they shall purify the Mitzbe’ach, as they did purify it with the bull.

²³ When thou hast made an end of purifying it, thou shalt offer a young bull tamim (without blemish), and a ram out of the tzon (flock) tamim (without blemish).

²⁴ And thou shalt offer them before Hashem, and the Kohanim shall cast melach upon them, and they shall offer them up for an olah unto Hashem.

²⁵ Shivat yamim shalt thou prepare daily a se’ir (goat) for a chattat; they shall also prepare a young bull, and a ram out of the tzon (flock), temimim (ones without blemish).

²⁶ Shivat yamim shall they make kapporah for the Mizbe’ach and make it tahor and so consecrate it.

²⁷ And when these yamim are expired, it shall be, that upon the Yom HaShemini, and so forward, the Kohanim shall make your olot upon the Mizbe’ach, and your Shelamim; and I will accept you, saith Adonoi Hashem.

44 Then he [the angelic being] brought me back the derech sha’ar HaMikdash HaKhitzon, which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.

² Then said Hashem unto me: This sha’ar shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no ish shall enter in by it; because Hashem Elohei Yisroel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.

³ It is for the Nasi; the Nasi [see 34:23-24; 37:24-25, a "Dovid" or Messianic figure], he only shall sit in it to eat lechem before Hashem; he shall enter by the derech ulam hasha’ar, and shall exit by its derech.

⁴ Then he [the angelic being] brought me the derech sha’ar hatzafon to the front of the Beis {HaMikdash]; and I looked, and, hinei, the Kavod Hashem filled the Beis Hashem; and I fell upon my face.

⁵ And Hashem said unto me, Ben Adam, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the chukkot Beis Hashem, and all the torot thereof; and mark well the entrances of the Beis [HaMikdash], with every exit of the Mikdash.

⁶ And thou shalt say to the meri (rebellious), even to the Bais Yisroel, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; O ye Bais Yisroel, let it suffice you of all your to’avot (abominations),

⁷ In that ye have admitted into My Mikdash bnei nechor (foreigners), arelim in lev, and arelim in basar, to be in My Mikdash, to defile it, even My Beis, when ye offer My lechem, the chelev and the dahm, and they have broken My Brit (Covenant) because of all your to’avot (abominations).

⁸ And ye have not been shomer over the mishmeret of Mine Kadashim; but ye have set as shomrim of My mishmeret in My Mikdash any for yourselves.

⁹ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: No ben nechor, arel lev, nor arel basar, shall enter into My Mikdash, of any ben nechor that is among the Bnei Yisroel.

¹⁰ And the Levi’im that went far away from Me, when Yisroel went astray, which went astray away from Me after their gillulim (idols); they shall even bear their avon.

¹¹ Yet they shall be mesharetim (ministers) in My Mikdash, pekuddot (the ones who have charge) at the Sha’arei HaBeis [HaMikdash] and mesharetim in HaBeis [HaMikdash]; they shall do the shochet slaughter of the olah (burnt offering) and the zevach for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.

¹² Because they ministered unto them before their gillulim, and caused Bais Yisroel a michshol avon; therefore have I lifted up Mine Yad against them, saith Adonoi Hashem, and nas’u (they shall bear) their avon.

¹³ And they shall not come near unto Me, to do the office of a Kohen unto Me, nor to come near to any of My kadashim, in the Kodesh HaKodashim; but nas’u their shame, and their to’avot which they have committed.

¹⁴ But I will make them Shomrei Meshmeret HaBeis [HaMikdash], for all the avodah thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

¹⁵ But the Kohanim the Levi’im, the Bnei Tzadok, that were shomer over the Mishmeret of My Mikdash when the Bnei Yisroel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the chelev and the dahm, saith Adonoi Hashem;

¹⁶ They shall enter into My Mikdash, and they shall come near to My Shulchan, to minister unto Me, and they shall be shomer over My mishmeret.

¹⁷ And it shall come to pass, when they enter in at the Sha’arei HeKhatzer HaPenimit, they shall be clothed with linen; and no tzemer shall come upon them, while they minister at the Sha’arei HeKhatzer HaPenimit, within.

¹⁸ They shall have linen turbans upon their rosh, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with that [clothing] with which one perspires.

¹⁹ And when they go forth into HaKhatzer HaKhitzonah, even into the Khatzer HaKhitzonah to HaAm, they shall take off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the lishkhot hakodesh (holy chambers) and they shall put on begadim acharim; and they shall not set apart as kodesh HaAm with their begadim.

²⁰ Neither shall they shave their rosh, nor allow their hair to grow long; they shall keep trimmed their rosh.

²¹ Neither shall any Kohen drink yayin, when they enter into the Khatzer HaPenimit.

²² Neither shall they take for their nashim an almanah, nor a gerushah; but they shall take betulot of the zera Bais Yisroel, or an almanah who was almanah of a Kohen.

²³ And they shall teach My people the difference between the kodesh and chol, and cause them to discern between the tameh and the tahor.

²⁴ And in a riv they shall stand as shofet; and they shall judge it according to My mishpatim; and they shall adjudicate them in accordance with My torot and My chukkot in all Mine mo’adim; and they shall be shomer to keep My Shabbatot kodesh.

²⁵ And they shall come near no met adam to make themselves tameh; but for av, or for em, or for ben, or for bat, for ach, or for achot that hath had no ish, they may make themselves tameh.

²⁶ And after he is made tahor, they shall reckon unto him shivat yamim.

²⁷ And in the yom that he goeth into the Kodesh, unto the Khatzer HaPenimit, to minister in the Kodesh, he shall offer his chattat, saith Adonoi Hashem.

²⁸ And it shall be unto them for a nachalah; I am their nachalah; and ye shall give them no achuzzah in Yisroel; I am their achuzzah.

²⁹ They shall eat the minchah, and the chattat, and the asham; and kol cherem in Yisroel shall be theirs.

³⁰ And the reshit kol bikkurim of all things, and every terumah of all, of every sort of your terumot, shall belong to the Kohanim; ye shall also give unto the Kohen the reshit of your dough, that he may cause the brocha to rest on thine bais.

³¹ The Kohanim shall not eat of any thing nevelah, or terefah, whether it be oph or behemah.

45 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot HaAretz as nachalah, ye shall offer a terumah (holy portion, gift) unto Hashem, kodesh [a holy precinct, district] from HaAretz; the length shall be five and twenty thousand [sixcubit rods] long, and the width shall be ten thousand. This shall be kodesh in all the boundary thereof round about.

² Of this area there shall be for the Kodesh a square five hundred by five hundred all around; and fifty cubits round about for the migrash (open space) thereof.

³ And of this middah shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the width of ten thousand; and in it shall be the Mikdash and the Kodesh HaKodashim.

⁴ The kodesh of HaAretz shall be for the Kohanim the Mesharetim of the Mikdash, which shall come near to minister unto Hashem; and it shall be a place for their batim (houses), and a mikdash for the Mikdash.

⁵ And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of width shall also the Levi’im, the Mesharetim of the Beis [HaMikdash], have for themselves, for a achuzzah for twenty leshakhot.

⁶ And ye shall allot the achuzzah of the Ir five thousand wide, and five and twenty thousand long, alongside the terumat hakodesh; it shall be for kol Bais Yisroel.

⁷ And a portion shall be for the Nasi on the one side and on the other side of the terumat hakodesh, and of the achuzzah of the Ir, before the terumat hakodesh, and before the achuzzah of the Ir, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward; and the length shall correspond to one of the chalakim (portions, i.e., tribal portions or allotments) from the west boundary unto the east boundary.

⁸ In the land shall be his achuzzah in Yisroel; and My Nasiim (Princes, Rulers) shall no more oppress My people; and the rest of HaAretz shall they give to Bais Yisroel according to their Shivtei [Bnei Yisroel].

⁹ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Let it suffice you, O Nasi’im (Princes, Rulers) of Yisroel: remove chamas and oppression, and execute mishpat and tzedakah, take away your gerushot (exactions) from My people, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁰ Ye shall have me’oznei tzedek (honest scales), and an ephah tzedek, and a bas tzedek.

¹¹ The ephah and the bas shall be of one measure, that the bas may contain the tenth part of a chomer, and the ephah the tenth part of a chomer; the measure thereof shall be after the chomer.

¹² And the shekel shall be twenty gerah; twenty shekalim, five and twenty shekalim, fifteen shekel, shall be the minah for you.

¹³ This is the terumah that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of a chomer of chittim, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of a chomer of se’orim;

¹⁴ Concerning the chok of shemen, the bas of shemen, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bas out of the cor, which is a chomer of ten bas; for ten basim are a chomer;

¹⁵ And one seh out of the tzon, out of two hundred, out of the mashkeh of Yisroel; for a minchah, and for an olah, and for shelamim, to make kapporah for them, saith Adonoi Hashem.

¹⁶ Kol HaAm HaAretz shall give this terumah for the Nasi in Yisroel.

¹⁷ And it shall be the part of the Nasi to give olot, and minchah, and nesekh, in the Chagim, and in the Rosh Chodesh, and in the Shabbatot, in all Mo’adim of the Bais Yisroel; he shall prepare the chattat, and the minchah, and the olah, and the shelamim, to make kapporah for Bais Yisroel.

¹⁸ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bull tamim (without blemish), and cleanse the Mikdash;

¹⁹ And the Kohen shall take of the dahm of the chattat, and put it upon the mezuzat HaBeis [HaMikdash], and upon the four pinnot of the enclosure of the Mizbe’ach, and upon the mezuzat Sha’ar HeKhatzer HaPenimit.

²⁰ And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that is unwitting, and for him that is ignorant; so shall ye make kapporah for the Beis [HaMikdash].

²¹ In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Pesach, a Chag shevu’ot yamim; matzot shall be eaten.

²² And upon that day shall the Nasi prepare for himself and for kol Am HaAretz a bull for a chattat [See MJ 4:15].

²³ And shivat yamim of the Chag he shall prepare an olah to Hashem, seven bulls and seven rams temimim (without blemish) daily the shivat hayamim; and a goat daily for a chattat.

²⁴ And he shall prepare a minchah of an ephah for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of shemen for an ephah.

²⁵ In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the same in the Chag [of Sukkot] of the shivat hayamim, according to the chattat, according to the olah, and according to the minchah, and according to the shemen.

46 Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: The Sha’ar HeKhatzer HaPenimit that looketh toward the east shall be shut during the sheshet yemei hama’aseh (the six days of labor); but on Shabbos it shall be opened, and in the yom of the Rosh Chodesh it shall be opened.

² And the Nasi shall enter by the derech ulam haSha’ar from without, and shall stand by the mezuzat HaSha’ar, and the Kohanim shall prepare his Olah (burnt offering) and his Shelamim, and he shall worship at the threshold of the Sha’ar; then he shall go out; but the Sha’ar shall not be shut until the erev.

³ Likewise the Am HaAretz shall worship at the Petach HaSha’ar before Hashem in the Shabbatot and in Rosh Chodesh.

⁴ And the Olah that the Nasi shall offer unto Hashem in the Yom HaShabbos shall be six kevasim temimim, and a ram without blemish.

⁵ And the minchah shall be an ephah for a ram, and the minchah for the kevasim whatever his hand gives, and a hin of shemen to an ephah.

⁶ And in the yom of the Rosh Chodesh it shall be a young bull temimim, and six kevasim, and a ram; they shall be without blemish.

⁷ And he shall prepare a minchah, an ephah for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and for the kevasim as much as he wishes, and a hin of shemen to an ephah.

⁸ And when the Nasi shall enter, he shall go in by the derech ulam HaSha’ar and he shall go out by the derech thereof.

⁹ But when the Am HaAretz shall come before Hashem in the Mo’adim, he that entereth in by the derech Sha’ar Tzafon to worship shall exit by the derech Sha’ar Negev; and he that entereth by the derech Sha’ar Negev shall go out by derech Sha’ar Tzafonah; he shall not return by the derech HaSha’ar whereby he came in, but shall go out opposite it.

¹⁰ And the Nasi in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go out, shall go out.

¹¹ And in the Chagim and in the Mo’adim the minchah shall be an ephah to a bull, and an ephah to a ram, and to the kevasim as much as one wishes to give, and a hin of shemen to an ephah.

¹² Now when the Nasi shall prepare a nedavah olah or shelamim nedavah unto Hashem, one shall then open for him the Sha’ar that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his Olah and his Shelamim, as he did on the Yom HaShabbos; then he shall go out; and after his going out one shall shut the Sha’ar.

¹³ Thou shalt daily prepare an Olah unto Hashem of a keves of the first year tamim (without blemish); thou shalt prepare it baboker baboker.

¹⁴ And thou shalt prepare a Minchah for it baboker baboker, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of shemen, to moisten with the fine flour; a minchah chukkot olam tamid unto Hashem.

¹⁵ Thus shall they prepare the keves, and the minchah, and the shemen, baboker baboker for an olat tamid.

¹⁶ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: If the Nasi give a mattanah (gift) unto any of his banim, the nachalah thereof shall belong to his banim; it shall be their achuzzah by nachalah.

¹⁷ But if he give a mattanah of his nachalah to one of his avadim, then it shall be his to the Shenat HaDeror [Jubilee Year]; then it shall return to the Nasi; but his nachalah shall belong only to his banim [see Isa 53:10].

¹⁸ Moreover the Nasi shall not take of the nachalah HaAm by oppression, to thrust them out of their achuzzah; but he shall give his banim nachalah out of his own achuzzah; that My people be not scattered each man from his achuzzah.

¹⁹ After he [the angelic being] brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the Sha’ar, into the lishkhot hakodesh of the Kohanim, which looked toward the tzafonah; and, hinei, there was a place at its western sides.

²⁰ Then said he [the angelic being] unto me, This is the place where the Kohanim shall cook the asham (trespass offering) and the chattat, where they shall bake the minchah; that they bear them not out into the Khatzer HaKhitzonah and so set apart as kodesh HaAm.

²¹ Then he [the angelic being] brought me forth into the Khatzer HaKhitzonah, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the Khatzer; and, hinei, in the Khatzer I saw in every corner of the Khatzer there was a Khatzer.

²² In the four corners of the Khatzer there were enclosed Khatzerot forty cubits long and thirty wide; these four corners were of one measure.

²³ And there was a row of masonry saviv (around) inside them, round about these four, and it was made with hearths at the bottom of the rows round about.

²⁴ Then said he [the angelic being] unto me, These are the Bais HaMevashelim, where the Mesharetim of the Bais shall cook the zevach HaAm.

47 Afterward he [the angelic being] brought me again unto the Petach HaBeis [HaMikdash]; and, hinei, mayim issued out from under the threshold of the Beis [HaMikdash] eastward; for the forefront of the Beis [HaMikdash] stood toward the east, and the mayim came down from under from the right side of the Beis [HaMikdash], at the south side of the Mizbe’ach.

² Then he [the angelic being] brought me out of derech Sha’ar Tzafonah, and led me about the derech outside unto the outer Sha’ar by the derech that looketh eastward; and, hinei, there flowed out mayim on the right side.

³ And when the ish that had the measuring line in his yad went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the mayim; the mayim were to the ankles.

⁴ Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the mayim; the mayim were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the mayim were to the loins.

⁵ Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a nachal (stream) that I could not cross over; for the mayim were risen, mayim to swim in, a nachal that could not be crossed over.

⁶ And he [the angelic being] said unto me, Ben Adam, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the nachal.

⁷ Now when I had returned, hinei, at the bank of the nachal were etz rav me’od (very many trees) on the one side and on the other.

⁸ Then said he [the angelic being] unto me, These mayim issue out toward the east country, and go down into the Aravah, and go into the [Dead] Sea; which being brought forth into the Sea, the mayim shall be healed.

⁹ And it shall come to pass, that every nefesh chayyah, which moveth, whithersoever the nachalim shall come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of dag (fish), because these mayim shall come there; for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the nachal cometh.

¹⁰ And it shall come to pass, that the fishermen shall stand upon it from En-Gedi even unto En-Eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their dag (fish) shall be according to their kinds, as the dag (fish) of the Yam HaGadol [Mediterranean Sea], exceeding many.

¹¹ But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to melach.

¹² And by the nachal upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow kol etz ma’achal, whose aleh (leaf) shall not fade, neither shall the p’ri thereof fail; it shall yield fresh fruit every month, because the mayim for them flowed out of the Mikdash; and the p’ri thereof shall be for food, and the aleh (leaf) thereof for terufah (healing).

¹³ Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: This shall be the boundary, whereby ye shall inherit HaAretz according to the Shnei Asar Shivtei Yisroel: Yosef shall have two portions.

¹⁴ And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; concerning the which I lifted up Mine Yad to give it unto your Avot; and HaAretz HaZot shall fall unto you for nachalah.

¹⁵ And this shall be the boundary of HaAretz toward the north side, from the Yam HaGadol, the derech Chetlon, as men go to Tzedad;

¹⁶ Chamat, Berotah, Sibrayim, which is between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Chamat; Chamat Khatzer Hattikhon, which is by the boundary of Chavran.

¹⁷ And the boundary from the Yam shall be Khatzar Einon, the boundary of Damascus, and the north northward, and the boundary of Chamat. And this is the north side.

¹⁸ And the east side ye shall measure from Chavran, and from Damascus, and from Gil‘ad, and from Eretz Yisroel by Yarden, from the boundary unto the eastern sea [Dead Sea]. And this is the east side.

¹⁹ And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of Merivot in Kadesh, the nachalah to the Yam HaGadol. And this is the south side southward.

²⁰ The west side also shall be the Yam HaGadol from the boundary, until opposite the approach to Chamat. This is the west side.

²¹ So shall ye divide HaAretz Hazot unto you according to the Shivtei Yisroel.

²² And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for a nachalah unto you, and to the gerim that sojourn among you, which shall father banim among you; and they shall be unto you as nativeborn among the Bnei Yisroel; they shall have nachalah with you among the Shivtei Yisroel.

²³ And it shall come to pass, that in what shevet (tribe) the ger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his nachalah, saith Adonoi Hashem.

48 Now these are the shmot of the Shevatim (Tribes). From the northern frontier near the derech Chetlon, as one goeth to Chamat, to Chatzar Enan, to the northward border of Damascus, near Chamat; for these are his, from the eastern side to the western side, Dan, one portion.

² And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, Asher, one portion.

³ And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, Naphtali, one portion.

⁴ And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, Menasheh, one portion.

⁵ And by the border of Menasheh, from the east side unto the west side, Ephrayim, one portion.

⁶ And by the border of Ephrayim, from the east side even unto the west side, Reuven, one portion.

⁷ And by the border of Reuven, from the east side unto the west side, Yehudah, one portion.

⁸ And by the border of Yehudah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the terumah [dedicated reserve of land] which ye shall offer of five and twenty elef [cubits] wide, and in length equal to one of the other portions, from the east side unto the west side; and the Bais [HaMikdash] shall be within it.

⁹ The terumah that ye shall offer unto Hashem shall be of five and twenty elef [cubits] in length, and of ten elef [cubits] in width.

¹⁰ And for them, even for the kohanim, shall be this terumat hakodesh; toward the north five and twenty elef, and toward the west ten elef in width, and toward the east ten elef in width, and toward the south five and twenty elef in length; and the Mikdash Hashem shall be within thereof.

¹¹ It shall be for the kohanim hamekudash (set apart as kodesh) of the Bnei Tzadok; which have been shomer over My mishmeret, which went not astray when the Bnei Yisroel went astray, as the Levi’im went astray.

¹² And this terumiyyah (separated portion) for the kohanim, out of the terumat ha’aretz, kodesh kodashim, next to the border of the Levi’im.

¹³ And over against the border of the kohanim, the Levi’im shall have five and twenty elef in length, and ten elef in width; all the length shall be five and twenty elef, and the width ten elef.

¹⁴ And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor transfer the reshit ha’aretz (prime land); for it is kodesh unto Hashem.

¹⁵ And the five alafim, that are left in the width over against the five and twenty elef, shall be chol (secular, unconsecrated) for the Ir, for dwelling, and for migrash (open lands); and the Ir shall be within thereof.

¹⁶ And these shall be the measurement thereof; the north side four alafim and five hundred, and the south side four alafim and five hundred, and on the east side four alafim and five hundred, and the west side four alafim and five hundred.

¹⁷ And the migrash (open land) of the Ir shall extend toward the north two hundred and fifty [cubits], and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.

¹⁸ And the remainder of that area running lengthwise along the terumat hakodesh shall measure ten alafim [cubits] eastward, and ten alafim westward; and the increase thereof shall be for lechem unto them that serve the Ir.

¹⁹ And they that serve the Ir shall serve it out of all the Shivtei Yisroel.

²⁰ All the terumah shall be foursquare, five and twenty elef by five and twenty elef; ye shall set apart as the terumat hakodesh and the property of the Ir.

²¹ And the remainder shall be for the Nasi, on the one side and on the other of the terumat hakodesh, and of the property of the Ir, along the five and twenty elef of the terumah toward the east border, and westward along the five and twenty elef toward the west border, along the chalakim (tribal portions) for the Nasi; and it shall be the terumat hakodesh; and the Mikdash HaBayit shall be within thereof.

²² Moreover from the property of the Levi’im, and from the property of the Ir, being in the midst of that which belongs to the Nasi, between the border of Yehudah and the border of Binyamin, shall be for the Nasi.

²³ As for the rest of the Shevatim, from the east side unto the west side, Binyamin, one portion.

²⁴ And by the border of Binyamin, from the east side unto the west side, Shim’on, one portion.

²⁵ And by the border of Shim’on, from the east side unto the west side, Yissakhar, one portion.

²⁶ And by the border of Yissakhar, from the east side unto the west side, Zevulun, one portion.

²⁷ And by the border of Zevulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad, one portion.

²⁸ And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of Merivat-Kadesh, to the wadi [of Egypt] the the Yam HaGadol (the Great Sea, i.e., Mediterranean Sea).

²⁹ This is ha’aretz which ye shall allot unto the Shivtei Yisroel for nachalah, and these are their portions, saith Adonoi Hashem.

³⁰ And these are the outer limits of the Ir on the north side, four alafim and five hundred measures.

³¹ And the she’arim of the Ir shall be after the shmot of the Shivtei Yisroel; three she’arim northward: one sha’ar of Reuven, one sha’ar of Yehudah, one sha’ar of Levi.

³² And at the east side four alafim and five hundred; and three she’arim: one sha’ar of Yosef, one sha’ar of Binyamin, one sha’ar of Dan.

³³ And at the south side four alafim and five hundred measures; and three she’arim: one sha’ar of Shim’on, one sha’ar of Yissakhar, one sha’ar of Zevulun.

³⁴ At the west side four alafim and five hundred, with their three she’arim: one sha’ar of Gad, one sha’ar of Asher, one sha’ar of Naphtali.

³⁵ It was all around eighteen elef in circumference; and the shem of the Ir from that day shall be, Hashem Shammah (Hashem is there).

1 The Devar Hashem that came unto Hoshea, ben Be’eri, in the yamim of Uziyah, Yotam, Achaz, and Yechizkiyah, melachim of Yehudah, and in the yamim of Yarov‘am ben Yoash, Melech Yisroel.

² The beginning of the Devar Hashem by Hoshea: And Hashem said to Hoshea, Go, take unto thee an eshet zenunim (wife of whoredoms) and yeladim of zenunim; for ha’aretz hath committed great whoredom, by departing from Hashem.

³ So he went and took Gomer bat Divlayim; which conceived, and bore him ben.

⁴ And Hashem said unto him, Call shmo Yizre’el (G-d will sow); for yet a little while, and I will visit vengeance upon Bais Yehu for the demei Yizre’el (massacre at Yizre’el), and will cause to cease the Mamlechut Bais Yisroel [See 2Kg chp 9].

⁵ And it shall come to pass on Yom Hahu, that I will break the keshet Yisroel (bow of Israel), in the Emek Yizre’el (Jezreel Valley).

⁶ And she conceived again, and bore a bat. And G-d said unto him, Call her shem Loruchamah (not pitied); for I will no more have pity upon Bais Yisroel; since I have been utterly betrayed by them [1K 2:10].

⁷ But I will have mercy upon the Bais Yehudah, and will save them by Hashem Eloheihem, and will not save them by keshet, nor by cherev, nor by milchamah, by susim, nor by parashim.

⁸ Now when she had weaned Lo-ruchamah, she conceived, and bore ben.

⁹ Then said G-d, Call shmo Lo-ami; for ye are lo ami (not My people), and to you (pl) not eh’h’yeh (I am, which is ALEFH HEH YOD HEH 1 common sg form of YOD HEH VAV HEH—HASHEM, i.e., to you I am not Hashem).

^10 (2:1) Yet the number of the Bnei Yisroel shall be as the sand of the yam (sea), which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are lo ami (not My people), there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the Bnei El Chai.

^11 (2:2) Then shall the Bnei Yehudah and the Bnei Yisroel be gathered together, and appoint for them Rosh Echad [Moshiach; see Isa chp 11; Hoshea 3:5], and they shall come up out of ha’aretz; for gadol shall be the Yom Yizre’el (Day of Jezreel [G-d will sow]).

2 ^1 (2:3) Say ye unto your achim, Ami (My people); and to your achayot, Ruchamah (Pitied).

^2 (2:4) Plead with immechem (your mother), plead; for she is not my isha (wife), neither am I her ish (husband); let her therefore put away her zenunim (whoredoms) out of her sight, and her na’afufim (adulteries) from between her breasts;

^3 (2:5) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as bare as the day she was born, and make her as a midbar, and turn her like an eretz tziyyah (parched land), and kill her with tzamah (thirst).

^4 (2:6) And I will not have mercy upon her banim; for they are the bnei zenunim.

^5 (2:7) For their em hath played the zonah (prostitute); she that conceived them hath done shamefully; for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my lechem and my mayim, my wool and my flax, mine shemen (oil) and my shikkui (drink).

^6 (2:8) Therefore, hinei, I will hedge up thy path with thorns, and wall in her wall, that she shall not find her netivah (way).

^7 (2:9) And she shall chase after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then shall she say, I will go and return to my ish harishon (first husband); for then was it better with me than now.

^8 (2:10) For she did not have da’as that I gave her dagan (grain), and tirosh (new wine), and yitzhar (oil), and multiplied her kesef and zahav, which they prepared for Ba’al.

^9 (2:11) Therefore will I return, and take away My dagan in the season thereof, and My tirosh in the season thereof, and will take back My wool and My flax given to cover her nakedness.

^10 (2:12) And now will I expose her navlut (lewdness) in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of Mine hand.

^11 (2:13) I will also cause all her masos (exultation, joy) to cease, her Chag (feast), her Chodesh (New Moons), and her Shabbatot, and all her Mo’adim (appointed feasts).

^12 (2:14) And I will destroy her gefanim (vines) and her te’enim (fig trees), whereof she hath said, These are my etnan (harlot’s wages) that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest, and the wild beasts of the sadeh shall devour them.

^13 (2:15) And I will visit upon her the yamim of Ba’alim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her ring and her jewelry, and she went after her lovers, and forgot Me, saith Hashem.

^14 (2:16) Therefore, hinei, I will allure her, and bring her into the midbar, and speak to her lev.

^15 (2:17) And there I will give her her kramim (vineyards), and the Emek Achor (Valley of Trouble) I will make a petach tikvah (door of hope); and she shall sing there, as in the yamim of her youth, and as in the yom when she came up out of Eretz Mitzrayim.

^16 (2:18) And it shall be in Yom Hahu, saith Hashem, that thou shalt call Me Ishi (my Husband); and shalt call Me no more Ba’ali.

^17 (2:19) For I will take away the shemot (names) of Ba’alim out of her mouth, and they shall be remembered by their names no more.

^18 (2:20) And in Yom Hahu will I make a brit (covenant) for them with the beasts of the sadeh and with the fowls of Shomayim, and with the creeping things of the adamah; and I will abolish the keshet and the cherev and the milchamah from ha’aretz, and will make them to lie down in safety.

^19 (2:21) And I will betroth thee unto Me l’olam; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in tzedek, and in mishpat, and in chesed, and in rachamim.

^20 (2:22) I will even betroth thee unto Me in emunah (faithfulness, fidelity): then thou shalt know Hashem.

^21 (2:23) And it shall come to pass in Yom Hahu, I will answer, saith Hashem, I will answer HaShomayim (the heavens), and they shall answer Ha’Aretz;

^22 (2:24) And Ha’Aretz shall answer with dagan, and tirosh, and yitzhar; and they shall answer Yizre’el (G-d will sow).

^23 (2:25) And I will sow her for Myself in ha’aretz; and I will have rachamim upon lo ruchamah; and I will say to them which were lo ami, Thou art ami (My people); and they shall say, Thou art Elohai (my G-d).

3 Then said Hashem unto me, Go again, love an isha (woman, wife) beloved of her re’a (friend, companion), yet a noefet (adulteress), just like the ahavat Hashem toward the Bnei Yisroel, who look to elohim acharim, and love heathen religion raisin cakes [Yirmeyah 44:19].

² So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of kesef, and for a chomer and a half of se’orim, [1K 1:18-19 OJBC];

³ And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide with me yamim rabbim and shalt not play the zonah, and thou shalt not be for another ish; and thus will I also towards thee.

⁴ For the Bnei Yisroel shall abide yamim rabbim without a melech, and without a sar, and without a zevach, and without a matzevah (stone pillar, monument) and without an ephod (sacred vest used for consulting a deity), and without teraphim (household idols);

⁵ Afterward shall the Bnei Yisroel return, and seek Hashem Eloheihem, and Dovid their melech [i.e., Moshiach]; and shall fear Hashem and His goodness in the acharit hayamim (last days).

4 Hear the Devar Hashem, ye Bnei Yisroel: for Hashem hath a controversy with the yoshvei ha’aretz, because there is no emes, nor chesed, nor da’as Elohim in ha’aretz. [See 11:7-9; 1K 1:18-19 OJBC]

² By aloh (false swearing, perjury), and kachash (lying), and ratzo’ach (murder), and ganov (stealing), and na’of (committing adultery) they break away, and damim b’damim they follow (bloodshed follows bloodshed).

³ Therefore shall ha’aretz mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall waste away languishing, with the wild beasts of the sadeh, and with the fowls of Shomayim; yea, the dagim of the yam also shall disappear.

⁴ Yet let no ish bring a point of contention, nor reprove another; for thy people are as they that strive with the kohen.

⁵ Therefore shalt thou stumble and fall in the yom, and the navi also shall stumble and fall with thee in the lailah, and I will destroy thy em.

⁶ Ami are destroyed for lack of da’as (knowledge); because thou hast rejected da’as, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no kohen to Me; seeing thou hast forgotten the torat Eloheicha, I will also forget thy banim.

⁷ The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; therefore will I change their kavod into kalon (ignominy, shame).

⁸ They [i.e., the kohanim] feed on the chattat (sin) of Ami, and they relish their avon (iniquity).

⁹ And there shall be, like Am (People), like kohen; and I will visit them with punishment for their ways, and repay them for their doings.

¹⁰ For they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase; because they have abandoned being shomer to heed Hashem.

¹¹ Zenut (prostitution, whoredom) and yayin and tirosh take away the lev (understanding).

¹² Ami (My people) consult a piece of wood, and their staff declareth unto them; for the ruach zenunim hath caused them to err, and they have played the zonah, forsaking Eloheihem.

¹³ They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is tov; therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law shall commit ni’uf (adultery).

¹⁴ I will not visit punishment upon your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit ni’uf (adultery); because the men consort with zonot, and they sacrifice with kedeshot (temple prostitutes); thus the Am without binah (understanding) shall come to ruin.

¹⁵ Though thou, Yisroel, play the zonah, yet let not Yehudah become guilty; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beit-Aven (House of Iniquity, pejorative name for Bethel), nor swear, Chai Hashem (As the L-rd lives).

¹⁶ For Yisroel slideth back (i.e., is stubborn, rebellious, unmanageable) like a backsliding parah (stubborn, rebellious cow); now Hashem will feed them like a lamb in a wide field.

¹⁷ Ephrayim [i.e., the Northern Kingdom, Israel] is joined to atzabim (idols); leave him alone.

¹⁸ When their drink is sour [i.e., when intoxicated], they have committed whoredom; her mogenim (shields, rulers) deeply love kalon (ignominy, shame).

¹⁹ The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and their zevakhot (sacrifices) shall bring them bushah (shame).

5 Hear ye this, O kohanim; and pay heed, ye Bais Yisroel; and give ye ear, O Bais HaMelech; for hamishpat (the judgment) is against you, because ye have been a pach (snare, bird trap) at Mitzpah, and a reshet (net) spread upon Tavor.

² And the revolters have deepened their slaughter, and I will be musar (punishment; see regarding Moshiach, Isa.53:5) of them all.

³ I know Ephrayim, and Yisroel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephrayim, thou committest whoredom, and Yisroel is tameh (unclean, defiled).

⁴ Their doings do not permit them to turn unto Eloheihem; for the ruach zenunim is in the midst of them, and they have not known Hashem.

⁵ And the ga’on Yisroel (pride of Yisroel) doth testify to his face; therefore shall Yisroel and Ephrayim stumble and fall in their avon (iniquity); Yehudah also shall fall with them.

⁶ They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Hashem; but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.

⁷ They have dealt treacherously against Hashem; for they have begotten banim zarim (strange, illegitimate children); now shall a [Rosh] Chodesh devour them with their fields.

⁸ Blow ye the shofar in Giveah, and the trumpet in Ramah; cry aloud at Beit-Aven; after thee, O Binyamin!

⁹ Ephrayim shall be desolate in the Yom Tokheichah (Day of Rebuke): among the Shivtei Yisroel have I made known that which is certain.

¹⁰ The sarim (princes) of Yehudah were like them that remove the gevul (boundary stone); therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them like mayim.

¹¹ Ephrayim is oppressed and crushed in mishpat (judgment), because he willingly walked after tzav (human statute [Isa 28:10,13]).

¹² Therefore will I be unto Ephrayim like maggots, and to the Bais Yehudah like rottenness.

¹³ When Ephrayim saw his sickness, and Yehudah saw his sores, then went Ephrayim to the Assyrian, and sent to the great king; yet he was not able to heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

¹⁴ For I will be unto Ephrayim like a lion, and as a great lion to the Bais Yehudah; I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there will be no one rescuing.

¹⁵ I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their guilt, and seek My face; in their tzar (affliction, distress) they will beg My favor.

6 Come, and let us return unto Hashem; for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath struck, and He will bind us up.

² After two days He will revive us; in the Yom HaShelishi He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.

³ Then shall we know, if we follow on to know Hashem; His going forth is prepared as the shachar (dawn); and He shall come unto us as the geshem (winter rain), as the malkosh (spring rain, i.e., as the latter and former rain, which is the winter and spring rain) unto ha’aretz.

⁴ O Ephrayim, what shall I do unto thee? O Yehudah, what shall I do with thee? For your chesed (faithfulness, loyalty) is as an anan boker (morning cloud), and as the early dew that disappears.

⁵ Therefore have I cut them to pieces with the nevi’im; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; thy mishpatim are as the ohr (light, lightning) that goeth forth.

⁶ For I desired chesed, and not zevach; and the da’as Elohim more than olot (burnt offerings). [Mt 9:13 OJBC]

⁷ But they are like Adam, they have transgressed the brit (covenant); there have they dealt treacherously against Me.

⁸ Gil`ad is a city of evildoers, is trodden with dahm.

⁹ And as gedudim (marauders) lie in wait for a man, so the chever (band) [of] kohanim murder in the way to Shechem; for they commit shameful crimes.

¹⁰ I have seen a horrible thing in Bais Yisroel: there is the zenut (whoredom) of Ephrayim; Yisroel is tameh (unclean, defiled).

¹¹ Also, O Yehudah, he hath set a katzir (harvest [of punishment]) for thee, when I turn the Shevut Ami (Captivity of My people, i.e., restore their fortunes).

7 When I would have healed Yisroel, then the avon (iniquity) of Ephrayim was exposed, and the ra’ot (crimes) of Shomron; for they practice sheker; and the ganav intrudes, and the bandit robs bachutz (in the street).

² And they consider not in their levavot that I remember all their ra’ah; now their own evil doings surround them; they are before My face.

³ They make the Melech glad with their ra’ah, and the sarim (princes) with their lies.

⁴ They are all no’afim (adulterers), as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth stirring from the kneading of the batzek (dough), until its chametz leavening rises.

⁵ In the Yom Malkeinu the sarim (princes) have made him sick with the heat of yayin; he has stretched out his hand with the letzim (mockers).

⁶ For they have made ready their lev like an oven, while they lie in wait; their anger smolders kol halailah; in the boker it burneth like an eish of flame.

⁷ They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their shofetim; all their melachim are fallen; there is none among them that calleth unto Me.

⁸ Ephrayim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephrayim is a flat cake not turned over.

⁹ Zarim have devoured his ko’ach, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, yet he hath no da’as.

¹⁰ And the ga’on Yisroel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Hashem Eloheihem, nor seek Him for all this.

¹¹ Ephrayim also is like an easily deceived yonah without sense; they call to Mitzrayim, they turn to Assyria.

¹² When they shall go, I will spread My reshet (net) upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of Shomayim; I will chastise them, when I hear them congregating.

¹³ Woe unto them! For they have strayed from Me. Sod (destruction) unto them because they have committed pesha against Me! Though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken kazav (lies) against Me.

¹⁴ And they have not cried unto Me with their levavot, when they wailed upon their beds; they congregate themselves for dagan and tirosh, and they depart from Me.

¹⁵ Though I have trained and strengthened their zero’ot (arms), yet do they plot rah against Me.

¹⁶ They return, but not to Most High; they are like a faulty keshet; their sarim (princes) shall fall by the cherev for the insolence of their leshon; this shall be their derision in Eretz Mitzrayim.

8 Set the shofar to thy lips. He [the Assyrian enemy] shall come as a nesher against the Bais Hashem, because they have transgressed My brit (covenant), and committed pesha against My torah.

² Yisroel shall cry unto Me, Elohai, we know Thee. We, Yisroel!

³ Yisroel hath cast off the thing that is tov; the oyev (enemy) shall pursue him.

⁴ They have set up melachim, but not from Me; they have made sarim (princes), and I knew it not; of their kesef and their zahav have they made them atzabim (idols), that they may be cut off.

⁵ Thy egel (calf-idol), O Shomron, I am casting off; Mine anger is kindled against them; how long will they be incapable of nikkayon (innocency, freedom from punishment)?

⁶ They are from Yisroel! The craftsman made it; therefore it is not Elohim; but the egel of Shomron shall be broken in pieces.

⁷ For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind; the stalk [of standing grain] hath no tzemach (shoot); it shall yield no kemach (flour); and even if it yielded it, zarim would devour it.

⁸ Yisroel is swallowed up; now shall they be among the Goyim like a worthless keli (vessel).

⁹ For they are gone up to Assyria, a pere (wild donkey) off by itself alone; Ephrayim hath sold herself to ahavim (lovers).

¹⁰ Yea, though they have bargained among the Goyim, now will I gather them, and they shall begin to diminish on account of the massa (burden) of Melech Sarim.

¹¹ Because Ephrayim hath built many mizbechot for sin, mizbechot shall be unto him to sin.

¹² I have written to him the many things of My torah, but they were regarded as a zar (strange thing).

¹³ They sacrifice basar for the sacrifices of Mine offerings, and eat it; but Hashem accepteth them not; now will He remember their avon (iniquity), and visit punishment on their sins; they shall return to Mitzrayim.

¹⁴ For Yisroel hath forgotten His Maker, and buildeth heikhalot; and Yehudah hath multiplied fortified towns; but I will send eish upon his towns, and it shall devour the citadels thereof.

9 Rejoice not, O Yisroel, for joy, as other people; for thou hast gone awhoring from thy G-d, thou hast loved a reward upon every threshing floor.

² The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the tirosh shall fail in her.

³ They shall not dwell in Hashem’s land; but Ephrayim shall return to Mitzrayim, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

⁴ They shall not offer yayin offerings to Hashem, neither shall they be pleasing unto Him; their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread for their nefesh shall not come into the Beis Hashem.

⁵ What will ye do in the Yom Mo’ed, and in the Yom Chag Hashem?

⁶ For, lo, they are gone because of destruction; Mitzrayim shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; nettles shall possess their valuables of kesef; thorns shall be in their tents.

⁷ The days of pekudah (visitation for divine punishment) are come, the yamim of recompence are come; Yisroel shall know it; the navi is a fool, the ish haruach (spiritual man) is meshuga, for the multitude of thine iniquity and great hatred.

⁸ The watchman of Ephrayim was with my G-d; but the navi is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the bais of his G-d.

⁹ They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the yamim of Giveah; therefore He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins.

¹⁰ I found Yisroel like grapes in the midbar; I saw your avot as the bikkurah in the fig tree at her first season; but they went to Ba’al-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

¹¹ As for Ephrayim, their kavod shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the beten (womb), and from the conception.

¹² Though they bring up their banim, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

¹³ Ephrayim, as I saw Tzor, is planted in a pleasant place; but Ephrayim shall bring forth his banim to the murderer.

¹⁴ Give them, O Hashem. What wilt Thou give? Give them a miscarrying rechem (womb) and dry breasts.

¹⁵ All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them; for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of Mine bais, I will love them no more; all their sarim (princes) are sorerim (rebels).

¹⁶ Ephrayim is struck, their shoresh (root) is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their beten (womb).

¹⁷ My G-d will cast them away, because they did not pay heed unto Him; and they shall be nodedim (wanderers) among the Goyim.

10 Yisroel is a running gefen, he bringeth forth p’ri unto himself; according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the mizbechot; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly matzevot (stone pillars, monuments).

² Their lev is deceitful; now shall they bear guilt; He shall break down their mizbechot, He shall destroy their matzevot.

³ For now they shall say, We have no Melech, because we feared not Hashem; but if we did have a Melech, what could he do for us?

⁴ They have spoken words, swearing falsely in cutting brit (covenant); thus mishpat springeth up as poisonous herb in the furrows of the sadeh.

⁵ The inhabitants of Shomron tremble because of the eglot (calf-idols) of Beit-Aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, likewise the komer (idolatrous priests) over it, who shout for joy over its kavod, for it has gone into the Golus for them.

⁶ It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a minchah (present) to the great king; Ephrayim shall receive disgrace, and Yisroel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

⁷ As for Shomron, her melech will float off like a twig upon the surface of the mayim.

⁸ The high places also of Aven, the chattat Yisroel, shall be made shmad; the kotz (thorn) and the dardar (thistle) shall come up on their mizbechot; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

⁹ O Yisroel, thou hast sinned from the yamei Giveah; there they have continued. Did not milchamah (war) overtake the bnei alvah (children of unruliness) in Giveah?

¹⁰ When I please, I will chastise them; amim shall be gathered against them, when they are punished for their shtei avon (double iniquity).

¹¹ And Ephrayim is an eglah melummadah (a trained heifer), and loveth to tread out the grain; but I will put a yoke on her fair neck; I will drive Ephrayim; Yehudah shall plow, and Ya’akov shall break his clods.

¹² Sow to yourselves in tzedakah, reap in chesed; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Hashem, till He come and rain tzedek upon you.

¹³ Ye have plowed resha, ye have reaped avlah; ye have eaten the pri kachash (fruit of lies); because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy gibborim (mighty men).

¹⁴ Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be devastated, as Shalman devastated Beit-Arbel on the yom milchamah; the em were dashed in pieces with their banim.

¹⁵ So shall Beit-El do unto you because of your great wickedness; in the shachar (dawn) shall the Melech Yisroel utterly be cut off [Isa 53:8].

11 When Yisroel was a na’ar (child), I loved him, and called Beni (My son) out of Mitzrayim [Mt 2:15].

² The more I called them, the more they went from Me; they sacrificed unto Ba’alim, and burned incense to peselim (graven images).

³ Yet it was I who taught Ephrayim to walk, taking them by their zero’ot; but they knew not that it was I who healed them.

⁴ I drew them with cords of man, with bands of ahavah; and I was to them as they that ease the ol (yoke) on their jaws, and I bent down to feed them.

⁵ Will they not return into Eretz Mitzrayim? And will not the Assyrian be his melech, because they refused to make teshuvah.

⁶ And the cherev shall flash in his towns, and shall destroy his gate bars, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

⁷ And Ami are bent to backsliding from Me; though they called to the Most High, none at all would exalt Him.

⁸ How shall I give thee up, Ephrayim? How shall I hand thee over, Yisroel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I make thee as Tzvoyim? Mine lev is turned within Me, My relentings are kindled together.

⁹ I will not execute Mine charon af, I will not return to destroy Ephrayim; for El ani, and not ish; the Kadosh (Holy One) in the midst of thee; and I will not come in wrath.

¹⁰ They shall walk after Hashem; He shall roar like an aryeh; when He shall roar, then the banim shall come trembling from the west.

¹¹ They shall come trembling as a bird out of Mitzrayim, and as a yonah out of Eretz Assyria; and I will place them in their batim (houses), saith Hashem.

^12 (12:1) Ephrayim compasseth Me about with kachash (lies), and Bais Yisroel with mirmar (deceit; T.N. See Isa 53:9 which says Moshiach will have no mirmar); but Yehudah still is unbridled with El, and against Kadoshim (Holy One; see Prov 9:10) Who is ne’eman.

12 ^(12:2) Ephrayim feedeth on wind, and chasing after the east wind; he daily increaseth kazav (lies) and sod (desolation); and cuts brit with the Assyrians, and shemen is sent to Mitzrayim.

^2 (3) Hashem hath also a charge against Yehudah, and will visit punishment on Ya’akov according to his ways; according to his doings will He repay him.

^3 (4) In the beten (womb) he (Ya’akov) akav (took at the heel [of]) his brother and by his strength he sarah (struggled with, persevered) with Elohim;

^4 (5) Yea, he (Yisroel) sarah (had power over) the malach, and prevailed; he wept, and made techinnah unto Him; He found him at Beit-El, and there He spoke with us;

^5 (6) Even Hashem Elohei Tzva’os; Hashem is His [memorial] Name!

^6 (7) Therefore turn thou to Eloheicha; be shomer over chesed and mishpat and wait on Eloheicha tamid (continually).

^7 (8) A Kena’an (merchant), in whose hand are the scales of mirmar (deceit) He loveth to oppress.

^8 (9) And Ephrayim boasts, Yet I am become an oisher, I have found me out wealth; in all my gain they shall find none avon (iniquity, offense) in me that would be chet (sin).

^9 (10) And I that am Hashem Eloheicha from Eretz Mitzrayim will yet make thee to dwell in oholim, as in the yamei mo’ed [i.e., Sukkot].

^10 (11) I have also spoken to the nevi’im, and I have multiplied chazon (vision, revelation, prophecy), and spoken parables by the nevi’im.

^11 (12) Is there aven (iniquity) in Gil‘ad? Surely they are vanity; they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their mizbechot are as piles of stones in the furrows of the fields.

^12 (13) And Ya’akov fled into the country of Aram, and Yisroel served for an isha, and for an isha he was shomer [over sheep].

^13 (14) And by a navi Hashem brought Yisroel out of Mitzrayim, and shomer [Yisroel] a navi was.

^14 (15) Ephrayim has provoked bitter anger; therefore shall He leave his blood-guiltiness upon him, and his scorn shall Adonoi of him return and repay unto him.

13 When Ephrayim spoke there was trembling; he was exalted in Yisroel; but when he became guilty in Ba’al, he died.

² And now they sin more and more, and have made for themselves massekhah (idol) of their kesef, and atzabim according to their faculty of binah (understanding), all of it the work of the craftsmen; they say of them, Let adam that sacrifice kiss calf-idols.

³ Therefore they shall be like the anan boker (morning cloud) and as the early dew that disappears, like the motz (chaff) that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, and as the smoke out of the window.

⁴ Yet I am Hashem Eloheicha from Eretz Mitzrayim, and thou shalt know no Elohim but Me; for there is no Moshia besides Me.

⁵ I did know thee in the midbar, in the eretz taluvot (land of burning heat).

⁶ According to their pasture [i.e., as I fed them], so were they filled; they were filled, and their lev became proud; therefore have they forgotten Me.

⁷ Therefore I will be unto them as a lion; as a leopard by the derech will I lie in wait;

⁸ I will meet them as a dov (bear) that is bereaved of her cubs, and will rip open the covering of their lev, and there will I devour them like a lion; as the wild beast of the sadeh would tear them.

⁹ O Yisroel, thou art destroyed; because thou art against Me, thine Ezer (Help).

¹⁰ Where now is thy melech that he may save thee? Where in all thy cities are thy shofetim of whom thou saidst, Give me a melech and sarim?

¹¹ I gave thee a melech in Mine anger, and took him away in My wrath [Isa 53:10].

¹² The avon (iniquity) of Ephrayim is bound up; his chattat is lurking.

¹³ The chevlei yoledah (birth pangs of a woman in childbirth) shall come upon him; he is a ben lo chacham; for when it is time he does not come to the opening of the womb.

¹⁴ Should I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Should I redeem them from mavet? O Mavet, where are the dever (pestilence, plague) of thee? O Sheol, where is thy destruction? Nocham (sorrow, compassion, pity) shall be hidden from Mine eyes.

¹⁵ Even though he thrives among his achim, an east wind shall come, the Ruach Hashem shall come up from the midbar (desert), and his makor (spring, fountain) shall become dry, and his well shall be dried up; it shall plunder the otzar of every keli chemdah (precious vessel).

^16 (14:1) Shomron shall bear guilt; for she hath rebelled against her Elohim; they shall fall by the cherev; their olalim shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped open.

14 ^1 (2) O Yisroel, return unto Hashem Eloheicha; for thy downfall hast been thine avon (iniquity).

^2 (3) Take devarim (words) with you, and turn to Hashem; say unto Him, Take away avon (iniquity), and receive us graciously that we may render the sacrifices of our lips.[MJ 13:15]

^3 (4) Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon susim; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are Eloheinu; for in Thee the yatom (orphan) findeth compassion.

^4 (5) I will heal their meshuvah (backsliding); I will love them freely; for Mine anger is turned away from him.

^5 (6) I will be as the tal (dew) unto Yisroel: he shall blossom as the lily, and strike root as Levanon.

^6 (7) His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the zayit (olive tree), and his hod (splendor) as Levanon.

^7 (8) They that dwell under his tzel (shade) shall return; they shall revive as the dagan, and grow as the gefen; the remembrance thereof shall be as the yayin of Levanon.

^8 (9) Ephrayim shall say, What have I to do any more with atzabim? It is I who answer and look after him; I am like an evergreen cypress. From Me is thy p’ri found.

^9 (10) Who is chacham, and he shall have binah of these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the Darkhei Hashem are right, and the tzaddikim shall walk in them; but the poshe’im (transgressors) shall fall therein.

1 The Devar Hashem that came to Yoel Ben Petuel:

² Hear this, ye zekenim, and give ear, all ye yoshvei ha’aretz (inhabitants of the land). Hath anything like this been in your days, or even in the days of your avot (fathers)?

³ Tell ye your banim (children) of it, and let your banim tell their banim, and their banim to the next generation.

⁴ That which the locust swarm hath left hath the arbeh (great locust) eaten; and that which the arbeh hath left hath the crawling locust eaten; and that which the crawling locust hath left hath the other locust eaten.

⁵ Awake, ye shikkorim (drunkards), and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of yayin, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

⁶ For a Goy is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of an aryeh (lion), and he hath the fangs of a lioness.

⁷ He hath laid my gefen (vine) waste, and barked my teenah (fig tree); he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

⁸ Lament like a betulah girded with sackcloth for the ba’al (husband) of her youth.

⁹ The minchah and the nesekh is cut off from the Beis Hashem; the kohanim, the mesharetim (ministers) of Hashem, mourn.

¹⁰ The sadeh (field) is wasted, the adamah (land) mourneth; for the grain is wasted; the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

¹¹ Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen [i.e., farmers]; wail, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the katzir (harvest) of the sadeh is perished.

¹² The gefen is dried up, and the teenah languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the sadeh, are withered; because sasson (joy) is withered away from the bnei Adam.

¹³ Gird yourselves, and lament, ye kohanim; howl, ye mesharetim of the Mizbe’ach; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye mesharetim of my G-d; for the minchah and the nesekh is withheld from the Beis of your G-d [i.e., the Beis Hamikdash].

¹⁴ Sanctify ye a tzom (fast), call an atzarah (solemn assembly), gather the zekenim and all the yoshvei ha’aretz into the Beis Hashem Eloheichem, and cry unto Hashem,

¹⁵ Alas for the day! For the Yom Hashem [see Isa13: 9-13; Am 5:18-20; 8:9-14; Zeph 1:14-23 on the coming Day of the L-rd when Hashem intervenes to execute mishpat and righteousness] is karov (near, at hand), and like destruction from Shaddai shall it come.

¹⁶ Is not the okhel (food) cut off before our eyes, yea, simchah (joy) and gladness from the Beis Eloheinu [the Beis Hamikdash]?

¹⁷ The seed is rotten under their clods, the otzarot (storehouses) are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered.

¹⁸ How do the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the edrei hatzon (flocks of sheep) are made desolate.

¹⁹ To Thee, Hashem, will I cry; for the eish hath devoured the pastures of the midbar, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

²⁰ The beasts of the field cry also unto Thee; for the rivers of mayim (water) are dried up, and the eish hath devoured the pastures of the midbar.

2 Blow ye the shofar in Tziyon, and sound an alarm on My Har Kodesh; let all the yoshvei ha’aretz tremble; for the Yom Hashem cometh, for it is near at hand;

² A day of choshech and of gloominess, a day of anan (cloud) and of thick darkness, as the shachar (dawn) spread upon the mountains; an am rav (great people, army) and strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of dor v’dor.

³ An eish devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; ha’aretz is as the Gan Eden before them, and behind them a desolate midbar; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

⁴ The appearance of them is as the appearance of susim; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

⁵ Like the noise of merkavot (chariots) on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of eish that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people drawn up in milchamah (battle).

⁶ Before their face, the amim (nations) shall be in anguish; every face turns pale.

⁷ They shall run like gibborim; they shall climb the chomah (wall) like anshei milchamah; and they shall march every one in formation, and they shall not swerve from their course;

⁸ Neither shall one push another; they shall walk every one in his own column; and when they burst through defenses, they shall not break ranks.

⁹ They shall run to and fro in the ir (city); they shall run upon the chomah, they shall climb up into the batim (houses); they shall enter in at the windows like the ganav.

¹⁰ The eretz shall quake before them; the Shomayim shall tremble; the shemesh and the yarei’ach shall be dark, and the kokhavim shall withdraw their shining;

¹¹ And Hashem shall utter His voice before His army; His machaneh (camp) is very great; for the executor of His devar (word, command) is strong; for the Yom Hashem is gadol and very terrible; and who can endure it?

¹² Therefore also now, saith Hashem, turn ye back to Me with all your lev, and with tzom, and with weeping, and with mourning;

¹³ And rend your lev, and not your garments, and turn unto Hashem Eloheichem; for He is channun (gracious) and rachum (merciful), slow to anger, and of rav chesed, and He relents from sending calamity.

¹⁴ Who knoweth but that He will return and have pity, and leave behind Him a brocha; even a minchah and a nesekh unto Hashem Eloheichem?

¹⁵ Blow the shofar in Tziyon, sanctify a tzom, call an atzarah (solemn assembly);

¹⁶ Gather the people, set apart as kodesh the kahal (congregation), assemble the zekenim, gather the olalim, even those nursing at the breast; let the choson go forth of his cheder, and the kallah out of her chuppah (canopy).

¹⁷ Let the kohanim, the mesharetim of Hashem, weep between the Ulam and the Mizbe’ach, and let them say, Spare Thy people, Hashem, and make not Thine nachalah (inheritance) an object of scorn, a byword among the Goyim. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their G-d?

¹⁸ Then will Hashem be jealous for His land, and take pity on His people.

¹⁹ Yea, Hashem will answer and say unto His people, Hineni, I am sending you dagan, and tirosh, and yitzhar, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you an object of scorn among the Goyim;

²⁰ But I will remove far off from you the northern [army, army of locusts], and will drive him into an eretz barren and desolate, with his vanguard toward the eastern sea [Dead Sea], and his rearguard toward the western sea [Mediterranean Sea], and his stench and foul smell will go up. Surely it hath done great things.

²¹ Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for Hashem hath done great things.

²² Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the midbar do spring up, for the etz beareth her fruit, the te’enah and the gefen do yield their strength.

²³ Be glad then, ye bnei Tziyon, and rejoice in Hashem Eloheichem; for He hath given you the former rain according to (His) tzedakah, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the yoreh (former rain), and the malkosh (latter rain) as before.

²⁴ And the threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with yayin and yitzhar.

²⁵ And I will restore to you the shanim (years) that the arbeh (great locust) hath eaten, the crawling locust, and the other locust, and the locust swarm, My great army which I sent among you.

²⁶ And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the Shem of Hashem Eloheichem, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be ashamed.

²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Yisroel, and that I am Hashem Eloheichem, and there is no other; and My people shall never be put to shame.

^28 (3:1) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Ruach [Hakodesh] upon all basar; and your banim and your banot shall prophesy, your zekenim shall dream chalomot, your bochurim shall see chezyonot (visions):

^29 (3:2) And also upon the avadim and upon the shefachot in those days will I pour out My Ruach [Hakodesh, see Ac 2:1-42].

^30 (3:3) And I will show mofetim in the heavens and in the earth, dahm, and eish, and pillars of smoke.

^31 (3:4) The shemesh shall be turned into choshech, and the yarei’ach into dahm, before the great and terrible Yom Hashem come.

^32 (3:5) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Shem of Adonoi shall be saved; for in Mt Tziyon and in Yerushalayim shall be deliverance, as Hashem hath said, and in the seridim (remnant, survivors) whom Hashem shall call [Jer 23:5-6; Zech 6:11-12; Ezra 3:8].

3 ^(4:1) For, hinei, in those days, and in that time, when I shall restore the fortunes of Yehudah and Yerushalayim,

^2 (4:2) I will also gather all Goyim, and will bring them down into the valley of Yehoshafat, and will enter into judgment against them there concerning My people and for My nachalah Yisroel, whom they have scattered among the Goyim, and My land they divided up.

^3 (4:3) And they have cast lots for My people; and have traded the yeledim as barter for zonot, and sold the yaldah for yayin, that they might drink.

^4 (4:4) Yea, and what have ye to do with Me, O Tzor, and Tzidon, and all the coasts of Peleshet? Will ye render Me a pay-back? And if ye recompense Me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own rosh;

^5 (4:5) Because ye have taken My kesef and My zahav, and have carried into your temples My goodly pleasant things:

^6 (4:6) Also the Bnei Yehudah and the Bnei Yerushalayim have ye sold unto the Yevanim (Greeks), that ye might remove them far from their territory.

^7 (4:7) Hineni, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own rosh;

^8 (4:8) And I will sell your banim and your banot into the hand of the Bnei Yehudah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a Goy far off; for Hashem hath spoken it.

^9 (4:9) Proclaim ye this among the Goyim; Prepare milchamah, wake up the gibborim, let all the anshei hamilchamah draw near and attack;

^10 (4:10) Beat your plowblades into charavot (swords) and your pruning knives into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.

^11 (4:11) Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye Goyim, and gather yourselves together round about; Hashem, thither cause Thy gibborim to come down.

^12 (4:12) Let the Goyim be wakened, and come up to the valley of Yehoshafat; for there will I sit to judge all the Goyim round about.

^13 (4:13) Put ye in the sickle, for the katzir is ripe; go in, tread; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their ra’ah is great.

^14 (4:14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the Yom Hashem is near in the valley of decision.

^15 (4:15) The shemesh and the yarei’ach shall be darkened, and the kokhavim shall withdraw their shining.

^16 (4:16) Hashem also shall roar out of Tziyon, and utter His voice from Yerushalayim; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Hashem will be the machseh (refuge) of His people, and the maoz of the Bnei Yisroel.

^17 (4:17) So shall ye have da’as that I am Hashem Eloheichem dwelling in Tziyon, My Har Kodesh; then shall Yerushalayim be kodesh, and there shall no zarim pass through her any more.

^18 (4:18) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with cholov; and all the ravines of Yehudah shall flow with mayim, and a ma’ayon shall come forth out of the Beis Hashem, and shall water the valley of Sheetim.

^19 (4:19) Mitzrayim shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate midbar, for the chamas against the Bnei Yehudah, because they have shed dahm naki (innocent blood) in their land.

^20 (4:20) But Yehudah shall dwell for ever, and Yerushalayim from dor v’dor.

^21 (4:21) For I will cleanse them of bloodguilt which I have not yet cleansed; for Hashem dwelleth in Tziyon.

1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Yisroel in the yamim of Uziyah Melech Yehudah, and in the yamim of Yarov‘am ben Yoash Melech Yisroel, two years before the earthquake.

² And he said, Hashem roars from Tziyon, and utters His voice from Yerushalayim; and the pastures of the ro’im (shepherds) mourn, and the summit of Mt Carmel withers.

³ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Damascus, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gil‘ad with threshing sledges of barzel (iron);

⁴ But I will send an eish onto Bais Chatzael, which shall devour the fortresses of Ben-hadad.

⁵ I will break down also the gate bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from Bikeat-Aven, and him that holdeth the shevet (sceptre) from Bais Eden; and the people of Aram shall go into golus unto Kir, saith Hashem.

⁶ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Azah (Gaza), even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the golus shleimah (entire exiled population), to deliver them up to Edom;

⁷ But I will send an eish on the chomah (wall) of Azah (Gaza), which shall devour the fortresses thereof;

⁸ And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the shevet (sceptre) from Ashkelon, and I will turn Mine hand against Ekron; and the she’erit Pelishtim shall perish, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁹ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Tzor, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the golus shleimah to Edom, and remembered not the brit achim;

¹⁰ But I will send an eish on the chomah (wall) of Tzor, which shall devour the fortresses thereof.

¹¹ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Edom, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the cherev, and did cast off all rachamim, and his anger did rage perpetually, and he kept his wrath netzach;

¹² But I will send an eish upon Teman, which shall devour the fortresses of Botzrah.

¹³ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of the Bnei Ammon, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped open the women with child of Gil‘ad, that they might enlarge their border;

¹⁴ But I will kindle an eish in the chomah (wall) of Rabbah, and it shall devour the fortresses thereof, with war cries in the yom milchamah, with a tempest in the yom sufah (day of the storm);

¹⁵ And their melech shall go into golus, he and his sarim (princes) together, saith Hashem.

2 Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Moav, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of Melech Edom into lime;

² But I will send an eish upon Moav, and it shall devour the fortresses of Keriyot; and Moav shall die with tumult, with war cries, and with the blast of the shofar;

³ And I will cut off the shofet (judge) from the midst thereof, and will slay all the sarim (princes) thereof with him, saith Hashem.

⁴ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Yehudah, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the torat Hashem, and have not been shomer over His chukkim, and their lies caused them to err, after the halakhah of their avot;

⁵ But I will send an eish upon Yehudah, and it shall devour the fortresses of Yerushalayim.

⁶ Thus saith Hashem: For shloshah peysha’im of Yisroel, even for arba’ah, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the tzaddik for kesef, and the needy for a pair of sandals;

⁷ They who pant after the dust of the ground on the rosh of the poor, and turn aside the derech of the anavim; and an ish and his av will go in unto the same na’arah, to commit chillul Hashem against My Shem kodesh;

⁸ And they lay themselves down upon clothes taken in pledge by every mizbe’ach, and they guzzle the yayin of the fined in the Beis Eloheichem.

⁹ Yet destroyed I HaEmori before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his p’ri from above, and his shorashim from beneath.

¹⁰ Also I brought you up from Eretz Mitzrayim, and led you arba’im shanah through the midbar, to possess the Eretz HaEmori (land of the Amorite).

¹¹ And I raised up of your banim for nevi’im, and of your bochurim for Nezirim. Is it not even thus, O ye Bnei Yisroel? saith Hashem.

¹² But ye gave the Nezirim yayin to drink; and commanded the nevi’im, saying, Prophesy not.

¹³ Hinei, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.

¹⁴ Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, and the chazak shall not strengthen his ko’ach, neither shall the gibbor deliver his own nefesh;

¹⁵ Neither shall he stand that handleth the keshet; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver his own nefesh; neither shall he that rideth the sus deliver himself.

¹⁶ And he that is courageous among the gibborim shall flee away naked in that Yom, saith Hashem.

3 Hear this word that Hashem hath spoken against you, O Bnei Yisroel, against the kol hamishpochoh which I brought up from Eretz Mitzrayim, saying,

² You only have I known of all the mishpechot ha’adamah: therefore I will punish you for kol avonotechem.

³ Can shnayim walk together, except they be agreed?

⁴ Will an aryeh roar in the thicket, when he hath no prey? Will a lion roar from his den, if he has taken nothing?

⁵ Can a bird fall in a pach ha’aretz (trap on the ground), when his snare is not set? Can a pach spring up from ha’aretz without making a capture?

⁶ Shall a shofar be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be disaster in a city, and Hashem hath not caused it?

⁷ Surely Adonoi Hashem will do nothing, but He revealeth His sod (secret) unto His avadim hanevi’im.

⁸ The aryeh hath roared, who will not fear? Adonoi Hashem hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

⁹ Publish in the fortresses at Ashdod, and in the fortresses in Eretz Mitzrayim, and say, Assemble yourselves upon harei Shomron, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppression in the midst thereof.

¹⁰ For they have no da’as to do right, saith Hashem, who store up chamas and shod in their fortresses.

¹¹ Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem: An adversary shall surround the land; and he shall bring down thy strongholds from thee, and thy fortresses shall be plundered.

¹² Thus saith Hashem: As the ro’eh taketh out of the mouth of the aryeh two legs, or a piece of an ozen; so shall the Bnei Yisroel be saved that dwell in Shomron—with the corner of a mittah (bed), and the edge of a couch.

¹³ Hear ye, and testify in Bais Ya’akov, saith Adonoi Hashem Elohei HaTzva’os,

¹⁴ On the Yom that I visit her to punish the peysha’im of Yisroel, I will also visit to punish the mizbechot of Beit-El; and the horns of the mizbe’ach shall be cut off, and fall to ha’aretz.

¹⁵ And I will strike the bais hachoref with the bais hakayitz; and the batim (houses) of ivory shall perish, and the batim rabbim (great houses) shall have an end, saith Hashem.

4 Hear this word, ye cows of Bashan, that are on Mt Shomron, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their adonim, Bring, and let us drink.

² Adonoi Hashem hath sworn by His Kodesh, that, hinei, the yamim shall come upon you, that He will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fishhooks.

³ And ye shall go out of the breaks in the wall, every cow right behind the next; and ye shall be cast out toward Harmonah, saith Hashem.

⁴ Come to Beit-El, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply peysha’im; and bring your zevakhim every boker, and your ma’asrot (tithes) every third day;

⁵ And offer a todah thank offering with chametz (leavened bread), and proclaim and publish the nedavot (freewill offerings); for this ye love, O Bnei Yisroel, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁶ And I also have given you cleanness of teeth [i.e., famine] in all your towns, and want of lechem in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.

⁷ And also I have withheld the geshem from you, when there were yet shloshah chodashim to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one town, and caused it not to rain upon another town; one chelek (part) was rained upon, and the chelek, whereupon it rained not, withered.

⁸ So two or three towns wandered unto one town, to drink mayim; but they were not satisfied; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.

⁹ I have struck you with blight and mildew; when your ganim (gardens) and your kramim (vineyards) and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the locust devoured them; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.

¹⁰ I have sent among you the dever after the manner of Mitzrayim; your bocherim have I slain with the cherev, and have taken away your susim; and I have made the stench of your machanot to come up unto your nostrils; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.

¹¹ I have overthrown some of you, as Elohim overthrew Sodom and Amora (Gomorrah), and ye were like a firebrand snatched from the burning; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.

¹² Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Yisroel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet Eloheicha, O Yisroel.

¹³ For, hinei, He that formeth the harim, and createth the ruach, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the shachar darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, Hashem Elohei Tzva’os Shmo.

5 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a kinah (lamentation), O Bais Yisroel.

² The Betulat Yisroel is fallen; she shall no more rise; she is forsaken in her own land; there is none to raise her up.

³ For thus saith Adonoi Hashem: The city that went out by a thousand will be left a hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred will be left ten, for Bais Yisroel.

⁴ For thus saith Hashem unto Bais Yisroel: Seek ye Me, and live;

⁵ But seek not Beit-El, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer Sheva; for Gilgal shall surely go into golus, and Beit-El shall come to naught.

⁶ Seek Hashem, and live; lest He break out like eish in Bais Yosef, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beit-El.

⁷ Ye who turn mishpat into wormwood, and cast tzedakah to the ground,

⁸ Seek Him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth tzalmavet into boker, and maketh the yom into lailah; that calleth for the waters of the yam, and poureth them out upon the face of ha’aretz; Hashem Shmo;

⁹ Who causeth shod (destruction) to flash upon the strong, and shod upon the fortified city.

¹⁰ They hate the mochiach (reprover [of injustice]) in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh tamim (uprightly).

¹¹ Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat; ye have built batim (houses) of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant kramim (vineyards), but ye shall not drink yayin of them.

¹² For I have da’as of your manifold peysha’im and your mighty chattaim (sins); they afflict the tzaddik, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the sha’ar (gate, court) from their right.

¹³ Therefore the maskil (prudent) shall keep silence in such times; for it is an evil time.

¹⁴ Seek tov, and not rah, that ye may live; and so Hashem Elohei Tzva’os shall be with you, just as ye say He is.

¹⁵ Hate the rah, and love the tov, and establish mishpat in the sha’ar; it may be that Hashem Elohei Tzava’os will be gracious unto the she’erit Yosef.

¹⁶ Therefore Hashem Adonoi Elohei Tzva’os saith thus: Wailing shall be in all rechovot; and they shall cry in all the public squares, Alas! Alas! And they shall call the ikkar (farmer) to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentation to wailing.

¹⁷ And in all kramim (vineyards) shall be wailing; for I will pass through thee, saith Hashem.

¹⁸ Hoy unto you that desire the Yom Hashem! Why do ye seek it? The Yom Hashem is choshech, and not ohr.

¹⁹ As if a man did flee from an ari, and a dov met him; or went into the bais, and leaned his hand on the kir (wall), and a nachash bit him.

²⁰ Shall not the Yom Hashem be choshech, and not ohr? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

²¹ I hate, I despise your chagim (religious festivals), and I will not stand in your atzerot (solemn assemblies).

²² Though ye offer Me olot and your minchot, I will not accept them; neither will I regard your choice shelamim (peace offerings).

²³ Take thou away from Me the noise of thy shirim (songs); for I will not hear the melody of thy nevalim (harps).

²⁴ But let mishpat run down as mayim, and tzedakah as a never failing stream.

²⁵ Did ye offer unto Me zevakhim and minchah in the midbar arba’im shanah, O Bais Yisroel?

²⁶ But ye have borne the shrine of your Moloch and the pedestal of your tzelamim, your star g-d, which ye made for yourselves.

²⁷ Therefore will I cause you to go into golus beyond Damascus, saith Hashem Elohei Tzva’os Shmo.

6 Hoy to them that are complacent in Tziyon, and have their bitachon in Har Shomron, the notables of the foremost Goyim, to whom Bais Yisroel comes!

² Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to great Chamat; then go down to Gat of the Pelishtim (Philistines); be they better than these mamlachot? Or their territory more vast than your territory?

³ Ye that put far away the Yom Rah, and cause the shevet chamas to come near;

⁴ That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the tzon, and the calves from the stall;

⁵ Who prattle to the tune of the nevel (harp); like Dovid [HaMelech] they invent string instruments.

⁶ That drink yayin in sacrificial bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest ointments; but they are not grieved for the shever Yosef (ruin of Yosef).

⁷ Therefore now shall they go into captivity at the head of the golus, and the merry shouting of the revellers will die.

⁸ Adonoi Hashem hath sworn by Himself, saith Hashem Elohei Tzva’os: I abhor the ga’on Ya’akov, and hate his fortresses; therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

⁹ And it shall come to pass, if there remain asarah anashim in one bais, they shall die.

¹⁰ And a man’s relative shall take him up, and he that burieth him, to carry out the bones out of the bais, and shall say unto him still hiding inside, Is there yet any with thee? And he shall say, Not one. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue; for the Shem Hashem is not to be invoked.

¹¹ For, hinei, Hashem commandeth, and He will strike the bais hagadol into ruins, and the bais hakaton into pieces.

¹² Do susim run upon the rock? Do men plow there with oxen? For ye have turned mishpat into poison, and the p’ri of tzedakah into wormwood;

¹³ Ye which rejoice over what is worthless, which say, Have we not taken to us horns [i.e., symbols of military resources] by chazekeinu (our own strength)?

¹⁴ But, hineni, I will raise up against you a Goy (Nation), O Bais Yisroel, saith Hashem Elohei Tzva’os; and they shall afflict you from the territory of Chamat unto the Wadi of the Aravah. T.N. Notice in the next chapter that Amos refuses to be intimidated by an apostate religious leader who dares to war against Scripture. Amos gives a prophetic prediction that this chalatan will be defrocked by Hashem by being dragged off to an unclean heathen land.

7 Thus hath Adonoi Hashem showed unto me; and, hinei, He formed locusts in the beginning of the springing up of the second crop; and, hinei, it was the second crop after the mowing of the melech.

² And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the vegetation of ha’aretz, then I said, O Adonoi Hashem, forgive, I beseech thee; how shall Ya’akov survive? For he is katon.

³ Hashem relented for this; It shall not be, saith Hashem.

⁴ Thus hath Adonoi Hashem showed unto me; and, hinei, Adonoi Hashem called to punish with eish, and it devoured the tehom rabbah (great deep), and did devour the chelek (portion).

⁵ Then said I, O Adonoi Hashem, cease, I beseech thee; how shall Ya’akov survive? For he is katon.

⁶ Hashem relented for this: This also shall not be, saith Adonoi Hashem.

⁷ Thus He showed me; and, hinei, Hashem stood upon a chomah (wall) made with a plumb line, and a plumb line in His hand.

⁸ And Hashem said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line. Then said Hashem, Hineni, I will set a plumb line in the midst of My people Yisroel; I will not again pass by them [and spare them] anymore;

⁹ And the high places of Yitzchak shall be desolate, and the mikdeshei Yisroel (i.e., heathen sanctuaries) shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the Bais Yarov‘am with the cherev.

¹⁰ Then Amatzyah the kohen of Beit-El sent to Yarov‘am Melech Yisroel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of Bais Yisroel; the land is not able to bear all his words.

¹¹ For thus Amos saith, Yarov‘am shall die by the cherev, and Yisroel shall surely be led away into the golus out of their own land.

¹² Also Amatzyah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into Eretz Yehudah, and there eat lechem, and prophesy there:

¹³ But prophesy not again any more at Beit-El; for it is the Mikdash Melech, and it is the Bais Mamlachah.

¹⁴ Then answered Amos, and said to Amatzyah, I was no navi, neither was I a ben navi; but I was a herder, and a dresser of sycamore-fig trees;

¹⁵ And Hashem took me as I followed the tzon, and Hashem said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Yisroel.

¹⁶ Now therefore hear thou the Devar Hashem: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Yisroel, and drop not thy word against the Bais Yitzchak.

¹⁷ Therefore thus saith Hashem: Thy isha shall be a zonah in the city, and thy banim and thy banot shall fall by the cherev, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in an adamah temei’ah (unclean land); and Yisroel shall surely go forth of his land into golus (exile).

8 Thus hath Adonoi Hashem showed unto me: and hinei a basket of kayitz (summer fruit).

² And Hashem said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of kayitz (summer fruit). Then said Hashem unto me, The ketz (end) is come upon My people Yisroel; I will not again pass by them [and spare them] anymore.

³ And the shirot of the heikhal shall turn to wailings in that Yom, saith Adonoi Hashem; there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth. Silence!

⁴ Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the anivvei aretz (poor of the land) to fail,

⁵ Saying, When will the Rosh Chodesh be over, that we may sell grain? And Shabbos, that we may market wheat, making the eifah (bushel) small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by mirmah (deceit)?

⁶ That we may buy the poor for kesef, and the needy for a pair of sandals; yea, and sell the sweepings with the wheat?

⁷ Hashem hath sworn by the ga’on Ya’akov, Surely I will never forget any of their ma’asim.

⁸ Shall not ha’aretz (the land) tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? And the whole land shall rise like the Nile; and heave and sink, as by the Nile of Mitzrayim.

⁹ And it shall come to pass in that Yom, saith Adonoi Hashem, that I will cause the shemesh to go down at noon, and I will darken ha’aretz in the yom ohr (day light);

¹⁰ And I will turn your chagim into mourning, and all your shirot into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every rosh; and I will make it as the mourning of a yachid (only son), and the end thereof as a yom mar (bitter day).

¹¹ Hinei, the yamim come, saith Adonoi Hashem, that I will send a ra’av (famine) in the land, not a ra’av (famine) of lechem, nor a thirst for mayim, but of hearing the Divrei Hashem;

¹² And they shall wander from yam to yam, and from the tzafon (north) even to the mizrach (east), they shall run to and fro to seek the Devar Hashem, and shall not find it.

¹³ In that Yom shall the betulot hayafot (fair virgins) and bochurim faint for thirst.

¹⁴ They that swear by the sin of Shomron, and say, Chai Elohecha, O Dan; and, The Derech Beer Sheva liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

9 I saw Adonoi standing by the mizbe’ach; and He said, Strike the pillar capitals [of the heathen shrine], that the thresholds may shake; and smash them upon the heads of all; and I will slay the last of them with the cherev; he that fleeth of them shall not get away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

² Though they dig down to Sheol, thence shall Mine hand take them; though they climb up to Shomayim, thence will I bring them down;

³ And though they hide themselves in the summit of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from My sight in the bottom of the yam, thence will I command the nachash, and he shall bite them;

⁴ And though they go into golus (exile) before their enemies, thence will I command the cherev, and it shall slay them; and I will set Mine eyes upon them for rah, and not for tov.

⁵ And Adonoi Hashem HaTzva’os is He that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn; and it shall rise up wholly like the Nile; and sink like the Nile of Mitzrayim.

⁶ It is He that buildeth his ma’alot (stairs) in Shomayim, and hath founded His aguddah (fitted together vault) over Eretz; He that calleth for the waters of the yam, and poureth them out upon the face of ha’aretz; Hashem Shmo.

⁷ Are ye not as children of Ethiopia unto Me, O Bnai Yisroel? saith Hashem. Have not I brought up Yisroel out of Eretz Mitzrayim? And the Pelishtim (Philistines) from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?

⁸ Hinei, the eyes of Adonoi Hashem are upon the mamlachah hachatta’ah, and I will destroy it from off the face of ha’aretz; nevertheless I will not utterly destroy Bais Yaakov, saith Hashem.

⁹ For, hinei, I will command, and I will sift Bais Yisroel among all Goyim, like as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon ha’aretz.

¹⁰ All the chatta’ei ami (sinners of My people) shall die by the cherev, which say, the ra’ah shall not overtake nor come to us.

¹¹ In that Yom will I raise up the Sukkat Dovid that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the yamei olam;

¹² That they may possess the she’erit Edom and all the Goyim, which are called by Shmi, saith Hashem that doeth this.

¹³ Hinei, the yamim are coming, saith Hashem, that the plowman shall overtake the kotzer (reaper), and the treader of grapes him that soweth zera; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

¹⁴ And I will bring again the captivity of My people Yisroel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant kramim (vineyards), and drink the yayin thereof; they shall also make gannot, and eat the p’ri of them.

¹⁵ And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I have given them, saith Hashem Eloheicha.

¹ The chazon (vision) of Obadyah: Thus saith Adonoi Hashem concerning Edom: We have heard a report from Hashem, and an envoy is sent among the Goyim, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her (Edom) in battle.

² Hinei, I have made thee small among the Goyim; thou art greatly despised.

³ The zadon (pride, presumption, arrogance) of thine lev (heart) hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his lev, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

⁴ Though thou exalt thyself to soar as the nesher, and though thou set thy nest among the kokhavim (stars), thence will I bring thee down, saith Hashem.

⁵ If ganavim (thieves) came to thee, if shodedei lailah (robbers by night)‖oh how art thou cut off!‖would they not have stolen only till they had enough? If the grape gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?

⁶ How is Esau searched out! How are his hidden treasures pillaged!

⁷ All the men of thy alliance have forced thee and brought thee even to the border; the anshei shlomecha (the men that were at peace with thee) have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy lechem (bread) have laid a mazor (net, trap) under thee; there is none detecting it.

⁸ Shall I not in that day, saith Hashem, even destroy the chachamim (wise men) out of Edom, and understanding out of the Har Esav?

⁹ And thy gibborim (mighty men), O Teman, shall be dismayed and lose courage, to the end that every one of the Har Esav may be cut off by slaughter.

¹⁰ For thy chamas against thy brother Ya’akov, bushah (shame) shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off l’olam (for ever).

¹¹ In the day that thou stood aloof on the other side, in the day that the zarim (strangers) carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots for Yerushalayim, even thou wast as one of them.

¹² But thou shouldest not have gloated over the day of thy brother in the day of his misfortune; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the Bnei Yehudah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the Yom Tzarah (Day of Trouble).

¹³ Thou shouldest not have entered into the sha’ar Ami (gate of My people) in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;

¹⁴ Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossroads, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did survive in the Yom Tzarah.

¹⁵ For the Yom Hashem is near upon all the Goyim: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

¹⁶ For as ye have drunk upon My Har Kodesh (Holy Mountain), so shall all the Goyim drink continually; yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

¹⁷ But upon Mt Tziyon shall be deliverance, and there shall be kodesh (holiness); and the Beis Ya’akov shall possess their inheritances.

¹⁸ And the Beis Ya’akov shall be an eish (fire), and the Beis Yosef a flame, and the Beis Esav for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the Beis Esav; for Hashem hath spoken.

¹⁹ And they of the Negev shall possess Har Esav; and they of the Shefelah, the Philistines; and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Shomron; and Benjamin shall possess Gile’ad.

²⁰ And those of the Golus of Bnei Yisroel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Tzarphat; and those of the Golus of Yerushalayim, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the Negev.

²¹ And Moshi’im (Deliverers) shall come up on Mt Tziyon to judge the Har Esav; and HaMamlachah (the Kingdom) shall be Hashem’s.

1 Now the Devar Hashem came unto Yonah ben Amittai, saying,

² Arise, go to Nineveh, that ha’ir hagedolah (great city), and preach against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me.

³ But Yonah rose up to run away unto Tarshish from the presence of Hashem, and went down to Yafo; and he found an oniyah going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Hashem.

⁴ But Hashem sent out a ruach gedolah (great wind) into the yam (sea), and there was a sa’ar gadol (mighty tempest) in the yam, so that the oniyah was like to be broken.

⁵ Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his g-d, and cast forth the cargoes that were in the oniyah into the yam, to lighten it of them. But Yonah was gone down into the hold of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

⁶ So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon Eloheicha, if so be that HaElohim will think upon us, that we perish not.

⁷ And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast goralot (lots), that we may have da’as for whose cause this ra’ah is upon us. So they cast goralot (lots), and the goral (lot) fell upon Yonah.

⁸ Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause ra’ah hazot (this evil) is upon us; What is thine occupation? And whence comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?

⁹ And he said unto them, Ivri anochi (I am a Hebrew); and I fear Hashem, Elohei HaShomayim, which hath made the yam and the yabashah (dry land, Bereshis 1:9).

¹⁰ Then were the men of yirah gedolah (great terror), and said unto him: Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he was running away from the presence of Hashem, because he had told them.

¹¹ Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the yam against us may be calm [see Yeshayah 53:5,8; Mt 12:39-40; 16:4]? For the yam did rage and was tempestuous.

¹² And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the yam; so shall the yam be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this sa’ar hagadol (great tempest, storm) is upon you.

¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the yabashah; but they could not: for the yam did rage, and was tempestuous against them.

¹⁴ Wherefore they cried unto Hashem, and said, We beseech Thee, Hashem, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man’s nefesh, and lay not upon us dahm naki (innocent blood); for Thou, Hashem, hast done just as it pleased Thee.

¹⁵ So they took up Yonah, and cast him forth into the yam [see Yeshayah 53:5,8; Mt 12:39-40; 16:4]; and the yam ceased from her raging.

¹⁶ Then the men feared Hashem with a yirah gedolah, and offered a sacrifice unto Hashem, and vowed nedarim.

^17 (2:1) Now Hashem had prepared a dag gadol (great fish) to swallow up Yonah. And Yonah was in the belly of the dag shloshah yamim and shloshah leilot (three days and three nights).

2 ^(2:2) Then Yonah davened unto Hashem Elohav from out of the dag’s belly,

^2 (2:3) And said, I cried by reason of mine tzoros unto Hashem, He heard me; out of the belly of Sheol cried I, and Thou heardest my voice.

^3 (2:4) For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the yamim (seas); and the current swirled about me; all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me.

^4 (2:5) Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy Heikhal Kodesh.

^5 (2:6) The mayim compassed me about, even to the nefesh; the depth closed me round about, the seaweed were wrapped about my head.

^6 (2:7) I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; ha’aretz with her bars closed behind me l’olam; yet hast Thou brought up my life from shachat (corruption; see Ps 16:10), Hashem Elohai.

^7 (2:8) When my nefesh fainted within me, I remembered Hashem; and my tefillah came unto Thee, into Thine Heikhal Kodesh.

^8 (2:9) They that observe lying vanities forsake their own chesed.

^9 (2:10) But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of todah; I will pay that which I have vowed. Yeshuah (Salvation) is from Hashem.

^10 (2:11) And Hashem spoke unto HaDag (The Fish), and it vomited out Yonah upon the yabashah (dry land).

3 And the Devar Hashem came unto Yonah the second time, saying,

² Arise, go unto Nineveh, that ir hagedolah, and preach unto it the preaching that I give thee.

³ So Yonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the Devar Hashem. Now Nineveh was an exceeding ir gedolah of a journey of shloshet yamim.

⁴ And Yonah began to enter into the city one day’s journey, and he cried out and preached, and said, Yet arba’im yamim (40 days), and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

⁵ So the people of Nineveh had emunah in Elohim, and proclaimed a tzom, and put on sackcloth, from their gedolim even to their ketanim.

⁶ For word came unto HaMelech of Nineveh, and he arose from his kisse, and he laid aside his royal robe, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of HaMelech and his gedolim, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not eat, nor drink mayim;

⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto Elohim; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the chamas that is in their hands.

⁹ Who can tell if HaElohim will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?

¹⁰ And HaElohim saw their ma’asim, that they shavu (turned) from their derech hara’ah; and HaElohim relented of hara’ah, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.

4 But it displeased Yonah with a ra’ah gedolah, and he was very angry.

² And he davened unto Hashem, and said, I pray Thee, Hashem, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I was quick to flee unto Tarshish before; for I had da’as that Thou art an EL CHANNUN V’RACHUM ERECH APAYIM V’RAV CHESED and relentest Thee of the ra’ah. [SHEMOT 34:6]

³ Therefore now, Hashem, take, I beseech Thee, my nefesh from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

⁴ Then said Hashem, Doest thou well to be angry?

⁵ So Yonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a sukkah, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would happen to the city.

⁶ And Hashem Elohim prepared a climbing gourd, and made it to come up over Yonah, that it might be a tzel (shade) over his rosh, to deliver him from his displeasure. So Yonah had simchah gedolah about the climbing gourd.

⁷ But HaElohim prepared a tola’at (worm) when the shachar (dawn) came the next day, and it chewed the climbing gourd that it withered.

⁸ And it came to pass, when the shemesh did arise, that Elohim prepared a vehement scorching east ruach (wind); and the shemesh beat upon the rosh Yonah, that he grew faint, and wanted to [T.N. Moshiach is the Navi like Moshe, the Navi like Yonah, whom Mavet swallows and then vomits up so that he can divide the spoil with those whose chet he bears away to death like the Yom Kippur scapegoat (see Isa 53:12)]. die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

⁹ And Elohim said to Yonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the climbing gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto mot (death).

¹⁰ Then said Hashem, Thou hast had pity on the climbing gourd, though thou hast not labored for it, neither madest it grow; which came up a ben lailah, and perished a ben lailah;

¹¹ And should not I spare Nineveh, that ir hagedolah, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their yamin (right hand) and their semol (left hand); and also much cattle?

1 The Devar Hashem that came to Michah HaMorashti in the yamim of Yotam, Achaz, and Yechizkiyah, melachim of Yehudah, which he saw concerning Shomron and Yerushalayim:

² Hear, all ye peoples; hearken, O Eretz (earth), and all that is therein; and let Adonoi Hashem be witness against you, Adonoi from His Heikhal Kodesh.

³ For, hinei, Hashem cometh forth out of His dwelling place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of ha’aretz.

⁴ And the mountains shall melt under Him, and the valleys shall be split apart, like wax before the eish, and like mayim that are poured down a steep place.

⁵ Because of the peysha (transgression) of Ya’akov is all this, and because of the chattot Bais Yisroel. What is the peysha of Ya’akov? Is it not Shomron? And what are the high places of Yehudah? Are they not Yerushalayim?

⁶ Therefore I will make Shomron like a rubble heap of the sadeh, and like a place for planting a kerem (vineyard); and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will lay bare her foundations.

⁷ And all the pesilim thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the etnan (temple proceeds of cult prostitution) shall be burned with the eish, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate; for she [i.e., Shomron] gathered of the etnan (wage) of a zonah, and they shall revert to the etnan (wage) of a zonah.

⁸ Therefore I will weep and wail, I will go barefoot and arom (half-naked); I will wail like the jackals, and mourn like the ostriches.

⁹ For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Yehudah; it is come unto the sha’ar ami (gate of my people) even to Yerushalayim.

¹⁰ Declare ye it not at Gat, weep ye not at all; at Beit L’aphrah (House of Dust) roll thyself in the aphar (dust).

¹¹ Pass ye on your way, thou inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Tza’anan dare not come out. Beit-Ha’etzel is in mourning; it withdraws from you its support.

¹² For the inhabitant of Marot waited anxiously for relief; but rah (evil) came down from Hashem unto the sha’ar Yerushalayim.

¹³ O thou inhabitant of Lachish, harness the merkavah to the swift horses; it was the reshit chattat (beginning of sin) to Bat Tziyon; for the transgressions of Yisroel were found in thee.

¹⁴ Therefore shalt thou give shilluchim (parting gifts) to Moreshet-Gat; the batim (houses) of Achziv shall be a deception to the melachim of Yisroel.

¹⁵ Yet will I bring HaYoresh (The Heir, the one who takes possession) unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah; the kavod Yisroel shall come unto Adullam.

¹⁶ Shave your head in mourning for the children who were your delight; make yourselves as bald as the nesher (vulture); for they are gone into the golus from thee.

2 Hoy (Woe) to them that devise aven (iniquity), and plot rah (evil) upon their mishkavim (beds)! At ohr haboker they carry it out, because it is in the power of their hand.

² And they covet sadot, and seize them; and batim (houses), and take them away; so they oppress a man and his bais, even a man and his nachalah (inheritance).

³ Therefore thus saith Hashem: Hineni, against this mishpochah do I plan a ra’ah, from which ye shall not remove your tzavarot (necks); neither shall ye walk haughtily; for an et ra’ah (time of evil) it is.

⁴ In Yom HaHu shall one take up a mashal against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We are utterly ruined; He (Hashem) hath changed the chelek of Ami (my People); how hath He (Hashem) removed it from me! To the shovev (faithless, apostate) He (Hashem) apportions our sadot.

⁵ Therefore thou shalt have none that shall divide for you the land by lot in the Kahal Hashem.

⁶ Prophesy ye not, they prophesy; but if they [Hashem’s nevi’im] do not prophesy concerning these things, kellimot (disgraces, reproaches) will not be turned back.

⁷ O thou that art named Bais Yaakov, is the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem angry? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

⁸ Even of late Ami is risen up as an oyev (enemy); ye pull off the cloak from the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse to milchamah (war).

⁹ The women of Ami have ye cast out from their pleasant homes; from their ollalim have ye taken away My glory l’olam.

¹⁰ Arise ye, and depart; for this is not the menuchah (the place of rest); because of the tameah (defilement) that brings sore destruction.

¹¹ If a man, walking after the wind and sheker, do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of yayin and of strong drink; he shall even be the mattif (preacher) of Am HaZeh (this people).

¹² I will surely assemble, O Ya’akov, all of thee; I will surely gather the She’erit Yisroel; I will put them together like the tzon of the pen, like the eder (flock) in the meadow; they shall throng with people.

¹³ The one who breaks through comes up before them; they break through, and pass through the sha’ar, and go out by it; and their Melech [Moshiach, Hoshea 3:5] goes before them, and Hashem at their head.

3 And I said, Hear, O Rashei Ya’akov, and ye Ketzinim of Bais Yisroel. Is it not for you to have da’as of Mishpat (Justice)?

² Who hate the tov, and love the rah; who tear off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their atzamot (bones);

³ Who also eat the flesh of Ami, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their atzamot, and chop them in pieces, like for the pot, and like the basar within the caldron.

⁴ Then shall they cry unto Hashem, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because of the evil way they behaved themselves in their doings.

⁵ Thus saith Hashem concerning the nevi’im that make Ami err, leading them astray, the nevi’im that bite with their teeth, and preach, Shalom! And whoever putteth nothing into their mouths, v’kiddeshu milchamah (they sanctify war) against him.

⁶ Therefore lailah shall be unto you, because of the chazon; and choshech shall come upon you because of the soothsaying, the divination; and the shemesh shall go down over the nevi’im, and hayom shall be dark over them.

⁷ Then shall the chozim (seers) be ashamed, and the kosemim (diviners) blush in bushah; yea, they shall all cover their safam (mustache, i.e., their lips); ki ein ma’aneh Elohim (for there is no answer of G-d).

⁸ But truly I am full of ko’ach by the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem, and of mishpat, and of gevurah (might), to preach unto Ya’akov his peysha, and to Yisroel his chattat. [Yeshayah 53:5,8,12]

⁹ Hear this, I pray you, ye Rashei Bais Ya’akov, and Ketzinim of Bais Yisroel, that abhor mishpat, and twist kol haYesharah (all the right, the straight).

¹⁰ Boneh Tziyon b’damim (they build up Tziyon with blood), and Yerushalayim with avlah (iniquity).

¹¹ Her Rashim judge for a bribe, and her kohanim play the hireling moreh (teacher), and her nevi’im are fortunetellers for kesef; yet will they lean upon Hashem? And say, Is not Hashem among us? No ra’ah will come upon us.

¹² Therefore because of you, Tziyon shall be plowed as a sadeh, and Yerushalayim shall become a rubble heap, and the Har HaBeis (HaMikdash, i.e., the Temple Mount) shall become a mound of scrubs. [T.N. fulfilled 586, B.C.E., 70 C.E.]

4 But in the acharit hayamim (the last days) it shall come to pass, that the Har Beis Hashem shall be established as the rosh heharim (chief of mountains), and it shall be exalted above the hills; and amim (peoples) shall stream unto it.

² And Goyim rabbim shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the Har Hashem, and to the Beis Elohei Ya’akov; and He (Hashem) will be moreinu of His drakhim (ways), and we will walk in His orkhot (ways); for torah shall go forth from Tziyon, and the Devar Hashem from Yerushalayim.

³ And He shall judge among amim rabbim, and Hashem will be mochiach (arbitrator) for Goyim atzumim afar off; and they shall beat their charavot (swords) into plow blades, and their khanitot (spears) into pruning knives; And Goy el Goy (nation against nation) will not take up cherev (sword), neither shall they learn milchamah (war) any more.

⁴ But they shall sit every man under his gefen (vine) and under his te’enah (fig tree); and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of Hashem Tzva’os hath spoken.

⁵ For Kol HaAmmim will walk every one b’shem Elohav, and we will walk b’shem Hashem Eloheinu l’olam va’ed.

⁶ In Yom HaHu, saith Hashem, will I gather that which is lame, and I will gather those which have been thrust out, and those that I have afflicted;

⁷ And I will make that which is lame a She’erit (remnant), v’hannahala’ah (and that which is far removed) a Goy atzum (mighty nation); and Hashem shall reign over them in Har Tziyon me’attah ve’ad olam (from henceforth, even for ever).

⁸ And thou, O migdal eder (tower of the flock), hill of Bat Tziyon, unto thee shall it come, even the hammemshalah harishonah (former dominion); the mamlachah (kingdom) shall come to Bat Yerushalayim.

⁹ Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no melech in thee? Is thy yo’eitz (counselor) perished? For pangs have taken thee like a woman in labor.

¹⁰ Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O Bat Tziyon, like a woman in labor; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the sadeh, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be rescued; there Hashem shall redeem thee from the hand of thine oyvim (enemies).

¹¹ Now also Goyim rabbim are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be profaned and desecrated, and let our eye gloat over Tziyon.

¹² But they have no da’as of the machshevot Hashem (thoughts of Hashem), neither have they binah (understanding) of His etzah (divine plan); for He shall gather them like the sheaves into the threshing floor.

¹³ Arise and thresh, O Bat Tziyon; for I will make thine keren (horn) barzel (iron), and I will make thy hooves bronze; and thou shalt beat in pieces amim rabbim; and I will devote unto Hashem as cherem their ill-gotten gains, and their wealth unto Adon Kol HaAretz [T.N. Moshiach is called this in Malachi 3:1].

5 ^1 (14) Now gather thyself in troops, O Bat Gedud (Daughter of Troops, i.e., warlike Yerushalayim); a matzor (siege) hath been laid against us; they shall strike the Shofet Yisroel with a rod upon the cheek [see The Besuras HaGeulah According to Mattityahu 27:30].

^2 (5:1) But thou, Beit-lechem Ephratah, though thou be little among the Alphei Yehudah (Thousands of Yehudah), yet out of thee shall He [Moshiach] come forth unto Me [Hashem] that is to be Moshel Yisroel; whose goings forth (i.e. origins) have been mikedem, (from everlasting; see Chabakuk 1:12), mimei olam (from the days of eternity).

^3 (5:2) Therefore will He give them up, until the Et Yoledah (time when she who is in labor) hath brought forth; then the rest of His [Moshiach’s] Brethren shall return unto Bnei Yisroel.

^4 (5:3) And He [Moshiach] shall stand and shall shepherd in the strength of Hashem, in the majesty of the Shem of Hashem Elohav, and they [Bnei Yisroel] shall live; for then shall He [Moshiach] be great unto the ends of ha’aretz.

^5 (5:4) And this shall be Shalom. When the Assyrian shall invade our land; and when he shall set foot on our armenot (citadels), then shall we raise against him shivah ro’im (seven shepherds), and shmoneh nesikhei adam (eight leaders [tribal princes] of men).

^6 (5:5) And they shall shepherd Eretz Ashur (Assyria) with the cherev, and Eretz Nimrod at its gates; thus shall He [Moshiach] deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he sets foot within our borders.

^7 (5:6) And the She’erit Ya’akov shall be in the midst of many people like tal (dew) from Hashem, like the showers upon the grass, that doth not await man’s bidding, nor tarry for the bnei adam.

^8 (5:7) And the She’erit Ya’akov shall be among the Goyim in the midst of many people like an aryeh among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the edrei tzon (flocks of sheep); who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

^9 (5:8) Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and kol oyvecha (all thine enemies) shall be cut off.

^10 (5:9) And it shall come to pass in Yom HaHu, saith Hashem, that I will cut off thy susim out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy merkavot (chariots);

^11 (5:10) And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy mivtzarim (fortresses);

^12 (5:11) And I will cut off keshafim (witchcrafts) out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more sorcerers;

^13 (5:12) Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy sacred pillars out of the midst of thee; and lo tishtachaveh (thou shalt no more bow down to, worship) the work of thine hands.

^14 (5:13) And I will pluck up thy Asherim (i.e., sacred poles of the Asherah cult of Canaan) out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.

^15 (5:14) And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the Goyim that were without mishma’at (obedience).

6 Hear ye now what Hashem saith: Arise, contend thou before heharim (the mountains), and let the hills hear thy voice.

² Hear ye, O harim (mountains), the riv Hashem (dispute, case, lawsuit of Hashem); listen, ye enduring mosedei eretz (foundations of the earth); for Hashem hath a case against His people, and He will contend with Yisroel.

³ O Ami (My people), what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I been a burden to thee? Testify against Me.

⁴ For I brought thee up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and redeemed thee out of the bais avadim (house of slaves); and sent before thee Moshe, Aharon, and Miryam.

⁵ O Ami (My people), remember now what Balak Melech Moav did plot, and what Bala’am ben Beor answered him from Sheetim to Gilgal [See Yehoshua chps 3-4]; that ye may have da’as of the tzidkot (righteous acts of) Hashem.

⁶ With what shall I come before Hashem, and bow myself before Elohei Marom (G-d on High)? Shall I come before Him with olot (burnt offerings), with calves a year old?

⁷ Will Hashem be pleased with thousands of eilim (rams), or with ten thousand rivers of shemen (olive oil)? Shall I give my bechor (firstborn) for my peysha, the p’ri (fruit) of my beten for the chattat (sin) of my nefesh?

⁸ He hath showed thee, O adam (man), what is tov. And what doth Hashem require of thee, but to do mishpat, and ahavat chesed, and to walk humbly with Eloheicha?

⁹ Hashem’s voice crieth unto the ir (city): To fear Thy Shem (Name) is wisdom; heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

¹⁰ Are there yet the otzerot (treasures) of wickedness in the bais rasha (the house of the wicked), and the scant measure, the too small eifah (bushel) which is accursed?

¹¹ Shall I acquit the one with dishonest scales, and with the bag of mirmah (deceitful) weights? [T.N. see Moshiach without mirmah, Yeshayah 53:9]

¹² For the oisher (the wealthy) thereof are full of chamas (violence), and the inhabitants thereof have spoken sheker, and their leshon (tongue) is remiyah (guile) in their mouth. [see Moshiach without chamas, Yeshayah 53:9]

¹³ Therefore also will I make thee sick in striking thee, in making thee desolate because of chattotecha.

¹⁴ Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy emptiness remains in thee; and thou shalt put away but not save; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the cherev (sword).

¹⁵ Thou shalt sow the zera, but thou shalt not reap the katzir (harvest); thou shalt tread the zayit (olives), but thou shalt not anoint thee with shemen (olive oil); and yayin shalt thou not drink.

¹⁶ For the chukkot Omri (statutes of Omri) are kept, and kol ma’aseh Bais Ach’av (all the works of the House of Ahab); and ye walk in their mo’atzot (advise, counsel); therefore, I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an object of hissing; therefore ye shall bear the cherpah (scorn, abuse, disgrace) of Ami (My people).

7 Woe is me! For I am become like a gathering of kayitz (summer fruit), like a gleaning of the vintage; there is no grape cluster to eat, none of the early figs my nefesh desired.

² The chasid has disappeared from ha’aretz; and there is none yashar (upright, straight) among men; they all lie in wait for dahm; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

³ That they may do evil with both hands skillfully, the sar and the shofet asketh for a bribe; and hagadol uttereth the evil of his nefesh (soul); so they weave it.

⁴ The best of them is like a brier; the yashar ([most] upright) is sharper than a thorn hedge; the yom of thy watchmen and thy pekuddah (visitation) cometh; now shall their confusion follow.

⁵ Trust ye not in a re’a, put ye not confidence in an alluf (confidant); keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy kheyk (bosom).

⁶ For the ben dishonoureth the av, the bat riseth up against her em, the kallah against her chamot; a man’s enemies are the men of his own bais.

⁷ Therefore I will look [in hope] for Hashem; I will wait for Elohei Yishi (the G-d of my Salvation); Elohai (my G-d) will hear me.

⁸ Don’t joyously gloat over me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in choshech, Hashem shall be ohr unto me.

⁹ I will bear the wrath of Hashem, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my case, and execute mishpat for me; He will bring me forth into the ohr, and I shall behold His tzedakah.

¹⁰ Then mine enemy shall see it, and bushah (shame) shall cover her which said unto me, Where is Hashem thy G-d? Mine eyes shall behold her; now shall she be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

¹¹ In the yom that thy fences are to be built, in Yom HaHu (that Day) shall the chok (prescribed limit, boundary) be far away.

¹² In that yom also it shall come into your possession from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from yam to yam, and from har to har.

¹³ Notwithstanding ha’aretz shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

¹⁴ Tend as a shepherd Thy people with Thy staff, the tzon of Thine nachalah, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gil‘ad, as in days of old.

¹⁵ According to the days of thy coming out of Eretz Mitzrayim will I show unto it marvellous things.

¹⁶ The Goyim shall see and be ashamed at all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

¹⁷ They shall lick the aphar (dust) like the nachash, like crawlers that crawl on eretz (ground) they will come trembling out of their dens; they shall be afraid of Hashem Eloheinu, and shall turn in fear because of Thee.

¹⁸ Mee El kamocha (Who is a G-d like unto Thee), removing avon, and passing over peysha of the She’erit of His Nechalah? Hashem retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in chesed.

¹⁹ He will turn again; He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue avonoteinu (our iniquities); and tashlich (thou wilt cast, throw) all their sins into the depths of the yam.

²⁰ Thou wilt give emes to Ya’akov, and chesed to Avraham, as Thou hast sworn unto avoteinu from days of long ago.

1 The burden concerning Nineveh. The sefer chazon (book of the vision) of Nachum of Elkosh.

² A jealous G-d and taking vengeance is Hashem; an avenger is Hashem, Ba’al Chemah (L-rd of Wrathful Fury); Hashem will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.

³ Hashem is slow to anger, and great in ko’ach, and will not at all leave the guilty unpunished; Hashem hath His way in the whirlwind and in the tempest, and the anan (clouds) are the dust of His feet.

⁴ Hashem rebuketh the yam, and drieth it up, and maketh all the neharot (rivers) run dry; Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of the Levanon fadeth.

⁵ The mountains quake before Hashem, and the hills melt away, and ha’aretz heaveth at His presence, yea, tevel (the world), and all that dwell therein.

⁶ Who can stand before Hashem’s fury? And who can endure His charon af (burning anger, see Ro 1:18)? His chemah (wrath) is poured out like eish (fire) and the tzurim (rocks) are rent in pieces before Him.

⁷ Hashem is tov, a maoz (stronghold) in the Yom Tzarah; and Hashem knoweth them that take refuge in Him.

⁸ But with an overwhelming flood He will make an utter end of her [Nineveh’s] site, and Hashem shall pursue His enemies into choshech.

⁹ Whatever plot ye against Hashem, Hashem will make an utter end of anyone doing it; tzarah (affliction) will not arise a second time.

¹⁰ For while they be twisted together as sirim (thorns), and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

¹¹ There is one come out of thee [see 1:1], that imagineth evil against Hashem, a yo’etz Beliya’al (a counselor of Beliya’al [i.e., Sennacherib]).

¹² Thus saith Hashem: Though they are strong, and likewise rabbim, yet shall they thus be cut down, and he [the Assyrian] shall pass away. Though I have afflicted thee [O Yehudah], I will afflict thee no more.

¹³ For now will I break his motah (yoke) from off thee, and will break thy fetters in pieces.

¹⁴ And Hashem hath given a command concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown [i.e., to perpetuate his name]; out of the bais of thy g-ds will I cut off the pesel (graven image) and the molten image; I prepare thy kever (grave); for thou art vile.

^15 (2:1) Hinei, upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth Besorah (Good News), that publisheth Shalom! O Yehudah, keep thy chagim, fulfill thy nedarim; for the Beliya’al shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

2 ^(2:2) A shatterer [Nineveh’s overpowering enemy] is come up before thy face, [O Nineveh]; guard thy fortress, watch the derech, fortify thy loins, marshal all thy koach (power).

^2 (2:3) For Hashem is about to restore the eminence of Ya’akov, like the eminence of Yisroel; for plunderers have plundered them, and made their vine branches as shachat.

^3 (2:4) The mogen (shield) of his gibborim is made red, the anshei chayil (valiant men) are in scarlet; the chariot shall flash like fire in the day of its array, and the spears shall be brandished.

^4 (2:5) The chariot shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the rechovot, they shall seem like flaming torches, they shall dart about like the lightnings.

^5 (2:6) He [the Assyrian king] shall remember his mighty ones; they stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the chomah (wall) of it [Nineveh], and the defense shall be prepared.

^6 (2:7) The sha’arei haneharot (the gates of the rivers) shall be thrown open, and the heikhal (palace) reels.

^7 (2:8) Her [Nineveh’s] golus (exile) is decreed, she shall be carried away, her slave girls moaning like the kol yonim (voice of doves), beating their breasts.

^8 (2:9) But Nineveh is like a pool of mayim; and her mayim is draining away. Stop, stop, shall they cry; but no one turns back.

^9 (2:10) Take ye the plunder of kesef, take the plunder of zahav; for there is no end of the treasures, heaps of kol keli chemdah (every delightful vessel).

^10 (2:11) She is empty, and void, and stripped; and the lev melteth, and the knees give way, bodies tremble, and the faces of them all grow pale.

^11 (2:12) Where is the ma’on arayot (den of lions), and the feeding place of the young lions, where the aryeh, even the lioness, walked with their cubs, and none made them afraid?

^12 (2:13) The aryeh did tear in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his lairs with prey, and his dens with torn flesh.

^13 (2:14) Hineni, I am against thee [O Nineveh], saith Hashem Tzva’os, and I will burn your chariots in the smoke, and the cherev shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy prey from ha’aretz, and the voice of thy malachim (messengers) shall no more be heard.

3 Hoy (woe) to the ir damim (bloody city)! It is all full of lies and booty; no end to the plunder;

² The crack of the shot (whip), and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing susim, and of the jolting merkavah (chariot);

³ The parash (horsemen, cavalry) charging, the flash of the cherev and the glittering spear; and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of dead bodies; and there is no end of their geviyot (corpses); they stumble over their geviyot;

⁴ Because of the multitude of the harlotries of the alluring zonah, the ba’alat keshafim (the mistress of sorceries), that enslaveth Goyim through her prostitutions, and mishpochot through her keshafim;

⁵ Hineni, I am against thee, saith Hashem Tzva’os; and I will lift thy skirts over thy faces, and I will show the Goyim thy nakedness, and the mamlachot thy shame.

⁶ And I (Hashem) will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee contemptibly vile, and will make thee a spectacle.

⁷ And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is in ruins; who will bemoan her? From where shall I seek menachamim (comforters) for thee?

⁸ Art thou better than No Amon (Thebes), that was situated on the Nile, that had the mayim round about it, whose rampart was the yam, and her waters were her chomah?

⁹ Ethiopia and Mitzrayim were her strength, and it was boundless; Put and Luvim (Libya) were her allies.

¹⁰ Yet she went into golus, she went into captivity; her olalim also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast goral (lots) for her honorable men, and all her gedolim were bound in chains.

¹¹ Thou also shalt be drunken, thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek maoz from the enemy.

¹² All thy strongholds shall be like te’enim (fig trees) with the first ripe figs; if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the peh (mouth) of the ochel (eater).

¹³ Hinei, thy troops in the midst of thee are nashim (women); the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies; the eish shall devour thy (gate) bars.

¹⁴ Draw thee water for the matzor (siege), fortify thy strongholds, go unto clay, and tread the mortar, repair the brickwork.

¹⁵ There shall the eish devour thee, the cherev shall consume thee, it shall eat thee up like the grasshopper. Make thyself many as the grasshopper, make thyself many as the arbeh (locust).

¹⁶ Thou hast multiplied thy merchants more than the kokhavim of HaShomayim; but, like the locust, they strip the land, then fly away.

¹⁷ Thy commanders are as the swarming locusts, and thy officials as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges on a cold day, but when the shemesh ariseth they flee away, and their place is whereabouts unknown.

¹⁸ Thy ro’im (shepherds) slumber, O melech of Asshur (Assyria); thy nobles shall dwell in the dust; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.

¹⁹ There is no healing of thy shever (fracture, injury); thy wound is grievous; all that hear the news of thee shall clap their hands over thy fall; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed tamid (continually)?

1 The burden which Chabakuk HaNavi did see.

² Until when, Hashem, must I cry for help, and Thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto Thee, Chamas (violence!), and Thou wilt not save?

³ Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold trouble? For plundering and chamas are before me; and there are those that raise up strife and contention.

⁴ Therefore the torah is slacked, and mishpat (judgment) doth never prevail; for the rasha doth hem in the tzadik; therefore mishpat (justice) proceedeth perverted.

⁵ [Hashem says:] Behold ye the Goyim, and regard, and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your yamim which, though it be told you, of it ye will have no emunah (faith).

⁶ For, hineni, I raise up the Kasdim (Chaldeans), that Goy bitter and impetuous, which shall march far and wide over the earth, to confiscate the mishkanot (dwelling places) that are not their own.

⁷ They are terrible and dreadful; their mishpat and their dignity shall proceed from themselves.

⁸ Their susim also are swifter than the leopards, keener than the evening wolves; and their parash (cavalry) shall charge ahead, and their parash shall come from afar; they shall fly as the nesher (eagle), swooping to devour.

⁹ They shall come all for chamas; the swarm of their faces is directed forward, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

¹⁰ And they shall scoff at the melachim, and the roznim (dignitaries) shall be a scorn unto them; they shall laugh at every stronghold; for they shall heap dirt (earthen ramps), and take it.

¹¹ Then they sweep on like the ruach (wind), guilty men whose g-d is his own koach.

¹² Art thou not mikedem (from everlasting, [T.N. Also said of Moshiach, indicating Moshiach’s coeternal divine nature: see Michoh 5:1[2]; see Dan 7:13-14; 3:12), Hashem Elohai (my G-d) Kedoshi (my Holy One)? We shall not die. Hashem, Thou hast appointed them for mishpat; O Tzur, Thou hast ordained them for reproof.

¹³ Thou art of eyes of tehor (pureness), not to behold rah, and canst not look on wickedness; why lookest Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest Thy tongue when the rasha devoureth the tzaddik, the man that is more righteous than he?

¹⁴ And makest adam as the dagim of the yam, as the creeping things, that have no moshel over them?

¹⁵ They take up all of them with a khakkah (hook), they catch them in their net, and gather them in their dragnet; therefore they have simcha (joy) and are glad.

¹⁶ Therefore they make zevakhim (sacrifices) unto their net, and burn incense unto their dragnet; because by them their portion is sumptuous, and their food plenteous.

¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty their net, and without mercy continually slay the Goyim?

2 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the matzor (rampart), and will watch to see what Hashem will speak in me, and what He shall answer to my tokhakhah (complaint).

² And Hashem answered me, and said, Write the chazon, and make it plain upon tablets, so that a herald may run with it.

³ For the chazon is yet for a mo’ed (an appointed time); it speaks of HaKetz (the End), and does not lie; though it tarry, wait for him [Moshiach— see Sanhedrin 97b]; because he will surely come, and will not tarry.

⁴ Hinei, his nashamah which is puffed up is not upright in him; but the tzaddik shall live by his emunah. [Bereshis 15:6]

⁵ Yea also, yayin is a boged (betrayer, treacherous); he is a proud man, never at rest, who enlargeth his appetite as Sheol; like Mavet, it cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto it kol HaGoyim, and collecteth unto it kol HaAmim;

⁶ Shall not all these take up a mashal against such, with mocking poem riddles against him, and say, Hoy (Woe) to him that increaseth that which is not his! For how long? And to him that loadeth himself by the weight of pledges (i.e., heaps up by borrowing)!

⁷ Shall not thy biters (charging neshekh) arise suddenly and awake that shall oppress thee, and thou shalt be for plunder unto them?

⁸ Because thou hast plundered many Goyim, all the remnant of the Amim shall plunder thee; because of [shefach] dahm, and for the chamas eretz, the city, and of all that dwell therein.

⁹ Hoy (Woe) to him that coveteth an evil gain for his bais, that he may set his ken (nest) on high, that he may be delivered from the power of ruin!

¹⁰ Thy counsel hast brought shame to thy bais by cutting off amim rabbim and hast sinned against thy nashamah.

¹¹ For the even (stone) shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

¹² Hoy (Woe) to him that buildeth a town with [shefach] dahm, and foundeth a city by iniquity!

¹³ Hinei, is it not from Hashem Tzva’os that the people shall labor only to feed the eish, and the people shall weary themselves in vain?

¹⁴ For the earth shall be filled with the da’as of the kavod Hashem, as the waters cover the yam.

¹⁵ Hoy (Woe) unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, pressing thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

¹⁶ Thou art filled with shame instead of kavod; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered; the kos of Hashem’s right hand shall be turned against thee, and utter shame shall be on thy kavod.

¹⁷ For the chamas of the Levanon shall cover thee, and the decimation of animals, by which you terrorized them, because of [shefach] dahm, and for the chamas eretz, and to the city, and all that dwell therein.

¹⁸ What profiteth the pesel (graven image) that the maker thereof hath shaped it; the molten image, and moreh sheker, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb elilim (idols)?

¹⁹ Hoy (woe) unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb even (stone), Arise, it shall teach! Hinei, it is laid over with zahav and kesef, and there is no ruach at all in it.

²⁰ But Hashem is in His Heikhal Kodesh; let kol ha’aretz keep silence before Him.

3 A tefillah of Chabakuk HaNavi. On Shigionoth.

² Hashem, I have heard Thy speech, and was afraid; Hashem, revive Thy work in the midst of the shanim, in the midst of the shanim make known; in wrath remember mercy.

³ G-d came from Teman, and HaKadosh from Mt Paran. Selah. His hod (glory) covered HaShomayim, and ha’aretz was full of His tehillah (praise).

⁴ And His brightness was like the ohr; He had rays of light flashing from His yad; and there was His power hidden.

⁵ Before Him went the dever (plague), and pestilence went forth at His feet.

⁶ He stood, and measured ha’aretz; He beheld, and made the Goyim tremble; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow; His ways are olam (everlasting).

⁷ I saw the tents of Kushan in affliction; and the dwellings of Eretz Midyan did tremble.

⁸ Was Hashem displeased against the rivers? Was Thine anger against the rivers? Was Thy wrath against the yam, that Thou didst ride upon Thine susim and Thy merkavot of yeshuah (salvation)?

⁹ Thy keshet (bow) was made bare. Oathes were sworn over mattot (rods, arrows). Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.

¹⁰ The harim (mountains) saw Thee, and they trembled; the overflowing of the water passed by; the tehom (deep) uttered its voice, and lifted up its hands on high.

¹¹ The shemesh and yarei’ach stood still in their habitation; at the ohr of Thine arrows they went, and at the lightning of Thy glittering spear.

¹² Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the Goyim in anger.

¹³ Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even for deliverance of Thy Moshiach; Thou crushed the rosh of the bais of the wicked, Thou stripped him thigh to neck. Selah.

¹⁴ Thou didst pierce with his spears the head of his horde; they came out like a whirlwind to scatter me; their rejoicing was like unto devouring the aniyim (the poor) in secret.

¹⁵ Thou didst walk through the yam with Thine susim, through the heap of mayim rabbim.

¹⁶ When I heard, my heart trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might wait patiently for the Yom Tzarah to come on the nation invading us.

¹⁷ Although the etz te’enah shall not blossom, neither shall grape be on the gefen; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no okhel; the tzon shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls;

¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in Hashem, I will joy in the G-d of my salvation.

¹⁹ Hashem Adonoi is my strength, and He will make my feet like the feet of a deer, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

1 The Devar Hashem which came unto Tzephanyah ben Cushi, ben Gedalyah, ben Amaryah, ben Chizkiyah, in the yamim of Yoshiyahu (Josiah) ben Amon, Melech Yehudah.

² I will utterly sweep away all things from off the adamah, saith Hashem.

³ I will sweep away Adam (humankind) and Behemah (beast, animal, cattle); I will sweep away Oph HaShomayim (Birds of the Air) and the Dagim of HaYam (Fish of the Sea), and the michsholim (stumbling blocks, what causes to fall into sin) with the resha’im; and I will cut off adam from off the adamah, saith Hashem.

⁴ I will also stretch out Mine hand against Yehudah, and against all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and I will cut off from this place the she’ar HaBa’al (remnant of Baal), and the shem (name) of the Kemarim (the idolatrous priests; see 2Kgs 23:5) with the [idolatrous] kohanim;

⁵ And those that worship the Tz’va HaShomayim (Army of Heaven, star g-ds) upon the rooftops; and those that worship and that swear [oaths] by Hashem, but also swear by Milcom (i.e., Their King [Baal]);

⁶ And those that turned back from following Hashem; and those that have not sought Hashem, nor inquired of Him.

⁷ Hold thy peace (keep silent) at the presence of Adonai Hashem: for the Yom Hashem is at hand; for Hashem hath prepared a zevach (sacrifice), Hashem hath consecrated His guests [i.e., made HaKeru’im (the Invited ones) of Him His Mequddashim, Consecrated ones, i.e., the nations set apart to consume His apostate people, see Yeshayah 13:3].

⁸ And it shall come to pass in the Yom Zevach Hashem, that I will punish the sarim (princes), and Bnei HaMelech, and all such as are clothed with malbush nochri (foreign apparel).

⁹ In the same Yom also will I visit to punish all those that leap over the threshold [See 1 Sm 5:5], which fill their masters’ batim (houses) with chamas (violence) and mirmah (deceit).

¹⁰ And it shall come to pass in that Yom, saith Hashem, that there shall be the noise of a cry from Sha’ar HaDagim, and a wail from the Second Quarter of the city, and a loud crash from the hills.

¹¹ Howl, ye inhabitants of HaMakhtesh [a locality in Yerushalayim], for all the merchants are cut down; all they that weigh out kesef are cut off.

¹² And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Yerushalayim with nerot (lamps), and visit to punish the [proud] men that are [complacently] settled on their lees [wine dregs]; that say in their lev, Hashem will not do tov, neither will Hashem do rah.

¹³ Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their batim a desolation; they shall also build batim, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant kramim (vineyards), but not drink the yayin thereof.

¹⁴ The Yom Hashem HaGadol is near, near and hastening quickly; the sound of the Yom Hashem is mar (bitter); there the gibbor (mighty man, warrior) cries aloud.

¹⁵ That Yom is a Yom Evrah (day of wrath), a Yom Tzarah and Metzukah (a day of trouble and distress, pressure), a Yom of Sho’ah (catastrophe) and Meshoah (desolation), a Yom of Choshech and Afelah (gloom), a Yom of Anan and Arafel (thick darkness),

¹⁶ A Yom of the Shofar and Teruah (battle cry) against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.

¹⁷ And I will bring distress upon adam, that they shall walk like ivrim, because they have sinned against Hashem; and their dahm shall be poured out like dust, and their bowels like dung.

¹⁸ Neither their kesef nor their zahav shall be able to save them in the Yom Evrat Hashem (Day of Hashem’s Wrath); but kol ha’aretz (the whole earth) shall be devoured by the eish of Hashem’s kina (jealousy, zeal, passion); for He shall make a complete end, a terrible end, of kol yoshvei ha’aretz (all them that dwell on the earth).

2 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O shameful nation;

² Before the decree brings forth, before the day passes like the chaff, before the charon af Hashem comes upon you, before the Yom Af Hashem (Day of Hashem’s Anger) comes upon you;

³ Seek ye Hashem, all ye anvei ha’aretz (humble of the land), which have wrought His mishpat; seek tzedek, seek anavah (meekness, humility); it may be ye shall be hid in the Yom Af Hashem.

⁴ For Azah (Gaza) shall be abandoned, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod in broad day, and Ekron shall be uprooted.

⁵ Hoy (Woe) unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Keretim (Cretans)! The Devar Hashem is against you, O Kena’an, eretz of the Pelishtim (Philistines). I will even destroy thee, that there no inhabitant remains.

⁶ And the seacoast shall be dwellings and meadows for ro’im (shepherds), and pens for tzon.

⁷ And the coast shall be for the she’erit Bais Yehudah; they shall feed thereupon; in the batim (houses) of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the erev; for Hashem Eloheichem shall visit them, and restore their fortunes.

⁸ I have heard the reproach of Moav, and the revilings of the Bnei Ammon, whereby they have reproached My nation, and magnified themselves against their territory.

⁹ Therefore as I live, saith Hashem Tzva’os, Elohei Yisroel, Surely Moav shall be as Sodom, and the Bnei Ammon as Amora (Gomorrah), a place of weeds and salt pits, and desolation ad olam; the She’erit Ami shall plunder them, and the remnant of My nation shall possess them.

¹⁰ This shall they have in return for their ga’on (pride), because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the Am Hashem Tzva’os.

¹¹ Hashem will be terrible unto them; for He will reduce to nothing all the elohei ha’aretz (g-ds of the land); and men shall worship Hashem, everyone from his place, even all the coasts and islands of the Goyim.

¹² Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by My cherev.

¹³ And Hashem will stretch out His hand against the tzafon (north), and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like a midbar.

¹⁴ And herds shall lie down in the midst of it, all the beasts of the Goyim; both the desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns; their voice shall hoot in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; the beams of cedar will be exposed.

¹⁵ This is HaIr HaAlizah (the rejoicing city) that dwelt carelessly, that said in her lev, I am, and there is none beside me; how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and shake his fist.

3 Hoy (woe) to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city [i.e.,Jerusalem]!

² She obeyed not the voice; she received not musar (correction); her bitachon (trust) was not in Hashem; she drew not near to her G-d.

³ Her sarim (princes) within her are roaring arayot; her shofetim are evening wolves; they leave nothing for the boker (morning).

⁴ Her nevi’im are arrogant, anshei bogedot (treacherous persons); her kohanim have profaned the kodesh, they have done violence to the torah [T.N. which they were ordained to faithfully observe and teach].

⁵ Hashem Tzaddik is in the midst thereof; He will do no injustice; boker by boker doth Hashem dispense mishpat; He faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no boshet (shame).

⁶ I have cut off the Goyim; their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no ish (man), that there is no inhabitant.

⁷ I said, Surely thou wilt fear Me, thou wilt accept musar (correction, instruction); so that her dwelling place should not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her; but they rose early [i.e., eagerly], and corrupted all their doings.

⁸ Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith Hashem, until the Yom that I rise up for a witness; for My determination is to gather the Goyim, that I may assemble the mamlachot, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My charon af; for kol ha’aretz (all the earth) shall be devoured with the eish of My kina (jealousy).

⁹ For then will I restore to the people a safah berurah (pure language, purified lip), that they may all call upon the Shem Hashem, to serve Him with shekhem echad (one shoulder, one accord).

¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants, even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring Mine minchah.

¹¹ In that Yom shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against Me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy ga’avah (pride), and thou shalt no more be haughty because of My Har Hakodesh.

¹² I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the Shem Hashem.

¹³ The she’erit Yisroel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a leshon tarmit (tongue of deceitfulness) be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

¹⁴ Sing, O Bat Tziyon; shout, O Yisroel; be glad and rejoice with all the lev, O Bat Yerushalayim.

¹⁵ Hashem hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy. The Melech Yisroel, even Hashem, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.

¹⁶ In that Yom it shall be said to Yerushalayim, Fear thou not; and to Tziyon, Let not thine hands hang limp.

¹⁷ Hashem thy G-d in the midst of thee is gibbor; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with simchah; He will quiet [you] in His ahavah (love), He will joy over thee with singing.

¹⁸ They that mourn I will gather for the mo’ed (time of the feast), who are of thee [O Tziyon], to whom the cherpah (reproach of the Golus) presses upon them [see 2C 7:10].

¹⁹ Hinei, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that is lame, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land of their boshet (shame).

²⁰ At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a shem and a tehillah among Kol Amei Ha’aretz (all the peoples of the earth), when I turn back your captivity and restore your fortunes before your eyes, saith Hashem.

1 In the second year of Daryavesh HaMelech, in the sixth month, in yom echad of the month, came the Devar Hashem by Chaggai HaNavi unto Zerubavel ben Sh’altiel, Governor of Yehudah, and to Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak [i.e., the namesake of Moshiach, see Zech 6:11-12], the Kohen HaGadol, saying,

² Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: This people say, The time is not come, the time that Beis Hashem should be built.

³ Then came the Devar Hashem by Chaggai HaNavi, saying,

⁴ Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your paneled batim, and this Beis [HaMikdash] lie in ruins?

⁵ Now therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; Consider your ways.

⁶ Ye have sown harbeh (much), and bring in me’at (little); ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe yourselves, but there is no warming; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put them into a purse of holes.

⁷ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Consider your ways.

⁸ Go up to the har (mountain), and bring etz, and build HaBeis [HaMikdash]; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Hashem.

⁹ Ye looked for harbeh (much), and, hinei, it came to me’at (little); and when ye brought it home, I blew it away. Why? saith Hashem Tva’os. Because of Mine Beis [HaMikdash] that is in ruins, and ye run every man for his own bais.

¹⁰ Therefore the Shomayim over you is stayed from dew, and Ha’Aretz is stayed from her fruit.

¹¹ And I called for a drought upon ha’aretz, and upon the harim (mountains), and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which ha’adamah bringeth forth, and upon ha’adam, and upon livestock, and upon all the labor of the hands.

¹² Then Zerubavel ben Sh’altiel, and Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen HaGadol, with kol she’erit HaAm, obeyed the voice of Hashem Eloheichem, and the words of Chaggi HaNavi, as Hashem Eloheichem had sent him, and the people did fear before Hashem.

¹³ Then spoke Chaggai malach Hashem with the message of Hashem unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith Hashem.

¹⁴ And Hashem stirred up the ruach of Zerubavel ben Sh’altiel, Governor of Yehudah, and the ruach of Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen HaGadol, and the ruach of kol she’erit HaAm; and they came and did work in the Beis [HaMikdash] of Hashem Tzva’os, Eloheichem,

¹⁵ In the four and twentieth yom of the sixth month, in the second year of Daryavesh HaMelech [520 B.C.E.].

2 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth yom of the month, came the Devar Hashem by Chaggai HaNavi, saying,

² Speak now to Zerubavel ben Sh’altiel, Governor of Yehudah, and to Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen HaGadol, and to the she’erit HaAm, saying,

³ Who is left among you that saw this Beis [Hamikdash] in her kavod harishon? And how do ye see it now? In comparison to it, is it not in your eyes as nothing?

⁴ Yet now chazak (be strong), O Zerubavel, saith Hashem; and chazak (be strong), O Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, Kohen HaGadol; and chazak (be strong), kol Am Ha’Aretz, saith Hashem, and work; for I am with you, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁵ According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Mitzrayim, so My Ruach [Hakodesh] remaineth among you; fear ye not.

⁶ For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Once more, it is a little while, and I will shake HaShomayim and Ha’Aretz and the yam (sea) and the kharavah (arid land);

⁷ And I will shake kol Goyim, and the Chemdat kol HaGoyim [desired of all nations; i.e., Moshiach, Shmuel Alef 9:20, Malachi 3:1] shall come: and I will fill this Beis [HaMikdash] with kavod, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁸ The kesef is Mine, and the zahav is Mine, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁹ The kavod of this latter Beis shall be greater than of the former, saith Hashem Tzva’os: and in this place will I give shalom, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

¹⁰ In the four and twentieth yom of the ninth month, in the second year of Daryavesh, came the Devar Hashem by Chaggai HaNavi, saying,

¹¹ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; Ask now the kohanim concerning the torah, saying,

¹² If one carry basar kodesh in the fold of his garment, and with his fold do touch lechem, or that which is boiled, or yayin, or shemen (olive oil), or any food, shall it thus be made kodesh? And the kohanim answered and said, Lo (No).

¹³ Then said Chaggai, If one that is tamei (unclean) by a nefesh (dead body) touch any of these, shall it be tamei? And the kohanim answered and said, It shall be tamei.

¹⁴ Then answered Chaggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before Me, saith Hashem; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is tamei (unclean).

¹⁵ And now, I pray you, consider from this yom and onward, from before an even (stone) was laid upon an even (stone) in the Heikhal Hashem;

¹⁶ Since those yamim were, when one came to a heap of grain of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat for to draw out fifty vessels, there were but twenty.

¹⁷ I struck you with blight and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands; yet ye made not teshuvah to Me, saith Hashem.

¹⁸ Consider now from this yom and onward, from the four and twentieth yom of the ninth month, even from the yom that the Yesod (Foundation) of the Heikhal Hashem was laid, consider it.

¹⁹ Is the seed still in the granary? As yet the gefen, and the [etz] te’enah, and the pomegranate, and etz hazayit (olive tree), hath not brought forth. From this yom forth will I bless you.

²⁰ And again the Devar Hashem came unto Chaggai in the four and twentieth yom of the month, saying,

²¹ Speak to Zerubavel, Governor of Yehudah, saying, I will shake HaShomayim and Ha’Aretz;

²² And I will overthrow the throne of mamlachot (kingdoms), and I will destroy the chozek (strength) of the mamlachot HaGoyim; and I will overthrow the merkavot, and those that ride in them; and the susim and their riders shall fall, every one by the cherev (sword) of achiv.

²³ In that yom, saith Hashem Tzva’os, will I take thee, O Zerubavel ben Sh’altiel, Avdi (My Servant; T.N. see Yeshayah 52:13 for this Avdi‖My Servant‖as a reference which is ultimately related to Moshiach), saith Hashem, and will make thee as a chotam (signet ring); for I have chosen thee, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

1 In the chodesh hashmini (eighth month), in the shnat shtayim (second year) of Daryavesh, came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah ben Berechyah ben Iddo HaNavi, saying,

² Hashem hath been very angry with your avot.

³ Therefore, say thou unto them, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Return ye unto Me, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and I will return to you, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁴ Do not be like your avot, unto whom the nevi’im harishonim preached, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor listen to Me, saith Hashem.

⁵ Your avot, where are they? And the nevi’im, do they live hal’olam (forever)?

⁶ But My devarim and My chukkim, which I commanded My avadim hanevi’im, did they not overtake your avot? And they made teshuvah and said, Just as Hashem Tzva’os determined to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.

⁷ Upon the four and twentieth yom of the eleventh chodesh, which is the chodesh Shevat, in the shnat shtayim of Daryavesh, [519 B.C.E.] came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah, ben Berechyah ben Iddo, HaNavi, saying,

⁸ I had a vision by halailah, and, hinei, a man riding upon a sus adom (a red-brown horse), and he stood among the myrtles that were in the hollow; and behind him there were susim: red-brown, sorrel, and white.

⁹ Then said I, O adoni, what are these? And the malach that spoke with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.

¹⁰ And the man that stood among the myrtles answered and said, These are they whom Hashem hath sent to patrol ha’aretz.

¹¹ And they reported to the Malach Hashem that stood among the myrtles, and said, We have patrolled ha’aretz, and, hinei, kol ha’aretz is quiet, and at peace.

¹² Then the Malach Hashem answered and said, O Hashem Tzva’os, until when wilt Thou withhold mercy on Yerushalayim and on the towns of Yehudah, against which Thou hast been angry these threescore and ten shanah?

¹³ And Hashem answered the Malach that spoke with me with devarim tovim and with comforting words.

¹⁴ So the malach that communed with me said unto me, Preach, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; I have been jealous for Yerushalayim and for Tziyon with a kina gedolah (great jealousy).

¹⁵ And I am very angry with the Goyim that are [self] secure; for I was but a little angry, and they added to the ra’ah.

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith Hashem: I am returning to Yerushalayim with rachamim; My Beis [Hamikdash] shall be rebuilt in her [Yerushalayim], saith Hashem Tzva’os; and a measuring line shall be stretched forth upon Yerushalayim.

¹⁷ Preach also, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; My towns will overflow with tov; and Hashem shall yet comfort Tziyon, and shall yet choose Yerushalayim.

^18 (2:1) Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and hinei four keranot (horns, powers, i.e., empires; see Dan chps 2 and 7)!

^19 (2:2) And I said unto the malach that spoke with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the keranot which have scattered Yehudah, Yisroel, and Yerushalayim.

^20 (2:3) And Hashem showed me arba’ah charashim (four craftsmen).

^21 (2:4) Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the keranot which have scattered Yehudah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these [craftsmen] are come to terrify them, to throw down the karnot haGoyim, which lifted up their keren (horn) over Eretz Yehudah to scatter her.

2 ^1 (2:5) I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and, hinei, a man with a measuring line in his hand!

^2 (2:6) Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Yerushalayim, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

^3 (2:7) And, hinei, the malach that spoke with me went forth, and another malach went out to meet him,

^4 (2:8) And said unto him, Run, speak to this na’ar (young man, i.e., see 2:1 [2:5]) saying, Yerushalayim shall be inhabited like unwalled cities because of the multitude of men and cattle therein;

^5 (2:9) For I, saith Hashem, will be unto her a chomat eish (wall of fire) round about, and will be the kavod in the midst of her.

^6 (2:10) Come, come, and flee out of the Eretz Tzafon, saith Hashem; for I have scattered you like the Arbah Ruchot HaShomayim, saith Hashem.

^7 (2:11) Come, save thyself, O Tziyon, thou that dwellest with the Bat Bavel.

^8 (2:12) For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: After Kavod (Glory) sent me unto the Goyim who plundered you‖the one that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye.

^9 (2:13) Hineni, I will surely raise Mine hand against them, and they shall be plunder to their avadim; and ye shall know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me.

^10 (2:14) Sing and rejoice, O Bat Tziyon; for, hineni, I will come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Hashem.

^11 (2:15) And Goyim rabbim shall be joined to Hashem in Yom HaHu (that day), and shall be Ami (My People): and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me unto thee.

^12 (2:16) And Hashem shall inherit Yehudah as His chelek in the Admat HaKodesh (Holy Land), and shall choose Yerushalayim again.

^13 (2:17) Be silent, Kol Basar, before Hashem; for He has roused Himself from His Ma’on Kadosh (holy habitation).

3 And he [the malach] showed me Yehoshua the Kohen HaGadol standing before the Malach Hashem, and HaSatan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

² And Hashem said unto HaSatan, Hashem rebuke thee, O HaSatan; even Hashem that hath chosen Yerushalayim rebuke thee. Is not this a brand, a burning stick, snatched out of the eish?

³ Now Yehoshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the malach.

⁴ And he [the malach] answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, See, I have taken away thine avon (iniquity, guilt) from thee, and I will clothe thee with machalatzot (extra fine, white clothing).

⁵ And I said, Let them set a tzanif tahor (clean turban, mitznefet, Shemot 28:4) upon his head. So they set a tzanif tahor upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the Malach Hashem stood by.

⁶ And the Malach Hashem testified unto Yehoshua, saying,

⁷ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: If thou shalt walk in My ways, and if thou shalt keep My charge, then thou shalt also judge My Beis [Hamikdash], and shalt also keep My courts, and I will give thee ways to walk among these standing here.

⁸ Hear now, O Yehoshua the Kohen HaGadol, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are Anshei Mofet (men of portent); for, hinei, I will bring forth Avdi Tzemach [My Servant, the Branch i.e., Moshiach Ben Dovid Yehoshua, see Jer 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; Ezra 3:8; Zech 6:11-12; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2, 11; Moshiach the new "Joshua" Isa 49:8].

⁹ For hinei the even (stone) that I have set before Yehoshua; upon one even (stone) shall be shivah einayim (seven eyes); hineni, I will engrave the inscription thereof, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and I will remove the avon (iniquity, guilt) of that land in Yom Echad.

¹⁰ In Yom HaHu, saith Hashem Tzva’os, shall ye invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

4 And the malach that spoke with me returned, and awakened me, like a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

² And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and hinei a menorat zahav, solid gold, with an oil vessel upon the top of it, and shivah nerot (lamps) thereon, and shivah tubes to the shivah nerot (lamps), which are upon the top thereof:

³ And two zeytim (olive trees) by it, one upon the right side of the oil vessel, and the other upon the left side thereof.

⁴ So I answered and spoke to the malach that spoke with me, saying, What are these, adoni?

⁵ Then the malach that spoke with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, Lo (no), adoni.

⁶ Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the Devar Hashem unto Zerubavel, saying, Not by might, nor by ko’ach (power), but by My Ruach [Hakodesh], saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁷ Who art thou, O har hagadol (great mountain), before Zerubavel? Thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the even haroshah (cornerstone) thereof with shoutings, crying, Chen, chen (Grace, grace) unto it.

⁸ Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

⁹ The hands of Zerubavel have laid the Yesod (foundation) of this Beis [HaMikdash]; his hands shall also finish it; then thou shalt know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me unto you.

¹⁰ For who hath despised the Yom Ketannot (day of small things)? For they shall have simcha, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubavel with these shivah; they are the eyes of Hashem, which run to and fro throughout kol ha’aretz.

¹¹ Then I replied by asking him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the menorah and upon the left side thereof?

¹² And I asked again, and said unto him, What are these two branches of the zeytim which through the two golden sprouts pour the gold-colored oil out of themselves?

¹³ And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, Lo (no), adoni.

¹⁴ Then said he, These are the two bnei hayitzhar (sons of oil), that stand by Adon Kol HaA’retz [T.N. See Malachi 3:1 where Moshiach is referred to similarly].

5 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and hinei a megillah flying!

² And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered: I see a megillah flying; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

³ Then said he unto me, This is ha’alah (the curse) that goeth forth over the face of kol ha’aretz; for every ganav that stealeth shall be purged out [i.e., banished] according to what it says on one side of the megillah; and every perjurer that sweareth falsely shall be purged out according to what it says on the other side. [Shemot 20:15,7]

⁴ I will send it [ha’alah, the curse] forth, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and it shall enter into the bais haganav, and into the bais of him that sweareth falsely biShmi (by My Name); and it [ha’alah] shall remain inside his bais, and shall destroy it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

⁵ Then the malach that spoke with me came forward, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that cometh into view.

⁶ And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the eifah (measuring basket) going out. He said moreover, This is their [i.e., that of ganavim and perjurors] appearance throughout kol ha’aretz.

⁷ And, hinei, there was lifted up a lead cover; and there was an isha (woman) yoshevet (sitting) inside the eifah (measuring basket)!

⁸ And he said, This is HaRishah (The Wickedness). And he pushed her inside the eifah; and he pushed the lead cover over the mouth of the eifah.

⁹ Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, hinei, there came forth two nashim (women), and the ruach (wind) was in their kenafayim (wings); for they had kenafayim (wings) like the kenafayim of a stork: and they lifted up the eifah between ha’aretz and HaShomayim.

¹⁰ Then said I to the malach that spoke with me, Whither are these taking the eifah?

¹¹ And he said unto me, To build it a bais [i.e., ziggurat] in Eretz Shinar (Babylon); and it is shall be placed there and set upon its own base.

6 And I looked again, and lifted up mine eyes, and, hinei, there came arbah merkavot (four chariots) and they were coming out from between two harim (mountains); and the harim were harim of nechoshet (bronze).

² In the merkavah harishonah were red-brown susim; and in the merkavah hashenit susim shechorim (black horses);

³ And in the merkavah hashlishit susim levanim (white horses); and in the merkavah harevi’it speckled, powerful susim.

⁴ Then I answered and said unto the malach that spoke with me, What are these, adoni?

⁵ And the malach answered and said unto me, These are the arba ruchot HaShomayim, which go forth from standing before Adon Kol HaAretz [T.N. See Malachi 3:1 where Moshiach is referred to similarly].

⁶ The one with the susim shechorim (black horses) go forth toward the eretz tzafon (land of the north); and the levanim (white ones) go forth after them; and the speckled go forth toward the eretz hateyman (land of the south).

⁷ And the powerful ones went forth, and strained to go around to and fro throughout ha’aretz; and He said, Get you hence, go to and fro throughout ha’aretz. So they went to and fro throughout ha’aretz.

⁸ Then called He to me, and spoke unto me, saying, Look, these that go toward the eretz tzafon have given rest to My Ruach [HaKodesh] in the eretz tzafon.

⁹ And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁰ Take of them of the Golus, even of Cheldai, of Toviyah, and of Yedayah, which have arrived from Babylon, and thou go into the bais of Yoshiyah ben Tzephanyah;

¹¹ Then take kesef and zahav, and make atarot (crowns), and set them upon the rosh Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen HaGadol

¹² And speak unto him, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Hinei Ish, TZEMACH Shmo ; [Yehoshua is said to be the namesake of the coming Moshiach Ben Dovid; see Ezra 3:8 for the Aramaic translation of Yehoshua’s name, Yeshua; see Jer 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2, 11; Moshiach the new “Joshua” Isa 49:8].]; and out of his place yitzmach (he [Moshiach] shall sprout up, Yeshayah 53:2), and he shall build the Heikhal Hashem.

¹³ It is he who shall build the Heikhal Hashem; and he shall carry hod (majesty), and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a kohen [Tehillim 110:4] upon his throne; and the atzat shalom (counsel of peace) shall be between them both.

¹⁴ And the atarot (crowns) shall be to Chelem, and to Toviyah, and to Yedayah, and to Chen ben Tzephanyah, for a memorial in the Heikhal Hashem.

¹⁵ And they that are far off shall come and build the Heikhal Hashem, and ye shall know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the kol (voice) Hashem Eloheichem.

7 And it came to pass in the shnat arba of Daryavesh HaMelech, that the Devar Hashem came unto Zecharyah in the fourth of the chodesh hateshi’i (ninth month), even in Kislev;

² And Beth-El had sent Sar-Etzer and Regem-Melech, and their men, to make entreaty for favor before Hashem,

³ And to speak unto the kohanim which were in the Beis Hashem Tzva’os, and to the nevi’im, saying, Should I mourn in the fifth month, hinnazer (separating myself by fasting), as I have done these so many shanim?

⁴ Then came the Devar Hashem Tzva’os unto me, saying,

⁵ Speak unto kol Am Ha’Aretz, and to the kohanim, saying, When ye did a tzom and mourned in the fifth and seventh, even these past shivim shanah, did ye at all fast the tzom unto Me, even to Me?

⁶ And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

⁷ Should ye not hear the devarim which Hashem hath preached by the nevi’im harishonim, when Yerushalayim was inhabited and at ease, and the towns thereof round about her, when men inhabited the Negev and the Shefelah?

⁸ And the Devar Hashem came unto Zecharyah, saying,

⁹ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, saying, Administer mishpat emes. And let every man show chesed and rachamim to his brother;

¹⁰ And oppress not the almanah, nor the yetomim, the ger, nor the aniyim; and let none of you imagine ra’ah against his brother in your lev.

¹¹ But they refused to heed, and stubbornly stiffened their shoulders, stopped up their oznayim, that they not hear.

¹² Yea, they made their hearts as shamir (diamond, i.e., hard as shamir), and would not yield in mishma’at (obedience) to the Torah and the devarim which Hashem Tzva’os hath sent by His Ruach [Hakodesh] through the hand of the nevi’im harishonim; therefore came a ketzef gadol (great wrath) from Hashem Tzva’os.

¹³ Therefore it is come to pass, that as He [Hashem] called, and they would not hear; so they called, and I would not hear, saith Hashem Tzva’os;

¹⁴ But I dispersed them with a whirlwind among kol HaGoyim which they had not known. Thus HaAretz was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned; for they laid the Eretz Chemdat [Yirmeyah 3:19] desolate.

8 Again the Devar Hashem Tzva’os came to me, saying,

² Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; I am jealous for Tziyon with kina gedolah (great jealousy) and I am jealous for her with chemah gedolah (great fury).

³ Thus saith Hashem: I will return unto Tziyon, and will dwell in the midst of Yerushalayim; and Yerushalayim shall be called Ir HaEmes; and Har Hashem Tzva’os, Har HaKodesh.

⁴ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Zekenim and zekenot shall yet dwell in the rechovot of Yerushalayim, and every man with his staff in his hand me’rov yamim (because of many days, i.e., old age).

⁵ And the rechovot of the city shall be full of yeladim and yeladot playing in the rechovot thereof.

⁶ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the she’erit HaAm HaZeh in those days, should it also be marvellous in Mine eyes? saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁷ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Hineni, I will save My people from the eretz mizrach (land of the east), and from the eretz of the setting sun;

⁸ And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Yerushalayim; and they shall be My people, and I will be their G-d, in emes and in tzedakah.

⁹ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these devarim by the mouth of the nevi’im, on the yom that the Yesod of the Beis Hashem Tzava’os was laid, the Heikhal, that it may be built.

¹⁰ For before these days there was no sachar for man, nor any sachar for beast; neither was there any shalom to him that went out or came in because of the tzar (oppressor); for I set all men every one against his neighbor.

¹¹ But now I will not be unto the she’erit HaAm HaZeh as in the former days, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

¹² For the zera is of shalom; the gefen shall yield her fruit, and ha’aretz shall give her increase, and HaShomayim shall give their tal; and I will cause the she’erit HaAm HaZeh to possess all these things for a nachalah.

¹³ And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a kelalah (curse) among the Goyim, O Bais Yehudah, and Bais Yisroel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a brocha; fear not, but let your hands be strong.

¹⁴ For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: As I determined to bring rah on you, when your avot provoked Me to wrath, saith Hashem Tzava’os, and I relented not with rachamim:

¹⁵ So again have I determined in these days to do good unto Yerushalayim and to Bais Yehudah; fear ye not.

¹⁶ These are the things that ye must do: Speak ye every man emes to his neighbor; execute the judgment of mishpat shalom in your she’arim (gates, courts);

¹⁷ And let none of you imagine ra’ah in your levavot against his neighbor; and love no shevuat sheker (false oath); for all these are things that I hate, saith Hashem.

¹⁸ And the Devar Hashem Tzva’os came unto me, saying,

¹⁹ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: The tzom of the fourth month, and the tzom of the fifth, and the tzom of the seventh, and the tzom of the tenth, shall be to the Bais Yehudah for sasson and simcha, and mo’adim tovim; therefore love emes and shalom.

²⁰ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come amim (nations), and the inhabitants of many cities;

²¹ And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to make entreaty before Hashem, and to seek Hashem Tzva’os. I myself am going.

²² Yea, amim rabbim and Goyim powerful shall come to seek Hashem Tzva’os in Yerushalayim, and to daven before Hashem.

²³ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: In those days it shall come to pass, that asarah anashim (ten men) out of kol leshonot HaGoyim (all the tongues of the nations) shall take hold, even take hold of the hem of the robe of a Yehudi (Jew), saying, Let us go with you; for we have heard that Elohim is with you.

9 The burden of the Devar Hashem against Eretz Chadrach, and Damascus its menuchah (resting place); for toward Hashem shall be the eyes of man as of Kol Shivtei Yisroel (all the tribes of Israel).

² And Chamat at its border; Tzor and Tzidon, though it be very wise.

³ And Tzor did build herself a matzor (stronghold), and heaped up kesef like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets.

⁴ Hinei, Adonoi will cause it to be taken, and He will strike her power on the yam; and she shall be devoured with eish.

⁵ Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Azah (Gaza) also shall see it, and tremble greatly, and Ekron; for her hope shall be put to shame; and Melech shall perish out of Azah (Gaza), and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

⁶ And mamzer shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the ga’on (pride) of the Pelishtim (Philistines).

⁷ And I will take away his dahm out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; but he will also remain to Eloheinu, and he shall be as a tribe prince in Yehudah, and Ekron like the Yevusi (Jebusite).

⁸ And I will encamp about Mine Bais against military power, because of him that goes maurading to and fro; and no oppressor shall pass through them any more; for now I am keeping watch with Mine eyes.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O Bat Tziyon; shout, O Bat Yerushalayim; hinei, thy Melech cometh unto thee, tzaddik, and having Salvation; ani (lowly, meek), and riding upon a chamor, even upon a colt the foal of a donkey. [Mt 21:5; Yn 12:15]

¹⁰ And I will cut off the chariot from Ephrayim, and the war horse from Yerushalayim, and the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall proclaim shalom unto the Goyim; and His [Moshiach’s] dominion shall be from yam even to yam, and from the [Euphrates] river even to the ends of ha’aretz.

¹¹ As for thee also, by the dahm of thy Brit I release thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no mayim [T.N. Notice the blood of the Covenent is essential to Israel’s Orthodox faith].

¹² Return to the stronghold, ye prisoners of tikvah (hope); even today do I proclaim that I will repay double unto thee;

¹³ I will bend Yehudah as I bend My keshet (bow), fill it with Ephrayim, and I will rouse thy banim, O Tziyon, against thy banim, O Yavan (Greece), and make thee like the cherev (sword) of a gibbor (mighty man).

¹⁴ And Hashem shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and Adonoi Hashem shall sound the shofar, and shall march forth with storms of the south.

¹⁵ Hashem Tzva’os shall shield them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and shall roar as through yayin; and they shall be full like a bowl, like the corners of the mizbe’ach.

¹⁶ And Hashem Eloheihem shall save them in Yom HaHu as the tzon of His people; for they shall be as the jewels of a crown, sparkling in His land.

¹⁷ For how great is its goodness, and how great is its beauty! Grain shall make the bochurim thrive, and tirosh, the betulot.

10 Ask ye of Hashem rain in the time of the latter rain; from Hashem who makes the storm clouds, and gives them showers of rain, to every one esev [Gn 1:12] in the sadeh.

² For the terafim (idols) have spoken aven (deceit, nothing), and the diviners [i.e., fortune tellers] envision sheker, and have told false chalomot (dreams); hevel is their comfort; therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a ro’eh (shepherd).

³ Mine anger was kindled against the ro’im (shepherds), and I punished the attudim (he-goats, leaders); for Hashem Tzva’os hath visited His eder (flock), Bais Yehudah, and hath made them like His majestic war horse.

⁴ From him [Yehudah] will come forth the Pinnah (Cornerstone, i.e., Moshiach, Yeshayah 28:16; Bereshis 49:10), from him, the Yated (Tent Peg, support, i.e. leader of the people, Yeshayah 22:23-24), from him, the Keshet Milchamah (battle bow, Tehillim 45:5), from him every ruler.

⁵ Together they [Bais Yehudah, (10:3)] shall be like gibborim, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the milchamah; and they shall fight, because Hashem is with them, and they shall overthrow the riders on susim.

⁶ And I will strengthen the Bais Yehudah, and I will save the Bais Yosef, and I will restore them; for I have rachamim upon them; and they shall be as though I had not rejected them; for I am Hashem Eloheihem, and I will answer them.

⁷ And they of Ephrayim shall be like a gibbor (mighty man), and their lev shall have simcha as through yayin; yea, their banim shall see, and have simcha, and their lev shall rejoice in Hashem.

⁸ I will whistle for them, and I will gather them in; for I have redeemed them; and they shall multiply as they have multiplied.

⁹ And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember Me in far countries; and they shall survive and live with their banim, and they will return.

¹⁰ I will bring them back again also out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the Eretz Gil‘ad and Levanon; until no more room shall be found for them.

¹¹ And He [Hashem] shall pass through the yam of tzarah, and shall strike the waves in the yam, and all the depths of the Nile shall dry up; and the ga’on (pride) of Assyria shall be cast down, and the shevet (scepter, i.e., power) of Mitzrayim shall depart.

¹² And I will strengthen them [Ephrayim (10:7)] in Hashem; and they shall walk in Shmo (His Name), saith Hashem.

11 Open thy delatot (gates), O Levanon, that the eish (fire) may devour thy cedars.

² Wail, O cypress, for the cedar is fallen; the mighty is despoiled; wail, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the dense forest is toppled.

³ Hear the sound of the wailing of the ro’im (shepherds); for their glory is destroyed; the sound of the roaring of young lions; for the ga’on of the Yarden (Jordan) is laid waste.

⁴ Thus Hashem Elohai said: Shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter);

⁵ Whose buyers slaughter them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Baruch Hashem, I have become rich! And their own ro’im (shepherds) spare them not.

⁶ Nor will I any more pity the yoshvei ha’aretz (the inhabitants of the land), saith Hashem; and hinei, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the power of his melech; and they shall strike ha’aretz, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

⁷ So I did shepherd the tzon haharegah (the flock marked for slaughter), even aniyei hatzon (the poor of the flock). And I took unto me two maklot (staffs); the one I called No’am (gracious care), and the other I called Chovelim (bindings [of union, cf.11:14]); and I did shepherd the tzon (flock).

⁸ Shloshet haro’im (three of the shepherds) also I disposed of in one month; and my nefesh wearied of them, and their nefesh also abhorred me.

⁹ Then said I, I will not shepherd you; that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those that are left eat every one the basar of another.

¹⁰ And I took my staff, even No’am, and I broke it asunder, breaking off my Brit (covenant) which I had made with kol ha’amim (all the peoples).

¹¹ And it was broken on that day; and so the aniyei hatzon (poor of the flock), who were the shomrim giving heed to me, perceived that this was the Devar Hashem.

¹² And I said unto them, If ye think tov, give me my sachar (price); and if not, refrain. So they weighed out for my sachar (price) shloshim kesef (thirty pieces of silver).

¹³ And Hashem said unto me, Throw it unto the yotzer (potter); the magnificent price that I was priced of them. So I took the shloshim hakesef, and threw them to the yotzer (potter) in the Beis Hashem. [Shemot 21:32; Mt 26:14-15; 27:3-10; Ac 1:18-19]

¹⁴ Then I broke my second staff, called Chovelim, breaking off the achavah (brotherhood) between Yehudah and Yisroel.

¹⁵ And Hashem said unto me, Take unto thee yet the keli (implements) of a foolish ro’eh (shepherd).

¹⁶ For, hinei, I will raise up a ro’eh in ha’aretz, which shall not care for the dying, nor look for the na’ar (young one), nor heal that which is injured, nor feed the healthy; but he shall eat the basar of the choice, and tear off their hooves.

¹⁷ Hoy (woe) to the worthless ro’eh (shepherd) that deserteth the tzon! May the cherev (sword) be upon his zero’a (arm), and upon his right eye; let his zero’a wither away, and his right eye be utterly extinguished.

12 The burden of the Devar Hashem concerning Yisroel, saith Hashem, who stretcheth forth Shomayim, and layeth the yesod aretz, and formeth the ruach adam within him.

² Hinei, I will make Yerushalayim a cup of reeling unto kol ha’amim (all the peoples) round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Yehudah and against Yerushalayim.

³ And on Yom HaHu will I make Yerushalayim an even ma’amasah (a burdensome stone) for kol ha’amim: all that burden themselves with it [i.e., try to lift it] shall be cut in pieces, though kol Goyei Ha’Aretz be gathered together against her.

⁴ In Yom HaHu, saith Hashem, I will strike every sus with panic, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the Bais Yehudah, and will strike every sus of the people with blindness.

⁵ And the Aluphei Yehudah (leaders of Yehudah) shall say in their lev, The yoshvei Yerushalayim are my strength in Hashem Tzva’os Eloheihem.

⁶ In Yom HaHu will I make the Aluphei Yehudah like a fire pot in the woods, and like a torch of eish in the omer (sheaves); and they shall devour kol haAm round about, on the right hand and on the left; and Yerushalayim shall be inhabited again in her own site, even in Yerushalayim.

⁷ Hashem also shall save the oholei Yehudah (tents of Yehudah) first, that the glory of the Bais Dovid and the glory of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim do not magnify themselves against Yehudah.

⁸ In Yom Hahu shall Hashem defend the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and he that is feeble among them in Yom Hahu shall be like Dovid; and the Bais Dovid shall be like Elohim, like the Malach Hashem before them.

⁹ And it shall come to pass in Yom Hahu, that I will seek to destroy kol HaGoyim that attack Yerushalayim.

¹⁰ And I will pour upon the Bais Dovid, and upon the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, the Ruach (Spirit) of Chen (grace) and of Tachanunim (supplications for favor); and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced [dakar, "pierce through" cf. Yeshayah 53:5; Targum HaShivim Tehillim 22:17], and they shall mourn for Him (Moshiach) as one mourneth for his yachid (only son), and shall grieve in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his bechor (firstborn).

¹¹ In Yom Hahu shall there be a great mourning in Yerushalayim, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

¹² And ha’aretz shall mourn, all mishpochot apart; the mishpachat Bais Dovid apart, and their wives apart; the mishpachat Bais Natan apart, and their wives apart; [Shmuel Bais 5:14]

¹³ The mishpachat Bais Levi apart, and their wives apart; the mishpachat Shimei apart, and their wives apart; [Bamidbar 3:17-18,21]

¹⁴ All the mishpochot that remain, all mishpochot apart, and their wives apart.

13 In Yom HaHu there shall be a makor (fountain [see Tehillim 36:10 (9)]) opened to the Bais Dovid and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim for sin and for niddah (impurity, i.e., used figuratively but refers especially to untouchability of women during menstruation and other kinds of uncleanness).

² And in Yom HaHu it shall come to pass, saith Hashem Tzva’os, that I will cut off the shmot (names) of the atzabim (idols) out of ha’aretz, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the nevi’im and the ruach hatum’ah (unclean spirit) to pass from ha’aretz.

³ And it shall come to pass, that if any shall still prophesy, then his av and his em that bore him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest sheker b’Shem Hashem; and his av and his em that bore him shall thrust him through [dakar, 12:10] when he prophesieth.

⁴ And in Yom HaHu it shall come to pass, that the nevi’im shall be ashamed, every one of his chizzayon (vision, revelation), when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear an adderet se’ar (garment of hair, hairy mantle) to deceive;

⁵ But he shall say, I am no navi, I am an ish oved adamah (a man who works the soil); for land I owned from my youth.

⁶ And if one shall say unto him, What are these makkot (strokes, marks of strokes, scars, wounds) between thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the bais of my friends.

⁷ Awake, O Cherev (sword), against My Ro’eh (shepherd, i.e. Moshiach, see Isa 40:11; Ezek 34:23,24; 37:24), against the Gever (man) that is My Amit (fellow, intimate companion, associate), saith Hashem Tzva’os; strike the Ro’eh (shepherd), and the Tzon (sheep, flock) shall be scattered; and I will turn Mine hand upon the tzo’arim (little ones; see Zech 11:7; see Mt 26:31,56)

⁸ And it shall come to pass, that in kol ha’aretz, saith Hashem, two-thirds therein shall be cut off and die; but one-third shall remain therein.

⁹ And I will bring the onethird through the eish, and will refine them as kesef is refined, and will test them as zahav is tested; they shall call biShmi (on My Name), and I will hear them; I will say, This is My people; and they shall say, Hashem is Elohai.

14 Hinei, a day cometh for Hashem, when the plunder taken from thee shall among thee be divided.

² For I will gather kol HaGoyim against Yerushalayim for milchamah (battle, war); and HaIr (the city, Yerushalayim) shall be taken, and the batim (houses) plundered, and the women ravished; and half of HaIr shall go forth into the Golus (exile), and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from HaIr.

³ Then shall Hashem go forth, and fight against those Goyim, as He fights in the Yom Krav (day of battle).

⁴ And in Yom HaHu, His raglayim (feet; see Ac 1:11-12) shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, which is east of Yerushalayim, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a gey gedolah me’od (a very great valley), with half of the mountain moving to the north, and half of it to the south.

⁵ And ye shall flee to the gey (valley) in the mountains; for the gey (valley) of the harim (mountains) shall extend unto Atzel; yea, ye shall flee, just as ye fled from before the ra’ash (earthquake) in the days of Uziyah Melech Yehudah; and Hashem Elohai shall come, and kol Kadoshim (all the holy ones) with Thee [see Daniel 7:13-14].

⁶ And it shall come to pass in Yom HaHu, that there shall no longer be cold or frost:

⁷ But it shall be Yom Echad, known to Hashem, with no Yom, nor Lailah; but it shall come to pass, that at erev it shall be ohr.

⁸ And it shall be in Yom HaHu, that mayim chayyim (living waters) shall go out from Yerushalayim; half toward the eastern sea [i.e., Dead Sea], and half toward the western sea [i.e., Mediterranean Sea]; in kayitz (summer) and in khoref (winter) shall it be.

⁹ And Hashem shall be Melech Al Kol HaAretz (King over all the earth); in Yom HaHu (in that day) shall Hashem be echad, and Shmo Echad.

¹⁰ And kol ha’aretz shall be made like the Aravah from Geva to Rimmon in the Negev. Yerushalayim shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Sha’ar Binyamin unto the place of the Sha’ar Harishon (the first gate), unto the Corner Gate; and from the Migdal Chanan’el unto the king’s wine presses.

¹¹ And men shall inhabit her, and there shall be no more cherem (utter destruction, holy war); but Yerushalayim shall be inhabited labetach (in confidence, security).

¹² And this shall be the magefah (plague [produced by Hashem]) wherewith Hashem will strike kol ha’amim (all the peoples) that have fought against Yerushalayim; their basar shall rot while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongue shall rot in their mouth.

¹³ And in Yom HaHu it shall come to pass, that there shall be among them a mehumat Hashem (a panic from Hashem), and they shall seize every one the hand of his neighbor, and the hand of each shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.

¹⁴ And Yehudah also shall fight at Yerushalayim; and the wealth of kol HaGoyim round about shall be gathered together, zahav, and kesef, and apparel, in great abundance.

¹⁵ And so shall be the magefat hasus (plague on the horse), on the mule, on the camel, and on the donkey, and on all the beasts that shall be in those camps, like this magefah (plague).

¹⁶ And it shall come to pass, that all who are left of kol HaGoyim which came against Yerushalayim shall even go up from year to year to worship HaMelech, Hashem Tzva’os, and to keep Chag HaSukkot.

¹⁷ And it shall be, that whosoever will not make this aliyah from the mishpekhot ha’aretz unto Yerushalayim to worship HaMelech, Hashem Tzva’os, even upon them shall be no geshem (rain).

¹⁸ And if the mishpakhat Mitzrayim go not up, and come not, upon them shall fall the magefah (plague) wherewith Hashem will strike the Goyim that come not up to keep Chag HaSukkot.

¹⁹ This shall be the punishment of Mitzrayim, and the punishment of kol HaGoyim that come not up to keep Chag HaSukkot.

²⁰ In Yom HaHu shall there be upon the metzillot (bells) of the susim, KODESH L’HASHEM; and the sirot (cooking pots) in the Beis Hashem shall be like the mizrakim (libation bowls) before the mizbe’ach.

²¹ Yea, every siyr (pot) in Yerushalayim and in Yehudah shall be KODESH L’HASHEM TZVA’OS: and all the zovechim (the ones sacrificing) shall come and take of them, and they shall cook in them; and in Yom HaHu there shall be no more Kena’ani (Canaanite, merchant; see Mt 21:12-13; Mk 11:15-18]) in the Beis Hashem Tzva’os.

1 The burden of the Devar Hashem to Yisroel by Malachi.

² I have loved you, saith Hashem. Yet ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us? Was not Esav Ya’akov’s brother? saith Hashem; yet I loved Ya’akov,

³ But I hated Esav, and his mountains and his nachalah I laid waste into wasteland for the jackals of the midbar.

⁴ Whereas Edom saith, We are dashed to pieces, but we will return and rebuild the ruins; thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: They may build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, Gevul Rishah (territory of wickedness), and the people against whom Hashem hath indignation ad olam (for ever).

⁵ And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Hashem is gadol (great) even beyond the Gevul Yisroel.

⁶ A ben honoreth his av, and an eved his adon; if then I be an Av, where is Mine honor? And if I be Adonim, where is My reverence? saith Hashem Tzva’os unto you, O kohanim, that despise My Name. But ye say, Wherein have we despised Thy name?

⁷ Ye offer lechem mego’al (defiled food) upon Mine mizbe’ach; and ye say, Wherein have we defiled Thee? In that ye say, The shulchan of Hashem is to be despised.

⁸ And when ye offer the blind animal for sacrifice, is it not rah? And when ye offer the lame and diseased, is it not rah? Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or receive thee? saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁹ And now, I pray you, beseech G-d that He will be gracious unto us; with such offerings from your hand, will He receive you? saith Hashem Tzva’os.

¹⁰ Who is there even among you that would shut the dlatayim of the Beis Hamikdash so that eish would not be kindled on Mine mizbe’ach in vain? There is no chefetz (pleasure) to Me with you, saith Hashem Tzva’os, neither will I accept a minchah at your hand.

¹¹ For from the rising of the shemesh even unto the going down of the same My name shall be gadol among the Goyim; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, and a minchah tehorah; for My name shall be gadol among the Goyim, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

¹² But ye have committed chillul Hashem (desecration of the Name), in that ye say, The shulchan Adonoi is mego’al (defiled); and the fruit, even the food thereof, is contemptible.

¹³ Ye said also, Hinei, what a burden it is! And ye have sniffed scornfully at it, saith Hashem Tzva’os; and ye brought that which was injured, and the lame, and the diseased; thus ye brought a minchah; should I accept this of your hand? saith Hashem.

¹⁴ But cursed be the nokhel (cheat, swindler, charlatan), which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto Hashem the one being blemished; for I am a Melech Gadol, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and My name is to be feared among the Goyim.

2 And now, O ye kohanim, this mitzvah is for you.

² If ye will not hear, and if ye will not take it to lev, to give kavod unto My name, saith Hashem Tzva’os, I will even send a me’erah (curse) upon you, and I will curse your brakhot; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not take it to lev.

³ Hineni, I am rebuking your zera, and I will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your chagim; and it will take you away with it.

⁴ And ye shall have da’as that I have sent this mitzvah unto you, that My brit might continue with Levi, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁵ My brit was with him of chayyim and shalom; and I gave them to him that he might fear Me; so he feared Me, and stood in reverence before My name.

⁶ Torat emes was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found on his lips: he walked with Me in shalom and yashrus, and did turn rabbim (many) away from avon (iniquity).

⁷ For the kohen’s lips should preserve da’as, and they should seek torah at his mouth: for he is the malach Hashem Tzva’os.

⁸ But ye are departed out of HaDerech; ye have caused rabbim to fall into a michshol (stumbling block) at the torah (teaching); ye have corrupted the Brit of Levi saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁹ Therefore have I also made you contemptible and shefalim before kol HaAm because ye have not been shomrim of darkhei of Me, but have shown partiality in torah.

¹⁰ Have we not all Av Echad? Hath not El Echad created us? Why do we commit chillul Brit Avoteinu by every man breaking faith with his brother?

¹¹ Yehudah hath broken faith, and a toeva (abomination) is committed in Yisroel and in Yerushalayim; for Yehudah hath committed chillul against the Beis Hamikdash Hashem loves, by marrying the bat el nekhar.

¹² May Hashem cut off the man that doeth this, [offspring] awake and answering, from the ohalim of Ya’akov, that offereth a minchah unto Hashem Tzva’os.

¹³ And this too have ye done, covering the mizbe’ach of Hashem with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, because that He regardeth not the minchah any more, nor receiveth it with ratzon (good will) at your hand.

¹⁴ Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Hashem hath been ed (witness) between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, breaking faith: yet is she thy chaveret, and the wife of thy brit.

¹⁵ And did not Hashem make echad? And the remnant of the ruach is Hashem’s. And why echad? That He might seek zera Elohim. Therefore be shomer of your ruach, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

¹⁶ For Hashem Elohei Yisroel saith that He hateth putting away: for it covereth one’s garment with chamas (violence), saith the Hashem Tzva’os: therefore, be shomer of your ruach, that ye deal not treacherously, breaking faith.

¹⁷ Ye have wearied Hashem with your devarim. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? When ye say, Everyone that doeth rah is tov in the sight of Hashem, and in them Hashem finds chafetz; or, Where is Elohei HaMishpat?

3 Hineni, I will send malachi, and he shall prepare the Derech before me: and HaAdon (the L-rd [Moshiach] Zech 4:14), whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His Heikhal, even the Malach HaBrit, in whom ye have chafetz (delight): hinei, He is coming, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

² But who may abide the Yom Bo’o (day of His coming)? Who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s eish, and like fullers’ soap:

³ And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of kesef; and He shall purify the Bnei Levi, and purge them as zahav and kesef, that they may offer unto Hashem an offering in tzedakah.

⁴ Then shall the offering of Yehudah and Yerushalayim be pleasing unto Hashem, as in the yamei olam (days of old), and as in shanim kadmoniyyot (former years).

⁵ And I will come near to you for mishpat; and I will be a swift ed (witness) against the mekhashfim (sorcerers), and against the mena’afim (adulterers), and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the almanah (widow), and the fatherless, and that turn aside the ger from his right, and fear not Me, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁶ For I am Hashem, I change not; therefore ye Bnei Ya’akov are not consumed.

⁷ Even from the yamei avoteichem ye are gone away from Mine chukkim, and have not been shomer over them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith Hashem Tzva’os. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

⁸ Will a man rob G-d? Yet ye have robbed Me [Ex 20:15]. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In ma’aser (tithes) and terumah (offerings, contributions).

⁹ Ye are cursed with a me’erah (curse); for ye have robbed Me, even this whole Goy (nation).

¹⁰ Bring ye kol hama’aser (all the tithes) into the Beis HaOtzar (House of the Treasury), that there may be teref (food) in Mine Beis [Hamikdash], and prove Me now herewith, saith Hashem Tzva’os, if I will not open you the windows of Shomayim, and pour you out a brocha, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the p’ri ha’adamah; neither shall your gefen cast her fruit before the time in the sadeh, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

¹² And kol HaGoyim shall call you blessed; for ye shall be an Eretz Chefetz, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

¹³ Your devarim have been harsh against Me, saith Hashem. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against Thee?

¹⁴ Ye have said, Avod Elohim is vain; and what profit is it that we have been shomer over His mishmeret, and that we have walked as mourners before Hashem Tzva’os?

¹⁵ And now we call the zedim (proud) happy; yea, they that work rishah (wickedness) are set up; yea, they that tempt Elohim even go free.

¹⁶ Then they that feared Hashem spoke often one to another; and Hashem paid heed, and heard it, and a Sefer Zikaron (book of remembrance) was written before Him for them that feared Hashem, and that meditated upon Shmo (His Name).

¹⁷ And they shall be Mine, saith Hashem Tzva’os, in that Yom when I make up My segullah (special treasure, possession); and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own ben haoved oto (son that serveth him).

¹⁸ Then shall ye return, and discern between the tzaddik and the rasha, between oved Elohim (him that serveth G-d) and him that serveth Him not.

4 ^(3:19) For, hinei, HaYom bah (the day cometh), that shall burn as an oven; and kol zedim (all the proud), yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and HaYom that cometh shall burn them up, saith Hashem Tzva’os, that it shall leave them neither shoresh (root) nor anaf (branch).

^2 (3:20) But unto you that fear My name shall the Shemesh Tzedakah (sun of righteousness) arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

^3 (3:21) And ye shall trample down the resha’im; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in HaYom that I shall do this, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

^4 (3:22) Remember ye the Torat Moshe Avdi, which I commanded unto him in Chorev for kol Yisroel, with the chukkim (statutes) and mishpatim (judgments).

^5 (3:23) Hinei, I will send you Eliyahu HaNavi before the coming of the great and dreadful Yom Hashem;

^6 (3:24) And he shall turn the lev-avot to the banim, and the lev-banim to their avot, lest I come and strike the earth with cherem.

1 Blessed is the ish that walketh not in the Etzah (counsel, scheme) of the Resha’im, nor standeth in the Derech Chatta’im, nor sitteth in the Moshav (seat) of the Leitzim (scornful, ones mocking and reviling).

² But his delight is in the Torat Hashem; and in His torah doth he meditate yomam v’lailah.

³ And he shall be like an etz planted by the streams of mayim, that bringeth forth its p’ri in its season; the leaf thereof also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

⁴ The Resha’im are not so, but are like the chaff which the ruach driveth away.

⁵ Therefore the Resha’im shall not stand in the Mishpat, nor Chatta’im (sinners) in the Adat Tzaddikim.

⁶ For Hashem knoweth the Derech Tzaddikim, but the Derech Resha’im shall perish. T.N. The next Psalm says that the whole world, all the earth, is, or will be, the possession of Moshiach, and that Hashem assures Moshiach of this; therefore, the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20) was given to preach Moshiach to the ends of the earth that the whole world may hear.

2 Why do the Goyim rage, and the Amim (peoples) imagine a vain thing?

² The Malchei Eretz rise up in rebellion, and the rulers take counsel together against Hashem and against His Moshiach, saying,

³ Let us break their chains asunder, and cast away their fetters from us.

⁴ He that sitteth enthroned in Shomayim laughs; Adonoi hath them in derision.

⁵ Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and distress them in His hot displeasure.

⁶ I have set Malki (My King) upon Tziyon, My Har Kodesh.

⁷ I will declare the chok (decree): Hashem hath said unto me, Thou art Beni (My Son, i.e. Ben HaElohim Moshiach); HaYom (today) I have begotten thee.

⁸ Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the Goyim for thine nachalah, and the uttermost parts of ha’aretz for thy possession.

⁹ Thou shalt rule them with a shevet barzel; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

¹⁰ Have seichel now therefore, O ye Melachim; be warned, ye Shoftei Aretz.

¹¹ Serve Hashem with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹² Kiss the Bar (Ben, Son, [see Hebrew Mishlei 31:2; Ben HaElohim Moshiach; see 2:2,7, above]), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the Derech, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Ashrei are all they that take refuge in him [Moshiach].

3 (A psalm of Dovid, when he fled from Avshalom bno) Hashem, how are they increased that are my foes! Many are they that rise up against me.

^2 (3) Many there be which say of my nefesh, There is no yeshuah for him in Elohim. Selah.

^3 (4) But Thou, Hashem, art a mogen around me; my kavod, and the One who lifts up mine head.

^4 (5) I cried unto Hashem with my voice, and He heard me out of His Har Kodesh. Selah.

^5 (6) I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for Hashem sustains me.

^6 (7) I will not be afraid of ten thousands of am (people), that have set themselves against me round about.

^7 (8) Arise, Hashem; hoshieini (save me), O Elohai; for Thou hast struck all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the resha’im.

^8 (9) HaYeshuah (salvation) belongeth unto Hashem; the Birkhat (blessing) of Thee is upon Thy people. Selah.

4 (For the one directing. With stringed instruments. Mizmor Dovid.) Hear me when I call, Elohei tzidki (O G-d of my righteousness); Thou hast relieved me when I was in distress; channeini, and hear my tefillah.

² O ye Bnei Ish, how long will ye turn my kavod into shame? How long will ye love delusion, and seek kazav (lie, falsehood)? Selah.

³ But know that Hashem hath set apart the chasid for Himself; Hashem will hear when I call unto Him.

⁴ Be angry, yet sin not; commune with your own levav upon your mishkav, and be still. Selah.

⁵ Offer the zivkhei-tzedek, and put your trust in Hashem.

⁶ There be many that say, Who will show us any tov? Hashem, lift Thou up the ohr of Thy countenance upon us.

⁷ Thou hast put simcha in my lev, more than in the time that their dagan and their tirosh increased.

⁸ In shalom I will both lay me down, and sleep, for Thou alone, Hashem, makest me dwell in safety.

5 (For the one directing. For the flutes. Mizmor Dovid) Give ear to my words, Hashem, consider my meditation.

^2 (3) Pay heed unto the voice of my cry, Malki v’Elohai; for unto Thee will I daven.

^3 (4) My voice shalt Thou hear in the boker, Hashem; in the boker will I bring my prayer before Thee as a spiritual sacrifice and wait for an answer.

^4 (5) For Thou art not El that hath pleasure in resha; neither shall rah dwell with Thee.

^5 (6) The holelim (arrogant) shall not stand in Thy sight; Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

^6 (7) Thou shalt destroy them that speak kazav (falsehood); Hashem will abhor the ish damim u’mirmah (bloody and deceitful man).

^7 (8) But as for me, I will come into Thy Bais in the multitude of Thy chesed; and in Thy fear will I bow down toward Thy Heikhal Kodesh.

^8 (9) Lead me, Hashem, in Thy tzedakah because of mine enemies; make Thy Derech straight before my face.

^9 (10) For there is nothing trustworthy in their mouth; their inwardness is a corruptible abyss; their throat is an open kever; they speak smooth deceit with their leshon.

^10 (11) Punish them, Elohim; let them fall by their own intrigues; in the multitude of their peysha’im cast them out; for they have rebelled against Thee.

^11 (12) But let all those that take refuge in Thee rejoice; let them shout for joy l’olam, and spread Thou protection over them that they be joyful in Thee, who love Shemecha (Thy Name).

^12 (13) For Thou, Hashem, wilt bless the Tzaddik; with ratzon (favor) wilt Thou encompass him as with a tzinnah (large rectangular shield).

6 (For the one directing. With stringed instruments. Al HaSheminit. Mizmor Dovid) Hashem, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure.

^2 (3) Have mercy upon me, Hashem; for I am weak: Hashem, heal me; for my atzmot are shaking.

^3 (4) My nefesh is also much shaken; but Thou, Hashem, ad mosai (how much longer)?

^4 (5) Turn, Hashem, deliver my nefesh; hoshieini (save me) for the sake of Thy chesed.

^5 (6) For in mavet there is no remembrance of Thee; in Sheol who shall give Thee thanks?

^6 (7) I am weary with my groaning; all the lailah flood I my mittah with weeping; I water my couch with my tears.

^7 (8) Mine eye is consumed because of ka’as (grief); it groweth old because of all mine enemies.

^8 (9) Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for Hashem hath heard the voice of my weeping.

^9 (10) Hashem hath heard my techinnah (supplication); Hashem will receive my tefillah (prayer).

^10 (11) Let all mine oyevim be ashamed and much troubled; let them turn back and suddenly be ashamed.

7 (Shiggayon of Dovid, which he sang unto Hashem, regarding Kush of Binyamin) Hashem Elohai, in Thee do I seek refuge; hoshieini (save me) from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;

^2 (3) Lest he tear my nefesh like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to rescue.

^3 (4) Hashem Elohai, if I have done this; if there be guilt in my hands;

^4 (5) If I have recompensed with evil him that held out shalom unto me; or, without cause plundered my opposers,

^5 (6) Then let the enemy persecute my nefesh, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life to the earth, and lay mine kavod to sleep in the dust. Selah.

^6 (7) Arise, Hashem, in Thine anger, lift up Thyself because of the rage of mine enemies; awake, o my El, to the mishpat Thou hast decreed.

^7 (8) So let the Adat l’Umim surround Thee; and over it return Thou on high [to judge].

^8 (9) Hashem shall judge the people; judge me, Hashem, according to my tzedek, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

^9 (10) Oh let the wickedness of the resha’im come to an end; but make the tzaddik secure; for the Elohim Tzaddik trieth the minds and hearts.

^10 (11) My mogen (shield) is Elohim, Moshi’a of the upright in heart.

^11 (12) Elohim is a Shofet Tzaddik, and El expresses wrath kol yom.

^12 (13) If He relent not, He will sharpen His cherev; He hath bent His keshet (bow) and made it ready.

^13 (14) He hath also prepared for Him the instruments of mavet; He ordaineth His flaming khitzim (arrows).

^14 (15) Hinei, he [an evil person] travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived trouble, and brought forth falsehood.

^15 (16) He makes a pit, and digs it, and is fallen into the shachat (pit) which he made.

^16 (17) His trouble shall return upon his own rosh, and his chamas shall come down upon his own kodkod (crown of the head).

^17 (18) I will give thanks to Hashem according to His tzedek; and will sing praise to the Shem of Hashem Elyon.

8 (For the one directing. According to the gittit. Mizmor of Dovid). Hashem Adoneinu, how excellent is Shimecha in kol ha’aretz Who hast set Thy glory above HaShomayim.

^2 (3) Out of the mouth of olelim and infants hast Thou established strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

^3 (4) When I consider Thy heavens, the ma’asim of Thy fingers, the yarei’ach and the kokhavim, which Thou hast ordained;

^4 (5) What is enosh (mankind), that Thou art mindful of him? And the ben adam, that Thou visitest him?

^5 (6) For Thou hast made him a little lower than elohim [or Elohim, Gn 1:27], and hast crowned him with kavod and hadar.

^6 (7) Thou madest him to have dominion over the ma’asim of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet:

^7 (8) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the behemot sadeh;

^8 (9) The fowl of the air, and the dag (fish) of the yam, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

^9 (10) Hashem Adoneinu, how excellent is Shimecha in kol ha’aretz!

9 (For the one directing. To The Death of the Son. Mizmor of Dovid) I will give thanks to Thee, Hashem, with kol lev of me; I will show forth all Thy marvellous works.

^2 (3) I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy Shem, O Thou Elyon.

^3 (4) When mine oyevim are turned back, they shall fall and perish at Thy presence.

^4 (5) For Thou hast maintained my mishpat and my cause; Thou as Shofet Tzedek dost sit on the kisse.

^5 (6) Thou hast rebuked the Goyim, Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast blotted out their shem l’olam va’ed.

^6 (7) Choravot lanetzach (endless ruins) have come to the enemy: and Thou hast rooted out cities; their memory is perished with them.

^7 (8) But Hashem shall reign l’olam; He hath established His kisse (throne) for mishpat.

^8 (9) And He shall judge the tevel (world) in tzedek, He shall govern the nations with justice.

^9 (10) Hashem also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of tzoros.

^10 (11) And they that know Shemecha will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, Hashem, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.

^11 (12) Sing praises to Hashem, enthroned in Tziyon; declare among the nations His deeds.

^12 (13) When He avenges [shefach] dahm, He remembereth them; He forgetteth not the cry of the aniyim (humble, afflicted, the helpless ones).

^13 (14) Have mercy upon me, Hashem; consider my sufferings which I suffer of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the sha’arei mavet (gates of death);

^14 (15) That I may show forth all Thy praise in the Sha’arei Bat Tziyon. I will rejoice in Thy Yeshuah (salvation).

^15 (16) The Goyim are sunk down in the shachat (pit) that they dug; in the reshet (net) which they hid is their own foot caught.

^16 (17) Hashem is known by the mishpat which He executeth; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgayon. Selah.

^17 (18) The resha’im shall be turned into Sheol, and all the Goyim that forget Elohim.

^18 (19) For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the tikveh of the poor shall not perish forever.

^19 (20) Arise, Hashem; let not enosh (mankind) prevail; let the Goyim be judged in Thy sight.

^20 (21) Put them in terror, Hashem; that the Goyim may know themselves to be but enosh. Selah.

10 Why standest Thou afar off, Hashem? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of tzoros?

² The reshah in his ga’avah (haughtiness) doth persecute the ani (poor, see Zech 9:9 where ani is Moshiach); let them be caught in the devices that they have schemed.

³ For the reshah boasteth of his ta’avat nefesh (soul’s lust), and blesseth the covetous, whom Hashem abhorreth.

⁴ The reshah, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after Him; Elohim is not in all his thoughts.

⁵ His ways are always prosperous; Thy mishpatim are on high, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

⁶ He hath said in his lev, I shall not be shaken; throughout all generations I shall never be in trouble.

⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his leshon (tongue) is trouble and iniquity.

⁸ He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in the places for ambush doth he murder the naki (innocent); his eyes are secretly set against the poor.

⁹ He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor; he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his reshet.

¹⁰ He crouches, and stoops, that the poor may fall by his atzum (might).

¹¹ He hath said in his lev, El hath forgotten; He hideth his face; He will never see it.

¹² Arise, Hashem; O El, lift up Thine yad; forget not the aniyim.

¹³ For why doth the reshah renounce Elohim? He hath said in his lev, Thou wilt not call me to account.

¹⁴ Thou hast seen it; for Thou beholdest trouble and ka’as (grief), to requite it with Thy yad; the helpless committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the Ozer (helper) of the yatom (orphan).

¹⁵ Break Thou the zero’a of the reshah and the evil man; call to account his wickedness that would not be found out.

¹⁶ Hashem is Melech olam va’ed; the Goyim are perished out of His land.

¹⁷ Hashem, Thou hast heard the desire of the aniyim; Thou wilt strengthen their lev, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear;

¹⁸ To judge the yatom (orphan) and the oppressed, that enosh of the earth may no more strike terror.

11 (For the one directing. Of Dovid.) In Hashem do I take refuge; how say ye to my nefesh, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

² For, hinei, the resha’im bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may secretly shoot at the yishrei lev (upright in heart).

³ If the foundations be destroyed, what can the tzaddik do?

⁴ Hashem is in His Heikhal Kodesh, Hashem’s kisse is in Shomayim; His eyes examine, His eyelids try, Bnei Adam.

⁵ Hashem trieth the tzaddik, but the resha’im and him that loveth chamas (violence) His Nefesh hateth.

⁶ Upon the resha’im He shall rain snares, eish and gofrit, and a burning wind; this shall be the portion of their kos (cup).

⁷ For Hashem is tzaddik (righteous), Hashem loveth tzedakot; His countenance doth behold the yashar (upright).

12 (For the one directing. According to the Sheminit. Mizmor Dovid) Help, Hashem; for the chasid is no more; for the emunim (faithful ones) vanish from among Bnei Adam.

^2 (3) They speak vanity every one with his re’a (neighbor); with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

^3 (4) Hashem shall cut off all flattering lips, and the leshon that speaketh gedolot;

^4 (5) Who have said, With leshoneinu (our tongue) will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is Adon over us?

^5 (6) For the oppression of the aniyim, for the groaning of the needy, now will I arise, saith Hashem; I will set him in safety from him that sneers at him.

^6 (7) The words of Hashem are amarot tehorot (pure words); as kesef refined in the furnace on the earth, purified seven times.

^7 (8) Thou shalt be shomer over them, Hashem, Thou shalt preserve him [see 5(6)] from this generation forever.

^8 (9) The resha’im strut on every side, when the vilest among the Bnei Adam are exalted.

13 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid) How long wilt Thou forget me, Hashem? Netzach (forever?) How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

^2 (3) How long shall I take counsel in my nefesh, having sorrow in my lev daily? How long shall mine oyev be exalted over me?

^3 (4) Consider and hear me, Hashem Elohai; enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of mavet;

^4 (5) Lest mine oyev say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am defeated.

^5 (6) But I have trusted in Thy chesed; my lev shall rejoice in Thy Yeshuah (salvation).

⁶ I will sing unto Hashem, because He hath dealt bountifully with me.

14 (For the one directing. Of Dovid) The naval (fool) hath said in his lev, There is no Elohim. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, ein oseh tov (there is none that doeth good).

² Hashem looked down from Shomayim upon Bnei Adam, to see if there is any with seichel, that seeketh Elohim.

³ They are all turned aside, they are all together become corrupt; there is none that doeth tov, no, not one.

⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no da’as? Who eat up my people as they eat lechem, and call not upon Hashem.

⁵ There they shall be in great dread, for Elohim is with the dor tzaddik.

⁶ Would ye confound the etzah (counsel, plan) of the oni (poor), for Hashem is indeed his refuge!

⁷ Oh that the Yeshuah (salvation) of Yisroel were come out of Tziyon! When Hashem turns misfortune and brings back the captives of His people, Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisroel shall be glad.

15 (Mizmor Dovid) Hashem, who shall abide in Thy Ohel? Who shall dwell in Thy Har Kodesh?

² He that walketh blamelessly, and worketh tzedek, and speaketh emes from his lev.

³ He that backbiteth not with his leshon, nor doeth ra’ah to his re’a, nor taketh up a slur to discredit his neighbor.

⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is despicable; but he honoreth them that fear Hashem. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

⁵ He that putteth not out his kesef to neshekh (usury), nor taketh bribes against the naki (innocent). He that doeth these things shall never be shaken.

16 (A mikhtam Dovid). Be shomer over me, O El: for in Thee do I hide myself.

² I said unto Hashem, Thou art Adonoi of me; besides Thee I have no good;

³ But to the Kedoshim that are in ha’aretz, they are the glorious ones, in whom is all my delight.

⁴ Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after other g-ds; their nesakhim (drink offerings) of dahm will I not offer, nor take up their shmot (names [of idols]) on my lips.

⁵ Hashem is the chelek (allotted share) of mine inheritance and of my kos (cup [of blessing]); Thou maintainest my goral (lot, allotment by the divine will).

⁶ The boundary lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly nachalah (inheritance).

⁷ I will bless Hashem, Who hath given me counsel; my mind also instructs me in the night seasons.

⁸ I have set Hashem always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my lev is glad, and my kavod rejoiceth; my basar also shall dwell securely [see 1Th 5:23 OJBC].

¹⁰ For Thou wilt not abandon my nefesh in Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thine Chasid to see shachat (corruption, the pit, the grave, the abyss of corruption; see Ac 2:24).

¹¹ Thou wilt show me the Orach Chayyim (the path of life); in Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures netzach (for evermore).

17 (Tefillah of Dovid) Hear the tzedek (righteous plea of a just cause), Hashem, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my tefillah, that goeth not out of lips of mirmah (deceit).

² Let my mishpat (right) come forth from Thy presence; let Thine eyes behold the things that are right.

³ Thou hast probed mine lev; Thou hast visited me in the lailah; Thou hast tested me and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

⁴ Concerning the works of men, by the Devar of Thy lips I have kept myself from the paths of the cruel.

⁵ Uphold my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps stumble not.

⁶ I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O El; incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my prayer.

⁷ Show Thy marvellous chesed, O Thou Moshi’a Who saves by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them.

⁸ Be shomer over me as the apple of Thy eye; hide me in the shadow of Thy wings,

⁹ From the resha’im that oppress me, from my deadly enemies threatening my nefesh, who surround me.

¹⁰ They have closed up callously and mercilessly against me; with their mouth they speak with ge’ut (pride).

¹¹ At every step they have surrounded me; their purpose is to strike down to ha’aretz;

¹² Like aryeh eager to tear his prey, and like a young lion lurking in ambush.

¹³ Arise, Hashem, confront him, cast him down; deliver my nefesh from the resha with Thy cherev;

¹⁴ From men with Thy yad, Hashem, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life, and with Thy treasures Thou fillest their belly; they are satisfied with children, and leave their abundance to their babes.

¹⁵ As for me, in tzedek I will behold Thy face; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy temunah (form; see Num 12:8).

18 (For the one directing. Of Dovid Eved Hashem who sang to Hashem the lyrics of this shirah on the day Hashem delivered him from the hand of all his oyevim and from the hand of Sha’ul; and he said) I will love Thee, Hashem, my strength.

^2 (3) Hashem is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; Eli my Tzur (rock), in whom I take refuge; my mogen, and the keren of my salvation, and my misgav (high place as a refuge).

^3 (4) I will call upon Hashem, Who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine oyevim.

^4 (5) The chevlei mavet entangled me, and the floods of Beliya’al terrorized me.

^5 (6) The chevlei Sheol snaked around me; the snares of mavet confronted me.

^6 (7) In my distress I called upon Hashem, and cried unto Elohai; He heard my voice out of His Heikhal, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.

^7 (8) Ha’aretz shook and trembled; the foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because He was angry.

^8 (9) Smoke went up from His nostrils, and eish out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.

^9 (10) He parted Shomayim, and descended, and dark clouds were under His feet.

^10 (11) And He rode upon a keruv (cherub), and did fly; yea, He soared upon the wings of the ruach.

^11 (12) He made choshech His secret place; His sukkah round about Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

^12 (13) Out of the brightness that was before Him there broke through barad (hailstones) and coals of eish out of His clouds.

^13 (14) Hashem also thundered in Shomayim, and Elyon gave His voice amid barad and coals of eish.

^14 (15) Yea, He sent out His khitzim (arrows), and scattered them; and He shot out great lightning bolts, and did put them to rout.

^15 (16) Then the channels of waters were exposed, and the foundations of the tevel (world) were laid bare at Thy rebuke, Hashem, at the blast of the ruach of Thy nostrils.

^16 (17) He sent from on high, He took hold of me, He drew me out of mayim rabbim (many waters).

^17 (18) He delivered me from my strong oyev, and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me.

^18 (19) They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but Hashem was my stay.

^19 (20) He brought me forth also into a place merkhav (spacious); He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

^20 (21) Hashem dealt with me according to my tzedek; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.

^21 (22) For I have been shomer regarding the Darkhei Hashem, and have not wickedly departed from Elohai.

^22 (23) For all His mishpatim were before me, and I did not put away His chukkot from me.

^23 (24) I was also tamim (blameless) before Him, and I kept myself from mine avon.

^24 (25) Therefore hath Hashem recompensed me according to my tzedek, according to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes.

^25 (26) With the chasid Thou wilt show Thyself chesed; with a perfect man Thou wilt show Thyself perfect;

^26 (27) With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the ikesh (crooked, perverted, false) Thou wilt show Thyself shrewd.

^27 (28) For Thou wilt save the ani (poor); but wilt bring down low haughty looks.

^28 (29) For Thou wilt light my ner; Hashem Elohai will enlighten my choshech.

^29 (30) For by Thee have I scattered a troop; and by Elohai have I leaped over a wall.

^30 (31) As for El, His derech is tamim (perfect); the word of Hashem is tzerufah (tested and proved flawless, inerrant); He is a mogen to all those that take refuge in Him.

^31 (32) For who is Elohim besides Hashem? Or who is Tzur but Eloheinu?

^32 (33) It is El that armeth me with chayil, and maketh my derech tamim (perfect).

^33 (34) He maketh my raglayim like deer feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

^34 (35) He traineth my hands for milchamah, so that a keshet-nechushah mine arms can bend.

^35 (36) Thou hast also given me the mogen of Thy salvation; and Thy right hand hath held me up, and Thy lowliness hath made me great.

^36 (37) Thou hast made rakhav (broad) the place for my footsteps under me, that my ankles did not turn.

^37 (38) I have pursued mine oyevim, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.

^38 (39) I have crushed them that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under my raglayim.

^39 (40) For Thou hast armed me with chayil unto the milchamah; Thou hast made bow down under me those that rose up against me.

^40 (41) Thou hast also given me the necks of mine oyevim; that I might destroy them that hate me.

^41 (42) They cried for help, but there was no Moshi’a to save them, even unto Hashem, but He answered them not.

^42 (43) Then did I beat them small as the dust before the ruach; I did empty them out as the dirt in the chutzot (streets).

^43 (44) Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and Thou hast made me the Rosh (head) of the Goyim (nations); an Am (people) whom I have not known shall serve me.

^44 (45) As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the Bnei Nekhar (foreigners) shall submit themselves unto me.

^45 (46) The Bnei Nekhar shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their misgerot (stongholds, fastnesses, secure places).

^46 (47) Hashem chai; and baruch be my Tzur; and let the Elohei of my salvation be exalted.

^47 (48) It is El that avengeth me, and subdueth the nations under me.

^48 (49) He saveth me from mine oyevim; yea, Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; Thou hast delivered me from the ish chamas.

^49 (50) Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, Hashem, among the Goyim, and sing praises unto Shimecha.

^50 (51) Great deliverance giveth He to His Melech; and showeth chesed to His Moshiach, to Dovid, and to his Zera ad olam.

19 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid) HaShomayim declare the kavod of G-d; and the raki’a (firmament) showeth His handiwork.

^2 (3) Yom unto yom uttereth speech, and lailah unto lailah showeth da’as.

^3 (4) There is no speech nor devarim (language), where their voice is not heard.

^4 (5) Their measuring line is gone out through kol ha’aretz, and their words to the end of the tevel (world). In them hath He set an ohel for the shemesh,

^5 (6) Which is like a choson coming out of his chuppah, and rejoiceth as a gibbor to run a race.

^6 (7) Its going forth is from the end of HaShomayim, and its circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

^7 (8) The torah of Hashem is temimah (perfect), reviving the nefesh; the edut of Hashem is ne’emanah (sure), making wise the simple.

^8 (9) The precepts of Hashem are yasharim (right), rejoicing the lev; the mitzvat Hashem is bara (clear, pure), enlightening the eyes.

^9 (10) The yirat Hashem (fear of the L-rd) is tehorah (clean), enduring forever; the mishpatim of Hashem are emes and righteous altogether.

^10 (11) More to be desired are they than zahav, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than devash and the honeycomb.

^11 (12) Moreover by them is Thy eved warned; and in being shomer over them there is great reward.

^12 (13) Who can discern his errors? Cleanse Thou me from nistarot (secret ones).

^13 (14) Keep back Thy eved also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the peysha rav (great transgression).

^14 (15) Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my lev, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Hashem, my Tzur (rock), and Go’ali (my Redeemer).

20 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid) Hashem hear thee in the Yom Tzarah (day of trouble); the Shem Elohei Ya’akov set thee up on high [i.e., out of reach of your enemies];

² Send thee help from the Kodesh (Holy Sanctuary), and strengthen thee out of Tziyon;

³ Remember all thy minchot, and accept thy olat; Selah.

⁴ Grant thee according to thine own levav, and fulfil kol etzah (plan, counsel) of thine.

⁵ We will shout for joy at thy Yeshuah (salvation), and in the Shem of Eloheinu we will lift up our banners; Hashem grant all thy requests.

⁶ Now I have da’as that Hashem hoshi’a (He saves) His Moshiach; He will answer him from His Sh’mei Kodesh (Holy Heaven) with the saving strength of His right hand.

⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some susim: but we will trust in the Shem Hashem Eloheinu.

⁸ They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen up, and stand firm.

⁹ Hoshi’ah, Hashem, HaMelech! May He hear us on the day when we call.

21 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid) Melech shall have simcha in Thy strength, Hashem; and in Thy Yeshuah (salvation) how greatly shall he rejoice!

^2 (3) Thou hast given him the desire of his lev, and hast not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

^3 (4) For Thou meeteth him with the birkhot tov; Thou settest an ateret of pure gold on his head.

^4 (5) He asked Chayyim of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of yamim olam va’ed [see 1C 15:4; Ps 16:10];

^5 (6) Gadol is his kavod in Thy Yeshuah (salvation); hod v’hadar hast Thou bestowed upon him.

^6 (7) For Thou hast made him birkhot forever; Thou hast made him exceeding glad with simcha in Thy presence.

^7 (8) For HaMelech trusteth in Hashem, and through the chesed of Elyon he shall not be moved.

^8 (9) Thine yad shall find out all thine enemies; thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

^9 (10) Thou shalt make them like an oven of eish in the time of thine presence; Hashem shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the eish shall devour them.

^10 (11) Their fruit shalt Thou destroy from ha’aretz, and their zera from among Bnei Adam.

^11 (12) For they intended ra’ah against Thee; they devised a plot, which they are not able to perform.

^12 (13) Ki (therefore) shalt Thou make them turn their backs, when Thou shalt aim Thine bowstrings at their faces.

^13 (14) Be Thou exalted, Hashem, in Thine Own Strength; so will we sing and praise Thy gevurah (power).

22 (For the one directing. To the Deer of the Dawn. Mizmor Dovid.) Eli, Eli, lamah azavtani? [See Mt 27:46 OJBC] Why art Thou so far from my yeshuah, and from the words of my groaning?

^2 (3) Elohai, I cry yomam, but Thou hearest not; and v’lailah, and am not silent.

^3 (4) But Atah Kadosh, O Thou enthroned on the tehillot Yisroel.

^4 (5) Avoteinu trusted in Thee; they had bitachon, and Thou didst deliver them.

^5 (6) They cried unto Thee, and were delivered; they had bitachon in Thee, and were not disappointed.

^6 (7) But I am a tola’at, and no ish; a reproach of men, and despised of the people [see Yeshayah 53:3 on the despised Moshiach].

^7 (8) All they that see me mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the rosh, saying,

^8 (9) He trusted in Hashem; let Hashem rescue him; let Him deliver him, since He delights in him.

^9 (10) But Thou art He that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust when I was upon the breasts of immi.

^10 (11) I was cast upon Thee from the womb; Thou art Eli from the womb of immi.

^11 (12) Be not far from me; for tzoros is near; and there is none to help.

^12 (13) Parim rabbim (many bulls) have encompassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round about.

^13 (14) They opened wide their mouths upon me, like an aryeh roaring and tearing prey.

^14 (15) I am poured out like mayim, and all my atzmot are out of joint; my lev is like wax; it is melted away within me.

^15 (16) My ko’ach is dried up like baked clay; and my leshon cleaveth to my jaws; and Thou layest me in the aphar mavet (dust of death).

^16 (17) For kelavim have surrounded me; the Adat Mere’im (congregation of evil men) have enclosed me; ka’aru yadai v’ragelai (they pierced my hands and my feet; see Isa 53:5; Zech 12:10 and medieval Hebrew Scripture manuscripts as well as the Targum HaShivim).

^17 (18) I can count all my atzmot; the people stare and gloat at me.

^18 (19) They divide up my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast goral (lots) [Mt 27:35; Lk 23:34; Yn 19:24].

^19 (20) But be not Thou far from me, Hashem; O my strength, hasten Thee to help me.

^20 (21) Deliver my nefesh from the cherev, my yechid (only one, only [nefesh]) from the power of the kelev (dog).

^21 (22) Hoshieini from the mouth of the aryeh; for Thou hast heard me from the karnayim of the wild bulls.

^22 (23) I will declare Thy Shem unto my Achim; in the midst of the Kahal will I praise Thee.

^23 (24) Ye that fear Hashem, praise Him; all ye Zera Ya’akov, give Him kavod; and fear Him, all ye Zera Yisroel.

^24 (25) For He hath not despised nor disdained the enut ani (affliction of the afflicted); neither hath He hid His face from him; but when he cried unto Him, He heard.

^25 (26) My tehillah shall be from Thee in the Kahal Rav; I will fulfill my nedar before them that fear Him.

^26 (27) The anavim (meek) shall eat and be satisfied; they that seek Him shall praise Hashem. Let your levav live forever!

^27 (28) All the ends of HaAretz shall remember and turn unto Hashem; and all the mishpechot of the Goyim shall bow down in worship before Thee.

^28 (29) For the Meluchah is Hashem’s: and He is the Moshel over the Goyim.

^29 (30) All they that thrive upon HaAretz shall eat and worship; all they that go down to the aphar (dust) shall bow before Him; even he who cannot keep alive his own nefesh.

^30 (31) Zera shall serve Him; it shall be told to the generation [to come] concerning Adonoi.

^31 (32) They shall come, and shall declare His tzedek unto an Am Nolad (a [future] people that shall be born), that He hath done this.

23 (Mizmor of Dovid). Hashem is my Ro’eh (Shepherd); I shall not lack.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the mei menuchot (tranquil waters).

³ He restoreth my nefesh; He guideth me in the paths of tzedek l’ma’an Shmo (righteousness for the sake of His Name).

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the Gey Tzalmavet (Valley of the Shadow of Death), I will fear no rah (evil); for Thou art with me; Thy shevet (rod) and Thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a shulchan before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with shemen (olive oil); my kos runneth over.

⁶ Surely tov and chesed shall follow me kol y’mei chaiyyai (all the days of my life): and I will dwell in the Bais Hashem l’orech yamim (for length of days, whole life

24 long, forever). (Mizmor of Dovid) Ha’aretz is Hashem’s, and the fullness thereof; the tevel (world), and they that dwell therein.

² For He hath founded it upon the yamim (seas), and established it upon the waters.

³ Who shall ascend the Har Hashem? Or who shall stand in His Makom Kodesh?

⁴ He that hath clean hands, and a bar levav (pure heart); who hath not lifted up his nefesh unto shahv (vanity), nor sworn l’mirmah (deceitfully).

⁵ He shall receive the brocha (blessing) from Hashem, and tzedakah from Elohei Yisho (the G-d of his Salvation).

⁶ This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Ya’akov. Selah.

⁷ Lift up your heads, O ye she’arim; and be ye lifted up, ye Pitchei Olam (everlasting doorways); and Melech HaKavod shall come in.

⁸ Who is this Melech HaKavod? Hashem strong and mighty, Hashem Gibbor Milchamah.

⁹ Lift up your heads, O ye she’arim; even lift them up, ye Pitchei Olam; and Melech HaKavod shall come in.

¹⁰ Who is this Melech HaKavod? Hashem Tzva’os, He is Melech HaKavod. Selah.

25 (Of Dovid) [Aleph] Unto Thee, Hashem, do I lift up my nefesh.

² [Bais] O Elohai, I trust in Thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine oyevim triumph over me.

³ [Gimel] Yea, let none that wait [hoping in] Thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

⁴ [Dalet] Show me Thy ways, Hashem; teach me Thy paths.

⁵ [Heh Vav] Lead me in Thy emes, and teach me; for Thou art the Elohei of my Salvation; on Thee do I wait kol hayom.

⁶ [Zayin] Remember, Hashem, Thy rachamim and Thy lovingkindnesses; for they have ever been of old.

⁷ [Chet] Remember not the chattot of my youth, nor my peysha’im; according to Thy chesed remember Thou me for the sake of Thy goodness, Hashem.

⁸ [Tet] Tov and yashar is Hashem; therefore will He teach chatta’im in the Derech.

⁹ [Yod] The meek will He guide in mishpat; and the aniyim will He teach His way.

¹⁰ [Kaph] All the paths of Hashem are chesed and emes unto such as keep His Brit (covenant) and His Edot (covenant demands, urgings, reminders, testimonies).

¹¹ [Lamed] For the sake of Thy Shem, Hashem, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

¹² [Mem] What man is he that feareth Hashem? Him shall He teach in the Derech that he shall choose.

¹³ [Nun] His nefesh (soul) shall dwell in prosperity; and his zera shall inherit the earth.

¹⁴ [Samech] The secret of Hashem is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His Brit (covenant).

¹⁵ [Ayin] Mine eyes are ever toward Hashem; for He shall pluck my feet out of the reshet (net).

¹⁶ [Peh] Turn Thee unto me, and be gracious unto me; for I am yachid (alone, lonely) and afflicted.

¹⁷ [Tzade] The tzoros of my lev are multiplied; O bring Thou me forth out of my distresses.

¹⁸ [Resh] Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and take away all my chattot.

¹⁹ Resh] Look upon mine enemies; for they are increased; and they hate me with sinas chamas.

²⁰ Shin] Be shomer over my nefesh, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed; for I take refuge in Thee.

²¹ [Tav] Let tohm (integrity, guilelessness) and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.

²² Redeem Yisroel, O Elohim, out of all his tzoros.

26 (Of Dovid) Vindicate me, Hashem; for I have walked in mine tohm (guilelessness); I have trusted also in Hashem without wavering.

² Examine me, Hashem, and prove me; try my heart and my mind.

³ For Thy chesed is before mine eyes; and I have walked in Thy emes.

⁴ I do not sit with meteishav (men of vanity), neither will I go in with dissemblers.

⁵ I have hated the kehal mere’im (congregation of evil doers); and will not sit with the resha’im.

⁶ I will wash mine hands in nikkayon (innocency, cleanness, freedom from punishment); so will I encompass Thine Mizbe’ach, Hashem;

⁷ That I may publish with the voice of todah, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.

⁸ Hashem, I have loved the ma’on of Thy Bais [HaMikdash], and the Mishkan where Thine kavod dwelleth.

⁹ Take not away my nefesh with chatta’im (sinners), nor my Chai (life) with anshei damim;

¹⁰ In whose hands is zimmah (wicked plans), and their right hand is full of shochad (bribery).

¹¹ But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity; redeem me, v’chaneini (and be merciful and gracious unto me).

¹² My regel standeth on level ground; in the great assemblies unto Hashem will I render brocha.

27 (Of Dovid) Hashem is my ohr and Yishi (my Salvation); whom shall I fear? Hashem is the ma’oz (stronghold) of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the resha’im, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to devour my basar, they stumbled and fell.

³ Though an army should encamp against me, my lev shall not fear; though milchamah should break out against me, in this will I be confident.

⁴ One thing have I asked of Hashem, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the Bais Hashem all the days of my life, to behold the gracefulness of Hashem, and to inquire in His Heikhal.

⁵ For in the Yom Ra’ah (day of evil) He shall keep me safe in His Sukkah; in the shelter of His Ohel shall He conceal me; He shall set me up upon a Tzur (rock).

⁶ And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies around about me; therefore will I offer in His Ohel sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yea, I will make music unto Hashem.

⁷ Shema, Hashem, when I call with my voice; chaneini also upon me, and answer me.

⁸ When my lev said of Thee, Seek ye My face, my lev said unto Thee, Thy face, Hashem, will I seek.

⁹ Hide not Thy face far from me; turn not Thy eved away in anger; Thou hast been my ezer; leave me not, neither forsake me, Elohei Yishi (G-d of my Salvation).

¹⁰ When avi and immi forsake me, then Hashem will take me up.

¹¹ Teach me Thy Derech, Hashem, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

¹² Deliver me not over unto the desire of mine enemies; for edei sheker are risen up against me, and such as breathe out chamas.

¹³ Did I not believe to see Hashem’s goodness in the Eretz Chayyim!

¹⁴ Wait for Hashem: Chazak! And strengthen thine lev. Wait, I say, for Hashem.

28 (Of Dovid) Unto Thee will I cry, Hashem my Tzur; do not turn a deaf ear to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

² Shema (hear) kol (voice) of my supplications, when I cry unto Thee, when I lift up my hands toward Thy Devir Kodesh (Innermost Sanctuary, Kodesh HaKodashim).

³ Draw me not away with the resha’im, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak shalom to their neighbors, but malice is in their hearts.

⁴ Give to them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors; give them after the work of their hands; render to them their gemul (deserts).

⁵ Because they regard not the Pe’ulot Hashem, nor the Ma’aseh of His hands, He shall tear them down, and not build them up.

⁶ Baruch Hashem, because He hath heard the kol (voice) of my supplications.

⁷ Hashem is my strength and my mogen; my lev trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my lev greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I thank Him.

⁸ Hashem is their oz (strength), and He is the Ma’oz Yeshu’ot (saving refuge) of His Moshiach.

⁹ Save Thy people, and bless Thine nachalah; shepherd them also, and carry them ad olam.

29 (Mizmor of Dovid) Ascribe unto Hashem, O ye bnei elim (sons of the mighty), ascribe unto Hashem kavod and oz (strength).

² Ascribe unto Hashem the Kavod Shmo; worship Hashem in the Hadrat Kodesh (beauty of holiness).

³ The voice of Hashem is upon the waters; El HaKavod thundereth; Hashem is over the mayim rabbim.

⁴ The voice of Hashem is in Ko’ach; the voice of Hashem is in hadar (majesty).

⁵ The voice of Hashem breaketh the cedars; Hashem breaketh the cedars of the Levanon.

⁶ He maketh them also to skip like an egel (calf); Levanon and Siryon, like a young reimim (wild ox).

⁷ The voice of Hashem hews out with flashes of eish.

⁸ The voice of Hashem shaketh the midbar; Hashem shaketh the Midbar Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of Hashem causes the deer to calve, and strips bare the ye’arot (forests); and in His Heikhal doth everyone say, Kavod!

¹⁰ Hashem sitteth upon the mabbul (flood); yea, Hashem sitteth enthroned as Melech l’olam.

¹¹ Hashem will give oz (strength) unto His people; Hashem will bless His people with shalom.

30 (Mizmor. Shir Chanukat HaBeis. Of Dovid) I will exalt Thee, Hashem, for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to gloat over me.

^2 (3) Hashem Elohai, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.

^3 (4) Hashem, Thou hast brought up my nefesh from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

^4 (5) Sing unto Hashem, O ye chasidim of His, and give thanks to His Zekher Kodesh.

^5 (6) For His anger endureth but a rega; in His favor is Chayyim; weeping may endure for an erev, but joy cometh in the boker.

^6 (7) And in my shalvah (security) I said, I shall never be moved.

^7 (8) Hashem, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand firm; Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled.

^8 (9) I cried to Thee, Hashem; and unto Adonoi I made supplication.

^9 (10) What profit is there in my dahm, in my going down into the pit? Shall the aphar (dust) praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy emes?

^10 (11) Shema, Hashem, and channeini; Hashem, be Thou my helper.

^11 (12) Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with simcha;

^12 (13) That kavod (my glory, my soul) may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. Hashem Elohai, I will give thanks unto Thee l’olam.

31 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid) In Thee, Hashem, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Thy tzedakah.

^2 (3) Incline Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily; be Thou for me a Tzur Ma’oz, a Bais Metzudot (fortress) to save me.

^3 (4) For Thou art my Sela (rock) and my Metzudah (fortress); therefore for the sake of Thy Name, lead me, and guide me.

^4 (5) Pull me out of the reshet (trap, net) that they have laid for me; for Thou art my ma’oz (stronghold).

^5 (6) Into Thine yad I commit my ruach; Thou hast redeemed me, Hashem El Emes [Lk 23:46; Ac 7:59].

^6 (7) I hate them that are the shomrim of lying vanities [i.e., idols]; but I trust in Hashem.

^7 (8) I will be glad and rejoice in Thy chesed; for Thou hast seen my affliction; Thou hast known the tzoros (troubles) of my nefesh;

^8 (9) And hast not shut me up into the yad of the oyev (enemy); Thou hast set my feet in a merkhav (large place, spacious or broad place).

^9 (10) Channeni, Hashem, for I am in tzoros; mine eye is consumed with ka’as (grief), my nefesh and my beten.

^10 (11) For my life is spent with grief, and my years with groaning; my ko’ach faileth because of mine avon (iniquity), and my atzmot waste away.

^11 (12) I was a cherpah (reproach, scorn, disgrace) among all mine enemies, but especially among my shchenim (neighbors), and a dread to mine acquaintance; they that did see me outside fled from me.

^12 (13) I am forgotten like a dead man out of mind; I am like a keli oved (broken vessel).

^13 (14) For I have heard the dibbah (evil report, slander) of many; terror was on every side; while they conspire against me, they plot to take my nefesh.

^14 (15) But I trust in Thee, Hashem; I said, Thou art Elohai.

^15 (16) My times are in Thy yad; deliver me from the yad of mine oyevim (enemies), and from them that persecute me.

^16 (17) Make Thy face to shine upon Thy eved; hoshi’eini (save me) for the sake of Thy chesed.

¹⁷ Let me not be put to shame, Hashem; for I have called upon Thee; let the resha’im be put to shame, and let them keep silent in Sheol.

^18 (19) Let the siftei sheker (lying lips) be put to silence; which speak insolent things with ga’avah (pride) and contemptuously against the tzaddik.

^19 (20) Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in Thee before the Bnei Adam!

^20 (21) Thou shalt hide them b’seter (in the shelter) of Thy presence from the intrigues of ish; Thou shalt keep them safe in a sukkah from the riv l’shonot (the strife of tongues, contentious lashon hora, backbiting, slander).

²¹ Baruch Hashem! For He hath showed me His wondrous chesed in an Ir Matzor (besieged city).

^22 (23) For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Thine eyes; nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my tachanun (supplications) when unto Thee I cried for help.

^23 (24) O love Hashem, all ye His Chasidim; for Hashem preserveth the emunim (the faithful ones), but He pays back in full the oseh ga’avah (the one acting in pride, haughtily).

^24 (25) Chazak! Be strong, let your levav take courage, all ye that hope in Hashem.

32 (Of David. A maskil). Ashrei is he whose peysha (rebellion) is forgiven, whose chata’ah (sin) is covered.

² Ashrei is the adam unto whom Hashem imputeth not avon (iniquity), and in whose ruach there is no remiyyah (guile, deceit).

³ When I kept silent [i.e., refused to confess my sin, which was still naked and uncovered (see 32:1) and had no kapporah covering for my guilt before G-d], my atzmot wasted away through my groaning kol hayom (all the day).

⁴ For yomam valailah Thy yad was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as by the droughts of kayitz (summer). Selah.

⁵ I acknowledge my chattat unto Thee, and mine avon (iniquity) have I not covered up. I said, I will confess my peysha’im (rebellions) unto Hashem; and Thou forgavest the avon (iniquity) of my chattat. Selah.

⁶ Therefore shall every Chasid pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; surely in the floods of mayim rabbim they shall not overtake him.

⁷ Thou art my seter (hiding place, shelter); Thou shalt preserve me from tzoros; Thou shalt envelop me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

⁸ I will instruct thee and teach thee in the Derech which thou shalt go; I will counsel thee with Mine eye.

⁹ Be ye not like the sus, or like the pered (mule), which have no binah; whose mouth must be harnassed with bit and bridle, else they come not near thee.

¹⁰ Many sorrows shall be to the resha’im, but he that trusteth in Hashem, chesed shall envelop and cover him.

¹¹ Be glad in Hashem, and rejoice, ye tzaddikim; and shout for joy, all ye yishrei lev (upright in heart).

33 Sing with joy in Hashem, O ye tzaddikim; for tehillah is fitting for the yesharim (upright ones).

² Hodu l’Hashem with kinnor (harp); make music unto Him with the ten stringed nevel (lyre).

³ Sing unto Him a shir chadash (new song); play skillfully with a teru’ah (shout of joy).

⁴ For the Devar Hashem is yashar; and kol ma’aseihu (all His deeds) are done in emunah (faithfulness).

⁵ He loveth Tzedakah and Mishpat; ha’aretz is full of the chesed Hashem.

⁶ By the Devar Hashem were Shomayim made; and all the tz’va (host) of them by the ruach (breath) of His mouth [MJ 11:3; Yn 1:1; Psa 56:5].

⁷ He gathereth the mey hayam (waters of the sea) like a mound; He layeth up the tehomot (ocean depths) in otzarot (storehouses, vaults).

⁸ Let kol ha’aretz fear Hashem; let kol yoshvei tevel (all the inhabitants of the world) stand in awe of Him.

⁹ For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ Hashem annuls the atzat Goyim (plan of the Goyim); He foils the machsh’vot Amim (schemes of the peoples).

¹¹ The atzat Hashem standeth firm l’olam, the machsh’vot of His lev l’dor va’dor (from generation to generation).

¹² Ashrei is the Goy whose Elohav is Hashem; and HaAm whom He hath chosen for His own nachalah.

¹³ Hashem looketh down from Shomayim: He beholdeth kol Bnei HaAdam.

¹⁴ From the place of His habitation He looketh upon kol yoshvei ha’aretz.

¹⁵ He formeth their hearts yachad; He considereth all their ma’asim (deeds).

¹⁶ There is no melech saved by the multitude of an army; a gibbor is not delivered by rav ko’ach.

¹⁷ A sus is a sheker (vain, false thing) for teshu’ah (deliverance, salvation, safety); neither shall it save any by its great strength.

¹⁸ Hinei, the eye of Hashem is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His chesed;

¹⁹ To deliver their nefesh from mavet (death), and to keep them alive in ra’av (famine).

²⁰ Our nefesh waiteth for Hashem; He is ezrienu (our help) and moginneinu (our shield).

²¹ For libeinu (our heart) shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted b’Shem Kadsho (in His holy Name).

²² Let Thy chesed, Hashem, be upon us, even as we have hoped in Thee.

34 (Of Dovid, when he feigned insanity before Avimelech, who drove him away, and he went out) ^1 (2) I will make a bracha of praise unto Hashem at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

^2 (3) My nefesh shall make its boast in Hashem; the anavim (humble) shall hear thereof, and be glad.

^3 (4) O magnify Hashem with me, and let us exalt Shmo together.

^4 (5) I sought Hashem, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

^5 (6) They looked unto Him, and were radiant; and their panim were not ashamed.

^6 (7) The oni (poor man) cried, and Hashem heard him, and saved him out of all his tzoros.

^7 (8) The Malach Hashem encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.

^8 (9) O taste and see that Hashem is tov; ashrei is the man that taketh refuge in Him.

^9 (10) O fear Hashem, ye His Kedoshim; for there is no lack to them that fear Him.

^10 (11) The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek Hashem shall not lack any good thing.

^11 (12) Come, ye banim, pay heed unto me; I will teach you the fear of Hashem.

^12 (13) What ish is he that desireth chayyim, and loveth many days, that he may see tov?

^13 (14) Keep thy tongue from rah, and thy lips from speaking mirmah (guile, see Isaiah 53:9 where it says Moshiach will lack mirmah).

^14 (15) Depart from rah, and do tov; seek shalom, and pursue it.

^15 (16) The eyes of Hashem are upon the tzaddikim, and His ears open to their cry.

^16 (17) The face of Hashem is against them that do rah, to cut off the zekher (remembrance) of them from ha’aretz.

^17 (18) The tzaddikim cry, and Hashem heareth, and delivereth them out of all their tzoros.

^18 (19) Hashem is near unto them whose lev is broken; and saveth such whose ruach is contrite.

^19 (20) Many are the afflictions of the tzaddik; but Hashem delivereth him out of them all.

^20 (21) He keepeth shomer over all his bones; not one of them is broken [Yn 19:36].

^21 (22) Evil shall slay the resha’im; and they that hate the tzaddik shall be desolate.

^22 (23) Hashem redeemeth the nefesh of His avadim; and none of them that take refuge in Him shall be condemned [see Ro 5:1; 8:1 OJBC].

35 (Of Dovid) Contend, Hashem, with them that contend with me; fight against them that fight against me.

² Take hold of mogen and tzinnah (large shield) and arise to my aid.

³ Draw out also the khanit (spear), and block the way against them that persecute me; say unto my nefesh, I am Thy Yeshuah (salvation).

⁴ Let them be put to shame and disgraced that seek after my nefesh; let a rout in retreat be theirs and let them be brought to dismay that plot my ruin.

⁵ Let them be like motz (chaff) before the ruach; and let the Malach Hashem drive them away.

⁶ Let their derech be choshech and slippery; and let the Malach Hashem pursue them.

⁷ For without cause have they hid for me their reshet (net) in a shachat (pit), which without cause they dug for my nefesh.

⁸ Let sho’ah (disaster) come upon him unawares; and let his own reshet (net) that he hath hid ensnare him; into that very sho’ah let him fall.

⁹ And my nefesh shall rejoice in Hashem; it shall be joyful in His Yeshuah (salvation).

¹⁰ All my atzmot shall say, Hashem, mi khamocha (who is like Thee), Who deliverest the oni (poor) from him that is too strong for him, yes, the oni and the evyon (needy) from him that despoileth him?

¹¹ Edei chamas (witnesses of violence, false witnesses) rise up; they lay to my charge things, questioning me of that which I have no da’as.

¹² They repay me ra’ah for tovah to the forlornness of my nefesh.

¹³ But as for me, when they were choleh (ill), my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my nefesh with tzom (fasting); and my tefillah (prayer) turned back on mine own kheyk (bosom).

¹⁴ I went about as though he had been my re’a or ach; I bowed in sadness, as one that mourneth for his em.

¹⁵ But at mine stumbling they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; yes, the attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I had no da’as; they did tear at me [with slander], and ceased not:

¹⁶ Like chanef (hypocritical) mockers at cake, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

¹⁷ Adonoi, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my nefesh from their destructions, my yechidah (only one, my life) from the lions.

¹⁸ I will give Thee thanks in the kahal rav (great congregation); I will praise Thee among the mighty throng.

¹⁹ Let not them that are mine oyevim gloat over me; neither let them wink with the eye that have sinas chinom (baseless hatred) toward me.

²⁰ For they speak not shalom, but they scheme divrei mirmot (deceitful matters) against the rigei eretz (them that are quiet in the land).

²¹ Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

²² This Thou hast seen, Hashem; keep not silent; Adonoi, be not far from me.

²³ Stir up Thyself, and awake to my mishpat, even to my cause, Elohai and Adonoi.

²⁴ Vindicate me, Hashem Elohai, according to Thy tzedakah; and let them not gloat over me.

²⁵ Let them not say in their lev, Ah, so would we have it; let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

²⁶ Let them be put to shame and brought to confusion together that gloat at mine ra’ah (disaster, distress); let them be clothed with boshet (shame) and kelimah (dishonor, disgrace) that exalt themselves against me.

²⁷ Let them sing for joy, and be glad, that favor my tzedek (righteousness, vindication); yes, let them say tamid (continually), Let Hashem be magnified, which hath pleasure in the shalom (welfare) of His eved.

²⁸ And my leshon (tongue) shall speak of Thy tzedek (righteousness) and of Thy tehillah (praise) kol hayom (all the day).

36 (For the one directing. Of Dovid, the eved Hashem) Peysha speaketh to the rashah within my lev, that there is no pachad Elohim (fear of G-d) before his eyes.

^2 (3) For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his avon (iniquity) be found to be hateful.

^3 (4) The words of his mouth are iniquity and mirmah (deceit); he hath ceased to be wise, and to do tov (good).

^4 (5) He deviseth evil upon his mishkav (bed); he setteth himself in a derech that is not tov; he abhorreth not rah.

^5 (6) Thy chesed, Hashem, is in HaShomayim; and Thy emunah (faithfulness) reacheth unto the clouds.

^6 (7) Thy tzedakah is like the great mountains; Thy mishpatim are tehom rabbah (a great deep); Hashem, Thou preservest adam (man) and behemah (beast).

^7 (8) How precious is Thy chesed, O Elohim! Therefore the Bnei Adam find refuge under the shadow of Thy wings.

^8 (9) They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of Thy Beis [Hamikdash]; and Thou shalt give them to drink of Thy river of delight.

^9 (10) For with Thee is the Makor Chayyim (fountain of life); in Thy Ohr shall we see ohr.

^10 (11) O continue Thy chesed unto them that know Thee; and Thy tzedakah to the yishrei lev (the ones upright of heart).

^11 (12) Let not the regel ga’avah (foot of pride) come against me, and let not the yad of the resha’im drive me away.

^12 (13) There are the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity) fallen; they are thrown down, and shall not be able to rise.

37 (Of Dovid) Fret not thyself because of re’im (evildoers); neither have thou kina (jealousy, envy) of the workers of iniquity.

² For they shall soon be cut down like the khatzir (grass), and wither as the green desheh (herb, plant).

³ Trust in Hashem, and do tov; so shalt thou dwell in the Eretz (land), ure’eh emunah (and thou be pastured securely).

⁴ Delight thyself also in Hashem, and He shall give thee the desires of thine lev.

⁵ Commit thy derech (road, way) unto Hashem; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

⁶ And He shall bring forth thy tzedakah (righteousness) as the ohr (light), and thy mishpat (justice) as the tzohorayim (noonday).

⁷ Rest in Hashem, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his derech, because of the ish who bringeth wicked schemes to pass.

⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake chemah (wrath); fret not thyself in any wise to do rah.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon Hashem, they shall inherit the Eretz (land).

¹⁰ For yet a little while, and the rasha shall not be; yes, thou shalt watch his place, and he will not be.

¹¹ But the anavim (meek ones) shall inherit Eretz; and shall delight themselves in rov shalom (great peace; see Psa 119:165).

¹² The rasha plotteth against the tzaddik, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

¹³ Adonoi shall laugh at him, for He seeth that his yom is coming.

¹⁴ The resha’im have drawn out the cherev, and have bent their keshet, to cast down the oni (poor) and evyon (needy), and to slay such as be yishrei derech (upright ones on the road, that walk uprightly).

¹⁵ Their cherev shall enter into their own lev, and their keshatot (bows) shall be broken.

¹⁶ A little that a tzaddik hath is better than the riches of resha’im rabbim.

¹⁷ For the zero’ot (arms, powers) of the resha’im shall be broken; but Hashem upholdeth the tzaddikim.

¹⁸ Hashem knoweth the yamim of the temimim (blameless ones); and their nachalah (inheritance) shall be l’olahm (forever).

¹⁹ They shall not be put to shame in time of evil; and in the days of famine yisba’u (they shall be satisfied, enjoy plenty).

²⁰ But the resha’im shall perish, and the oyvei Hashem (enemies of Hashem) shall be like the glory of the meadows; they shall disappear like ashan (smoke), they shall vanish.

²¹ The rasha borroweth, and repayeth not; but the tzaddik showeth chonen (generosity), and giveth.

²² For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit Eretz; and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off.

²³ The steps of a gever (man) konanu (are ordered, made firm) by Hashem and He delighteth in his derech.

²⁴ Though he stumble, he shall not utterly fall; for Hashem upholdeth him with His yad (hand, power).

²⁵ I have been na’ar (young), and now am old; yet I have not seen the tzaddik forsaken, nor his zera begging lechem.

²⁶ He is ever chonen (generous, merciful; see verse 21), and lendeth; and his zera is blessed.

²⁷ Depart from rah, and do tov; and dwell l’olahm (for evermore).

²⁸ For Hashem loveth mishpat, and forsaketh not His chasidim; they are preserved l’olahm; but the zera resha’im shall be cut off.

²⁹ The tzaddikim shall inherit Eretz, and dwell therein forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the tzaddik speaketh chochmah, and his leshon uttereth mishpat.

³¹ The torat Elohav is in his lev; no steps of his shall slip.

³² The rashah lieth in wait to ambush the tzaddik, and seeketh to slay him.

³³ Hashem will not leave him in his yad (hand, power), nor condemn him b’hishshafto (when he is judged, brought to trial).

³⁴ Wait on Hashem, and be shomer over His Derech, and He shall exalt thee to inherit Eretz; when the resha’im are cut off, thou shalt see it.

³⁵ I have seen the violently powerful rashah, spreading himself like an indigenous green tree.

³⁶ Yet he passed away, and, hinei, he was no more; yes, I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the yashar (upright); for the end of that ish is shalom.

³⁸ But the poshe’im (rebels, transgressors) shall be made shmad together; the latter end [i.e., future] of the resha’im shall be cut off.

³⁹ But the Teshu’at Tzaddikim is of Hashem; He is their ma’oz (stronghold, refuge) in the time of tzoros.

⁴⁰ And Hashem helps them, and delivers them; He shall deliver them from the resha’im, and save them, because they take refuge in Him.

38 (Mizmor Dovid. For the memorial portion of the mincha) Hashem, rebuke me not in Thy wrath; neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure.

^2 (3) For Thine khitzim (arrows) pierce me, and Thy Yad presseth upon me.

^3 (4) There is no health in my basar because of Thine anger; neither is there any shalom in my atzmot because of my chattat.

^4 (5) For mine avonot (iniquities) are gone over mine head; as a weighty massa (burden) they are too heavy for me.

^5 (6) My chaburot (wounds) are foul and festering because of my wicked folly.

^6 (7) I am bent down; I am brought low ad me’od; I go about mourning all day long.

^7 (8) For my loins are filled with burning; and there is no health in my basar.

^8 (9) I am feeble and broken ad me’od; I have groaned by reason of the disquietness of my lev.

^9 (10) Adonoi, all my ta’avah (desire, longing) is before Thee; and my groaning is not hid from Thee.

^10 (11) My lev panteth, my ko’ach faileth me; as for the ohr of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

^11 (12) My loved ones and my re’a stand aloof from my nega [see Isa 53:8 on Moshiach’s nega]; and my neighbors stand afar off.

^12 (13) They also that seek after my nefesh lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak of ruin, and plot mirmot (deceptions, deceits) all the day long.

^13 (14) But I, like a cheresh (deaf man), heard not; and I was like a mute that openeth not his mouth.

^14 (15) Thus I was like an ish that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no tokhachot (reproofs).

^15 (16) For I wait for Thee, Hashem; Thou wilt hear, Adonoi Elohai.

^16 (17) For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should gloat over me; when my regel slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

^17 (18) For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is before me tamid.

^18 (19) For I will declare mine avon; I will be in anguish over my chattat.

^19 (20) But mine oveyim are chayyim (vigorous), and they are strong; and they that hate me sheker (wrongfully) are multiplied.

^20 (21) They also that repay ra’ah for tovah are mine adversaries; because I pursue the thing that is tov.

^21 (22) Forsake me not, Hashem Elohai; be not far from me.

^22 (23) Make haste to help me, Adonoi Teshuati (L-rd of my salvation).

39 (For the one directing, even to Yedutun. Mizmor Dovid). I said, I will be shomer over my ways, that I sin not with my leshon; I will be shomer over my mouth with a muzzle, while the rashah is before me.

^2 (3) I was dumb with silence, I held my peace for the sake of tov; and my distress grew severe.

^3 (4) My lev became hot within me; while I was musing the eish burned; then I spoke with my leshon,

^4 (5) Hashem, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my yamim, what it is; that I may have da’as of how chadel (fleeting, frail) I am.

^5 (6) Hinei, Thou hast made my yamim as a handbreadth, and mine lifespan is as nothing before Thee; verily kol adam stand as kol hevel (altogether vanity). Selah.

^6 (7) Surely every ish walketh in a tzel (shadow); surely they are in turmoil in vain; he heapeth up riches, and hath no da’as of who shall gather them.

^7 (8) And now, Adonoi, what do I wait for? My hope is in Thee.

^8 (9) Save me from all my peysha’im; make me not the reproach of the foolish.

^9 (10) I was silent, I opened not my mouth; because Atah (Thou) did it.

^10 (11) Remove Thy nega (stroke, scourge) away from me; I am consumed by the blow of Thine yad.

^11 (12) When Thou with rebukes dost correct man for avon (iniquity), Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely kol adam are hevel (vanity). Selah.

^12 (13) Hear my tefillah, Hashem, and give ear unto my cry; hold not Thy peace at my weeping; for I am a ger with Thee, and a sojourner, as were all my Avot.

^13 (14) O spare me from Thy frown, that I may recover strength, before I depart, v’eineni (and I be no more). [T.N. Animal sacrifices cannot take away sin; they are only a shadow of the korban nefesh of Moshiach. See Ps 40 and MJ chp 10; Isa 53:10.]

40 (40:2)(For the one directing, Of Dovid. Mizmor) I waited patiently for Hashem; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

^2 (3) Hashem brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

^3 (4) And He hath put a shir chadash in my mouth, even tehillah (hymn of praise) unto Eloheinu; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Hashem.

^4 (5) Ashrei is that man that maketh Hashem his trust, and looketh not to the proud ones, nor such as turn aside to lies (false g-ds).

^5 (6) Many, O Hashem Elohai, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be recounted unto Thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

^6 (7) Zevach and minchah Thou didst not desire; mine ears hast Thou pierced [cf Psa 22:17]; olah (burnt offering) and chata’ah (sin offering) hast Thou not required.

^7 (8) Then said I, Hinei, I come; in the megillat sefer it is written of me [cf MJ 10:5-7],

^8 (9) I delight to do Thy will, O Elohai; yea, Thy torah is within my heart.

^9 (10) I have preached tzedek in the kahal rav (great congregation); hinei, I have not restrained my lips, O Hashem, Thou knowest.

^10 (11) I have not hid thy tzedek within my lev; I have declared Thy emunah (faithfulness) and Thy teshuah (salvation); I have not concealed Thy chesed and Thy emes from the kahal rav.

^11 (12) Withhold not Thou thy rachamim from me, O Hashem; let Thy chesed and Thy emes continually preserve me.

^12 (13) For innumerable evils have compassed me about; mine avonot (iniquities) have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head; therefore my lev faileth me.

^13 (14) Be pleased, O Hashem, to deliver me; O Hashem, make haste to help me.

^14 (15) Let them be ashamed and mutually confounded that seek after my nefesh to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

^15 (16) Let them be appalled because of their boshet (shame) that say unto me, Aha, aha.

^16 (17) Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; let such as love Thy teshuah say continually, Hashem be magnified.

^17 (18) But I am poor and needy; yet Adonoi thinketh upon me; Thou art my ezer and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O Elohai.

41 (For the one directing, Mizmor of Dovid).

^2 (1) Blessed is he that considereth the helpless; Hashem will deliver him in time of ra’ah (evil, trouble).

^3 (2) Hashem will be shomer over him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed in ha’aretz; and Thou wilt not surrender him unto the desire of his enemies.

^4 (3) Hashem will support him upon the sickbed; in his illness, all his bedridden languishing Thou wilt change (i.e., toward recovery).

^5 (4) I said, Hashem, channeni (be gracious unto me); heal my nefesh; for I have sinned against Thee.

^6 (5) Mine enemies speak rah (evil) of me: When will he die, and shmo (his name) perish?

^7 (6) And if one cometh to see me, he speaketh falsely; his lev gathereth wickedness to itself; when he goeth lachutz (outside, around) he telleth it.

^8 (7) All that hate me whisper together against me; against me do they devise my hurt.

^9 (8) A thing of beliya’al (a wicked fate, i.e., a terminal illness), say they, cleaveth fast unto him, that when he lieth he shall rise up no more.

^10 (9) Yea, mine own ish shalom (familiar friend, close friend), in whom I trusted, which did eat of my lechem, hath lifted up his heel (i.e., deceitfully showed enmity) against me [see Yn 13:18].

^11 (10) But Thou, O Hashem, channeni (be gracious, merciful unto me), and raise me up, that I may repay them.

^12 (11) By this I know that Thou favorest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

^13 (12) And as for me, Thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face l’olam (forever).

^14 (13) Baruch Hashem Elohei Yisroel m’haolam v’ad haolam. Omein and Omein.

42 (For the one directing, Maskil, for the Bnei Korah). As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my nefesh after Thee, O Elohim.

^2 (3) My nefesh thirsteth for Elohim, for El Chai. When shall I come and appear before Elohim [in the Beis Hamikdash]?

^3 (4) My tears have been my lechem yomam valailah, while they continually say unto me, Where is Eloheicha?

^4 (5) When I remember these things, I pour out my nefesh within me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the Beis Elohim with the voice of rinnah and todah, with the multitude keeping Chag (holy day, pilgrim feast).

^5 (6) Why art thou cast down, O my nefesh? And why groanest thou (i.e., murmuring in discouragement) within me? Hope thou in (i.e., wait for) Elohim; for I shall yet give Him thanks, for He is the yeshuah (salvation) of my countenance and Elohai.

^6 (7) My nefesh is cast down within me; therefore will I remember Thee from Eretz Yarden, and from Chermon’s peaks, from Har Mitzar [mountain near Mt Chermon].

^7 (8) Tehom el Tehom ([oceanic] deep unto [oceanic] deep) calleth at the noise of Thy waterfalls; all Thy breakers and Thy billows are passed over me.

^8 (9) Yet Hashem will command His chesed by day, and in the night His shir (song) shall be with me, my tefillah (prayer) unto the El Chayyai (G-d of my life).

^9 (10) I will say unto El Sali (G-d my Rock), Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the oyev (enemy)? [Mt 27:46]

^10 (11) As with the crushing of my atzamot (bones), mine tzorer (vexers, harassers) reproach me; while they say all day long unto me, Where is Eloheicha?

^11 (12) Why art thou cast down, O my nefesh? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in (wait for) Elohim; for I shall yet give Him thanks, for He is the yeshuah (salvation) of my countenance and Elohai.

43 Vindicate me, O Elohim, and plead my cause against a nation lo chasid; O deliver me from the ish mirmah v’avlah (deceitful and unjust man).

² For Thou art the Elohei Ma’oz of me. Why dost Thou cast me off? Why must I go mourning because of the oppression of the oyev?

³ O send out Thy Ohr and Thy Emes; let them guide me; let them bring me unto Thy Har Kodesh, and to Thy Mishkan.

⁴ Then will I go unto the Mizbe’ach of Elohim, unto El my exceeding joy; yea, upon the kinnor will I praise Thee, O Elohim Elohai.

⁵ Why art thou cast down, O my nefesh? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in Elohim; for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the Yeshu’ot of my countenance, and Elohai.

44 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. A maskil). We have heard with our oznayim, O Elohim, Avoteinu have told us, what po’al (work) Thou hast wrought in their days, in the times of old.

^2 (3) How Thou didst drive out the Goyim with Thy Yad, but plantedst them; how Thou didst afflict the people, but for them Thou madest room.

^3 (4) For they got not eretz in possession by their own cherev, neither did their own zero’a save them, but Thy Yamin (Right Hand), and Thine Zero’a, and the ohr (light) of Thy countenance, because Thou favored them.

^4 (5) Thou art my Melech, O Elohim; command yeshu’ot (deliverances) for Ya’akov.

^5 (6) Through Thee will we push down our enemies; through Thy Shem will we trample them under that rise up against us.

^6 (7) For I will not trust in my keshet (bow), neither shall my cherev save me.

^7 (8) But Thou hast saved us from tzareinu (our enemies), and hast put them to shame that hated us.

^8 (9) In Elohim we boast kol hayom, and praise Thy Shem l’olam (forever). Selah.

^9 (10) But Thou hast cast off, and disgraced us; and goest not forth with tzivoteinu (our armies).

^10 (11) Thou makest us to turn back from before the tzar (enemy); and they which hate us have taken plunder for themselves.

^11 (12) Thou hast given us up like tzon appointed for food; and hast scattered us among the Goyim.

^12 (13) Thou sellest Amecha (Thy People) for a mere nothing, and art not enriched by their price.

^13 (14) Thou makest us a cherpah (reproach) to our shchenim (neighbors), a scorn and a derision to them that are all around us.

^14 (15) Thou makest us a mashal (byword) among the Goyim, a shaking of the rosh among the peoples.

^15 (16) Kol hayom my dishonor is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

^16 (17) At the voice of him that reproacheth and revileth; by reason of the oyev (enemy) and avenger.

^17 (18) All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy Brit.

^18 (19) Libenu (our heart) is not turned back, neither have our steps departed from Thy way;

^19 (20) Though Thou hast crushed us in the makom (place, home, haunt) of jackals, and covered us with the tzalmavet (shadow of death).

^20 (21) If we have forgotten the Shem of Eloheinu, or stretched out our palms [in worship] to an el zar (foreign g-d);

^21 (22) Shall not Elohim search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the lev.

^22 (23) Yes, for Thy sake are we killed kol hayom; we are counted as tzon (sheep) for the tivchah (slaughter).

^23 (24) Awake. Why sleepest Thou, Adonoi? Arise, cast us not off lanetzach (forever).

^24 (25) Why hidest Thou Thy face, and forgettest our oni (misery, affliction) and our oppression?

^25 (26) For our nefesh is bowed down to the aphar (dust); our beten (belly, body) has deveykus with the dirt.

^26 (27) Arise for our help, and redeem us for the sake of Thy chesed.

45 (For the one directing upon Shoshannim, for the Bnei Korach. A Maskil. Shir yedidot, i.e., a love song). My lev is stirred with davar tov; I speak my verses to HaMelech; my leshon (tongue) is the et (pen, stylus) of a sofer mahir (ready scribe, skillful writer).

^2 (3) Thou art fairer than Bnei Adam; chen (grace, favor) is poured upon Thy sfatayim (lips); therefore Elohim hath blessed Thee l’olam. [T.N. The coming Messianic King is called Elohim [Ps 45:6(7)] just as this coming personage is called El Gibbor in Isa 9:5; see MJ 1:8; The Targumist renders Psa 45:2(3) as a reference to Moshiach.]

^3 (4) Gird Thy cherev upon Thy side, O Gibbor [See Isaiah 9:5(6)], with Thy hod (glory, splendor) and Thy hadar (majesty).

^4 (5) And in Thy hadar (majesty) ride forth victoriously for the sake of emes and anavah and tzedek; and Thy Yamin (Right Hand) shall guide Thee to nora’ot (things of awe).

^5 (6) Thine khitzim (arrows) are sharp in the lev oyvei HaMelech (in the heart of the King’s enemies); the Amim (nations) fall under Thee.

^6 (7) Thy kisse (throne), O Elohim, is olam va’ed; the shevet (sceptre) of Thy Malchut is a shevet of uprightness.

^7 (8) Thou lovest tzedek, and hatest resha; therefore Elohim, Eloheicha, hath anointed Thee with shemen sasson (the oil of gladness) above Thy chaverim.

^8 (9) All Thy robes smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia; out of the ivory heikhalim stringed instruments have made Thee glad.

^9 (10) Banot Melachim were among Thy ladies of honor; upon Thy Yamin (Right Hand) is stationed the Shegal (Queen consort, spouse of the reigning monarch) in golden jewelry of Ophir.

^10 (11) Pay heed, O Bat (daughter), and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy Bais Avi;

^11 (12) Then shall HaMelech be enthralled with thy beauty; since He is thy Adon, hishtachavi lo (bow to Him).

^12 (13) And the Bat Tzor (Tyre) shall be there with a minchah (gift); even the ashirim (rich ones) among the people shall entreat thy favor.

^13 (14) The Bat Melech is all glorious within; her clothing is zahav embroidered.

^14 (15) She shall be brought unto HaMelech in woven apparel; the betulot (virgins), her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto Thee.

^15 (16) With simchah and gladness shall they be led forth; they shall enter into the Heikhal Melech.

^16 (17) Instead of thy avot shall be thy sons, whom thou mayest make sarim (princes) in kol ha’aretz.

^17 (18) I will make Thy Shem to be remembered kol dor vador; therefore shall the Amim (nations) praise Thee l’olam va’ed.

46 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Al- alamot [after the manner of virgins, i.e., in the treble]. Shir.) Elohim is our refuge and strength, a very present help in tzoros.

^2 (3) Therefore we will not fear, though eretz be shaken, and though the harim (mountains) fall into the lev yamim (heart of the seas);

^3 (4) Though the mayim thereof roar and be troubled, though the harim shake with the surging thereof. Selah.

^4 (5) There is a nahar (river), the streams whereof shall make glad the Ir Elohim, the Kedosh Mishkenei Elyon (the holy dwelling of the Most High).

^5 (6) Elohim is in the midst of it [i.e., the Ir Elohim}; it shall not be moved; Elohim shall help it at early boker.

^6 (7) The Goyim raged, the kingdoms totter; He uttered His voice, eretz melted.

^7 (8) Hashem Tzva’os is with us; Elohei Ya’akov is our stronghold. Selah.

^8 (9) Come, behold the works of Hashem, what desolations He hath made in ha’aretz.

^9 (10) He maketh milchamot to cease unto the end of ha’aretz; He breaketh the keshet (bow), and cutteth the khanit (spear); He burneth the chariots in the eish.

^10 (11) Be still, and know that I am Elohim: I will be exalted among the Goyim, I will be exalted in ha’aretz.

^11 (12) Hashem Tzva’os is with us; Elohei Ya’akov is our stronghold. Selah.

47 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. A Mizmor.) O clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto Elohim with the voice of joy.

^2 (3) For Hashem Elyon is awesome; He is Melech Gadol over kol ha’aretz.

^3 (4) He shall subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our raglayim.

^4 (5) He shall choose nachalateinu for us, the ga’on Ya’akov (pride, glory of Jacob) whom He loves. Selah.

^5 (6) Elohim is ascended with a shout of joy, Hashem with the sound of a shofar.

^6 (7) Sing praises to Elohim, sing praises; sing praises unto Malkeinu, sing praises.

^7 (8) For Melech kol ha’aretz is He; sing ye praises with understanding.

^8 (9) Elohim reigneth over the Goyim; Elohim sitteth upon the Kisse Kadsho.

^9 (10) The princes of the nations are gathered together, even the Am Elohei Avraham; for the moginei Eretz (shields of the Earth) belong unto Elohim; He is greatly exalted.

48 (Shir. Mizmor. Of the Bnei Korach.) Gadol is Hashem, and greatly to be praised in the Ir Eloheinu, in His Har Kodesh.

^2 (3) Yafeh in its loftiness, the joy of kol ha’aretz, is Mt Tziyon, on the sides of the north, the City of Melech Rav.

^3 (4) Elohim is in her citadels, known as her fortress.

^4 (5) For, hinei, the melachim were assembled, they advanced together.

^5 (6) They saw, and ken (thus) they marvelled; they were troubled, and fled.

^6 (7) Trembling took hold upon them sham (there), and pain, as of a woman in labor.

^7 (8) Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

^8 (9) As we have heard, so have we seen in the Ir Hashem Tzvaos, in the Ir Eloheinu; Elohim will establish it ad olam. Selah.

^9 (10) We meditate on Thy chesed, O Elohim, in the midst of Thy Heikhal.

^10 (11) According to Thy Shem, O Elohim, so is Thy tehillah unto the ends of ha’aretz; Thy right hand is full of tzedek.

^11 (12) Let Mt Tziyon rejoice, let the Banot Yehudah (Daughters of Judah) be glad, because of Thy mishpatim.

^12 (13) Walk about Tziyon, and go around her; count the towers thereof.

^13 (14) Mark ye well her ramparts, consider her citadels; that ye may tell it to the dor acharon.

^14 (15) For this Elohim is Eloheinu olam vaed; He will be our guide even unto death. [T.N. Notice v.8(9)-9(10) in Psa 49, which tells why Moshiach can not be a mere man, in which case he could not redeem another, or be Hashem’s Isa 53 redemption lamb or the Isa 53 sa’ir l’azazel kapporah.]

49 (For the one directing. A Mizmor for the Bnei Korach). Hear this, kol HaAmim; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the cheled (world, duration):

^2 (3) Bnei Adam and bnei ish, ashir (rich) and evyon (poor) alike,

^3 (4) My mouth shall speak chochmot; and the meditation of my lev tevunot (understanding).

^4 (5) I will incline mine ear to a mashal; I will disclose my dark saying upon the kinnor (harp).

^5 (6) Why should I fear in the days of rah, when the avon (iniquity) of my akev (supplanters, deceivers) surrounds me?

^6 (7) They that trust in their chayil (wealth), and boast themselves in the rov of their oshir (riches);

^7 (8) A brother cannot by any means redeem ish (man), nor give to Elohim a kofer (ransom) for him—

^8 (9) For the pidyon [ransom] of their nefesh is costly, and is forever beyond their power to pay—

^9 (10) That he should live on lanetzach, and not see shachat (corruption, decay, the pit [cf Psa16:10]).

^10 (11) For he seeth that chachamim die, likewise the kesil (foolish) and the ba’ar (brutish, senseless person, dolt) perish, and leave their chayil (wealth) to others.

^11 (12) Their inward thought is, that their batim (houses) shall continue l’olam and their mishkenot (dwelling places) l’odor vador; though they call their lands by their shmot (names).

^12 (13) Nevertheless adam in his pomp endureth not; he is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.

^13 (14) This is their derech, kesel (folly, imprudent confidence) is theirs; and the fate after them of those who approve their words.

^14 (15) Like tzon they are destined for She’ol; mavet shall pasture them; and the yesharim (upright ones) shall have dominion over them in the boker; and their tzir (form) shall waste away to Sheol, so there is no dwelling place for it.

^15 (16) But Elohim will redeem my nefesh from the yad (hand, power) of Sheol; for He shall receive me. Selah.

^16 (17) Be not thou afraid when one is made an ish oishir, when the kavod of his bais is increased;

^17 (18) For in his mot (death), he shall carry nothing away; his kavod (glory, wealth) shall not descend after him.

^18 (19) Though his nefesh during his life yevarech (he blessed)—for they praise thee when thou doest well for thyself—

^19 (20) He shall go to the dor (generation) of his avot; they shall never see ohr (light).

^20 (21) Adam that is in his pomp, and understandeth not, is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.

50 (Mizmor of Asaph) El Elohim, even Hashem, hath spoken, and called Eretz from the mizrach shemesh (rising of sun) unto the going down thereof.

² Out of Tziyon, the perfection of yofi, Elohim shineth forth.

³ Eloheinu shall come, and shall not keep silent; an eish shall devour before Him, and it shall be tempestuous me’od round about Him.

⁴ He shall summon Shomayim from above, and ha’aretz, that He may judge His people.

⁵ Gather My chasidim together unto Me; those that have cut a Brit (covenant) with Me by zevach (blood sacrifice, T.N. cf Gn 4:5 on the true Jewish religion).

⁶ And Shomayim shall declare His tzedek; for Elohim Shofet hu. Selah.

⁷ Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Yisroel, and I will testify against thee; I am Elohim, even Eloheicha.

⁸ I will not reprove thee for thy zevakhim. And thy olot are before Me tamid.

⁹ I will accept no par (bull) from thy bais, nor he-goats out of thy folds.

¹⁰ For every beast of the ya’ar (forest) is Mine, and the behemot upon a thousand hills.

¹¹ I know kol oph (every bird) of the harim; and the animals of the wild are Mine.

¹² If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the tevel is Mine, and the fulness thereof.

¹³ Will I eat the basar of bulls, or drink the dahm of goats?

¹⁴ Sacrifice unto Elohim todah; and pay thy nedarim (vows, pledges) unto Elyon;

¹⁵ And call upon Me in the Yom Tzarah; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.

¹⁶ But unto the rasha, Elohim saith, What right hast thou to declare My chukkot, or that thou shouldest take My Brit in thy mouth?

¹⁷ Seeing thou hatest musar (correction), and casteth My devarim behind thee.

¹⁸ When thou sawest a ganav (thief), then thou consentedst with him, and hast taken thy chelek (lot) with mena’afim (adulterers).

¹⁹ Thou lettest loose thy mouth to ra’ah, and thy leshon frameth mirmah (deceit).

²⁰ Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own ben immecha.

²¹ These things hast thou done, and I kept silent; thou thoughtest that I was altogether like thee; but I will reprove thee, and set the charge before thine eyes.

²² Now consider this, ye that forget Elo’ah (G-d), lest I tear you to pieces, and there be none to rescue.

²³ Whoso offereth todah glorifieth Me; and to him that ordereth his derech aright will I show the Salvation of Elohim.

51 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid. When Natan HaNavi confronted him after he went into Bat- Sheva—2Sm. 11:2) Have mercy upon me, O Elohim, according to Thy chesed; according unto the multitude of Thy rachamim blot out my peysha’im (transgressions, rebellions).

^2 (4) Wash me thoroughly from mine avon (iniquity), and cleanse me from my chattat (sin).

^3 (5) For I acknowledge my peysha’im (transgressions, rebellions); and my chattat (sin) is ever before me.

^4 (6) Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done the rah in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be found just when Thou speakest, and be blameless when Thou judgest.

^5 (7) Surely, I was brought forth in avon; and in chet did immi conceive me [i.e., I was a sinner from conception].

^6 (8) Surely Thou desirest emes in the inward parts; and in the inmost place Thou shalt make me to know chochmah.

^7 (9) Purge me with ezov (hyssop), and I shall be tahor; wash me, and I shall be whiter than sheleg (snow).

^8 (10) Make me to hear sasson and simchah; that the atzmot which Thou hast broken may rejoice.

^9 (11) Hide Thy face from my chatta’im, and blot out all mine avonot.

^10 (12) Create in me a lev tahor, O Elohim; and renew a ruach nekhon (steadfast spirit [i.e., regeneration Ezek 36:26; Yn 3:3,6]) within me.

^11 (13) Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Ruach Hakodesh from me.

^12 (14) Restore unto me the sasson of Thy salvation; and uphold me with a ruach nedivah (a willing spirit; see Jer 31:31-34).

^13 (15) Then will I teach poshe’im (transgressors) Thy drakhim; and chatta’im (sinners) shall be converted [have a spiritual turnaround; see Isa 6:10] unto Thee.

^14 (16) Save me from damim (bloodguiltiness), O Elohim, Thou Elohei Teshuati; and my leshon shall sing aloud of Thy tzedakah.

^15 (17) Adonoi, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy tehillah (praise).

^16 (18) For Thou desirest not zevach (sacrifice); else would I give it; Thou delightest not in olah (burnt offering).

^17 (19) The zivkhei Elohim are a ruach nishbarah (broken spirit); a broken and contrite lev, O Elohim, Thou wilt not despise.

^18 (20) Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Tziyon; build Thou the chomot Yerushalayim.

^19 (21) Then shalt Thou be pleased with zivkhei tzedek (true sacrifices, sacrifices of righteousness), with olah (burnt offering) and whole burnt offering; then shall they offer parim (bulls) upon Thine Mizbe’ach. [T.N. This Psalm, Ps 51, teaches the doctrine of Chet Kadmon from which comes the seminal corrupting human condition necessitating hitkhadshut for all fallen Bnei Adam]

52 (For the one directing. A maskil of Dovid. When Doeg HaAdomi [the Edomite] went to Sha’ul and said to him, Dovid has gone to Bais Achimelech). Why boastest thou thyself in ra’ah, O gibbor? The chesed El is kol hayom.

^2 (4) The leshon (tongue) deviseth treachery; like a sharp ta’ar (razor), working remiyyah (deceit).

^3 (5) Thou lovest rah more than tov; and sheker rather than to speak tzedek. Selah.

^4 (6) Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou leshon mirmah (deceitful tongue).

^5 (7) El shall likewise demolish thee for netzach (eternity), He shall break thee, and pluck thee out of thy ohel, and uproot thee out of the Eretz Chayyim. Selah.

^6 (8) The tzaddikim also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

^7 (9) Hinei, this is the gever (man) that made not Elohim his ma’oz; but trusted in the abundance of his osher (riches), and strengthened himself in his treachery.

^8 (10) But I am like a green zayit (olive tree) in the Beis Elohim; I trust in the chesed Elohim olam va’ed.

^9 (11) I will give Thee thanks l’olam, because Thou hast done it; and I will wait on Shimecha; for it is tov before Thy chasidim.

53 (For the one directing. According to ma’alot. Maskil of Dovid). The naval (fool) hath said in his lev, Ein Elohim (There is no G-d). Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth tov.

^2 (3) Elohim looked down from Shomayim upon Bnei Adam, to see if there were any of seichel, that did seek Elohim.

^3 (4) Every one of them has fallen away; they are altogether perverse; there is none that doeth tov, no, not echad (one).

^4 (5) Have the workers of iniquity no da’as? Who eat up My people as they eat lechem; they have not called upon Elohim.

^5 (6) There were they in great pachad (fear), pachad such as never was; for Elohim hath scattered the atzmot of him that encampeth against thee; thou [Yisroel] hast put them to shame, because Elohim hath rejected them.

^6 (7) Oh that the Yeshuat Yisroel would come out of Tziyon! When Elohim bringeth back the captivity of Amo (His people), Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisroel shall be glad.

54 (For the director. With stringed instruments. A maskil. For Dovid, when the Ziphim came and said to Sha’ul, Dovid is in hiding among us.) Hoshieini (save me), O Elohim, by Shimecha, and vindicate me by Thy gevurah (might, power).

^2 (4) Hear my tefillah, O Elohim; give ear to the words of my mouth.

^3 (5) For zarim (strangers) are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my nefesh; they have not set Elohim before them. Selah.

^4 (6) Hinei, Elohim is mine Ozer (helper); Adonoi is with them that uphold my nefesh.

^5 (7) He shall recompense the rah (evil) unto mine enemies; in Thy emes cut them off.

^6 (8) I will sacrifice a nedavah (freewill offering) unto Thee; I will praise Shimecha, Hashem; for it is tov (good).

^7 (9) For He hath delivered me out of all my tzoros; and mine eye hath looked in triumph upon mine oyevim (enemies.)

55 (For the one directing. With Neginos. Maskil of Dovid) Give ear to my tefillah, O Elohim; and veil not Thyself from my techinnah (supplication).

^2 (3) Attend unto me, and hear me; I wander restlessly in my si’ach (anxiety), and aloud I groan;

^3 (4) Because of the voice of the oyev (enemy), because of the oppression of the rasha (evildoer); for they cast aven (iniquity) upon me, and in af (wrath, anger) cherish their malice against me.

^4 (5) My lev writhes within me; and the terrors of mavet are fallen upon me.

^5 (6) Yirah va’ra’ad (fear and trembling) are come upon me, and pallatzut (horror, shuddering) overwhelmed me.

^6 (7) And I said, Oh that I had wings like a yonah! For then would I fly away and be at rest.

^7 (8) Hinei, then would I flee far off and lodge in the midbar. Selah.

^8 (9) I would hasten to my place of shelter from the ruach so’ah (wind of the tempest) and storm.

^9 (10) Destroy, Adonoi, and confuse their leshon; for I see chamas (violence) and riv (strife) in the Ir (city, i.e., Jerusalem).

^10 (11) Yomam and lailah they go about her [Yerushalayim] upon the chomot thereof; aven also and amal are in the midst of her [Yerushalayim].

^11 (12) Ruin is in the midst thereof; oppression and mirmah (guile, fraud, deceit) depart not from her rechov.

^12 (13) For it was not an oyev (enemy) that reproached me; then I could bear it; neither was it he that had sinah (hatred) for me that did exalt himself against me; then I could have hid myself from him;

^13 (14) But it was thou, an enosh (a man) equally [valued with myself], my aluf (intimate, friend), and me’yuda’i (deep acquaintance, familiar friend, see Psalm 41:9)

^14 (15) Together we took sweet sod (intimate conversation, fellowship, counsel), and walked unto the Beis Elohim with the throng.

^15 (16) Let mavet seize upon them, and let them go down chayyim into Sheol; for ra’ot (evils) are in their dwellings, and among them.

^16 (17) As for me, I will call upon Elohim; and Hashem shall save me.

^17 (18) Erev, and boker, and at tzohorayim (noon), will I pray, and cry aloud; and He shall hear my kol (voice).

^18 (19) He hath redeemed my nefesh in shalom from the battle that was against me; for there were rabbim against me.

^19 (20) El (G-d) shall hear, and afflict them, even He that abideth kedem (of old, forever). Selah. Because they do not change, therefore they fear not Elohim.

^20 (21) He [the faithless friend of verse 13-14] hath laid his hands on such as are at shalom with him; he hath broken his Brit.

^21 (22) The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his lev; his devarim were softer than shemen, yet they were drawn swords.

^22 (23) Cast thy burden upon Hashem, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the tzaddik to be moved.

^23 (24) But Thou, O Elohim, shalt bring them down into the pit of shachat; anshei damim umirmah (bloody and deceitful men) shall not live out half their yamim; but I will trust in Thee.

56 (For the director. Set to The Silent, Distant Yonah. Of Dovid. A mikhtam—when the Pelishtim seized him in Gat.) Chaneini (be merciful) unto me, O Elohim: for enosh (man) tramples upon me; kol hayom they press their attack against me.

^2 (3) Mine adversaries kol hayom trample me; for they be rabbim that fight against me, Marom (Most High).

^3 (4) What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

^4 (5) In Elohim I will praise His Word [See Yn 1:1,14]. In Elohim I have put my trust; I will not fear what basar can do unto me.

^5 (6) Kol hayom they twist my words; all their machsh’vot (thoughts) are against me for rah (evil).

^6 (7) They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they are shomer over my steps, when they wait for my nefesh.

^7 (8) Shall they escape by iniquity? In Thine anger cast down the amim (peoples), O Elohim.

^8 (9) Thou hast acted as a sofer, recording my wanderings; put Thou my tears into Thy wineskin; are they not in Thy Sefer (Book)?

^9 (10) On the day when I cry unto Thee, then shall mine oyevim turn back; of this I have da’as; for Elohim is for me [Ro 8:31].

^10 (11) In Elohim will I praise His Word; in Hashem will I praise His Word [Yn 1:1; Mishlei 30:4; Ps 33:6; Mishlei 8:30].

^11 (12) In Elohim have I put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can adam do unto me?

^12 (13) Thy nederim are upon me, O Elohim; I will render todot (thank offerings) unto Thee.

^13 (14) For Thou hast delivered my nefesh from mavet (death). Wilt not Thou deliver my feet from stumblimg, that I may walk before Elohim in the Ohr HaChayyim (the light of the living)?

57 (For the one directing. Set to Do Not Destroy. Mikhtam of Dovid, when he had fled from Sha’ul into the me’arah [cave]). Channeni, O Elohim, channeni; for my nefesh taketh refuge in Thee; yes, in the tzel (shadow) of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these devastations pass by.

^2 (3) I will cry out unto Elohim Elyon; unto El that fulfilleth all things for me.

^3 (4) He shall send from Shomayim, and save me from the disgrace of him that would swallow me up. Selah. Elohim shall send forth His chesed (lovingkindness) and His emes (truth).

^4 (5) My nefesh is among lions, and I lie even among them that devour Bnei Adam, whose shinayim (teeth) are spears and khitzim (arrows), and their leshon a sharp cherev.

^5 (6) Be Thou exalted, O Elohim, above Shomayim; let Thy kavod be above kol ha’aretz.

^6 (7) They have prepared a reshet (net) for my steps; my nefesh is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

^7 (8) My lev is nachon (steadfast), O Elohim, my lev is nachon; I will sing and make music.

^8 (9) Awake, my kavod (glory, soul, life); awake, nevel and kinnor; I myself will awake the shachar (dawn).

^9 (10) I will give thanks unto Thee, Adonoi, among the peoples; I will sing of Thee among the peoples.

^10 (11) For Thy chesed is gadol unto Shomayim, and Thy emes unto the heights.

^11 (12) Be Thou exalted, O Elohim, above Shomayim; let Thy kavod be above kol ha’aretz (all the earth).

58 (For the one directing. Set to Do Not Destroy. Mikhtam Dovid). Do ye indeed decree tzedek, O elim (g-ds, Ex 22:28[27])? Do ye judge uprightly the Bnei Adam?

^2 (3) No, in lev (heart) ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the chamas (violence) of your hands in Ha’Aretz.

^3 (4) The resha’im are perverted from the rekhem (womb); gone astray from birth are they, speaking kazav (lie, falsehood).

^4 (5) Their venom is like the venom of a nachash; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth its ear;

^5 (6) That it may not pay heed to the voice of charmers, casting spells ever so cunningly.

^6 (7) Break their teeth, O Elohim, in their mouth; tear out the fangs of the young lions, Hashem.

^7 (8) Let them melt away like draining mayim; when he bendeth his bow to shoot his khitzim (arrows), let them be crumbled to pieces.

^8 (9) As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away; like the stillborn child of an isha, that they may not see the shemesh.

^9 (10) Before your sirot (pots) can feel the burning thorns, may He with a whirlwind blow them away, both green and dry alike.

^10 (11) The tzaddik shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash feet in the dahm harasha.

^11 (12) So that adam shall say, Verily there is a reward for the tzaddik; verily yesh Elohim Shofetim ba’aretz (there is a G-d that judgeth in the earth).

59 (For the one directing. Set to Do Not Destroy. Mikhtam Dovid. When Sha’ul sent and they watched [Dovid’s] bais to kill him) Save me from mine enemies, O Elohai; protect me from them that rise up against me.

² Deliver me from the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity), and save me from anshei damim (bloody men).

³ For, hinei, they lie in wait for my nefesh; the fierce stir up strife against me; not for my peysha, nor for my chattat, Hashem.

⁴ They run and prepare themselves without my avon (wrong, fault); awake to help me, and see.

⁵ Thou therefore, Hashem Elohim Tzva’os, Elohei Yisroel, rouse Thyself to visit [in punishment] kol HaGoyim; be not merciful to any bogedei aven (wicked boged [traitor]). Selah.

⁶ They return at erev; they growl like a kelev (dog), and prowl around the Ir.

⁷ Hinei, they belch out with their mouth; charavot (swords) are in their sfatot (lips); for who, say they, doth hear?

⁸ But Thou, Hashem, shalt laugh at them; Thou shalt have all the Goyim in derision.

⁹ O my Strength, I will be shomer to watch for Thee; for Elohim is my stronghold.

¹⁰ The G-d of my chesed shall come to meet me; Elohim shall let me see [the end] of my shorer (watchers, [i.e., slandering foes insidiously fixated on me and lying in wait]).

¹¹ Slay them not, lest my people forget; scatter them by Thy power; and bring them down, Adonoi mogineinu (our Shield).

¹² For the chattat of their mouth and the davar of their sfatayim let them even be caught in their ga’on (pride); and for the cursing and lying which they speak.

¹³ Consume them in chemah (wrath), consume them, till they are no more; and let them know that Elohim ruleth in Ya’akov unto the ends of ha’aretz. Selah.

¹⁴ And at erev let them return; and let them growl like a kelev, and prowl around the Ir.

¹⁵ Let them wander up and down for okhel (food), and howl if they be not satisfied.

¹⁶ But I will sing of Thy oz; yes, I will sing aloud of Thy chesed in the boker; for Thou hast been my stronghold and refuge in the day of my tzoros.

¹⁷ Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for Elohim is my strongold, and the Elohim of my chesed.

60 (For the one directing. Set to The Shushan of the Edut. Mikhtam Dovid to instruct. When he fought Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah and when Yo’av returned and struck down 12,000 of Edom in the Gey Melach.) O Elohim, Thou hath rejected us, scattered us; Thou hast been angry; O restore us!

^2 (4) Thou hast made eretz to tremble; Thou hast torn it asunder, heal the fractures thereof; for it tottereth.

^3 (5) Thou hast showed Thy people kashah (hard times); Thou hast made us to drink the yayin of tarelah (bewilderment, reeling).

^4 (6) Thou hast set up a nes (banner) to them that fear Thee, that it may be unfurled on account of the truth. Selah.

^5 (7) That Thy Yedidot (beloved ones) may be saved; save with Thy Yamin (Right Hand) and hear me.

^6 (8) Elohim hath spoken in His Kodesh (Holiness); I will exult, I will parcel Shechem as chelek, and measure out the Valley of Sukkot.

^7 (9) Gil‘ad is Mine, and Menasheh is Mine; Ephrayim also is the ma’oz of Mine Rosh; Yehudah is My Mekhokek (prescriber of laws, lawgiver; see Gn 49:10; Isa 42:4 on Moshiach’s torah).

^8 (10) Moav is My washpot; over Edom will I cast My sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.

^9 (11) Who will bring me to the Ir Matzon (city of fortification)? Who will bring me to Edom?

^10 (12) Wilt not Thou, O Elohim, which hadst cast us off? And Thou, O Elohim, which didst not go out with tzivoteinu (our armies)?

^11 (13) Give us help against the enemy; for vain is the teshuat adam (help, salvation of or from Man).

^12 (14) In Elohim shall we obtain the victory; for He it is that shall tread down tzareinu (our enemies, oppressors).

61 (For the one directing. With stringed instruments. Of Dovid). Hear my cry, Elohim; attend unto my tefillah.

^2 (3) From the end of ha’aretz will I call unto Thee, when my lev is overwhelmed; lead me to the Tzur that is higher than I.

^3 (4) For Thou hast been a refuge for me, and a migdal oz (tower of strength) from the enemy.

^4 (5) I will abide in Thy ohel forever; I will take refuge in the covert of Thy wings. Selah.

^5 (6) For Thou, Elohim, hast heard my nederim; Thou hast given me the yerushat yirei Shemecha (inheritance of those that fear Thy Name).

^6 (7) Thou wilt prolong days of the Melech, and his shanot dor vador.

^7 (8) He shall abide before Elohim forever; O appoint chesed and emes, to preserve him.

^8 (9) So will I sing praise unto Shimecha forever, that I may yom yom (daily) perform my nederim.

62 (For the one directing. According to Yedutun. Mizmor of Dovid.) Truly my nefesh waiteth silently [in submission] upon Elohim; from Him cometh my Yeshuah (salvation).

^2 (3) Truly He is my Tzur and my Yeshuah (salvation); He is my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

^3 (4) How long will ye rush to attack an ish? To thrust at, all of you, as at a leaning kir (wall), and as at a tottering gader (fence).

^4 (5) Truly they consult to bring down a person of prominence; they delight in kazav (lie, falsehood, deceptive thing); they make a brocha with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

^5 (6) Truly in Elohim wait silently [in submission], my nefesh, for my tikvah (hope) is from Him.

^6 (7) Truly He is my Tzur and my Yeshuah (salvation); He is my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

^7 (8) In Elohim is my salvation and my Kavod: the Tzur of my strength, and my refuge, is in Elohim.

^8 (9) Trust in Him at all time; ye people, pour out your lev before Him; Elohim is a refuge for us. Selah.

^9 (10) Truly Bnei Adam (those of low estate) are hevel (vanity), and Bnei Ish (those who are highborn) are kazav (a lie); they go up in the balances; they are altogether lighter than hevel (vanity).

^10 (11) Trust not in oshek (oppression, extortion) and become not vain in gazel (the thing taken as plunder); if riches increase, set not your lev upon them.

^11 (12) Elohim hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that oz (strength) belongeth unto Elohim.

^12 (13) Also unto Thee, Adonoi, belongeth chesed; for Thou renderest to ish (every man) according to his ma’asim (deeds).

63 (Mizmor Dovid. When he was in the midbar Yehudah). O Elohim, Thou art Eli; early will I seek Thee; my nefesh thirsteth for Thee; my basar longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no mayim is;

^2 (3) To see Thy oz (might, power) and Thy kavod, as I have beheld Thee in the Kodesh (holy place, sanctuary).

^3 (4) Because Thy chesed is better than chayyim, my lips shall praise Thee.

^4 (5) Thus will I bless Thee while I live; I will lift up my hands b’Shimcha (in Thy Name.)

^5 (6) My nefesh shall be satisfied as with chelev (fat) and deshen (abundance); and my mouth shall praise Thee with lips of joyful singing;

^6 (7) When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the ashmurot (night watches).

^7 (8) Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the tzel (shadow) of Thy wings will I sing with joy.

^8 (9) My nefesh followeth hard after Thee; Thy Yamin (Right Hand) upholdeth me.

^9 (10) But those that seek my nefesh, to destroy it, shall go into the abysses of ha’aretz.

^10 (11) They deliver him into the power of the cherev; they shall be a portion for jackals.

^11 (12) But HaMelech shall rejoice in Elohim; every one that sweareth by Him shall glory; but the mouth of them that speak sheker shall be stopped.

64 (For the one directing. Mizmor of Dovid). Hear my voice, O Elohim, in my si’akh (complaint); preserve my life from the pachad (terror) of the oyev (enemy).

^2 (3) Hide me from the sod (secret counsel, conspiracy) of the re’im; from the rigshah (insurrection, noisy crowd, assembly) of the workers of iniquity;

^3 (4) Who whet their tongue like a cherev, and aim their khitzim (arrows), even davar mar (bitter words);

^4 (5) That they may shoot in secret at the tam (innoent); pitom (suddenly) do they shoot at him, and fear not.

^5 (6) They encourage themselves in a davar rah (an evil plan); they speak in order to set mokshim (snares, hidden traps); they say, Who shall see them?

^6 (7) Or search out their iniquities? They have accomplished a cunningly devised plot; for the mind of ish (man) and the lev (heart) are deep,

^7 (8) But Elohim shall shoot at them with a khetz (arrow); pitom (suddenly) shall their wounds be.

^8 (9) So the leshon of them will bring ruin upon them; all that see them shall shake their head.

^9 (10) And kol adam shall fear, and shall declare the po’al Elohim (work of G-d); for they shall ponder His ma’aseh.

^10 (11) The tzaddik shall be glad in Hashem, and shall take refuge in Him; and all the yishrei lev (upright of heart) shall glory.

65 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid. Shir). Tehillah (praise) is due Thee, O Elohim, in Tziyon; And unto Thee shall the neder (vow) be performed.

^2 (3) O Thou that hearest tefillah (prayer), unto Thee shall kol basar come.

^3 (4) Divrei avonot (instances of iniquity) overwhelm me; as for peysha’einu (our transgressions), Thou hast made kapporah for them.

^4 (5) Ashrei is the one whom Thou choosest, and causest to come near unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy khatzerot; we shall be satisfied with the tov of Thy Beis, even of Thy Heikhal Kodesh.

^5 (6) By nora’ot (awesome deeds, awe-inspiring things) of tzedek (justice) wilt Thou answer us, O Elohei Yish’einu (G-d of our salvation); Who art the hope of all the ends of eretz, and of them that are on the farthest seas;

^6 (7) Which by His ko’ach established the harim (mountains), being girded with gevurah;

^7 (8) Which stilleth the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the tumult of the Amim (peoples, nations).

^8 (9) They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Thy otot (signs); Thou makest the outgoing exits of boker and erev to resound with joy.

^9 (10) Thou visitest ha’aretz, and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the peleg Elohim (fountain of G-d), which is full of mayim; Thou preparest them dagan (grain), for so Thou didst prepare it.

^10 (11) Thou waterest the furrows thereof abundantly; Thou settlest the ridges thereof; Thou makest it soft with showers; Thou blessest the tzemach (sprout, branch, see Zech 6:12) thereof.

^11 (12) Thou crownest shnat tovatecha (the year with Thy goodness, bounty); and Thy paths drip with plenty.

^12 (13) They drip upon the pastures of the midbar; and the hills are enrobed with gladness.

^13 (14) The meadows are clothed with tzon; the amakim (valleys) also are covered over with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.

66 (For the one directing. Shir. Mizmor.) Make a joyful shout unto Elohim, kol HaAretz;

² Sing forth the kavod Shmo; make kavod (glorious) His tehillah (praise).

³ Say unto Elohim, How norah (awesome) art Thou in Thy ma’asim (works)! Through the greatness of Thy oz (might) shall Thine oyevim cower before Thee.

⁴ Kol ha’aretz shall prostrate before Thee, and shall sing unto Thee; they shall sing praise to Shimecha. Selah.

⁵ Come and see the works of Elohim; He is norah (awesome) in deed toward Bnei Adam.

⁶ He turned the yam into yabashah (dry land; see Gn 1:10); they passed through the nahar on regel; there did we rejoice in Him.

⁷ He ruleth by His gevurah (power) olam (forever); His eyes are a watchman’s eyes over the Goyim; let not the sorerim (rebellious ones) exalt themselves. Selah.

⁸ Barchu Eloheinu, Amim, and make the kol (sound) of His tehillah (praise) to be heard.

⁹ He is the One who set nafsheinu in chayyim and does not permit ragleinu (our foot) to slip.

¹⁰ For Thou, Elohim, hath tested us and hast proved us; Thou hast put us in the crucible’s refining and refined us as kesef.

¹¹ Thou broughtest us into the metzudah (prison); Thou laidst a mu’akah (burden) upon our loins.

¹² Thou hast caused enosh (mankind) to ride over rosheinu (our head); we went through eish and through mayim; but Thou broughtest us out into plenty.

¹³ I will come into Thy Beis [HaMikdash] with olot; I will fulfill for Thee my nedarim,

¹⁴ Which my sfatayim have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in tzoros.

¹⁵ I will offer unto Thee olot mekhim (burnt offerings of fat animals), with the ketoret (incense, offering) of rams; I will offer bakar with goats. Selah.

¹⁶ Come and hear, Kol Yirei Elohim, and I will declare what He hath done for my nefesh.

¹⁷ I cried unto Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my leshon.

¹⁸ If I regard avon (iniquity, sin) in my lev, Adonoi will not hear me;

¹⁹ But surely Elohim hath heard me; He hath attended to the kol tefillati (voice of my prayer).

²⁰ Baruch Elohim, Who hath not turned away my tefillah, nor His chesed from me.

67 (For the one directing. On Neginot. With stringed instruments. Mizmor. Shir.) Elohim be channun (gracious) unto us, and put a brocha upon us; and may He make His face to shine upon us. Selah.

^2 (3) That Thy Derech may be known upon HaAretz, Thy Yeshuah (salvation) among kol Goyim.

^3 (4) Let the Amim praise Thee, O Elohim; let kol Amim praise Thee.

^4 (5) O let the peoples be glad and sing for joy, for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the peoples upon HaAretz. Selah.

^5 (6) Let the people praise Thee, O Elohim; let kol Amim praise Thee.

^6 (7) Then shall eretz yield her yevul (increase, produce, harvest); and Elohim, even Eloheinu, shall put a brocha upon us.

^7 (8) Elohim shall bless us; and kol afsei aretz (all the ends of the earth) shall fear Him.

68 (For the one directing. Of Dovid. Mizmor. Shir.) Let Elohim arise, let His oyevim be scattered; let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

^2 (3) As ashan (smoke) is blown away, so drive them away; as wax melteth before the eish, so let the resha’im perish at the presence of Elohim.

^3 (4) But let the tzaddikim have simchah; let them rejoice before Elohim; and, let them rejoice with simchah.

^4 (5) Sing unto Elohim, sing praises to Shmo; extol Him that rideth on the clouds by Shmo Hashem, and rejoice before Him.

^5 (6) Avi yetomim (father of orphans), and a dayan (judge) of almanot (widows), is Elohim in His Ma’on Kodesh.

^6 (7) Elohim setteth the yechidim (alone ones) in a family; He bringeth out those which are asirim (prisoners, those bound with chains); but the sorerim (rebels) dwell in a dry land.

^7 (8) O Elohim, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah;

^8 (9) Eretz shook, Shomayim also poured rain at the presence of Elohim; even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of Elohim, Elohei Yisroel.

^9 (10) Thou, O Elohim, didst send a plentiful geshem (rain), whereby Thou didst restore Thine nachalah, when it was parched.

^10 (11) Thy congregation hath dwelt therein; Thou, O Elohim, hast prepared of Thy bounty for the oni.

^11 (12) Adonoi gave the word; rav (great) was the tzava (company, army) of the mevaserot (heralds, those that published it, the lady evangelists).

^12 (13) Melachim of tzeva’ot (armies) shall flee, they flee; and she that tarried at home shall divide the plunder.

^13 (14) Though ye have lain among the cooking pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a yonah covered with kesef, and her feathers with glistening gold.

^14 (15) When Shaddai scattered melachim therein, it was white as snow in Tzalmon.

^15 (16) The Har Elohim is the Har Bashan; a mountain of peaks is the Har Bashan.

^16 (17) Why gaze ye in envy, ye many-peaked harim? This is the har which Elohim hath chosen to dwell in; indeed, Hashem will dwell in it lanetzach (forever).

^17 (18) The merkavot of Elohim are myriads, a thousand thousands; Adonoi is among them, as in Sinai, in kodesh (holiness).

^18 (19) Thou hast ascended on marom (high), Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received mattanot among adam; yes, even from the sorerim (the rebellious) also, that Hashem Elohim might dwell [there].

^19 (20) Baruch Adonoi, Who yom yom bears us up, even HaEl Yeshuateinu (the G-d of our salvation). Selah.

^20 (21) Our G-d is a G-d who saves; and from Hashem Adonoi come escapes from mavet (death).

^21 (22) But Elohim shall shatter the rosh of His oyevim, and the hairy kodkod (crown of the head, scalp) of such a one as continueth on in his trespasses.

^22 (23) Adonoi said, I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring back from the depths of the sea;

^23 (24) That thy regel may be bathed in dahm, that the leshon of thy klavim (dogs) may partake of the oyevim.

^24 (25) They have seen Thy processions, O Elohim; even the goings of my G-d, my Melech, in the Kodesh.

^25 (26) The sharim (singers) went before, the nogenim (players on instruments) followed after; among them were the alamot (young unmarried virgins) playing timbrels.

^26 (27) Barchu Elohim in the congregations, even Hashem, out of the Makor Yisroel (Fountain of Israel).

^27 (28) There is Binyamin, the youngest at the head; the sarim (princes) of Yehudah and the throng of them, the sarim (princes) of Zevulun, and the sarim (princes) of Naphtali.

^28 (29) Eloheicha hath commanded thy oz; strengthen, O Elohim, that which Thou hast wrought for us.

^29 (30) Because of Thy Heikhal at Yerushalayim shall melachim bring offerings unto Thee.

^30 (31) Rebuke the company of spearmen, the adat (herd) of bulls, with the agalim (calves) of the nations, till every one prostrate himself with ingots of kesef; He scatters the people that delight in wars.

^31 (32) Magnates shall come out of Mitzrayim; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto Elohim.

^32 (33) Sing unto Elohim, ye mamlechot of ha’aretz; O sing praises unto Adonoi. Selah.

^33 (34) To Him that rideth upon the skies of Shomayim of old; lo, He doth send out His voice, and that a kol oz (mighty voice).

^34 (35) Ascribe ye oz (power) unto Elohim; His majesty is over Yisroel, and His oz is in the skies.

^35 (36) O Elohim, Thou art norah (awesome, terrible) out of Thy Mikdashim; the El (G-d) of Yisroel is He that giveth oz and strength unto His people. Baruch Elohim.

69 (For the one directing. Al Shoshanim. Of Dovid.) Hoshi’eini, O Elohim; for the mayim are come unto my nefesh (i.e., neck).

^2 (3) I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I am come into the depths of the mayim, where the floods overflow me.

^3 (4) I am weary of my crying out; my garon (throat) is dry; mine eyes fail while I wait for Elohai.

^4 (5) They that have sinas chinom (baseless hatred) toward me are more than the hairs of mine rosh; they that would destroy me, being mine oyevim (enemies) sheker (baselessly) are mighty; then I restored that which I did not steal.

^5 (6) O Elohim, Thou knowest my folly; and my ashmot (guiltinesses) are not hid from Thee.

^6 (7) Let not them that wait on Thee, Adonoi Hashem Tzva’os, be ashamed because of me; let not those that seek Thee be disgraced because of me, O Elohei Yisroel.

^7 (8) Because for Thy sake I have borne cherpah; shame hath covered my face.

^8 (9) I am become a stranger unto my achim, and a nochri (foreigner) unto the bnei immi (sons of my mother).

^9 (10) For kinas Beitcha (zeal for Thy House) hath consumed me; and the cherpot of them that scorned Thee are fallen upon me [Yn 2:17].

^10 (11) When I wept, and chastened my nefesh in the tzom (fast), that became my cherpot (reproaches).

^11 (12) I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a mashal (byword) to them.

^12 (13) They that sit [as judges] in the sha’ar (gate) speak against me; and I was the neginot (drinking songs) of the drunkards.

^13 (14) But as for me, may my tefillah be unto Thee, Hashem, in an et ratzon (acceptable time, time of favor); O Elohim, in the multitude of Thy chesed hear me, in the emes of Thy salvation.

^14 (15) Save me out of the teet (mire, clay, soil) and let me not sink; let me be saved from them that hate me, and out of the depths of the mayim.

^15 (16) Let not the floodwaters overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the be’er (pit) shut her mouth upon me.

^16 (17) Hear me, Hashem, for Thy chesed is tov; turn unto me according to the multitude of Thy rachamim;

^17 (18) And hide not Thy face from Thy eved; for I am in tzoros. Hear me speedily.

^18 (19) Draw near unto my nefesh, and make the go’el redemption of it; deliver me because of mine oyevim (enemies).

^19 (20) Thou hast known the cherpah (scorn) I bear, and my shame, and my dishonor; mine adversaries are all before Thee.

^20 (21) Reproach hath broken my lev; and I have sickness as unto death; and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for menachamim (comforters), but I found none.

^21 (22) They gave me also gall in my food; and in my tzamah (thirst) they gave me chometz (vinegar) to drink [See Mt.27:34,48; Mk.15:23,36; Lk.23:36 Yn.19:28-30 OJBC].

^22 (23) Let their shulchan become a pach (snare, trap) before them; and that which should have been for their shlomim (peacefulnesses), let it become a mokesh (trap).

^23 (24) Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins shake tamid.

^24 (25) Pour out Thine indignation upon them, and let Thy charon af (burning wrath) overtake them.

^25 (26) Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their ohalim [See Ac 1:20 OJBC].

^26 (27) For they persecute him whom Thou hast struck; and they tell of the makh’ov (pain, grief) of those whom Thou hast wounded.

^27 (28) Add avon (iniquity) unto their avon; and let them not come into Thy tzedakah.

^28 (29) Let them be blotted out of the Sefer Chayyim, and not be recorded with the tzaddikim.

^29 (30) But I am ani (poor) and in pain; let Thy Yeshuah (salvation), O Elohim, set me up on high.

^30 (31) I will praise Shem Elohim b’shir (in song), and will magnify Him with todah (thanksgiving).

^31 (32) This also shall please Hashem better than shor (ox) or bull that hath keren (horn) and parsah (hoof).

^32 (33) Those that have anavah (meekness, humility) shall see this, and have simchah; and your [pl.] lev shall live that seek Elohim.

^33 (34) For Hashem heareth the evyonim (needy ones, poor), and despiseth not His prisoners.

^34 (35) Let the Shomayim v’Aretz praise Him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

^35 (36) For Elohim yoshi’a (will save) Tziyon, and will build the cities of Yehudah; that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

^36 (37) The zera also of His avadim shall inherit it; and they that love Shmo shall dwell therein.

70 (For the one directing. Mizmor of Dovid. For the memorial portion of the minchah) Make haste, Elohim, to deliver me; make haste to help me, Hashem.

^2 (3) Let them have bushah and be confounded that seek my nefesh; let them be turned back, and be put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

^3 (4) Let them be turned back for a reward of their bushah that say, Aha, aha.

^4 (5) Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and have simcha in Thee; and let such as love Thy Yeshuah (salvation) say continually, Let Elohim be magnified.

^5 (6) But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, Elohim; Thou art my help and my deliverer. Hashem, make no delay.

71 In Thee, Hashem, do I put my trust; let me not be put to shame l’olam.

² Deliver me in Thy tzedakah, and cause me to escape; incline Thine ear unto me, and hoshi’eini (save me).

³ Be Thou Tzur Ma’on (a rock of habitation), whereunto I may resort tamid (continually); Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress.

⁴ Deliver me, O Elohai, out of the yad of the rasha, out of the palm of the unrighteous and cruel man.

⁵ For Thou art my tikveh (hope), Adonoi Hashem; Thou art my trust from my youth.

⁶ By Thee have I been upheld from the beten (womb); Thou art He that took me out of the womb of immi; my tehillah (praise) shall be of Thee tamid (continually).

⁷ I am as a mofet (portent) unto rabbim (many); but Thou art my strong refuge.

⁸ Let my mouth be filled with Thy tehillah (praise) and with Thy tiferet (glory) kol hayom.

⁹ Cast me not off in the time of ziknah (old age); forsake me not when my ko’ach faileth.

¹⁰ For mine oyevim speak against me; and they that lay in wait for my nefesh conspire together,

¹¹ Saying, Elohim hath forsaken him; persecute and lay hold of him; for there is none to rescue him.

¹² O Elohim, be not far from me; O Elohai, make haste for my help.

¹³ Let them be ashamed and consumed that are [satanic] adversaries to my nefesh; let them be covered with cherpah (reproach) and dishonor that seek my hurt.

¹⁴ But I will hope tamid (continually), and will yet give tehillah to Thee more and more.

¹⁵ My mouth shall proclaim Thy tzedakah and Thy Teshuah (salvation) kol hayom; for I know not the limits thereof.

¹⁶ I will come in the gevurot (mighty acts) of Adonoi Hashem; I will make mention of Thy tzedakah, even of Thine only.

¹⁷ O Elohim, Thou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared Thy nifle’ot (wondrous works).

¹⁸ Now also when I am in ziknah (old age) and grayheaded, O Elohim, forsake me not; until I have declared Thy zero’a [Moshiach; see Isa 53:1] unto this generation, and Thy gevurah to everyone that is to come.

¹⁹ Thy tzedakah also, O Elohim, is ad marom (to the heights). Thou Who hast done gedolot (great things); O Elohim, mi khamocha (who is like unto Thee)?

²⁰ Thou, which hast showed me great and severe tzoros, shalt revive me again, and shalt bring me up again from the tehomot (abysses) of ha’aretz.

²¹ Thou shalt increase my gedolah, and comfort me on every side.

²² I will also praise Thee with the nevel (lyre), even Thy emes, O Elohai; unto Thee will I sing with the kinnor (harp), O Thou Kadosh Yisroel.

²³ My lips shall shout for joy when I sing unto Thee; and my nefesh, which Thou hast purchased for redemption.

²⁴ My leshon also shall tell of Thy tzedakah kol hayom; for they are brought unto shame, they are humiliated that seek my hurt.

72 (Of Sh’lomo). Give HaMelech Thy mishpatim, O Elohim, and Thy tzedakah unto the Ben Melech.

² He shall judge Thy people with tzedek, and Thy poor with mishpat.

³ The harim (mountains) shall bear shalom to the people, and geva’ot (hills) in tzedakah.

⁴ He shall judge the poor of the people; yoshia (He shall save) the bnei evyon (children of the needy), and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

⁵ They shall fear Thee as long as the shemesh and yarei’ach endure, dor dorim (throughout all generations).

⁶ He shall come down like matar (rain) upon the mown field, as showers watering eretz.

⁷ In his yamim shall the tzaddik flourish; and abundance of shalom so long as the yarei’ach endureth.

⁸ He [Moshiach Ben Dovid] shall have dominion also from yam to yam, and from nahar (river) unto the afsei eretz (the ends of the earth).

⁹ They that dwell in the desert shall bow before him; and his oyevim (enemies) shall lick the aphar (dust).

¹⁰ The melachim of Tarshish and of the iyim (islands) shall bring minchah (tribute); the melachim of Sheva and Seva shall offer gifts.

¹¹ Kol melachim shall fall down before him [Moshiach]; kol Goyim shall serve him.

¹² For he shall deliver the evyon (needy) when he crieth; the oni (poor, afflicted) also, and him that hath no ozer (helper).

¹³ He shall pity the weak and evyon (needy), and yoshi’a (he shall save) the nefashot of the evyonim (needy).

¹⁴ He shall be the Go’el Redeemer of their nefesh from deceit and chamas; and precious shall their dahm be in his sight.

¹⁵ And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the zahav of Sheva; and prayer shall be for him continually; and daily shall a brocha be made on him.

¹⁶ There shall be an abundance of grain on ha’aretz upon the top of the harim (mountains); the fruit thereof shall shake [in the trees like in] Levanon; and they of the city shall flourish like esev ha’aretz.

¹⁷ Shmo (His Name) shall endure l’olam; Shmo shall be continued as long as the shemesh; and men shall be blessed in him; kol Goyim shall call him blessed.

¹⁸ Baruch Hashem Elohim, Elohei Yisroel, who only doeth nifla’ot (wondrous things).

¹⁹ And baruch Shem kevodo l’olam (and blessed be His Glorious Name forever); and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Omein, and Omein.

²⁰ The tefillot Dovid Ben Yishai are ended. [T.N. The next Psalm concerns a revelation received in the Holy Place, namely the fate of the wicked whose prosperity is delusional since the riches of G-d’s house is wealth they can never attain to, revealing their true eternal poverty. See Ps 73:24 on afterlife in G-d’s presence.]

73 (Mizmor of Asaph). Truly Elohim is tov to Yisroel, even to the barei levav (pure of heart).

² But as for me, my raglayim had almost stumbled; my steps had well near slipped.

³ For I had kina (envy) of the holelim (arrogant ones), when I saw the shalom of the resha’im.

⁴ For there are no chartzubot (fetters, bonds, pains) in their mot; healthy is their belly.

⁵ They are not in amal (trouble) as enosh; neither are they plagued like adam.

⁶ Therefore ga’avah encircleth them like a chain necklace; chamas enwraps them like a garment.

⁷ Their eyes bulge with chelev; they have more than levav could imagine.

⁸ They mock, and speak wickedly concerning oshek (oppression); they speak from marom (on high).

⁹ They set their mouth against Shomayim, and their leshon stalketh in ha’aretz.

¹⁰ Therefore their people return here; and mayim to the full are swallowed down by them.

¹¹ And they say, How doth El (G-d) know? And is there knowledge in Elyon?

¹² Hinei, these are the resha’im; at ease olam, they increase in riches.

¹³ Surely in vain have I cleansed my lev, and washed my hands in innocency.

¹⁴ For kol hayom have I been plagued, and chastened in the bekarim (mornings).

¹⁵ If I say, I will speak thus; hinei, I would have dealt faithlessly with the dor banecha (the generation of Thy children).

¹⁶ When I thought to comprehend this, it was amal (difficulty) in my eyes;

¹⁷ Until I went into the Mikdeshei El; then I had binah (understanding) of their (the wicked’s) destiny.

¹⁸ Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places; Thou castedst them down into mashu’ot (ruins, destruction).

¹⁹ How are they brought into desolation, as in a rega (moment)! They are utterly consumed with balahot (terrors).

²⁰ As a chalom when one awaketh; so, Adonoi, when Thou art aroused [in judgment], Thou shalt despise their tzelem (shadowy form).

²¹ Thus my levav was grieved, and I was pricked in my mind.

²² So senseless was I, and ignorant; I was like behemot before Thee.

²³ Nevertheless I am with Thee tamid (always); Thou hast taken hold of me by my yamin.

²⁴ Thou shalt guide me with Thy etzah (counsel), and afterward take me to kavod (glory).

²⁵ Whom have I in Shomayim but Thee? And there is none upon HaAretz that I desire beside Thee.

²⁶ My flesh and my levav may fail; but Elohim is the Tzur of my levav, and my chelek l’olam.

²⁷ For, hinei, they that are far from Thee shall perish; Thou hast destroyed all them that go zoneh (a-whoring) from Thee.

²⁸ But kiravat Elohim (drawing near to Elohim) is tov for me; I make in Adonoi Hashem my refuge, that I may declare all Thy deeds.

74 (A Maskil of Asaph) O Elohim, why hast Thou cast us off lanetzach? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the tzon (sheep) of Thy mireh (pasture)?

² Remember Thy Edah (congregation), which Thou hast purchased of old; the shevet (tribe) of Thine nachalah, which Thou hast redeemed: this Har Tziyon, wherein Thou hast dwelt.

³ Lift up Thy footsteps unto the mashu’ot netzach (perpetual ruins); even all that the oyev hath done wickedly in the Kodesh [the Beis HaMikdash].

⁴ Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy Mo’ed (place of meeting); they set up their banners for otot (signs, i.e., their heathen insignia).

⁵ It had been as though one lifted up kardumim (axes) upon the thicket of etz.

⁶ But now they break down the carved panels [of the Beis HaMikdash] at once with hammers and chisels.

⁷ They have set ablaze Thy Mikdash, burning it to the ground; they have brought chillul to the Mishkan Shemecha (the dwelling place of Thy Name).

⁸ They said in their hearts, Let us crush them altogether; they have burned up all the Mo’adei El in HaAretz.

⁹ We see not our otot (signs); there is no longer any navi; neither is there among us any that knoweth ad mah (until when).

¹⁰ O Elohim ad mosai, (how long) shall the adversary revile? Shall the oyev (enemy) blaspheme Thy Shem lanetzach (forever)?

¹¹ Why withdrawest Thou Thy Yad, even Thy Yamin (Right Hand)? Take it out of Thy Kheyk (bosom) and destroy [them].

¹² For Elohim is my Melech mikedem (from of old), working Yeshuah (salvation) in the midst of Ha’Aretz.

¹³ Thou didst divide the yam by Thy oz (power); Thou didst break the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.

¹⁴ Thou didst break the head of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be ma’akhal (food) to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

¹⁵ Thou didst break open the fountain and the flood; Thou driedst up mighty naharot (rivers).

¹⁶ The yom is Thine, the lailah also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the ma’ohr (luminary, moon) and the shemesh.

¹⁷ Thou hast set all the boundaries of Eretz; Thou hast made kayitz (summer) and choref (winter).

¹⁸ Remember this, that the oyev (enemy) hath reproached Hashem, and that the am naval (foolish people) have blasphemed Shimcha.

¹⁹ O deliver not the nefesh of Thy turtledove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy aniyim (poor) lanetzach (forever).

²⁰ Have regard unto the Brit (covenant); for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of chamas.

²¹ O let not the oppressed return in shame; let the oni and evyon praise Thy Shem.

²² Arise, O Elohim, fight for Thine Own cause; remember how the naval (foolish man) revileth Thee kol hayom.

²³ Forget not the kol (voice) of Thine enemies, the tumult of those against Thee that rises up tamid (continually). [T.N. Cf Lk 2:23-24 and Ps 74:19 remembering that the turtledove was the sacrifice of the poor, which Moshiach would be, not a rich man but ani, according to Zech 9:9.]

75 (For the one directing. Set to Do Not Destroy. Mizmor Asaph. Shir) Hodinu l’cha Elohim (Unto thee, Elohim, do we give thanks). Hodinu; that Thy Shem is near Thy wondrous works declare.

^2 (3) I shall seize the mo’ed (appointed time, Chabakuk 2:3) I will judge uprightly.

^3 (4) Eretz and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolving; I, even I, hold up the ammudim (pillars) of it. Selah.

^4 (5) I said unto the hollelim (arrogant), Deal not boastfully; and to the resha’im, Lift not up the keren;

^5 (6) Lift not up your keren on high; speak not with a stiff neck.

^6 (7) For promotion cometh lo (not) from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert.

^7 (8) But Elohim is the Shofet; He bringeth down one, and setteth up another.

^8 (9) For in the yad Hashem there is a kos, and the yayin is foaming; full of mixture; and He poureth out of the same; but the dregs thereof, all rishei aretz (wicked of the earth) shall drain them down, and drink them [Lk 22:42].

^9 (10) But I will proclaim l’olam; I will sing zemirot to Elohei Ya’akov.

^10 (11) All the karnayim of the resha’im also will I cut off; but the karnayim of the tzaddik shall be exalted. [T.N. In this Psalm we see that G-d is Judge. The Bible speaks of a great Assize where there will be a verdict regarding the sheep and the goats, the redeemed and the reprobate. See Rev 19:11 and 20:4-5.]

76 (For the one directing. On stringed instruments. Mizmor of Asaph. Shir.) In Yehudah is Elohim known; Shmo is gadol in Yisroel.

^2 (3) In Shalem [i.e., Yerushalayim] also is His Sukkah, and His Ma’on (dwelling place) in Tziyon [see Yochanan chp 14 OJBC].

^3 (4) There He broke the flashing arrows, the mogen, and the cherev, and the milchamah. Selah.

^4 (5) Thou art more glorious and adir (majestic) than the mountains of prey.

^5 (6) The stouthearted are plundered; now their last sleep they sleep; and none of the anshei chayil can find their hands.

^6 (7) At Thy rebuke, O Elohei Ya’akov, both the merkavah and sus are cast into a dead sleep.

^7 (8) Thou, even Thou, art to be feared; and who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?

^8 (9) Thou didst pronounce din (sentence, judgment) from Shomayim; Eretz feared, and was still,

^9 (10) When Elohim arose to mishpat, to save all the meek of Eretz. Selah.

^10 (11) Surely the chamat adam (the wrath of man) shall praise Thee; the she’erit (remnant, survivor) of wrath shalt Thou restrain [from doing evil].

^11 (12) Make neder (vow), and pay unto Hashem Eloheichem; let all that be around Him bring gifts unto Him that ought to be feared.

^12 (13) He shall cut short the ruach of negidim (nobles); He is fearsome to the Malkhei-Aretz (Kings of the Earth).

77 (For the one directing. Set to Yedutun. Mizmor of Asaph) I cried unto Elohim with my voice, even unto Elohim with my voice; and He gave ear unto me.

^2 (3) In my yom tzoros (day of trouble) I sought Adonoi; my hand was stretched up in the lailah, and ceased not; my nefesh refused to be comforted.

^3 (4) I remembered Elohim, and groaned; I pondered, and my ruach was overwhelmed. Selah.

^4 (5) Thou holdest mine eyelids awake; I am so troubled that lo adaber (I cannot speak).

^5 (6) I have considered the yamim mikedem (days of old), the shnot olamim (years long past).

^6 (7) I called to remembrance my neginah balailah (song in the night); I communed with mine own lev; and my ruach pondered with diligent search.

^7 (8) Will Adonoi cast off forever? And will He show favor no more?

^8 (9) Is His chesed passed away forever? Is His promise at an end l’dor vador?

^9 (10) Hath El (G-d) forgotten to be channot (gracious)? Hath He in anger shut up His rachamim (mercy)? Selah.

^10 (11) And I said, This is my affliction; but I will remember the shanot of the Yemin Elyon (Right Hand of the Most High).

^11 (12) I will remember the deeds of Hashem; surely I will remember Thy wonders mikedem (of old, of long ago).

^12 (13) I will meditate also on kol po’al (all work) of Thine, and consider Thy mighty deeds.

^13 (14) Thy Derech, O Elohim, is bakodesh (in holiness). Who is so gadol El as Elohim?

^14 (15) Thou art HaEl oseh peleh (the G-d that doest wonders); Thou hast declared Thy oz (strength) among the amim (peoples, nations).

^15 (16) Thou hast with Thine zero’a (strong arm) redeemed Thy people, the Bnei Ya’akov and Yosef. Selah.

^16 (17) The mayim saw Thee, O Elohim, the mayim saw Thee; they were afraid; the tehomot (ocean depths) also writhed.

^17 (18) The clouds poured down mayim; the skies resounded in thunder; Thine khitzim (arrows, i.e., lightning bolts) also went forth

^18 (19) The voice of Thy thunder was in the galgal (whirlwind); the lightning lit up the tevel (world); ha’aretz trembled and quaked.

^19 (20) Thy derech is in the yam (sea), and Thy path is through the mayim rabbim (great waters), and Thy footsteps are not to be discerned.

^20 (21) Thou didst lead Thy people like a tzon (flock) by the yad Moshe and Aharon.

78 (Maskil of Asaph.) Give ear, O my people, to my torah; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

² I will open my mouth in a mashal; I will utter dark sayings from of old,

³ Which we have heard and known, and Avoteinu have told us.

⁴ We will not hide them from their banim, recounting to the dor acharon the tehillot Hashem, and His power, and His nifla’ot (wonderful works) that He hath done.

⁵ For He established edut in Ya’akov, set torah in Yisroel, which He commanded Avoteinu, that they should make them known to their banim;

⁶ So that the dor acharon might know them, even the banim which should be born; who should arise and recount them to their banim;

⁷ That they might put their confidence in Elohim, and not forget the ma’allei El (works of G-d), but keep His mitzvot;

⁸ And might not be as their Avot, a dor sorer u’moreh (stubborn and rebellious generation); a generation that set not its lev aright, and whose ruach was not faithful to G-d.

⁹ The Bnei Ephrayim, being armed, and shooting keshet (the bows), turned back in the day of battle.

¹⁰ They kept not the Brit Elohim, and refused to walk in His torah;

¹¹ And forgot His works, and His nifla’ot (wonders) that He had shown them.

¹² Peleh (marvellous things) did He in the sight of their avot, in Eretz Mitzrayim, in the sadeh (area) of Tzoan.

¹³ He divided the yam, and caused them to pass through; and He made the mayim to stand like a heap.

¹⁴ In the daytime also He led them with an anan, and all the lailah with an ohr of eish.

¹⁵ He split the rocks in the midbar, and gave them drink as out of the great tehomot.

¹⁶ He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused mayim to run down like rivers.

¹⁷ And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking Elyon in the wilderness.

¹⁸ And they tested G-d by their lev by demanding ochel for their lust.

¹⁹ And they spoke against Elohim; they said, Can G-d spread a shulchan in the midbar?

²⁰ Behold, He struck the Tzur, that the mayim gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can He give lechem also? Can He provide meat for His people?

²¹ Therefore Hashem heard this, and was in wrath; so an eish was kindled against Ya’akov, and anger also came up against Yisroel;

²² Because they believed not in Elohim, and trusted not in His Yeshuah (salvation);

²³ Though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the daletei Shomayim (doors of heaven),

²⁴ And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the bread of Shomayim [see Yn 6:31 OJBC].

²⁵ Ish did eat the bread of angels; He sent them lechem to the full.

²⁶ He caused an east wind to blow from Shomayim; and by His oz He brought in the south wind.

²⁷ He rained meat also upon them like aphar, and winged fowls like the chol (sand) of the sea;

²⁸ And He let it fall in the midst of their machaneh, all around their mishkenot (habitations).

²⁹ So they did eat, and were well filled; for He gave them their own ta’avah (evil desire).

³⁰ They were not estranged from their ta’avah. But while their food was yet in their mouths,

³¹ The Af Elohim (wrath of G-d) came upon them, and slaughtered the stoutest of them, and cut down the bochurim of Yisroel.

³² For all this they sinned still, and believed not in His nifla’ot (wondrous works).

³³ Therefore their yamim did He consume in hevel (futility, vanity) and their shanim in terror.

³⁴ When He slaughtered them, then they sought Him; and they returned and inquired diligently after G-d.

³⁵ And they remembered that Elohim was their Tzur, and the El Elyon their Go’el (Redeemer).

³⁶ Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their leshon.

³⁷ For their lev was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His Brit.

³⁸ But He, being full of compassion, made kapporah for their avon and destroyed them not; and He many times turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.

³⁹ For He remembered that they were but basar; a ruach (wind) that passeth away, and cometh not again.

⁴⁰ How oft did they provoke Him in the midbar, and grieve Him in the desert!

⁴¹ Again and again they turned back and tested G-d, and imposed limits on Kadosh Yisroel.

⁴² They remembered not His Yad (Hand, Power), nor the yom (day) when He redeemed them from the enemy.

⁴³ How He had wrought His otot in Mitzrayim, and His mofetim in the area of Tzoan.

⁴⁴ And had turned their rivers into dahm; and their streams, that they could not drink.

⁴⁵ He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them; and tzfarde’a (frogs), which destroyed them.

⁴⁶ He gave also their crop unto the grasshopper, and their produce unto the arbeh (locust).

⁴⁷ He destroyed their gefen with barad (hail), and their fig trees with frost.

⁴⁸ He gave up their cattle also to the barad (hail), and their livestock herds to hot thunderbolts.

⁴⁹ He cast upon them His charon af, evrah (wrath), and za’am (indignation), and tzarah, by sending malachim ra’im among them.

⁵⁰ He made a way for His anger; He spared not their nefesh from mavet (death), but gave their beasts over to the dever (plague);

⁵¹ And struck all the bechor in Mitzrayim; the reshit (first fruit) of their strength in the ohalim of Cham;

⁵² But made His own people to go forth like tzon, and guided them in the midbar like an eder (flock).

⁵³ And He led them in safety, so that they had no terror; but the yam overwhelmed their oyevim.

⁵⁴ And He brought them to His gevul kadosh (His holy border), even to this Har, which His Yamin had purchased.

⁵⁵ He cast out the Goyim also before them, and divided by measure a nachalah for them, and made the Shivtei Yisroel to dwell in their ohalim.

⁵⁶ Yet they tested and provoked Elohim Elyon, and were not shomer over His edot;

⁵⁷ But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their avot; they turned like a treacherous keshet.

⁵⁸ For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their pesilim.

⁵⁹ When Elohim heard this, He was in wrath, and greatly abhorred Yisroel;

⁶⁰ So that He forsook the Mishkan of Shiloh, the Ohel which He placed among adam (men);

⁶¹ And delivered His oz (strength) into captivity, and His tiferet into the hand of the enemy.

⁶² He gave His people over also unto the cherev; and was in wrath with His nachalah.

⁶³ The eish consumed their bochurim; and their betulot had no wedding celebration.

⁶⁴ Their kohanim fell by the cherev; and their almanot made no lamentation.

⁶⁵ Then Adonoi awaked as one from sleep, and like a gibbor that shouteth from yayin.

⁶⁶ And He struck down His enemies behind; He put them to cherpat olam (perpetual reproach).

⁶⁷ Moreover He rejected the Ohel Yosef, and chose not the Shevet Ephrayim;

⁶⁸ But chose the Shevet Yehudah, Har Tziyon which He loved.

⁶⁹ And He built His Mikdash like heavenly heights, like Eretz which He hath established l’olam.

⁷⁰ He chose Dovid also His Eved, and took him from the mikhle’ot tzon (sheepfolds);

⁷¹ From following the nursing ewes He brought him to shepherd Ya’akov His people, and Yisroel His nachalah.

⁷² So he shepherded them according to the tohm (integrity, guilelessness) of his lev; and led them by the skillfulness of his hands.

79 (A Mizmor. Of Asaph) O Elohim, the Goyim are come into Thine Nachalah; Thy Heikhal Kodesh have they defiled; they have reduced Yerushalayim to rubble.

² The dead bodies of Thy avadim have they given to be food unto the oph HaShomayim, the basar of Thy Chasidim, unto the beasts of the earth.

³ Their shefach dahm (shedding of blood) is like mayim all around Yerushalayim; and there is none to bury them.

⁴ We are become a reproach to our shekhenim (neighbors), a scorn and derision to them that are around us.

⁵ How long, Hashem? Wilt Thou be angry lanetzach (forever)? Shall Thy kina (jealousy) burn like eish?

⁶ Pour out Thy wrath upon the Goyim that have no da’as of Thee, and upon the mamlachot that have not called upon Thy Shem.

⁷ For they have devoured Ya’akov, and laid waste his naveh (home).

⁸ O remember not against us avonot rishonim (former iniquities); let Thy rachamim speedily come to us; for we are brought very low.

⁹ Help us, O Elohei Yisheinu, (G-d of our salvation), for the kavod of Thy Shem; and deliver us, and make kapporah for our sins, for Thy Name’s sake.

¹⁰ Why should the Goyim say, Where is Eloheihem? Let there be known among the Goyim in our sight, vengeance for the shefach dahm of Thy avadim.

¹¹ Let the groaning of the asir (prisoner) come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy Zero’a preserve Thou those that are Bnei Temutah (sons of death, i.e., appointed to die, doomed to die);

¹² And repay unto our shekhenim (neighbors) sevenfold into their kheyk their reproach, wherewith they have reproached Thee, Adonoi.

¹³ So we Thy people and tzon of Thy pasture will give Thee thanks l’olahm (forever); we will show forth Thy praise l’dor vador.

80 (For the one directing. Set to The Lilies of the Edut. Of Asaph. Mizmor.) Give ear, O Ro’eh Yisroel, Thou that leadest Yosef like a tzon; Thou that art enthroned between the Keruvim, shine forth.

^2 (3) Before Ephrayim and Binyamin and Menasheh, Stir up Thy gevurah (might), and come and save us.

^3 (4) Turn us again, O Elohim, and cause Thy face to shine that we may be saved.

^4 (5) Hashem Elohim Tzva’os, ad mosai (how long) wilt Thou be angry against the tefillat amecha (prayer of Thy people)?

^5 (6) Thou feedest them with the lechem dimah (bread of tears); and givest them dima’ot (tears) to drink in great measure.

^6 (7) Thou makest us a madon (strife, contention) unto shcheneinu (our neighbors), and oyveinu (our enemies) mock us.

^7 (8) Turn us again, O Elohim Tzva’os, and cause Thy face to shine that we may be saved.

^8 (9) Thou hast brought a gefen (vine) out of Mitzrayim; Thou hast drove out Goyim, and planted it.

^9 (10) Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the eretz.

^10 (11) The harim were covered with the tzel (shadow) of it, and the branches thereof were like the mighty cedars.

^11 (12) It sent out its branches unto the yam (sea, i.e., Mediterranean Sea) and its shoots unto the Nahar (river, i.e., the Euphrates).

^12 (13) Lammah (why) hast Thou then broken down her walls, so that all they which pass by the derech do pluck her?

^13 (14) The chazir (wild boar) out of the forest doth lay it waste, and the beasts of the sadeh doth devour it.

^14 (15) Shuv nah (return now), we beseech Thee, O Elohim Tzva’os; look down from Shomayim, and behold, and visit gefen zot (this vine);

^15 (16) And the stock which Thy Yamin (Right Hand) hath planted, and the Ben that Thou madest strong for Thyself.

^16 (17) It is burned with eish, it is cut down; they perish at the ge’arah (rebuke) of Thy countenance.

^17 (18) Let Thy Yad be upon the Ish Yeminecha (the Man of your Right Hand), upon the Ben Adam whom Thou madest strong for Thyself [cf Psalm 110:1; Dan 7:13].

^18 (19) So will we never turn back from Thee; revive us, and we will call upon Thy Shem.

¹⁹ Turn us again, Hashem Elohim Tzva’os; cause Thy face to shine that we may be saved.

81 (For the one directing. On the gittis. Of Asaph.) Sing with joy unto Elohim uzeinu (our strength); make a joyful noise unto Elohei Ya’akov.

^2 (3) Begin a song, and bring hither the tambourine, the pleasant kinnor (harp) with the nevel (lyre).

^3 (4) Blow the shofar at Rosh Chodesh, at the full moon, on Yom Chageinu.

^4 (5) For this was a chok for Yisroel, and a mishpat of the Elohei Ya’akov.

^5 (6) This He ordained in Yosef for an edut, when He went out over Eretz Mitzra- yim; where a language of one not known did I hear.

^6 (7) I removed his shekhem (shoulder) from the burden; his hands were delivered from the basket.

^7 (8) In tzoros thou calledst, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the seter ra’am (secret place of thunder); I tested thee at the waters of Merivah. Selah.

^8 (9) Shema, O My people, and I will admonish thee; O Yisroel, if thou wilt pay heed unto Me;

^9 (10) There shall no el zar (strange, foreign g-d) be among thee; neither shalt thou worship any el nechar (foreign g-d).

^10 (11) I am Hashem Eloheicha Who brought thee out of Eretz Mitzrayim; open thy mouth wide, I will fill it.

^11 (12) But My people would not pay heed to My voice; and Yisroel would have none of Me.

^12 (13) So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ sherirut (stubbornness); and they walked in their own mo’atzot (counsels).

^13 (14) Oh that My people had paid heed unto Me, and Yisroel had walked in My ways!

^14 (15) I should soon have subdued their oyevim and turned My Yad (hand, power) against their adversaries.

^15 (16) The haters of Hashem should have cringed before Him; their et (time, fate, punishment) endures l’olam.

^16 (17) He would have fed them also with the finest of the chittah (wheat); and with devash (honey) from the Tzur would I have satisfied thee.

82 (Mizmor of Asaph.) Elohim standeth in the Adat El; He judgeth among the elohim [See Ps 82:6 and Yn 10:34].

² Ad mosai (How long) will ye judge unjustly, and show partiality to the resha’im? Selah.

³ Defend the poor and yatom (fatherless); do justice to the oni (afflicted) and needy.

⁴ Deliver the poor and needy; rid them out of the yad resha’im.

⁵ They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in choshech; all the foundations of ha’aretz are shaken.

⁶ I have said, elohim ye are; and all of you are Bnei HaElyon.

⁷ But ye shall die like adam, and fall like one of the sarim (princes).

⁸ Arise, Elohim, judge ha’aretz; for Thou shalt inherit kol HaGoyim.

83 (Shir. Mizmor of Asaph). Keep not Thou silent, O Elohim; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O El (G-d).

^2 (3) For, hinei, Thine oyevim are in tumult; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the rosh.

^3 (4) They lay out a crafty conspiracy against Amecha (Thy people), and plot against Tzefunecha (Thy sheltered, protected, hidden ones).

^4 (5) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a goy (nation); that the shem Yisroel may be no more remembered.

^5 (6) For they have plotted together with one lev; they cut a brit against Thee;

^6 (7) The ohalim Edom, and the Yishm’elim; of Moav, and the Hagerim;

^7 (8) Geval, and Ammon, and Amalek; Peleshet (Philistia) with the inhabitants of Tzor;

^8 (9) Assyria also is joined with them; they are the zero’a (strong arm) of the Bnei Lot. Selah.

^9 (10) Do unto them as unto Midyan; as to Sisra, as to Yavin, at the Wadi Kishon [see Shofetim chp 4-8];

^10 (11) Which became shmad at Ein-Dor; they became like domen (dung, fertilizer) for ha’adamah.

^11 (12) Make their nobles like Orev, and like Ze’ev; yes, all their princes like Zevach, and like Tzalmunna;

^12 (13) Who said, Let us take possession for ourselves of the pasturelands of Elohim.

^13 (14) O Elohai, make them like galgal (tumbleweed); like chaff before the ruach (wind).

^14 (15) As the eish consumeth the forest, and as the flame setteth ablaze harim;

^15 (16) So pursue them with Thy sa’ar (tempest, storm), and make them afraid with Thy storm.

^16 (17) Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek Shimcha, Hashem.

^17 (18) Let them be put to shame and dismayed adei ad (forever); yes, let them perish in disgrace;

^18 (19) Let them have da’as that Thou alone, Shimcha Hashem, art Elyon al kol HaAretz.

84 (For the one directing. On the gittit. Mizmor for the Bnei Korach). How yedidot (lovely) are thy mishkanot, O Hashem Tzva’os!

^2 (3) My nefesh longeth, yea, even fainteth for the khatzrot Hashem (courts of Hashem); my lev and my basar crieth out for El Chai.

^3 (4) Yea, the sparrow hath found a bais, and the swallow a ken (nest) for herself, where she may lay her young, even Thine mizbechot, O Hashem Tzva’os Malki v’Elohai.

^4 (5) Ashrei are they that dwell in Thy Beis [Hamikdash]; they are ever praising Thee. Selah.

^5 (6) Ashrei is the adam whose oz (strength) is in Thee; in whose lev are their highways [to Tziyon; see verse 7(8)].

^6 (7) Who passing through the valley of Baca (weeping) make it a ma’ayon (spring, fountain); the moreh (early rain) also covereth it with berakhot (blessings).

^7 (8) They go from strength to strength, every one of them who appeareth before Elohim in Tziyon.

^8 (9) O Hashem Elohim Tzva’os, hear my tefillah; give ear, O Elohei Ya’akov. Selah.

^9 (10) Behold mogineinu (our shield), O Elohim, and look upon the face of Thine Moshiach.

^10 (11) For a yom in Thy khatzrot is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the Beis Elohai, than to dwell in the ohalim resha (tents of wickedness).

^11 (12) For Hashem Elohim is a shemesh and a mogen; Hashem will give chen and kavod; no good thing will He withhold from the holekhim b’tamim (them that walk uprightly).

^12 (13) O Hashem Tzva’os, ashrei is the adam bote’ach (man that trusteth, hath confident faith) in Thee.

85 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Mizmor.) Hashem, Thou hast been favorable unto Thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Ya’akov.

^2 (3) Thou hast forgiven the avon (iniquity) of Amecha (Thy people); Thou hast covered all their chattat (sin). Selah.

^3 (4) Thou hast withdrawn all Thy wrath; Thou hast turned from Thine charon af.

^4 (5) Turn us, O Elohei Yisheinu (G-d of our salvation), and put away Thine ka’as (anger) toward us.

^5 (6) Wilt Thou be angry with us l’olam? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger l’dor vador?

^6 (7) Wilt Thou not revive us again; that Amecha (Thy people) may rejoice in Thee?

^7 (8) Show us chasdecha (Thy chesed, kindness, steadfast love), Hashem, and grant us Thy salvation.

^8 (9) I will hear what HaEl Hashem will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His Chasidim; but let them not turn again to folly.

^9 (10) Surely His salvation is karov (near) them that fear Him; that kavod may dwell in Artzeinu (our land).

^10 (11) Chesed and emes will meet together; tzedek and shalom will kiss each other.

^11 (12) Emes shall titzmach (sprout forth [T.N. Tzemach—Branch, Sprout—is the code name for Moshiach and the coming Tzemach’s Namesake in Zecharyah 6:11-12 is Yehoshua, Yeshua—see Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; 6:11-12. Go to Jer 23:5 and look at all the references. These are among the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it is here that the saving Name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu is prophetically communicated for salvation; the word Tzemach means “Moshiach” and it is the code word par excellence for Moshiach in the post-Exilic references in the minor prophets; this veiled reference to Moshiach was necessary in the situation of the Return under Persian rule when talk of a coming king was a delicate matter.]) out of ha’aretz; and tzedek shall look down from Shomayim.

^12 (13) Yes, Hashem shall give that which is tov; and Artzeinu (our land) shall yield her yevul (increase, produce).

^13 (14) Tzedek shall go before Him; and shall set us in the Derech of His steps.

86 (A tefillah of Dovid) Incline Thine ear, Hashem; hear me; for I am ani (poor) and evyon (needy).

² Be shomer over my nefesh; for I am chasid; O Thou Elohai, save Thy eved that trusteth in Thee.

³ Channeni (be merciful) unto me, Adonoi; for I cry unto Thee kol hayom.

⁴ Samei’ach (rejoice) the nefesh of Thy eved; for unto Thee, Adonoi, do I lift up my nefesh.

⁵ For Thou, Adonoi, art tov, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in chesed unto all them that call upon Thee.

⁶ Give ear, Hashem, unto my tefillah (prayer); and attend to the voice of my techinnot (supplications).

⁷ In my yom tzoros I will call upon Thee; for Thou wilt answer me.

⁸ Ein kamocha vaelohim (there is none like Thee among the g-ds), Adonoi; nor are there any ma’asim like Thine.

⁹ Kol Goyim whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, Adonoi; and shall glorify Shimcha.

¹⁰ For Thou art gadol, and doest nifla’ot (wondrous things); Thou alone art Elohim.

¹¹ Teach me Thy Derech, Hashem; I will walk in Thy emes; Yachad (make undivided) levavi (my heart) to fear Thy Shem.

¹² I will praise Thee, Adonoi Elohai, with all my lev; and I will glorify Shimecha l’olam.

¹³ For gadol is Thy chesed toward me; and Thou hast saved my nefesh from the lowermost Sheol.

¹⁴ O Elohim, the zedim (arrogant ones, proud, insolent ones) are risen up against me, and the adat aritzim (band of violent men) seek my nefesh; and have not set Thee before them.

¹⁵ But Thou, Adonoi, art El Rachum and Channun, slow to anger, and plenteous in chesed and emes.

¹⁶ O turn unto me, and be gracious upon me; give Thy oz (strength) unto Thy eved, and save the ben amatecha (the son of Thy handmaid).

¹⁷ Show me an ot (sign) for tovah; that they which hate me may see it, and be put to shame; because Thou, Hashem, hast helped me, and comforted me.

87 (Of the Bnei Korach. A mizmor. A shir) On the Harei Kodesh (Holy Mountain) stands His foundation.

² Hashem loveth the sha’arei Tziyon more than all the mishkenot Ya’akov.

³ Glorious things are spoken of thee, O Ir HaElohim. Selah.

⁴ To them that know me, I will make mention of Rachav and Babylon; hinei, Philistia, and Tzor, with Ethiopia: this man was born there.

⁵ But of Tziyon it shall be said, This one and that one were born in her; and Elyon Himself shall establish it.

⁶ Hashem shall register, when He writeth up the people, that this one was born there. Selah.

⁷ The sharim (ones singing) as well as the cholelim (players on instruments) shall be there; all my fountains are in thee.

88 (Shir. Mizmor of the Bnei Korach. For the one directing. According to Machalat le‘annot. Maskil of Herman the Ezrachi.) Hashem Elohei Yeshuati (G-d of my salvation), I have cried out yom valailah before Thee.

^2 (3) Let my tefillah come before Thee; incline Thine ear unto my cry;

^3 (4) For my nefesh is full of troubles; and my life draweth near unto Sheol.

^4 (5) I am counted with them that go down into the bor (pit); I am like a gever (man) that hath no strength;

^5 (6) Forsaken among the mesim, like the slain that lie in the kever, whom Thou rememberest no more; and nigzaru (they are cut off, excluded; see Isa 53:8) from Thy Yad (hand, power, care).

^6 (7) Thou hast laid me in the lowest bor (pit), in darkness, in the deeps.

^7 (8) Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hast overwhelmed me with kol mishbarecha (all Thy waves, breakers). Selah.

^8 (9) Thou hast estranged mine acquaintances far from me; Thou hast made me to’evot unto them; I am shut up, and I cannot escape.

^9 (10) Mine eye groweth dim by reason of oni (affliction); Hashem, I have called daily upon Thee, I have stretched up my hands unto Thee.

^10 (11) Wilt Thou show wonders to the mesim? Shall the lifeless arise and praise Thee? Selah.

^11 (12) Shall Thy chesed be declared in the kever? Or Thy emunah in Avaddon?

^12 (13) Shall Thy wonders be known in the choshech? And Thy tzedakah in the Eretz Neshiyyah (land of forgetfulness, oblivion)?

^13 (14) But unto Thee have I cried, Hashem; and in the boker shall my tefillah come before Thee.

^14 (15) Hashem, why castest Thou off my nefesh? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me?

^15 (16) I am afflicted and govei’a (one being close to death) from my youth up; while I suffer Thy terrors I am distraught.

^16 (17) Thy charon (fierce wrath) goeth over me; Thy terrors have flayed me.

^17 (18) They came round about me daily like mayim; they close in, engulfing me.

^18 (19) Ohev (lover) and re’a (companion) hast Thou estranged from me, and mine acquaintances are in darkness. [T.N. Ps 89 is a messianic Ps.]

89 (A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachi). I will sing of the mercies of Hashem olam; with my mouth will I make known Thy emunah (faithfulness) to dor vador.

^2 (3) For I have said, Chesed shall be built up olam; Thy emunah (faithfulness) shalt Thou establish in Shomayim itself.

^3 (4) I have made a Brit with My Bechir (Chosen one), I have sworn unto Dovid Avdi,

^4 (5) Thy Zera will I establish ad olam, and build up thy kisse to dor vador. Selah.

^5 (6) And Shomayim shall praise Thy wonders, O Hashem; Thy emunah (faithfulness) also in the Kahal Kedoshim.

^6 (7) For who in the heavens can be compared unto Hashem? Who among the bnei elim can be likened unto Hashem?

^7 (8) G-d is greatly to be feared in the sod Kedoshim (council of the holy ones), and is awesome over all them that are around Him.

^8 (9) Hashem Elohei Tzva’os, who is like Thee, O Mighty One, Hashem? Thy emunah also surrounds Thee!

^9 (10) Thou rulest the raging of the yam; when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them [see Mk 4:41].

^10 (11) Thou hast broken Rachav in pieces, as one that is slain; Thou hast scattered Thine oyevim with Thy strong Zero’a.

^11 (12) Shomayim are Thine, Eretz also is Thine; as for the tevel (world) and the fulness thereof, Thou hast founded them.

^12 (13) The tzafon (north) and the yamin (south) Thou hast created them; Tavor and Chermon shall sing for joy in Thy Shem.

^13 (14) Thou hast a mighty Zero’a; strong is Thy Yad, and exalted is Thy Yamin.

^14 (15) Tzedek and mishpat are the foundation of Thy kisse; chesed and emes shall go before Thy face.

^15 (16) Ashrei is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, Hashem, in the ohr (light) of Thy countenance.

^16 (17) In Thy Shem shall they rejoice kol hayom; and in Thy tzedakah shall they be exalted.

^17 (18) For Thou art the tiferet (splendor, glory) of their strength; and in Thy favor our keren shall be exalted.

^18 (19) For Hashem is our mogen; and the Kadosh Yisroel is Malkeinu (our king).

^19 (20) Then Thou spoke in chazon (vision) to Thy chasidim, and saidst, I have laid ezer (help) upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

^20 (21) I have found Dovid Avdi; with My shemen kadosh (holy oil) meshachtiv (I anointed him);

^21 (22) With whom My yad shall be established; Mine zero’a also shall strengthen him.

^22 (23) The oyev (enemy) shall not ensnare him; nor the ben avlah (son of wickedness) afflict him.

^23 (24) And I will beat down his tzar before his face, and strike down them that hate him.

^24 (25) But My emunah (faithfulness) and My chesed shall be with him; and in My Shem shall his keren be exalted.

^25 (26) I will set his yad also upon the yam, and his yamin upon the neharot (rivers).

^26 (27) He shall cry out unto Me, Thou art Avi, Eli, and the Tzur of my Yeshuah (salvation) [Mt 16:16].

^27 (28) Also I will make him My Bechor, elyon (most exalted) of the Malkhei Aretz.

^28 (29) My chesed will I be shomer over for him forevermore, and My Brit shall stand unfailing with him.

^29 (30) His zera also will I make to endure forever, and his kisse as the days of Shomayim.

^30 (31) If his banim forsake My torah, walk not in My mishpatim,

^31 (32) If they violate My chukkot, and are not shomer over My mitzvot;

^32 (33) Then will I visit their peysha with shevet (rod), and their avon (iniquity) with stripes.

^33 (34) Nevertheless My chesed will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My emunah (faithfulness) to fail.

^34 (35) My Brit will I not violate, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.

^35 (36) Once have I sworn by My Kodesh; I will not lie unto Dovid.

^36 (37) His zera shall endure l’olam, and his kisse as the shemesh before Me.

^37 (38) It shall be established olam as the yarei’ach, and as an ed ne’eman (a faithful witness) in the heavens. Selah.

^38 (39) But Thou hast cast off [mem-alef-samech, see same word Psalm 118:22] and abhorred, Thou hast been in wrath with Thine Moshiach.

^39 (40) Thou hast made void the Brit of Thy eved; Thou hast profaned his nezer (diadem) to the ground.

^40 (41) Thou hast broken down all his gederot (hedges); Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.

^41 (42) All that pass by the derech plunder him; he is a cherpah (reproach) to his shchenim [Mt 27:39].

^42 (43) Thou hast exalted the yamin of his adversaries; Thou hast made all his oyevim to rejoice.

^43 (44) Thou hast also turned back the edge of his cherev, and hast not made him to stand in the milchamah.

^44 (45) Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his kisse down to the ground.

^45 (46) The days of his youth hast thou shortened; Thou hast covered him with bushah (shame). Selah.

^46 (47) How long, Hashem? Wilt Thou hide Thyself lanetzach (forever)? Shall Thy wrath burn like eish?

^47 (48) Remember how short my time is. For what vanity hast Thou created kol bnei adam?

^48 (49) What gever is he that liveth, and shall not see mavet? Shall he deliver his nefesh from the yad Sheol (power of Sheol)? Selah.

^49 (50) Adonoi, where are Thy former lovingkindnesses, which Thou didst swear unto Dovid in Thy emunah?

^50 (51) Remember, Adonoi, the reproach of Thy avadim; how I do bear in my kheyk (bosom) the reproach of all rabbim amim (many peoples);

^51 (52) Wherewith Thine oyevim have reproached, Hashem; wherewith they have reproached the ikkevot (footsteps) of Thine Moshiach.

^52 (53) Baruch Hashem l’olam. Omein and Omein.

90 (Tefillah of Moshe, ish HaElohim) Adonoi, Thou hast been our ma’on (dwelling place) b’dor vador.

² Before the harim were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed eretz and the tevel (inhabited world), even from olam ad olam, Thou art El (G-d).

³ Thou turnest enosh to dakka (dust); and sayest, Shuvu, ye Bnei Adam.

⁴ For an elef shanim in Thy sight are but as yom etmol (yesterday) when it is past, and as an ashmurah (watch, division of time) in the lailah.

⁵ Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sheinah (sleep); in the boker they are like khatzir (grass) which withereth.

⁶ In the boker it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the erev it is cut down, and drieth up.

⁷ For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy chemah are we troubled.

⁸ Thou hast set avonoteinu before Thee, our secret sins in the ohr of Thy countenance.

⁹ For kol yameinu are passed away in Thy evrah (fury); we spend shaneinu (our years) like a sigh.

¹⁰ The yamim of shnoteinu (our years, life) are threescore shanah and ten; and if by reason of gevurot they are fourscore shanah, yet is their boast amal (trouble, toil) and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

¹¹ Who has da’as of the oz (power) of Thine anger? Thy evrah is as great as Thy yirah (fear of, reverence owed G-d).

¹² So teach us to number yameinu, that we may apply levav unto chochmah.

¹³ Shuvah, Hashem. Ad mosai? Have compassion on Thy avadim.

¹⁴ O satisfy us baboker with Thy chesed; that we may sing for joy and be glad kol yameinu (all our days).

¹⁵ Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen ra’ah.

¹⁶ Let Thy work appear unto Thy avadim, and Thy glory unto their banim.

¹⁷ And let the no’am (favor, delightfulness) of Adonoi Eloheinu be upon us; and establish Thou the ma’aseh yadeinu upon us; yes, the ma’aseh yadeinu establish Thou it.

91 He that dwelleth in the seter Elyon (covering, hiding place of the Most High) shall abide under the tzel Shaddai (shadow of the Almighty).

² I will say of Hashem, He is my refuge and my fortress; Elohai (my G-d); in Him will I trust.

³ Surely He shall save thee from the pach yakosh ([deadly] snare of the fowler), and from the devastating dever (plague).

⁴ He shall cover thee with His evrah (pinion, flight feathers), and under His kenafayim (wings) shalt thou find defense; His Emes shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵ Thou shalt not be afraid of the pachad (terror) by lailah; nor of the khetz (arrow) that flieth yomam (by day);

⁶ Nor for the dever (plague) that walketh in darkness; nor for the ketev (pestilence, destruction) that destroyeth at tzohorayim (noon).

⁷ An elef (thousand) may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy yamin (right hand); but it shall not come near thee.

⁸ Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the shillumah (recompense, retribution) of the resha’im.

⁹ Because thou hast made Hashem, which is my refuge, even Elyon, thy ma’on (habitation, dwelling; see Yn 14:2 OJBC)

¹⁰ There shall no ra’ah (evil, disaster) befall thee, neither shall any nega come near thy ohel.

¹¹ For He shall give charge to His malachim (angels) concerning thee, to be shomer over thee in kol drakhim of thee.

¹² They [the malachim of Hashem] shall bear thee up on their palms, lest thou dash thy regel against an even (stone).

¹³ Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the tannin (serpent) shalt thou trample under foot.

¹⁴ Because he hath set his longing upon Me, therefore will I rescue him; I will set him on high, because he hath da’as of Shmi (My Name).

¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in tzoros; I will deliver him, and honor him.

¹⁶ With orech yamim (length of days, long life) will I satisfy him, and show him My Yeshuah (salvation).

92 (Mizmor. Shir. For Shabbos) It is tov to give thanks unto Hashem, and to make music unto Thy Shem, O Elyon;

^2 (3) To proclaim Thy chesed in the boker, and Thy emunah baleilot,

^3 (4) Upon a ten-stringed instrument, and upon the nevel (lyre); to the melody of the kinnor (harp).

^4 (5) For Thou, Hashem, hast made me glad through Thy work; I will joy in the works of Thy hands.

^5 (6) Hashem, how great are Thy works! And Thy machshe’vot (thoughts) are very deep.

^6 (7) An ish ba’ar (brutish, senseless man, dolt) knoweth not; neither doth a kesil (fool) understand this.

^7 (8) When the resha’im spring up like the esev (grass), and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed adei-ad (forever).

^8 (9) But Thou, Hashem, art exalted l’olam.

^9 (10) For, hinei, Thine enemies, Hashem, for, hinei, Thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

^10 (11) But my keren shalt Thou exalt like the keren of a re’eim (wild ox); I shall be anointed with fresh shemen.

^11 (12) Mine eye also shall look on mine foes, and mine ears shall hear of the resha’im that rise up against me.

^12 (13) The tzaddik shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Levanon.

^13 (14) Those that are planted in the Beis Hashem shall flourish in the khatzerot Eloheinu (courts of our G-d).

^14 (15) They shall still bear forth fruit in old age; they shall be deshenim (stalwart, vigorous) and ra’ananim (luxuriant, fresh);

^15 (16) To proclaim that Hashem is yashar; He is my Tzur, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

93 Hashem reigneth, He is robed with majesty; Hashem is clothed with strength, wherewith He hath girded Himself; the tevel (world) also is established, that it cannot be moved.

² Thy kisse is established of old; Thou art me’olam (from everlasting).

³ The floods have lifted up, Hashem, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

⁴ Hashem on high is mightier than the noise of mayim rabbim, yea, than the mighty waves of the yam.

⁵ Thy testimonies are very sure; Kodesh becometh Thine Beis, Hashem, forever.

94 Hashem G-d, to whom vengeance belongeth; O G-d, to whom vengeance belongeth, show Thyself.

² Rise up, Thou Shofet HaAretz; render gemul (recompense, desert) to the ge’im (proud ones).

³ Ad mosai, Hashem, shall the resha’im, how long shall the resha’im triumph?

⁴ How long shall they utter and speak malicious lies? And all the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity) glorify themselves?

⁵ They crush Thy people, Hashem, and afflict Thine nachalah.

⁶ They slay the almanah and the ger, and murder the yetomim (fatherless, orphans).

⁷ Yet they say, Hashem shall not see, neither shall the Elohei Ya’akov regard it.

⁸ Understand, ye brutish among the people; and ye kesilim (fools), when will ye get seichel?

⁹ He that planted the ozen (ear), shall He not hear? He that formed the ayin (eye), shall He not see?

¹⁰ He that chastiseth the Goyim, shall not He reprove? He that is the melamed (teacher) of da’as to adam?

¹¹ Hashem knoweth the machshevot (thoughts) of adam, that they are hevel (vanity, futile).

¹² Ashrei (blessed) is the gever whom Thou chastenest, Hashem, and teachest him out of Thy torah;

¹³ That Thou mayest grant him relief from the days of rah, until a shachat (pit) is dug for the rasha.

¹⁴ For Hashem will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His nachalah.

¹⁵ But mishpat shall revert unto tzedek; and all the yishrei lev (upright in heart) shall follow after it.

¹⁶ Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Or who will take a stand for Me against the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity)?

¹⁷ Unless Hashem had been my help, my nefesh had almost dwelt in dumah (silence).

¹⁸ When I said, My regel (foot) slippeth, Thy chesed, Hashem, held me up.

¹⁹ In the multitude of my anxieties within me Thy comforts delight my nefesh.

²⁰ Shall the kisse of corruption have chavurah (fellowship) with Thee, those, which deviseth evil by a chok (statute)?

²¹ They band together against the nefesh of the tzaddik, and condemn dahm naki (innocent blood).

²² But Hashem is my stronghold; and Elohai is the Tzur of my refuge.

²³ And He shall turn back upon them their own iniquity, and shall destroy them for their own wickedness; Hashem Eloheinu shall destroy them.

95 O come, let us sing unto Hashem; let us make a joyful noise to the Tzur of our salvation.

² Let us come before His presence with todah, and extol Him with zemirot (joyful songs).

³ For Hashem is El Gadol, and Melech Gadol above kol elohim (g-ds).

⁴ In His yad are the deep places of ha’aretz; the peaks of the harim are His also.

⁵ The yam is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the yabashah (dry land).

⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Hashem Oseinu (our Maker).

⁷ For He is Eloheinu; and we are the people of His pasture, and the tzon of His yad. Today if ye will hear His voice,

⁸ Harden not your lev, as in Merivah, and as in the Yom Massah in the midbar;

⁹ When your avot tested Me, tried Me, and saw My work.

¹⁰ Arba’im shanah was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do stray in their lev, and they have no da’as of My ways;

¹¹ Unto whom I swore an oath in My wrath that they should not enter into My menuchah.

96 O sing unto Hashem a shir chadash; sing unto Hashem, kol ha’aretz.

² Sing unto Hashem, barakhu Shmo, show forth His Yeshuah (salvation) from day to day.

³ Declare His kavod among the Goyim, His nifle’ot (marvelous deeds) among all peoples.

⁴ For Hashem is gadol, and me’od to be praised; He is to be feared above all elohim.

⁵ For kol elohei HaAmim are elilim (idols); but Hashem made Shomayim.

⁶ Hod and hadar are before Him; oz and tiferet are in His Mikdash.

⁷ Render unto Hashem, O ye mishpekhot of the nations, render unto Hashem kavod and oz.

⁸ Render unto Hashem the kavod due unto Shmo; bring a minchah, and come into His khatzerot (courtyards).

⁹ O worship Hashem in the hadrat Kodesh; fear before Him, kol ha’aretz.

¹⁰ Say among the Goyim that Hashem reigneth; the tevel also is established that it shall not be moved; He shall judge the Amim bemeysharim (in equity, in uprightness).

¹¹ Let Shomayim rejoice, and let ha’aretz be glad; let the yam roar, and the fullness thereof.

¹² Let the sadeh be jubilant, and all that is therein; then shall kol atzei ya’ar (all the trees of the forest) sing for joy

¹³ Before Hashem; for He cometh, for He cometh to judge ha’aretz; He shall judge tevel betzedek (world in righteousness), and Amim with His emunah (truth).

97 Hashem reigneth; let ha’aretz rejoice; let the multitude of isles thereof be glad.

² Anan and darkness are round about Him; tzedek and mishpat are the foundation of His kisse.

³ Eish goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies on every side.

⁴ His lightnings light up the tevel; ha’aretz saw, and trembled.

⁵ The harim melted like wax at the presence of Hashem, at the presence of Adon kol HaAretz.

⁶ HaShomayim declare His tzedek, and kol ha’amim see His kavod.

⁷ Shamed be all they that serve pesel, that boast themselves of elilim; worship Him, kol elohim.

⁸ Tziyon heard, and was glad; and the banot Yehudah rejoiced because of Thy mishpatim, Hashem.

⁹ For Thou, Hashem, art Elyon above kol ha’aretz; Thou art exalted far above kol elohim.

¹⁰ Ye that love Hashem, hate rah; He preserveth the nefashot of His chasidim; He delivereth them out of the yad resha’im.

¹¹ Ohr dawns for the tzaddik, and simchah for the yishrei lev (upright in heart).

¹² Rejoice in Hashem, ye tzaddikim; and give thanks at the remembrance of His kodesh (holiness).

98 (A Mizmor) O sing unto Hashem a shir chadash; for He hath done marvellous things; His right hand, and His zero’a kodesh, hath gotten Him victory.

² Hashem hath made known His Yeshuah (salvation); His tzedek hath He openly showed in the sight of the Goyim.

³ He hath remembered His chesed and His emes toward the Bais Yisroel; all the ends of ha’aretz have seen the Yeshu’at Eloheinu (salvation of our G-d).

⁴ Make a joyful noise unto Hashem, kol ha’aretz; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

⁵ Sing unto Hashem with the kinnor; with the kinnor, and the voice of singing.

⁶ With trumpets and sound of the shofar make a joyful noise before HaMelech Hashem.

⁷ Let the yam roar, and the fullness thereof; the tevel, and they that dwell therein.

⁸ Let the floods clap their hands; let the harim be joyful together

⁹ Before Hashem; for He cometh to judge ha’aretz; with tzedek shall He judge the tevel, and the people with meisharim (uprightness).

99 Hashem reigneth; let the nations tremble; He sitteth between the keruvim; let ha’aretz be shaken.

² Hashem is great in Tziyon; and He is high above all the nations.

³ Let them praise Thy Shem gadol v’nora; for it is kadosh.

⁴ The Mighty King also loveth mishpat; Thou dost establish equity, Thou executest mishpat and tzedakah in Ya’akov.

⁵ Exalt ye Hashem Eloheinu, and worship at His footstool; for He is kadosh.

⁶ Moshe and Aharon among His kohanim, and Shmuel among them that call upon Shmo; they called upon Hashem, and He answered them.

⁷ He spoke unto them in the ammud anan (pillar of cloud); they were shomer over His statutes, and the chok (ordinance) that He gave them.

⁸ Thou answeredst them, Hashem Eloheinu; Thou wast El (G-d) that forgavest them, though Thou tookest vengeance of their misdeeds.

⁹ Exalt Hashem Eloheinu, and worship at His Har Kodesh; for Hashem Eloheinu is kadosh.

100 (Mizmor l’todah) Make a joyful shout unto Hashem, all ye lands.

² Serve Hashem with simchah; come before His presence with joyful singing.

³ Know ye that Hashem He is Elohim; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves, His people, the tzon of His pasture.

⁴ Enter into His she’arim (gates) with todah, and into His khatzerot (courts) with tehillah; be thankful unto Him, and bless Shmo.

⁵ For Hashem is good; His chesed is l’olam; and His emunah (faithfulness) endureth dor vador.

101 (Of Dovid. Mizmor) I will sing of chesed and mishpat; unto Thee, Hashem, will I sing.

² I will study the derech tamim. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my bais with tam levav.

³ I will set no devar beliyya’al before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that fall away; it shall not cleave to me.

⁴ A lev ikkesh (perverse heart) shall be far from me; I will not tolerate rah.

⁵ The one who slandereth ba’seter (in secret) his neighbor, him will I destroy; him that hath haughty einayim (eyes) and a proud levav will I not endure.

⁶ Mine eyes shall be upon the ne’emenei eretz (faithful of the land), that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a derech tamim, he shall minister to me.

⁷ He that worketh remiyyah (deceit) shall not dwell within my bais; he that speaketh shekarim (falsehoods, lies) shall not continue in my presence.

⁸ In the bokerim I will destroy all rishei eretz (wicked ones of the land); that I may cut off all doers of evil from the Ir Hashem.

102 (A tefillah of one afflicted; when he is faint, he pours out his si’akh [complaint] before Hashem) Hear my tefillah, Hashem, and let my cry for help come unto Thee.

^2 (3) Hide not Thy face from me in the yom tzar (day of distress); incline Thine ear unto me; in the yom when I call, answer me speedily.

^3 (4) For my yamim are consumed like ashan (smoke), and my atzmot burn like a furnace.

^4 (5) My lev is struck, and withered like esev; so that I forget to eat my lechem.

^5 (6) By reason of the voice of my groaning my atzmot have deveykus to my basar.

^6 (7) I am like a bird of the midbar; I am like an owl of the desert.

^7 (8) I keep watch, and am like a tzippor (bird) alone upon the gag (housetop, roof).

^8 (9) Mine oyevim (enemies) reproach me kol hayom; and they that revile me curse by me.

^9 (10) For I have eaten ashes like lechem, and mingled my drink with tears.

^10 (11) Because of Thine za’am (indignation) and Thy ketsef (wrath, anger); for Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

^11 (12) My days are like a tzel (shadow) that lengtheneth; and I am withered like esev (grass).

^12 (13) But Thou, Hashem, shall endure l’olam; and Thy memory unto dor vador.

^13 (14) Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Tziyon; for the time to favor her, the mo’ed (set time, appointed time) has come.

^14 (15) For Thy avadim cherish her avanim (stones), and pity her aphar.

^15 (16) So the Goyim shall fear the Shem Hashem, and all the melachim of ha’aretz will revere Thy glory.

^16 (17) When Hashem shall build up Tziyon, He shall appear in His Kavod.

^17 (18) He will regard the tefillah of the destitute, and not despise their tefillah.

^18 (19) This shall be written for a dor acharon (future generation); and the people which shall be created shall praise Hashem.

^19 (20) For He hath looked down from the height of His Kodesh; from Shomayim did Hashem behold Eretz;

^20 (21) To hear the groaning of the asir (prisoner); to release those that are bnei temutah (men [appointed to] death);

^21 (22) To declare the Shem Hashem in Tziyon, and His tehillah (praise) in Yerushalayim;

^22 (23) When the peoples are gathered together in assembly, and the mamlachot (kingdoms), to serve Hashem.

^23 (24) He bowed down my ko’ach in the derech; He cut short my yamim.

^24 (25) I said, O my G-d, take me not away in the midst of my yamim; Thy years are dor dorim (throughout all generations).

^25 (26) Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of ha’aretz; and Shomayim is the ma’aseh (work) of Thy hands.

^26 (27) They shall perish, but Thou shalt remain; and all of them shall wear out like a beged (garment); like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed;

^27 (28) But Thou art the same, and Thy shanot (years) shall have no end.

^28 (29) The children of Thy avadim shall dwell, and their zera shall be established before Thee.

103 (Of Dovid). Barachi (Bless) Hashem, O my nefesh; and all that is within me, bless His Shem kodesh.

² Barachi Hashem, O my nefesh, and forget not all His gmulim (benefits);

³ Who forgiveth all thine avonim (iniquities); Who healeth all thy diseases;

⁴ Who is the Go’el (Redeemer) of thy life from shachat (corruption, pit, grave); Who crowneth thee with chesed and rachamim;

⁵ Who satisfieth thy mouth with tov; so that thy ne’urim is made chadash like the nesher.

⁶ Hashem executeth tzedakot and mishpatim for all that are oppressed.

⁷ He made known His drakhim unto Moshe, His deeds unto the Bnei Yisroel.

⁸ Hashem is rachum and channun, slow to anger, and plenteous in chesed.

⁹ He will not strive l’netzach; neither will He keep His anger l’olam.

¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us according to chata’einu (our sins); nor repaid us according to avonoteinu (our iniquities).

¹¹ For as Shomayim is high above ha’aretz, so great is His chesed toward them that fear Him.

¹² As far as the mizrach (east) is from the ma’arav (west), so far hath He removed peysha’einu (our transgressions) from us.

¹³ As an av has compassion on banim so Hashem has compassion on them that fear Him.

¹⁴ For He has da’as of yitzreinu (our nature); He remembereth that aphar anachnu (dust we are).

¹⁵ As for enosh (mankind), his yamim are like khatzir (green grass, herbage); like tzitz hasadeh (a flower of the field), so he flourisheth.

¹⁶ For the ruach (wind) passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall remember it no more.

¹⁷ But the chesed Hashem is me’olam v’ad olam (from everlasting to everlasting) upon them that fear Him, and His tzedakah unto bnei banim;

¹⁸ To such as are shomer over His Brit, and to those that remember His precepts to do them.

¹⁹ Hashem hath established His kisse (throne) in Shomayim; and His malchut ruleth over all.

²⁰ Barachu Hashem, ye His malachim, gibborei ko’ach (mighty ones of power), that do His bidding, paying heed unto the voice of His Davar.

²¹ Barachu Hashem, all ye His Tzivos; ye mesharetim (ministers) of His, that do His ratzon (will).

²² Barachu Hashem, all His ma’asim in all places of His memshalet (dominion); Barachi Hashem, O my nefesh.

104 Barachi (bless) Hashem, O my nefesh. Hashem Elohai, Thou art gadol me’od; Thou art clothed with hod (honor) and hadar (majesty).

² Who coverest Thyself with ohr (light) as with a garment; Who stretchest out Shomayim like a tent (curtain);

³ Who layeth the beams of His aliyyot (upper rooms) on the mayim; Who maketh the clouds His merkavah; Who walketh upon the wings of the ruach (wind);

⁴ Who maketh ruchot (spirits, winds) His malachim; His mesharetim (ministers), flaming eish;

⁵ Who laid the mekhonim (foundations) of ha’aretz, that it should not move out of place olam va’ed.

⁶ Thou coveredst it with the tehom (deep) as with a garment; the mayim stood above the harim (mountains).

⁷ At Thy ga’arah (rebuke) they fled; at the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away.

⁸ They go up by the harim (mountains); they go down by the beka’ot (valleys) unto the makom (place) which Thou hast assigned for them.

⁹ Thou hast set a boundary that they [the waters] may not pass over; that they return not to cover ha’aretz.

¹⁰ He sendeth the ma’ayanim (springs) into the ravines, which run among the harim.

¹¹ They give drink to every beast of the sadeh; the pera’im (donkeys) quench their thirst.

¹² By them shall the oph HaShomayim have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

¹³ He watereth the harim from His aliyyot (upper rooms); ha’aretz is satisfied with the p’ri (fruit) of Thy ma’asim.

¹⁴ He causeth the khatzir (grass) to grow for the behemah, and esev for the avodas ha’adam; that he may bring forth lechem out of ha’aretz;

¹⁵ And yayin that maketh glad levav enosh, and shemen to make panim (faces) to shine, and lechem which strengtheneth levav enosh.

¹⁶ The trees of Hashem are full of sap, the arazim (cedars) of Levanon, which He hath planted;

¹⁷ Where the tzipporim (birds) make their nests; as for the khasidah (stork), the beroshim (cypresses) are her bais.

¹⁸ The high hills are a makhseh (refuge, shelter) for the wild goats; and the rocks for the gophers.

¹⁹ He appointed the yarei’ach for mo’adim; the shemesh knoweth the place of its going down.

²⁰ Thou makest choshech, and it is lailah; wherein all the beasts of the ya’ar (forest) do creep forth.

²¹ The young lions roar after their teref (prey), and seek their okhel from G-d.

²² The shemesh ariseth, they retreat, and lay themselves down in their me’onot (dwelling places, dens, homes [Yn 14:2 OJBC]).

²³ Adam goeth forth unto his work and to his avodah (labor, service) until erev.

²⁴ Hashem, how manifold are Thy ma’asim! In chochmah (wisdom; cf Psa 33:6; Yn 1:1) hast Thou made them all; ha’aretz is full of Thy creatures.

²⁵ So is this gadol (great) and rekhav (wide, spacious) yam (sea), wherein are remes (creeping things), innumerable swarming chayyot (creatures), ketanot and gedolot.

²⁶ There go the oniyyot (ships); there is that Leviathan, whom Thou hast made lesakhek (to play, to sport, to frolic) therein.

²⁷ These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their ochel (food) in due season.

²⁸ That Thou givest them they gather; Thou openest Thine yad, they are satisfied with tov.

²⁹ Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their ruach, they expire, and return to their aphar.

³⁰ Thou sendest forth Thy Ruach [Hakodesh], they are created; and Thou renewest the face of adamah (earth).

³¹ The Kavod Hashem shall endure l’olam; Hashem shall rejoice in His ma’asim (works).

³² He looketh on ha’aretz, and it trembleth; He toucheth the harim, and they smoke.

³³ I will sing unto Hashem as long as I live; I will sing praise to Elohai while I have my being.

³⁴ May my si’akh (musing, meditation) be acceptable to Him; I will have simchah in Hashem.

³⁵ Let the chatta’im (sinners) be consumed from ha’aretz, and let the resha’im (wicked) be no more. Baruch Hashem, O my nefesh. Praise Hashem!

105 O give thanks unto Hashem; call upon Shmo; make known His deeds among the amim.

² Sing unto Him, sing praise unto Him; talk ye of all His nifle’ot (wondrous works).

³ Glory ye in the Shem Kadosh of Him; let the lev of them that seek Hashem be glad.

⁴ Seek Hashem, and His oz (strength); seek His face tamid.

⁵ Remember His nifla’ot (marvellous works) that He hath done; His mofetim (wonders), and the mishpatim of His mouth;

⁶ O ye zera Avraham His eved, ye Bnei Ya’akov His Bechirim (chosen ones).

⁷ He is Hashem Eloheinu; His mishpatim are in kol ha’aretz.

⁸ He hath remembered His Brit l’olam, the Dvar which He commanded to an elef dor (a thousand generations)

⁹ Which Brit He made with Avraham, and His shevu’ah (oath) unto Yitzchak;

¹⁰ And confirmed the same unto Ya’akov for a chok (decree), and to Yisroel as Brit Olam;

¹¹ Saying, Unto thee will I give Eretz Kena’an, the chevel (lot, portion) of your nachalah.

¹² When they were but few in mispar (number), very few, and gerim (strangers) in it.

¹³ When they went from one goy (nation) to another, from one mamlachah (kingdom) to am acher (another people);

¹⁴ He permitted no adam to oppress them; and He reproved melachim for their sakes;

¹⁵ Saying, Touch not Mine meshichim (anointed ones, My Messianics), and do My nevi’im no harm.

¹⁶ Moreover He called for a ra’av (famine) upon ha’aretz; He broke the kol matteh (whole staff of, all supply of) lechem.

¹⁷ He sent an ish before them, even Yosef, who was sold as an eved (slave);

¹⁸ Whose regel they hurt with the kevel (shackle); his nefesh was laid in barzel;

¹⁹ Until the time that his dvar (prophecy, word) came to pass; the Imrat Hashem (revelation, word of G-d, i.e., revelation of that which set forth saving promises) had tested him.

²⁰ The Melech sent and released him, the Moshel Amim, and set him free.

²¹ He made him adon of his bais, and moshel of all his possessions;

²² To bind [in prison] his sarim (princes) at his pleasure; and teach his zekenim chochmah.

²³ Yisroel also came into Mitzrayim; thus Ya’akov sojourned in Eretz Cham.

²⁴ And He increased Amo (His people) greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.

²⁵ He turned their lev to hate Amo, to deal cunningly with His avadim.

²⁶ He sent Moshe His Eved; and Aharon whom He had chosen.

²⁷ They showed His Otot (signs) among them, and mofetim (wonders) in Eretz Cham.

²⁸ He sent choshech, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against His Devar.

²⁹ He turned their mayim into dahm, and made their dag (fish) die.

³⁰ Their land brought forth tzfarde’im (frogs) in abundance, even in the chadarim (rooms) of their melachim.

³¹ He spoke, and there came arov (flies), and kinim (lice) in all their territory.

³² He gave them barad (hail) for geshem (rain), and eish of lightning in their land.

³³ He struck down their gefen also and their te’enah (fig tree); and broke the trees of their territory.

³⁴ He spoke, and the arbeh (locusts) came, and grasshoppers, and that without number,

³⁵ And did eat up all the esev (herbs) in their land, and devoured their p’ri adamah (fruit of the ground).

³⁶ He struck down also kol bechor in their land, the reshit (firstfruit) of all their strength.

³⁷ He brought them forth also with kesef and zahav; and there was not one stumbling among His Shvatim (tribes).

³⁸ Mitzrayim was glad when they departed; for the pachad (terror, dread) of them had fallen upon them.

³⁹ He spread an anan for a curtain; and eish to give light in the lailah.

⁴⁰ The people asked, and He brought slav (quails), and satisfied them with the lechem Shomayim.

⁴¹ He opened the Tzur, and the mayim gushed out; it ran in the dry places like a nahar.

⁴² For He remembered His Davar Kadosh, and Avraham His eved.

⁴³ And He brought forth His people with sasson, and His chosen with joyful shouts;

⁴⁴ And gave them the lands of the Goyim; and they inherited the amal (labor, toil) of the amim;

⁴⁵ That they might be shomer over His chukkot, and observe His torot (laws). Praise Hashem.

106 Praise Hashem! O give thanks unto Hashem; for He is tov; for His chesed endureth l’olam.

² Who can speak of the gevurot (mighty acts) of Hashem? Who can show forth all His tehillah (praise)?

³ Ashrei (happy, blessed) are they who are shomrei mishpat, and he that doeth tzedakah at all times.

⁴ Remember me, Hashem, with the favor that Thou bearest unto Thy people; O visit me with Thy Yeshuah (salvation);

⁵ That I may see the good of Bechireicha (Thy chosen ones), that I may rejoice in the simchah of Thy nation, that I may glory with Thine nachalah (the people of Thy inheritance).

⁶ We have sinned with Avoteinu, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

⁷ Avoteinu had no seichal concerning Thy nifla’ot (wonders) in Mitzrayim; they remembered not the multitude of Thy mercies but provoked Him at the yam, even at the Yam Suf.

⁸ Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of Shmo, that He might make His gevu’rot (mighty power) to be known.

⁹ He rebuked the Yam Suf also, and it dried up; so He led them through the tehomot, as through the midbar.

¹⁰ And He saved them from the yad of him that hated them, and He acted to make the go’el redemption from the yad of the oyev (enemy).

¹¹ And the mayim covered their enemies; there was not echad (one) of them left surviving.

¹² Then believed they in His Devarim; they sang His tehillah.

¹³ Then they hurried, they forgot His ma’asim; they waited not for His etzah (counsel, advice, wisdom);

¹⁴ But lusted exceedingly in the midbar, and tempted G-d in the desert.

¹⁵ And He gave them their she’elah (request); but sent leanness into their nefesh.

¹⁶ They envied Moshe also in the machaneh, and Aharon the kadosh Hashem (Aaron the holy one of Hashem).

¹⁷ Eretz opened and swallowed up Datan and covered over the Adat Aviram (the company of Aviram).

¹⁸ And an eish was kindled in their edah (assembly); the flame burned up the resha’im.

¹⁹ They made an egel (a calf) in Chorev, and worshiped a massekhah (molden image).

²⁰ Thus they exchanged their kavod for a tavnit shor (likeness of an ox) that eateth esev (grass).

²¹ They forgot G-d their Moshi’a, Who had done gedolot in Mitzrayim;

²² Nifla’ot (wondrous works) in Eretz Cham, and nora’ot (awesome things) by the Yam Suf.

²³ Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moshe His bechir (chosen one) stood before Him in the peretz (breach), to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them.

²⁴ Then they despised the eretz chemdah (desirable land); they believed not His Devar;

²⁵ But murmured in their ohalim, and paid heed not unto the kol (voice) of Hashem.

²⁶ Therefore [in oath] He lifted up His yad against them, that He would overthrow them in the midbar;

²⁷ To make their zera fall also among the Goyim, and to scatter them among the aratzot (lands).

²⁸ They joined themselves also unto Ba’al-Pe’or, and ate the zivkhei mesim (sacrifices offered to the dead).

²⁹ Thus they provoked Him to anger with their inventions; and the magefah (plague) broke out among them.

³⁰ Then stood up Pinchas, and interposed; and so the magefah (plague) was halted.

³¹ And that was counted unto him for tzedakah l’dor vador ad olam.

³² They angered Him also at the waters of Merivah, so that it went ill with Moshe on their account;

³³ Because they provoked His Ruach [Hakodesh] and he [Moshe] spoke unadvisedly with his sfatayim (lips).

³⁴ They did not destroy the amim (peoples), as Hashem commanded them;

³⁵ But they mingled with the Goyim, and learned their ma’asim (works, customs).

³⁶ And they served their atzabim (idols); which were a mokesh (snare) unto them.

³⁷ And, they sacrificed their banim and their banot unto shedim (demons),

³⁸ And they shed dahm naki (innocent blood), even the dahm of their banim and of their banot, whom they sacrificed unto the atzabei Kena’an (idols of Canaan); and HaAretz was polluted with blood-guilt.

³⁹ Thus they made themselves tameh with their own ma’asim, and went awhoring with their own inventions.

⁴⁰ Therefore was the wrath of Hashem kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred His own nachalah.

⁴¹ And He gave them into the yad Goyim; and they that hated them ruled over them.

⁴² Their oyevim also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their yad.

⁴³ Many times did He deliver them; but they provoked Him with their etzah (counsel), and so perished in their avon (iniquity).

⁴⁴ Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their rinnah (cry of grief);

⁴⁵ And He remembered for their sake His Brit, and relented according to the multitude of His chasadim (lovingkindnesses).

⁴⁶ He made them also to be pitied with rachamim by all those that carried them away as captives.

⁴⁷ Hoshieini (save us), Hashem Eloheinu, and gather us from among the Goyim, to give thanks unto Thy Shem Kadosh, and to glory in Thy tehillah (praise).

⁴⁸ Baruch Hashem Elohei Yisroel min haOlam v’ad haOlam; and let kol HaAm say, Omein. Praise Hashem!

107 O give thanks unto Hashem, for He is tov; ki l’olam chasdo (for His mercy endureth forever).

² Let the Geulei Hashem (the redeemed of Hashem) say so, whom He hath redeemed from the yad tzar;

³ And gathered them out of the lands, from the mizrach (east), and from the ma’arav (west), from the tzafon (north), and from the yam (sea).

⁴ They wandered in the midbar in a desolate region; they found no derech to an ir moshav (inhabited city).

⁵ Re’evim (hungry) and tzeme’im (thirsty), their nefesh fainted within them.

⁶ Then they cried unto Hashem in their tzoros, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

⁷ And He led them forth by the derech yesharah that they might go to an ir moshav.

⁸ Oh that men would praise Hashem for His chesed, and for His nifla’ot (wonderful works) to the Bnei Adam!

⁹ For He satisfieth the longing nefesh, and filleth the hungry nefesh with the tov.

¹⁰ Such as sit in choshech and in tzalmavet, being bound in oni and barzel (iron);

¹¹ Because they rebelled against the words of G-d, and despised the atzat Elyon (counsel of the Most High);

¹² Therefore He brought down their lev with amal (toil); they stumbled, and there was no ozer (helper).

¹³ Then they cried out unto Hashem in their tzoros, and He saved them out of their distresses.

¹⁴ He brought them out of choshech and tzalmavet, and broke apart their chains.

¹⁵ Oh that men would praise Hashem for His chesed, and for His nifla’ot (wonderful works) to the Bnei Adam!

¹⁶ For He hath broken down the dlatot nechoshet, and cut asunder the bars of barzel (iron).

¹⁷ Fools because of their derech peysha, and because of their avonot (iniquities), were afflicted.

¹⁸ Their nefesh abhorreth all manner of ochel (food); and they drew near unto the sha’arei mavet (gates of death).

¹⁹ Then they cried unto Hashem in their tzoros, and He saveth them out of their distresses.

²⁰ He sent His Davar, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions [See Yn 1:1, 14; Mt 4:23].

²¹ Oh that men would praise Hashem for His chesed, and for His nifla’ot (wonderful works) to the Bnei Adam!

²² And let them sacrifice the zivkhei todah (sacrifices of thanksgiving), and recount His works with joyful singing.

²³ They that go down to the yam in oniyot (ships), that do business on mayim rabbim (great waters);

²⁴ These have seen the ma’asei Hashem, and His nifla’ot (wonders) in the deep.

²⁵ For He commandeth, and raiseth up a ruach sa’arah (stormy wind), which lifteth up the galim (waves) thereof.

²⁶ They [the galim] mount up to Shomayim, they went down again to the tehomot (depths); their nefesh melted in ra’ah (peril, trouble).

²⁷ They reeled and staggered like a shikkor, and were at their wit’s end.

²⁸ Then they cried unto Hashem in their tzoros, and He brought them out of their distresses.

²⁹ He made the sa’arah (storm) a calm, so that the galim (waves) thereof were still [Mk 4:41].

³⁰ Then were they glad because they were quiet; so He brought them unto their makhoz chefetz (desired haven, city, district, boundary).

³¹ Oh that men would praise Hashem for His chesed, and for His nifla’ot (wonderful works) to the Bnei Adam!

³² Let them exalt Him also in the Kehal Am, and praise Him in the moshav zekenim (council of the elders).

³³ He turneth neharot (rivers) into a midbar, and the springs of water into dry ground;

³⁴ An eretz p’ri (fruitful land) into salt wasteland, because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

³⁵ He turneth the midbar into an agam (pool, lake) of mayim, and dry ground into springs of water.

³⁶ And there He maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may found an ir moshav (an inhabited city);

³⁷ And sow the sadot, and plant kramim, and acquire p’ri tevu’ah (fruits of increase).

³⁸ He made a brocha on them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and He doth not permit their behemah to decrease.

³⁹ Again, they are diminished and brought low through otzer (oppression), ra’ah (calamity, peril, trouble) and yagon (sorrow, grief).

⁴⁰ He poureth contempt upon nedivim (nobles), and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no derech.

⁴¹ Yet setteth He the evyon (needy) up above oni (affliction), and maketh him mishpekhot like a tzon (flock).

⁴² The yesharim (upright ones) shall see it, and rejoice with simchah; and all iniquity shall shut its mouth.

⁴³ Whosoever is chacham, and will be shomer over these things, even they shall understand the chasdei Hashem (lovingkindnesses of Hashem).

108 (Shir. Mizmor of Dovid) O Elohim, my lev is nachon; I will sing and make music, even with my kavod (glory, soul).

^2 (3) Awake, nevel and kinnor; I will awaken the shachar (dawn).

^3 (4) I will praise Thee, Hashem, among the peoples; and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.

^4 (5) For Thy chesed is gadol above Shomayim; and Thy emes reacheth unto the clouds.

^5 (6) Be Thou exalted, Elohim, above Shomayim; and Thy kavod above kol ha’aretz;

^6 (7) That Thy beloved may be delivered; hoshiah (save) with Thy Yamin, and answer me.

^7 (8) Elohim hath spoken in His Kodesh; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Sukkot.

^8 (9) Gil‘ad is Mine; Menasheh is Mine; Ephrayim also is the maoz of Mine rosh; Yehudah is My mechokek (lawgiver);

^9 (10) Moav is My washbasin; over Edom will I toss My na’al (sandal); over Philistia will I shout in triumph.

^10 (11) Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me into Edom?

^11 (12) Wilt not Thou, Elohim, Who hast cast us off? And wilt not Thou, Elohim, go forth with our Tzivos?

^12 (13) Give us help against the enemy; for vain is the teshuat adam (help of man).

^13 (14) Through Elohim we shall do valiantly; for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.

109 (For the one directing. Of Dovid. Mizmor) Hold not Thy peace, O Elohei tehillati;

² For the mouth of the rasha and the mouth of the mirmah are opened against me; they have spoken against me with a leshon sheker (a lying tongue).

³ They surrounded me also with divrei sinah (words of hatred); and attacked me without cause.

⁴ In return for my ahavah they are my adversaries; but I give myself unto tefillah (prayer).

⁵ Thus they have laid upon me ra’ah for tovah, and sinah for my ahavah.

⁶ Set Thou a rasha (wicked man) over him; and let Satan (the Accuser) stand at his yamin (right hand).

⁷ When he shall be tried, let him be in the judgment condemned; and let his tefillah (prayer) become sin.

⁸ Let his yamim be few; and let another take his pekuddat [See Ac 1:20 OJBC].

⁹ Let his banim be yetomim, and his isha an almanah.

¹⁰ Let his banim be continually vagabonds, and beg; let them seek from their ruins.

¹¹ Let the nosheh (creditor) seize all that he hath; and let the zarim (strangers) plunder his labor.

¹² Let there be none to extend chesed unto him; neither let there be any to favor his yetomim.

¹³ Let his posterity be cut off; and in the dor acher (generation following) let their shem be blotted out.

¹⁴ Let the avon of his avot be remembered before Hashem; and let not the chattat immo be blotted out.

¹⁵ Let them be before Hashem tamid, that He may cut off the memory of them from ha’aretz.

¹⁶ Because he remembered not to show chesed, but persecuted the ish oni and the evyon, that he might even slay the nikheh levav (brokenhearted person).

¹⁷ As he loved kelalah (cursing), so it came on him; as he delighted not in brocha (blessing), so it was far from him.

¹⁸ As he clothed himself with kelalah as with his garment, so let it come into his inward parts like mayim, and like shemen into his atzmot.

¹⁹ Let it be unto him like a beged which covereth him, and for a belt wherewith he is girded tamid (continually).

²⁰ This is the reward of mine adversaries from Hashem, and of them that speak rah against my nefesh.

²¹ But Thou O Hashem Adonoi, do with me for the sake of Thy Name; because Thy chesed is tov, deliver Thou me.

²² For I am oni and evyon, and my lev is wounded within me.

²³ I am gone like a lengthening tzel (shadow); I am shaken off like the arbeh.

²⁴ My knees are weak from a tzom; and my basar faileth of fatness.

²⁵ I became also a cherpah (reproach) unto them; when they looked upon me, they shaked their heads.

²⁶ Help me, O Hashem Elohai; O hoshi’eini (save me) according to Thy chesed;

²⁷ That they may know that this is Thy Yad; that Thou, Hashem, hast done it.

²⁸ Let them make kelalah (curse), but do Thou make brocha; when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let Thy eved rejoice.

²⁹ Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own shame, as with a me’il (cloak).

³⁰ I will greatly praise Hashem with my mouth; and, I will praise Him among the multitude.

³¹ For He shall stand at the yamin (right hand) of the evyon (needy), to save him from those that judge with condemnation his nefesh [cf Mt 9:10-11].

110 (Of Dovid. Mizmor). Hashem said unto Adoni [i.e., Moshiach Adoneinu; Malachi 3:1], Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet.

^2 (3) Hashem shall stretch forth the rod of thy might out of Tziyon; rule thou in the midst of thine [Moshiach’s] enemies [i.e., anti-Moshiachs].

^3 (4) Thy [Moshiach’s Messianic] people, willing in the Day of thy [Moshiach’s called up] Army, will be arrayed in the splendor of kodesh (holiness); from the womb of the dawn, cometh to thee [Moshiach] thy young men [cf Isa 53:10] as the tal (dew) [Rv 19:14].

^4 (5) Hashem hath sworn, and will not relent, Thou [Moshiach] art a kohen l’olam al divrati Malki-Tzedek (kohen forever in respect to the order of Malki-Tzedek; [see Bereshis 14:18; note it is the kohen who makes kapporah for sin—see Leviticus 4:20; Isa 53:8).

^5 (6) Adonoi at thy right hand shall dash melachim (kings) in pieces in the Yom Afo (Day of His Wrath).

^6 (7) He [Adonoi acting through Moshiach] shall judge among the Goyim, He shall heap up geviyyot (corpses); He shall dash in pieces Rosh (Head; Gn 3:15] al Eretz Rabbah (over Great, Whole Earth, cf 2Th 2:8).

⁷ Of the brook in the Derech shall he [Moshiach] drink; therefore shall he lift up [as victor] the Rosh [Moshiach’s head; PP 2:8-10; Ep 4:15].

111 Praise Hashem. I will praise Hashem with kol levav, in the Sod (company, council) of the Yesharim (upright ones), and in the Edah (assembly).

² The ma’asei Hashem are gedolim, derushim (sought out, pondered) of all them that have delight therein.

³ His po’al (deed, work) is glorious and majestic; and His tzedakah (righteousness) endureth forever.

⁴ He hath caused His nifla’ot (wonderful works) to be remembered; Hashem is channun (gracious) and rachum (compassionate).

⁵ He hath given food unto them that fear Him; He will be mindful of His Brit (covenant) l’olam.

⁶ He hath showed His people the ko’ach of His works, that He may give them the nachalat Goyim.

⁷ The works of His hands are emes and mishpat; all His pikkudim (precepts, commands) are ne’emanim (sure, trustworthy ones).

⁸ They stand fast la’ad l’olam (forever and ever), and are done in emes and yashar (uprightness).

⁹ He sent redemption unto His people; He hath ordained His Brit (covenant) l’olam (forever); Kadosh (holy) and Nora (awesome, reverend) is Shmo.

¹⁰ The fear of Hashem is the reshit chochmah; seichel tov have all they that live by it; His tehillah (praise) endureth forever.

112 Praise Hashem. Ashrei is the ish that feareth Hashem, that delighteth greatly in His mitzvot.

² His zera shall be gibbor ba’aretz; the dor (generation) of the Yesharim (upright ones) shall be blessed.

³ Wealth and osher (riches) shall be in his bais; and his tzedakah endureth forever.

⁴ Unto the Yesharim (upright ones) there ariseth ohr in the choshech; he is channun, and rachum, and tzaddik.

⁵ A tov ish is generous, and lendeth; he will guide his affairs with mishpat.

⁶ Surely he shall never falter; the tzaddik shall be in remembrance olam (forever).

⁷ He shall not be afraid of mishmu’ah ra’ah (news of misfortune, evil tidings); his lev is nachon (steadfast), trusting in Hashem.

⁸ His lev is samuch (sustained), he shall not be afraid, until he look in triumph upon his foes.

⁹ He hath contributed freely, he hath given to the evyonim (needy); his tzedakah endureth forever; his keren shall be lifted up in kavod.

¹⁰ The rasha shall see it, and be incensed; he shall gnash his teeth, and waste away; the ta’avot resha’im (desire of the wicked ones) shall come to nothing.

113 Praise ye Hashem. Praise O ye avadim of Hashem, praise the Shem of Hashem.

² Blessed be the Shem of Hashem from this time forth and forevermore.

³ From the rising of the shemesh unto the going down of the same the Shem of Hashem is to be praised.

⁴ Hashem is high above kol Goyim, and His kavod above HaShomayim.

⁵ Who is like unto Hashem Eloheinu, Who dwelleth on high,

⁶ Who stoopeth down to behold the things that are in Shomayim, and in ha’aretz!

⁷ He raiseth up the poor out of the aphar (dust), and lifteth the needy out of the ash heap;

⁸ That he may seat him with princes, even with the princes of amo (His people).

⁹ He settleth the akeret (barren woman) in her bais to be a happy em of banim. Praise ye Hashem.

114 When Yisroel went out of Mitzrayim, Bais Ya’akov from a people of foreign tongue,

² Yehudah was His kodesh (sanctuary), and Yisroel His dominion.

³ The yam saw it, and fled; Yarden was driven back.

⁴ The harim skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

⁵ What ailed thee, O thou yam, that thou didst flee? Thou Yarden, that thou wast driven back?

⁶ Ye harim, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

⁷ Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of Hashem, at the presence of Elohei Ya’akov;

⁸ Which turned the rock into a pool of mayim, the flint into a spring of mayim.

115 Not unto us, Hashem, not unto us, but unto Thy Shem give kavod, for the sake of Thy chesed, and for Thy emes.

² Why should the Goyim say, Where is now their Elohim?

³ But Eloheinu is in Shomayim; He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.

⁴ Their atzabim (idols) are kesef and zahav, the ma’aseh (work) of the hands of adam.

⁵ Peh (mouth) they have, but they speak not; einayim (eyes) have they, but they see not;

⁶ Oznayim (ears) they have, but they hear not; af (nose) have they, but they smell not;

⁷ They have hands, but they handle not; raglayim (feet) have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their garon (throat).

⁸ They that make them will be like them; so is kol asher bote’ach (every one that trusteth) in them.

⁹ O Yisroel, trust thou in Hashem. He is their ezrah (help) and their mogen.

¹⁰ O Bais Aharon, trust thou in Hashem; He is their ezrah (help) and their mogen.

¹¹ The ones fearing Hashem, trust in Hashem; He is their ezrah (help) and their mogen (shield).

¹² Hashem hath been mindful of us; Yevarech. Yevarech es Bais Yisroel; Yevarech es Bais Aharon.

¹³ Yevarech Yirei Hashem (He will bless those who fear Hashem), the ketanim with the gedolim.

¹⁴ May Hashem give you increase, upon you and your banim.

¹⁵ May a barukhah be upon you by Hashem, Oseh Shomayim va’Aretz (Maker of Heaven and Earth).

¹⁶ The heavens, even Shomayim, is Hashem’s, but HaAretz He gave to the Bnei Adam.

¹⁷ The mesim (dead ones) praise not Hashem, neither do any that descend into Dumah (the silent [place of Sheol]).

¹⁸ But we will bless Hashem from this time forth v’ad olam (and to forevermore). Praise Hashem.

116 I love Hashem, because He hath heard my kol (voice), even my techinnah.

² Because He hath inclined His ozen (ear) unto me, therefore will I call upon Him while I have days.

³ Chevlei mavet (pangs of death) encompassed me, and the metzarei She’ol (confines, straitnesses of She’ol) have caught up with me and found me; tzoros and yagon (sorrow) I found.

⁴ Then called I b’Shem Hashem: O Hashem, save my nefesh!

⁵ Channun (gracious) is Hashem, and tzaddik; yes, Eloheinu is merciful.

⁶ Hashem is shomer over the petayim (simple-hearted, helpless); I was in need and li yehoshia (me He saved).

⁷ Return, my nefesh, to thy menuchah (rest, resting place); for Hashem hath dealt bountifully with thee.

⁸ For Thou hast saved my nefesh from mavet (death), mine eye from dimah (tears), and mine regel (foot) from stumbling.

⁹ I will walk before Hashem in the Artzot HaChayim (the Land of the Living). [T.N. Note that I can do that because Moshiach was cut off from there in my place and for my sins—Isa 53:8]

¹⁰ He’emaneti (I believed); therefore have I spoken; I was greatly afflicted.

¹¹ I said in my chafaz (haste, alarm, consternation), Kol HaAdam Kozev (all men are liars).

¹² How shall I repay Hashem for all His benefits to me?

¹³ I will raise the Kos Yeshu’ot (the Cup of Salvation), and call upon Hashem b’Shem (by Name).

¹⁴ I will fulfill my nederim (vows) now in the presence of all His people.

¹⁵ Precious in the eyes of Hashem is the mavet of His Chasidim.

¹⁶ O Hashem, truly I am Thy eved; I am Thy eved, ben amatecha (the son of Thy maid servant); Thou hast removed my chains.

¹⁷ I will sacrifice to Thee the zevach todah (the thanksgiving offering) and will call on the Shem Hashem.

¹⁸ I will fulfill my nederim to Hashem now in the presence of all His people.

¹⁹ In the khatzerot Beis Hashem, in the midst of thee, O Yerushalayim. Praise ye Hashem.

117 O praise Hashem, all ye Goyim; praise Him, all ye peoples.

² For His chesed is mighty toward us; and the Emes Hashem endureth l’olam (forever). Praise ye Hashem.

118 O give thanks unto Hashem; for He is tov; Ki l’olam chasdo (for His mercy endureth forever).

² Let Yisroel now say, Ki l’olam chasdo.

³ Let the Bais Aharon now say, Ki l’olam chasdo.

⁴ Let them now that fear Hashem say, Ki l’olam chasdo,

⁵ I called upon Hashem in distress; Hashem answered me, and set me in a broad place.

⁶ Hashem is on my side; I will not fear; what can adam do unto me?

⁷ Hashem taketh my part through them that help me; therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

⁸ It is better to trust in Hashem than to put confidence in adam.

⁹ It is better to trust in Hashem than to put confidence in nedivim (nobles).

¹⁰ All Goyim surrounded me; but in the Shem Hashem will I cut them off.

¹¹ They surrounded me; yes, they compassed me about; but in the Shem Hashem I will cut them off.

¹² They compassed me about like devorim (bees); they are extinguished like the eish of kotzim (thorns); for in the Shem Hashem I will cut them off.

¹³ Thou hast hard pushed at me that I fell; but Hashem helped me.

¹⁴ Hashem is my oz (strength) and zimrah (song), and He is become my Yeshuah (salvation).

¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and Yeshuah (salvation) is in the ohalim of the tzaddikim; the Yamin Hashem doeth valiantly.

¹⁶ The Yamin Hashem is exalted; the Yamin Hashem doeth valiantly.

¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, and declare the ma’asim (works) of Hashem.

¹⁸ Hashem hath hard chastened me severely; but He hath not given me over unto mavet (death).

¹⁹ Open to me the sha’arei tzedek; I will go through them, and I will praise Hashem;

²⁰ This is the sha’ar of Hashem, into which the tzaddikim shall enter.

²¹ I will praise Thee; for Thou hast heard me, and art become my Yeshuah (salvation).

²² The Even (Stone) which the Bonim (Builders) rejected [mem-alef-samech, see same word Psalm 89:38 (39)] has become the Rosh Pinnah (Cornerstone).

²³ This is Hashem’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

²⁴ This is the yom which Hashem hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵ Save now, we beseech Thee, Hashem; Hashem, we beseech thee, send now prosperity.

²⁶ Baruch habah b’Shem Hashem; we have blessed you from the Beis Hashem.

²⁷ Hashem is G-d, Who hath showed us light; bind the chag (festival offering) with cords, even until [you come to] the karnot of the Mizbe’ach.

²⁸ Thou art my G-d, and I will praise Thee; Thou art Elohai, I will exalt Thee.

²⁹ O give thanks unto Hashem; for He is tov; ki l’olam chasdo (for His mercy endureth forever). [T.N. A ma’amin b’Moshiach will carry Scripture with him at all times, as the following Psalm teaches.]

119 ALEF Ashrei are the blameless ones in the derech, who walk in the torat Hashem.

² Ashrei are they that keep His edot (testimonies), and that seek Him with kol lev.

³ They also do no iniquity; they walk in His drakhim.

⁴ Thou hast commanded us to be diligently shomer over Thy pikkudim (precepts).

⁵ O that my drakhim were directed to be shomer over Thy chukkot (statutes)!

⁶ Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy mitzvot.

⁷ I will praise Thee with yosher levav (uprightness of heart) when I shall have learned Thy righteous mishpatim (ordinances).

⁸ I will keep Thy chukkot; O forsake me not utterly. BEIS

⁹ How shall a na’ar cleanse his way? By being shomer thereto according to Thy Davar (Word).

¹⁰ With my kol lev have I sought Thee; O let me not wander from Thy mitzvot.

¹¹ Thy word have I hid in my lev, lema’an (so that) I might not sin against Thee.

¹² Baruch atah, Adonoi; teach me Thy chukkot.

¹³ With my sfatayim (lips) have I declared all the mishpatim of Thy mouth.

¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the derech of Thy edot (testimonies), as much as in all riches.

¹⁵ I will meditate in Thy pikkudim, and consider Thy orkhot (paths).

¹⁶ I will delight myself in Thy chukkot; I will not forget Thy Davar. GIMEL

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with Thy eved, that I may live, and be shomer over Thy Davar.

¹⁸ Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold nifla’ot out of Thy torah.

¹⁹ I am a ger on ha’aretz; hide not Thy mitzvot from me.

²⁰ My nefesh is shattered with ta’avah for Thy mishpatim at all times.

²¹ Thou hast rebuked the zedim (arrogant ones) that are arurim (cursed ones), which do wander from Thy mitzvot.

²² Remove from me cherpah (reproach) and contempt; for I have kept Thy edot (testimonies).

²³ Though sarim (princes) also sit and speak slander against me, yet Thy eved meditates on Thy chukkot.

²⁴ Thy edot (testimonies) also are my delight and anshei atzati (my counsellors). DALET

²⁵ My nefesh has deveykus unto the aphar; revive Thou me according to Thy Davar.

²⁶ I have recounted my drakhim, and Thou heardest me; teach me Thy chukkot.

²⁷ Make me to understand the derech of Thy pikkudim; so shall I meditate on Thy nifla’ot.

²⁸ My nefesh drops with heavy sorrow; strengthen Thou me according unto Thy Davar.

²⁹ Remove from me the derech sheker; and graciously grant me Thy torah.

³⁰ I have chosen the derech emunah; thy mishpatim have I accounted worthy.

³¹ I have deveykus with Thy edot (testimonies); Hashem, let me not be ashamed.

³² I will run the derech of Thy mitzvot, for Thou shalt set my lev free. HEH

³³ Teach me, Hashem, the derech of Thy chukkot; and I shall keep it unto the end.

³⁴ Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy torah; yes, I shall be shomer over it with my kol lev.

³⁵ Make me to go in the path of Thy mitzvot; for therein do I delight.

³⁶ Incline my lev unto Thy edot, and not to betza (covetousness, selfish gain).

³⁷ Turn away mine eyes from beholding shav (vanity); and revive Thou me in Thy derech.

³⁸ Establish Thy word unto Thy eved, which is for the fear of Thee.

³⁹ Turn away my cherpah (reproach) which I fear; for Thy mishpatim are tovim.

⁴⁰ Hinei, I have longed after Thy precepts; revive me in Thy tzedakah. VAV

⁴¹ Let Thy chasadim come also unto me, Hashem, even Thy Teshu’ah (salvation), according to Thy word.

⁴² So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me; for I trust in Thy Davar.

⁴³ And take not the devar emes utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in Thy mishpatim.

⁴⁴ So shall I be shomer over Thy torah tamid l’olam va’ed.

⁴⁵ And I will walk freely in a wide place; for I seek Thy pikkudim.

⁴⁶ I will speak of Thy edot (testimonies) also before melachim, and will not be ashamed.

⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in Thy mitzvot, which I love.

⁴⁸ My palms also will I lift up unto Thy mitzvot, which I love; and I will meditate on Thy chukkot. ZAYIN

⁴⁹ Remember the davar to Thy eved, on which Thou hast made me hope.

⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my oni (affliction); for Thy word hath revived me.

⁵¹ The zedim (arrogant ones) have had me greatly in derision; yet have I not turned aside from Thy torah.

⁵² I remembered Thy mishpatim from of old, Hashem; and have comforted myself.

⁵³ Zalafah (indignation) hath taken hold upon me because of the resha’im that forsake Thy torah.

⁵⁴ Thy chukkot have been my zemirot (songs) in the bais of my pilgrimage.

⁵⁵ I have remembered Thy Shem, Hashem, in the lailah, and have been shomer over Thy torah.

⁵⁶ Zot hayetah li, because I kept Thy pikkudim. CHET

⁵⁷ Thou art my chelek, Hashem; I have said I would be shomer over Thy words.

⁵⁸ I sought Thy Face with my kol lev; be gracious unto me according to Thy word.

⁵⁹ I thought on my drakhim, and turned my feet unto Thy edot (testimonies).

⁶⁰ I made haste, and delayed not to be shomer over Thy mitzvot.

⁶¹ The ropes of the resha’im have bound me; but I have not forgotten Thy torah.

⁶² At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous mishpatim.

⁶³ I am a chaver of all them that fear Thee, and of them that are shomer over Thy pikkudim.

⁶⁴ Ha’aretz, Hashem, is full of Thy chesed; teach me Thy chukkot. TET

⁶⁵ Thou hast dealt well with Thy eved, Hashem, according unto Thy word.

⁶⁶ Teach me good judgment and da’as; for I have believed in Thy mitzvot.

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I been shomer over Thy word.

⁶⁸ Thou art tov, and doest tov; teach me Thy chukkot.

⁶⁹ The zedim (arrogant ones) have forged a sheker against me; but I will keep Thy pikkudim with my kol lev.

⁷⁰ Their lev is callous like chelev; I delight in Thy torah.

⁷¹ It is tov for me that I have been afflicted l’ma’an (in order that) I might learn Thy chukkot.

⁷² The torah of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of zahav and kesef. ' YOD

⁷³ Thy hands have made me and established me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy mitzvot.

⁷⁴ They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me; for I have hoped in Thy Davar.

⁷⁵ I know, Hashem, Thy mishpatim are tzedek, and Thou in emunah (faithfulness) hast afflicted me.

⁷⁶ Let now Thy chesed be for my comfort, according to Thy word unto Thy eved.

⁷⁷ Let Thy rachamim come unto me, that I may live: for Thy torah is my delight.

⁷⁸ Let the zedim (arrogant ones) be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate on Thy pikkudim (percepts).

⁷⁹ Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that have known Thy edot.

⁸⁰ Let my lev be tamim (blameless, complete) in Thy chukkot; that I be not ashamed. Kaf

⁸¹ My nefesh fainteth for Thy salvation: but I hope in Thy davar.

⁸² Mine eyes fail for Thy word saying, Mosai (when) wilt Thou comfort me?

⁸³ For I am become like a wineskin in the smoke; yet do I not forget Thy chukkot.

⁸⁴ How many are the days of Thy eved? Mosai (when) wilt Thou execute mishpat on them that persecute me?

⁸⁵ The zedim (arrogant ones) have dug pits for me, which are not in accordance with Thy torah.

⁸⁶ All Thy mitzvot are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help Thou me.

⁸⁷ They had almost consumed me ba’aretz; but I forsook not Thy pikkudim.

⁸⁸ Revive me after Thy chesed; so shall I be shomer over the edut of Thy mouth. Lamed

⁸⁹ Forever, Hashem, Thy Davar is settled and stands firm in Shomayim.

⁹⁰ Thy emunah (faithfulness) is to all generations: Thou hast established eretz, and it stands enduring.

⁹¹ They continue enduring to this day according to Thine mishpatim: for all things are Thy avadim.

⁹² Unless Thy torah had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine oni.

⁹³ I will never forget Thy pikkudim: for with them Thou hast revived me.

⁹⁴ I am Thine, save me: for I have sought out Thy pikkudim.

⁹⁵ The resha’im have waited for me to destroy me: but I will think on Thy edot.

⁹⁶ I have seen an end of all perfection: but Thy mitzvah is boundless. Mem

⁹⁷ O how I love Thy torah! It is my meditation kol hayom.

⁹⁸ Thou through Thy mitzvot hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

⁹⁹ I have more understanding than every melamed of mine: for Thy edot are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the zekenim, for I keep Thy pikkudim.

¹⁰¹ I have refrained my feet from every orakh rah, in order that I might be shomer over Thy Devar.

¹⁰² I have not departed from Thy mishpatim: for Thou hast taught me.

¹⁰³ How sweet are Thy words unto my palate! Sweeter than devash to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴ Through Thy pikkudim I get understanding: therefore I hate every orakh sheker. Nun

¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a ner unto my feet, ohr unto my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn a shevuah, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous mishpatim.

¹⁰⁷ I am afflicted very much: revive me, Hashem, according unto Thy word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept the nidvot of my mouth, O Hashem, and teach me Thy mishpatim.

¹⁰⁹ My nefesh is continually in my yad: yet do I not forget Thy torah.

¹¹⁰ The resha’im have laid a pach for me: yet I erred not from Thy pikkudim.

¹¹¹ Thy edot have I taken as a heritage forever: for they are the sasson lev of me.

¹¹² I have inclined mine lev to perform Thy chukkot forever, even unto the end. Samech

¹¹³ I hate the doubleminded: but Thy torah do I love.

¹¹⁴ Thou art my seter (hiding place) and my mogen: I hope in Thy Devar.

¹¹⁵ Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the mitzvot of Elohai.

¹¹⁶ Uphold me according unto Thy imrah, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed from my hope.

¹¹⁷ Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto Thy chukkot continually.

¹¹⁸ Thou hast rejected all them that err from Thy chukkot: for their deceitfulness is sheker (falsehood).

¹¹⁹ Thou puttest away all resha’im of eretz like dross; therefore I love Thy edot.

¹²⁰ My basar trembleth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy mishpatim. AYIN

¹²¹ I have done mishpat and tzedek; leave me not to mine oppressors.

¹²² Be surety for Thy eved for good; let not the zedim (arrogant ones) oppress me.

¹²³ Mine eyes fail for Thy Yeshuah (salvation), and for the word of Thy tzedakah.

¹²⁴ Deal with Thy eved according unto Thy chesed, and teach me Thy chukkot.

¹²⁵ I am Thy eved; give me understanding, that I may know Thy edot (testimonies).

¹²⁶ It is time for Thee, Hashem, to work; for they have made void Thy torah.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love Thy mitzvot above zahav; yes, above fine gold.

¹²⁸ Therefore I esteem right all Thy pikkudim concerning all things; and I hate every orakh sheker. PEH

¹²⁹ Thy edot (testimonies) are wonderful; therefore doth my nefesh keep them.

¹³⁰ The petach (entrance, doorway) of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

¹³¹ I opened my mouth, and panted; for I longed for Thy mitzvot.

¹³² Look Thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as Thy manner is unto those that love Shimcha.

¹³³ Order my footsteps in Thy imrah; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from the oppression of adam; so will I keep Thy pikkudim.

¹³⁵ Make Thy face to shine upon Thy eved; and teach me Thy chukkot.

¹³⁶ Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, for they are not shomer over Thy torah. TZADDI

¹³⁷ Righteous art Thou, Hashem, and yashar are Thy mishpatim.

¹³⁸ Thy edot (testimonies) that Thou hast commanded are tzedek and emunah me’od (very faithful).

¹³⁹ My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten Thy devarim.

¹⁴⁰ Thy word is very tested; therefore Thy eved loveth it.

¹⁴¹ I am small and despised; yet do not I forget Thy pikkudim.

¹⁴² Thy tzedakah is tzedek l’olam, and Thy torah emes.

¹⁴³ Tzoros and anguish have taken hold on me; yet Thy mitzvot are my delight.

¹⁴⁴ The tzedek of Thy edot is l’olam; give me understanding, and I shall live. KOPH

¹⁴⁵ I cried with my kol lev; hear me, Hashem; I will keep Thy chukkot.

¹⁴⁶ I cried unto Thee; save me, and I shall be shomer over Thy edot (testimonies).

¹⁴⁷ I rose before the dawn, and cried out for help; I hoped in Thy Davar.

¹⁴⁸ Mine eyes are awake through the ashmurot (night watches), that I might meditate on Thy word.

¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice according unto Thy chesed; Hashem, revive me according to Thy mishpat.

¹⁵⁰ They draw near that follow after wicked schemes; they are far from Thy torah.

¹⁵¹ Thou art karov (near), Hashem; and all Thy mitzvot are emes.

¹⁵² Concerning Thy edot (testimonies), I have known of old that Thou hast founded them forever. RESH

¹⁵³ Consider mine oni (affliction), and deliver me; for I do not forget Thy torah.

¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause; for me make go’el redemption; revive me according to Thy word.

¹⁵⁵ Yeshuah (salvation) is far from the resha’im, for they seek not Thy chukkot.

¹⁵⁶ Great are Thy rachamim, Hashem; revive me according to Thy mishpatim.

¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not turn aside from Thy edot.

¹⁵⁸ I beheld the bogedim, and was grieved because they were not shomer over Thy word.

¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love Thy pikkudim; revive me, Hashem, according to Thy chesed.

¹⁶⁰ Thy word is emes from the beginning; and every one of Thy righteous mishpatim endureth forever. SHIN

¹⁶¹ Sarim (princes) have persecuted me without a cause; but my lev standeth in awe of Thy Davar.

¹⁶² I rejoice at Thy imrah (word), as one that findeth great plunder.

¹⁶³ I hate and abhor sheker; but Thy torah do I love.

¹⁶⁴ Shevah times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous mishpatim.

¹⁶⁵ Great shalom have they which love Thy torah; nothing shall cause them to stumble.

¹⁶⁶ Hashem, I have hoped for Thy Yeshuah (salvation), and do Thy mitzvot.

¹⁶⁷ My nefesh is shomer over Thy edot (testimonies); and I love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸ I have kept Thy pikkudim and Thy edot; for all my ways are before Thee. TAV

¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come near before Thee, Hashem; give me understanding according to Thy Davar.

¹⁷⁰ Let my techinnah come before Thee; deliver me according to Thy word.

¹⁷¹ My lips shall utter tehillah, when Thou hast taught me Thy chukkot.

¹⁷² My leshon shall speak of Thy word; for all Thy mitzvot are tzedek.

¹⁷³ Let Thine Yad help me; for I have chosen Thy pikkudim.

¹⁷⁴ I have longed for Thy Yeshuah (salvation), Hashem; and Thy torah is my delight.

¹⁷⁵ Let my nefesh live, and it shall praise Thee; and let Thy mishpatim sustain me.

¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a seh oved (lost sheep); seek Thy eved; for I do not forget Thy mitzvot.

120 (Shir HaMa’a- lot [Song of Ascents]) In my tzoros I cried unto Hashem, and He heard me.

² Save my nefesh, Hashem, from sefat sheker (lying lips), and from lashon remiyyah (a tongue of deceit).

³ What shall be given unto thee? Or what shall be done unto thee, thou lashon remiyyah?

⁴ Sharp khitzim (arrows) of the gibbor, with burning (charcoal) coals of the broom plant.

⁵ Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell in the ohalim of Kedar!

⁶ My nefesh hath long dwelt with him that hateth shalom.

⁷ I am for shalom; but when I speak, they are for milchamah (war).

121 (Shir HaMa’alot) I will lift up mine eyes unto the harim (hills), from whence cometh ezri (my help).

² Ezri (my help) cometh from Hashem, Oseh Shomayim v’Aretz.

³ He will not allow thy regel to slip; He that is shomer over thee will not slumber.

⁴ Hinei, He that is shomer over Yisroel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ Hashem is the One shomer over thee; Hashem is thy shade upon thy right hand.

⁶ The shemesh shall not strike thee by day, nor the yarei’ach by night.

⁷ Hashem shall preserve thee from kol rah; He shall preserve thy nefesh.

⁸ Hashem shall be shomer over thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even v’ad olam.

122 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents] of Dovid). I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the Bais Hashem.

² Our feet shall stand within thy she’arim, O Yerushalayim.

³ Yerushalayim is built as an Ir bound firmly together;

⁴ That is where the Shevatim (tribes) go up, the Shivtei Hashem, according to the edut l’Yisroel (the statute to Yisroel), to give thanks unto the Shem of Hashem.

⁵ For there are set kise’ot l’mishpat (thrones of judgment), the kise’ot of the Bais Dovid.

⁶ Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim (pray for the peace of Jerusalem); they shall prosper that love thee.

⁷ Shalom be within thy wall, and security within thy citadels.

⁸ L’ma’an (for the sake of) my achim and companions, I will now say, Shalom be within thee.

⁹ L’ma’an the Bais Hashem Eloheinu I will seek thy tov.

123 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents]) Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in Shomayim.

² Hinei, as the eyes of avadim look unto the yad adoneihem, and as the eyes of a shifchah (maiden) unto the yad of her gevirah; so our eyes wait upon Hashem Eloheinu, until He have channun (favor, grace) upon us.

³ Channenu Hashem, channenu; for we are more than sated with buz (contempt).

⁴ Nafsheinu (our nefesh) is more than sated with the scorn of those that are at ease, and with the buz (contempt) of the g’eiyonim (proud ones, arrogant ones).

124 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents] of Dovid). If it had not been Hashem Who was lanu (for us, on our side), now may Yisroel say;

² If it had not been Hashem Who was lanu, when adam (man) rose up against us;

³ Then they had swallowed us up chayyim (alive); when their wrath was kindled against us;

⁴ Then the mayim would have overwhelmed us, the torrent would have swept over nafsheinu (our nefesh); (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of

⁵ Then the mayim hazedonim (treacherous waters) would have swept over nafsheinu (our nefesh).

⁶ Baruch Hashem, Who hath not given us up as a prey to their shinayim (teeth).

⁷ Nafsheinu (our nefesh) is escaped as a tzippor (bird) out of the pach (snare of the fowlers); the pach is broken, and we are escaped.

⁸ Ezreinu (our help) B’Shem Hashem Oseh Shomayim vaAretz.

125 Ascents]). They that trust in Hashem shall be as Mt Tziyon, which is immoveable, and abideth l’olam.

² As harim (the mountains) surround Yerushalayim, so Hashem surrounds His people from henceforth v’ad olam (and to forever).

³ For the shevet (scepter) of the resha shall not rest upon the goral (allotment, property) of the tzaddikim; lest the tzaddikim put forth their hands unto iniquity.

⁴ Do good, Hashem, unto the tovim, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

⁵ As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, Hashem shall turn them away with the workers of iniquity; but shalom shall be upon Yisroel.

126 Ascents]) When Hashem brought the return of the captivity of Tziyon, we were like the cholemim (them that dream).

² Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and leshoneinu (our tongue) with rinnah (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of (joyful song); then said they among the Goyim, Hashem hath done great things for them.

³ Hashem hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

⁴ Return our captivity and restore our fortunes, Hashem, like torrents in the Negev.

⁵ They that sow in dimah (tears) shall reap in rinnah (joyful song).

⁶ He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing meshek hazara (seed to be sown) shall doubtless come again with rinnah, bearing his alummot (sheaves [of harvest]).

127 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Shlomo). Except Hashem build the bais, they that build it labor in vain; except Hashem is shomer over the city, the shomair (watchman) stands guard in vain.

² It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the lechem ha’atzavim (bread of toils); for so He giveth his beloved sleep.

³ Hinei, banim are nachalat Hashem; and the p’ri habeten is a zachar (reward).

⁴ As khitzim (arrows) are in the yad of a gibbor; so are bnei haneurim (children born in one’s youth).

⁵ Ashrei hagever that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the oyevim basha’ar (enemy at the gate).

128 (Shir HaMa’alot) Ashrei kol yerei (fearers of) Hashem; that walketh in His drakhim.

² For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be tov with thee.

³ Thy isha shall be as a fruitful gefen inside thine bais; thy banim like olive shoots around thy shulchan.

⁴ Hinei, thus shall the gever be blessed that feareth Hashem.

⁵ Hashem shall bless thee out of Tziyon; and thou shalt see the tov of Yerushalayim all the days of thy life.

⁶ Yea, thou shalt see thy bnei banim, and shalom upon Yisroel.

129 (Shir HaMa’alot) Many a time have they afflicted me from my ne’ur, may Yisroel now say;

² Many a time have they afflicted me from my ne’ur (youth); yet they have not prevailed against me.

³ The choreshim (plowers) plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.

⁴ Hashem is tzaddik; He hath cut asunder the cords of the resha’im.

⁵ Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Tziyon [i.e, all anti-Semites].

⁶ Let them be as the khatzir (grass) upon the housetops, which withereth before it groweth up;

⁷ With it the kotzer (reaper) filleth not his yad; nor he that gathereth sheaves, his bosom.

⁸ Neither do they which go by say, Birkat Hashem be upon you; we bless you b’Shem Hashem.

130 (Shir HaMa’alot) Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, Hashem.

² Adonoi, hear my voice; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my techinnot (supplications).

³ If Thou, Hashem, shouldest record iniquities, Adonoi, who could stand?

⁴ But there is selichah (forgiveness) with Thee; therefore, Thou art feared.

⁵ I wait for Hashem, my nefesh doth wait, and in His Devar do I hope.

⁶ My nefesh waiteth for Adonoi more than the shomrim that watch for the boker; I say, more than the shomrim that watch for the boker.

⁷ Let Yisroel hope in Hashem; for with Hashem there is chesed, and with Him is plenteous pedut (redemption).

⁸ And He shall redeem Yisroel from all his iniquities.

131 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Dovid). Hashem, my lev is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in gedolot, or in things too high for me.

² Surely I have stilled and quieted my nefesh, as a child that is weaned of immo; my nefesh is even as a weaned child.

³ Let Yisroel hope in Hashem from henceforth and ad olam.

132 (Shir HaMa’alot) Hashem, remember Dovid, and all his afflictions;

² How he swore unto Hashem, and vowed unto Avir Ya’akov (the Mighty One of Ya’akov);

³ Surely I will not come into the ohel of my bais, nor go up into my bed;

⁴ I will not give sleep to mine eyes, nor tenumah (slumber) to mine eyelids,

⁵ Until I find a makom (place) for Hashem, even mishkanot for the Avir Ya’akov.

⁶ Hinei, we heard of it at Ephratah; we found it in the sedei Ya’ar (fields of Ya’ar).

⁷ We will go into His mishkanot; we will worship at the hadom (footstool) of His raglayim.

⁸ Arise, Hashem, into Thy menuchah (resting place); Thou, and the Aron of Thy oz (might).

⁹ Let Thy Kohanim be clothed with tzedek; and let Thy chasidim sing for joy.

¹⁰ For the sake of Dovid Thy Eved, do not turn away the face of Thine Moshiach [see Isa 52:13; 53:11].

¹¹ Hashem hath sworn in emes unto Dovid; He will not turn from His oath: Of the p’ri (fruit) of thy beten (body) will I set upon thy kisse (throne).

¹² If thy Banim are shomer over My Brit and My Edot that I shall teach them, their Banim shall also sit upon thy kisse adei-ad (forevermore).

¹³ For Hashem hath chosen Tziyon; He hath desired her for His moshav.

¹⁴ This is My menuchah (resting place) adei-ad (forever); here will I dwell; for I have desired her.

¹⁵ I will place a bountiful brocha on her provision; I will satisfy her poor with lechem.

¹⁶ I will also clothe her Kohanim with Yesha (salvation); and her chasidim shall sing aloud for joy.

¹⁷ There atzmi’ach (I will make sprout i.e., Tzemach) the Keren of Dovid; I have ordained a ner (lamp) for My Moshiach.

¹⁸ His oyevim will I clothe with boshet (shame); but upon him [Moshiach] shall his nezer (crown) be resplendent.

133 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Dovid). Hinei, mah tov umah na’im shevet achim gahm yachad (how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity)!

² It is like the precious shemen upon the rosh, that ran down upon the beard, even Aharon’s beard; that went down to the collar of his robes;

³ As the tal of Chermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Tziyon; for there Hashem commanded the brocha, even Chayyim Ad Olam.

134 (Shir HaMa’alot) Hinei, barakhu Hashem, kol avedei Hashem, which balailah stand [ministering] in the Bais Hashem.

² Lift up your hands in the Kodesh [Beis Hamikdash], and barakhu Hashem.

³ Yevarekhecha Adonoi from Tziyon, Oseh Shomayim v’Aretz (the Maker of Heaven and Earth).

135 Praise Hashem. Halelu Shem Hashem; Halelu, O ye avadim of Hashem.

² Ye that stand ministering in the Beis Hashem, in the khatzerot Beis Eloheinu.

³ Praise Hashem; for Hashem is tov; sing praise unto Shmo; for it is na’im (lovely, pleasing).

⁴ For Hashem hath chosen Ya’akov unto Himself, and Yisroel for His segullah (peculiar treasure).

⁵ For I know that Hashem is gadol, and that Adoneinu is above kol elohim.

⁶ Whatsoever Hashem pleases, that He does in Shomayim, and in HaAretz, in HaYam, and kol tehomot.

⁷ He causeth the clouds to ascend at the end of HaAretz; He maketh lightning for the matar (rain); He bringeth the ruach out of His otzarot.

⁸ Who struck down the Bechorei Mitzrayim, both of adam and behemah.

⁹ Who sent otot and mofetim into the midst of thee, O Mitzrayim, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his avadim.

¹⁰ Who struck down Goyim rabbim, and slaughtered melachim atzumim (powerful kings);

¹¹ Sichon Melech HaEmori, and Og Melech HaBashan, and all the mamlechot Kena’an;

¹² And gave their land for a nachalah, an inheritance unto Yisroel Amo (His people).

¹³ Thy Shem, Hashem, endureth l’olam; and Thy remembrance, Hashem, l’dor vador.

¹⁴ For Hashem will vindicate His people; He will have compassion on His avadim.

¹⁵ The idols of the Goyim are kesef and zahav, the ma’aseh yedei adam.

¹⁶ They have mouths, but they speak not; einayim have they, but they see not;

¹⁷ They have oznayim, but they hear not; neither is there any ruach in their mouths.

¹⁸ They that oseihem (make them) will be like them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

¹⁹ Barakhu Hashem, O Bais Yisroel; barakhu Hashem, O Bais Aharon;

²⁰ Barakhu Hashem, O Bais HaLevi; ye that fear Hashem, barakhu Hashem.

²¹ Baruch Hashem out of Tziyon, which dwelleth at Yerushalayim. Praise Hashem.

136 O give thanks unto Hashem; for He is tov; ki l’olam chasdo (His chesed indures forever).

² O give thanks unto Elohei HaElohim; ki l’olam chasdo.

³ O give thanks to Adonei HaAdonim; ki l’olam chasdo.

⁴ To Him Who alone doeth nifla’ot gedolot; ki l’olam chasdo.

⁵ To Him that by tevunah (understanding) made HaShomayim; ki l’olam chasdo.

⁶ To Him that stretched out ha’aretz above the mayim; ki l’olam chasdo.

⁷ To Him that made ohrim gedolim (great lights); ki l’olam chasdo.

⁸ The shemesh to rule by yom; ki l’olam chasdo.

⁹ The yarei’ach and kokhavim to rule by lailah; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁰ To Him that struck down Mitzrayim in their bechorot (firstborn); ki l’olam chasdo.

¹¹ And brought out Yisroel from among them; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹² With a yad chazakah, and with a stretched out zero’a; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹³ To Him Who divided asunder Yam Suf; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁴ And made Yisroel to pass through the midst of it; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Yam Suf; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁶ To Him Who led His people through the midbar; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁷ To Him Who struck down melachim gedolim; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁸ And slaughtered mighty melachim; ki l’olam chasdo.

¹⁹ Sichon Melech HaEmori; ki l’olam chasdo.

²⁰ And Og Melech HaBashan; ki l’olam chasdo.

²¹ And gave their land for a nachalah; ki l’olam chasdo.

²² Even a nachalah unto Yisroel His eved; ki l’olam chasdo.

²³ Who remembered us in our low estate; ki l’olam chasdo.

²⁴ And hath released us from our enemies; ki l’olam chasdo.

²⁵ Who giveth lechem to kol basar; ki l’olam chasdo.

²⁶ O give thanks unto the G-d of Shomayim; ki l’olam chasdo.

137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Tziyon.

² We hung up our kinnorot (lyres) upon the willows in the midst thereof.

³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a shir (song); and they that tormented us required of us simchah, saying, Sing us one of the Shir Tziyon.

⁴ How shall we sing Shir Hashem in an admat nekhar (foreign land).

⁵ If I forget thee, O Yerushalayim, let my yamin (right hand) forget [i.e., have paralysis].

⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my leshon cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Yerushalayim above my rosh simchah (chief joy).

⁷ Remember, Hashem, the Bnei Edom in the Yom Yerushalayim; who said, Raze it, raze it, even to the yesod (foundation) thereof.

⁸ O Bat Bavel, who art to be destroyed, ashrei shall he be, that repayeth thee the gemul thou hast done to us.

⁹ Ashrei shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy olalim against the sela.

138 (Of Dovid) I will thank Thee with my whole lev; before the elohim will I sing praise unto Thee.

² I will worship toward Thy Heikhal Kodesh, and praise Shmecha (Thy Name) for Thy chesed and for Thy emes; for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above Kol Shimcha (all Thy Name; Yn 1:1, 14 OJBC).

³ In the day when I called out, Thou answeredst me, and madest me bold with oz (strength) in my nefesh.

⁴ Kol Malchei Aretz shall praise Thee, Hashem, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.

⁵ Yes, they shall sing of the Darkhei Hashem; for gadol is the Kavod Hashem.

⁶ Though Hashem be on high, yet He looks upon the lowly; but the proud He knoweth from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of tzoros, Thou wilt preserve me alive; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine yad against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy Yamin (Right Hand) shall save me.

⁸ Hashem will fulfill that which concerneth me; Thy chesed, O Hashem, endureth l’olam; forsake not the works of Thine own yadayim.

139 (For the one directing, Mizmor of Dovid). Hashem, Thou hast searched me, and known me.

² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou hast binah of my thought from afar off.

³ Thou comprehendeth my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my drakhim.

⁴ For there is not a milah (word) in my leshon, but, lo, Hashem, Thou knowest it altogether.

⁵ Thou hast enclosed me achor (behind) and kedem (before), and laid Thine hand upon me.

⁶ Such da’as is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷ To where can I go from Thy Ruach [Hakodesh]? Or to where shall I flee from Thy presence?

⁸ If I ascend up into Shomayim, Thou art there; if I make my bed in Sheol, hinei, Thou art there.

⁹ If I take the wings of the shachar (dawn), and dwell in the uttermost acharit yam (the extreme end of the sea);

¹⁰ Even there shall Thy yad lead me, and Thy yamin shall hold me.

¹¹ If I say, Surely the choshech shall cover me, even the lailah shall be ohr about me.

¹² Even the choshech is not dark to Thee; but the lailah shineth as the yom; the choshech and the ohr are both alike to Thee.

¹³ For Thou hast created my inmost being; Thou didst interweave me in the beten immi.

¹⁴ I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Thy ma’asim; and that my nefesh knoweth very well.

¹⁵ My atzamim (bones, frame) were not hid from Thee, when I was made beseter (in secret), and skillfully wrought in the depths of the Eretz.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my golem (embryo), yet being unformed; and in Thy Sefer (Book) all the yamim (days) ordained for me were written down, when as yet there were none of them.

¹⁷ How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O El! How great is the sum of them!

¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the chol (sand); when I awake, I am still with Thee.

¹⁹ Surely Thou wilt slay the rasha, O Eloah; depart from me therefore, ye anshei damim (bloodthirsty men).

²⁰ For they speak of Thee craftily, and it is taken lashav [Ex 20:7] by Thy enemies.

²¹ Should not I hate them, Hashem, that hate Thee? And am not I to be at odds with those that rise up against Thee?

²² I abhor them with complete sinah; I count them mine enemies.

²³ Search me, O El, and know my levav; test me, and know my thoughts;

²⁴ And see if there be any derech otzev (torturous crooked road) in me, and lead me in the Derech Olam.

140 (For the one directing. Mizmor of Dovid). Deliver me, Hashem, from adam rah; preserve me from ish chamasim (violent men);

^2 (3) Which plan ra’ot (evils) in their lev; kol yom they incite milchamot (wars).

^3 (4) They have sharpened their leshonot like a nachash; the venom of a spider is under their sfatayim (lips). Selah.

^4 (5) Be shomer over me, Hashem, and keep me from the hands of the rashah; protect me from ish chamasim, whose scheme is to cause my steps to trip.

^5 (6) The ge’im (proud, arrogant ones [of inordinate ambition]) have hid a pach for me, and chavalim (cords, ropes); they have spread a reshet (net) close by the path; they have set mokshim (traps) for me. Selah.

^6 (7) I said unto Hashem, Thou art Eli; hear the kol tachanunai (voice of my supplications), Hashem.

^7 (8) Hashem Adonoi, Oz Yeshuati (strength of my (salvation), Thou hast covered my rosh in the Yom Neshek (Day of Arms, Day of Battle).

^8 (9) Grant not, Hashem, the desires of the rashah; let not his plot succeed; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

^9 (10) As for the rosh of those that surround me, let the amal (trouble) of their own sfatayim (lips) cover them.

^10 (11) Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the eish; into mahamorot (watery pits), that they rise not up again.

^11 (12) Let not an ish lashon (idle talker, slanderer) be established in ha’aretz; rah shall hunt down the ish chamas to overthrow him.

^12 (13) I know that Hashem will maintain the din oni (cause of the poor), and the mishpat evyonim (the right of the needy).

^13 (14) Surely the tzaddikim shall give thanks unto Thy Shem; the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.

141 (Mizmor of Dovid) Hashem, I cry unto Thee; make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto Thee.

² Let my tefillah be set forth before Thee like ketoret; and the lifting up of my hands as the minchat erev.

³ Be shomer, Hashem, over my mouth; guard the door of my lips.

⁴ Let not my lev incline to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵ Let the tzaddik strike me; it shall be chesed; and let him reprove me; it shall be shemen, which my rosh shall not refuse; for still shall my tefillah be against their evil deeds.

⁶ Their shofetim are overthrown in stony places; they hear my words; for they are pleasant.

⁷ Atzameinu (our bones) are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon ha’aretz.

⁸ But mine eyes are unto Thee, Hashem Adonoi; in Thee do I take refuge; leave not my nefesh defenseless.

⁹ Keep me from the pach (snare, trap) which they have laid for me, and the traps of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰ Let the resha’im fall into their own nets, while I escape safely.

142 (Mashkil of Dovid; A tefillah when he was in the me’arah) I cried out unto Hashem with my voice; with my voice unto Hashem did I make my techinnah (supplication).

^2 (3) I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed before Him my tzoros.

^3 (4) When my ruach became faint within me, then Thou had da’as of my path. In the way wherein I walked have they laid a pach (snare, hidden trap) for me.

^4 (5) I looked on my right, and behold, there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my nefesh.

^5 (6) I cried unto Thee, Hashem; I said, Thou art my refuge and my chelek (portion) in the Eretz HaChayyim.

^6 (7) Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low; save me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.

^7 (8) Release my nefesh from prison, to praise Shemecha (Thy Name); the tzaddikim shall gather about me; for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

143 (Mizmor of Dovid) Hear my tefillah, Hashem, give ear to my techinot (supplications); in Thy emunah answer me, and in Thy tzedakah.

² And enter not into mishpat with Thy eved; for in Thy sight shall no man living be yitzadak (justified).

³ For the oyev (enemy) hath persecuted my nefesh; he hath struck down my life to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in places of choshech (darkness), like metei olam (those long dead).

⁴ Therefore is my ruach become faint within me; my lev within me is desolate.

⁵ I remember yamim mikedem (days of old), I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the ma’aseh (work) of Thy hands.

⁶ I stretch forth my hands unto Thee; my nefesh thirsteth after Thee, like an eretz ayefah (a parched, thirsty land). Selah.

⁷ Hear me speedily, Hashem; my ruach faileth; hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like those that go down into the bor (pit).

⁸ Cause me to hear Thy chesed in the boker; for in Thee do I trust; cause me to know the Derech wherein I should walk; for I lift up my nefesh unto Thee.

⁹ Save me, Hashem, from mine oyevim (enemies); I flee unto Thee to hide me.

¹⁰ Teach me to do Retzonecha (Thy will); for Thou art Elohai; may Thy Ruach Tov lead me on level ground.

¹¹ Revive me, Hashem, l’ma’an (for the sake of) Thy Shem (Name); in Thy tzedakah bring my nefesh out of tzoros.

¹² And in Thy chesed silence mine enemies, and destroy all them that oppress my nefesh; for I am Thy eved.

144 (Mizmor of Dovid). Baruch Hashem my Tzur (rock) which teacheth my hands for war, and my fingers for milchamah (battle);

² My Chesed, and my Metzudah (Fortress); my Stronghold, and my Deliverer; my Mogen, and He in Whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me.

³ Hashem, what is adam, that Thou takest knowledge of him! Or the ben enosh, that Thou takest account of him!

⁴ Adam is like hevel; his days are as a tzel that passeth away.

⁵ Part Thy heavens, Hashem, and come down; touch the harim, and they shall smoke.

⁶ Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; shoot Thine khitzim (arrows), and destroy them.

⁷ Send Thine Yad from above; rescue me, and deliver me out of mayim rabbim, from the yad Bnei Nekhar;

⁸ Whose mouth speaketh shav (lies), and their right hand is a right hand of sheker.

⁹ I will sing a shir chadash unto Thee, O Elohim; upon a nevel of ten strings will I make music unto Thee.

¹⁰ It is He that giveth Teshu’ah (deliverance, salvation) unto melachim; Who delivereth Dovid His eved from the cherev ra’ah.

¹¹ Rescue me, and save me from the yad Bnei Nekhar, whose mouth speaketh shav (lies) and their right hand is a right yad of sheker;

¹² In their youth, may baneinu (our sons) be like plants full grown; may benoteinu (our daughters) be like cornerstones, columns wrought for the Heikhal;

¹³ That our barns may be full, affording all manner of provision; that our tzon may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our meadows;

¹⁴ That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no peretz (breach) nor golus; that there be no cry of anquish in our streets.

¹⁵ Ashrei are such people; Ashrei is the people that Hashem is Elohav.

145 (Tehillah of Dovid). [Alef} I will extol Thee, Elohai HaMelech; and I will bless Thy Shem l’olam va’ed .

² [Beis] Kol yom will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy Shem l’olam va’ed.

³ [Gimel] Gadol is Hashem, and me’od to be praised; and His greatness is not cheker (searchable).

⁴ [Dalet] Dor l’dor (generation to generation) shall praise Thy ma’asim, and shall declare Thy gevurot (mighty acts).

⁵ [Heh] I will speak of the hadar kavod of Thy hod, and of Thy nifle’ot (wonderful works).

⁶ [Vav] And men shall speak of the power of Thy norot; and I will declare Thy greatness.

⁷ [Zayin] They shall utter the zekher (memory, recollection) of Thy rav tov and shall sing of Thy tzedakah.

⁸ [Chet] Channun (gracious) is Hashem, and full of compassion; erech apayim (slow to anger), and of great chesed.

⁹ [Tet] Tov is Hashem to all; and His rachamim is over all His ma’asim.

¹⁰ [Yod] All Thy ma’asim shall praise Thee, Hashem; and Thy chasidim shall bless Thee.

¹¹ [Khaf] They shall speak of the kavod of Thy Malchus, and tell of Thy gevurah;

¹² [Lamed] To make known to the Bnei HaAdam His gevurah, and the kavod hadar of His Malchus.

¹³ [Mem] Thy Malchus is a Malchus kol olamim, and Thy Memshelet for kol dor vador.

¹⁴ [Samekh] Hashem upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are bowed down.

¹⁵ [Ayin] The eyes of all look to Thee; and Thou givest them their okhel (food) in its season.

¹⁶ [Peh] Thou openest Thine Yad, and satisfiest the ratzon of kol chai.

¹⁷ [Tzadi] Tzaddik is Hashem in all His drakhim, and chasid in all His ma’asim,

¹⁸ [Koph] Karov (near) is Hashem unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in emes.

¹⁹ [Resh] He will fulfil the ratzon of them that fear Him; He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

²⁰ [Shin] Shomer is Hashem over all them that love Him; but kol haresha’im will He destroy.

²¹ [Tav] My mouth shall speak the tehillat Hashem; and let kol basar bless His Shem Kodesh l’olam va’ed. [T.N. See Messianic Psalms which include Ps 2, 22, 45, 72, 110, 47, 93, 96-99, 89 and which indicate Moshiach’s righteous character, experience, ideals, call, and reign.]

146 Praise Hashem. Praise Hashem, O my nefesh.

² While I live will I praise Hashem: I will sing praise unto Elohai while I have any being.

³ Put not your trust in princes, nor in the ben adam, in whom there is no teshuah (salvation).

⁴ His ruach departs, he returneth to his adamah; in yom hahu his plans come to nothing.

⁵ Ashrei is he that hath El Ya’akov for his ezer, whose hope is in Hashem Elohav:

⁶ Oseh Shomayim vaAretz, the yam, and all that therein is: HaShomer Emes l’olam (Who keepeth Truth forever):

⁷ Oseh mishpat for the oppressed; Who giveth lechem to the hungry. Hashem mattir asurim (sets free the prisoners):

⁸ Hashem openeth the eyes of the ivrim: Hashem raiseth them that are bowed down: Hashem loveth the tzaddikim:

⁹ Hashem shomer over the gerim; He relieveth the yatom (fatherless, orphan) and almanah; but the Derech Resha’im He frustrates.

¹⁰ Hashem shall reign l’olam, even thy G-d, O Tziyon, l’dor vador. Praise Hashem.

147 Praise ye Hashem: for it is tov to sing praises unto Eloheinu; for it is na’im (pleasant); and tehillah is fitting.

² Hashem is the Boneh Yerushalayim (builder of Jerusalem): He gathereth together the nidkhei Yisroel (the outcasts Of Israel, those of the Golus).

³ He is the Rofeh (healer) of the Shevurei-lev (broken in heart), binds up their wounds.

⁴ He determines the mispar of the kokhavim; He calleth them all by their shemot.

⁵ Gadol is Adoneinu, and of rav ko’ach; to His tevunah (understanding, intelligence) there is no mispar (number, limit).

⁶ Hashem lifteth up the anavim (meek ones, humble ones); He casteth the resha’im down to the ground.

⁷ Sing unto Hashem with todah; make music upon the kinnor (harp) unto Eloheinu:

⁸ Who covereth Shomayim with clouds, Who prepareth matar (rainfall) for ha’aretz, HaMatzemi’ach (Who maketh to spring up) the khatzir (grass) upon the harim (hills, mountains).

⁹ He giveth to the behemah her lechem, and to the bnei orev (young ravens) when they cry out.

¹⁰ He delighteth not in the gevurat hasus: He taketh not pleasure in the shokayim of an ish (legs of a man).

¹¹ Hashem taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His chesed.

¹² Praise Hashem, O Yerushalayim; praise thy G-d, O Tziyon.

¹³ For He hath strengthened the bars of thy she’arim (gates); He hath blessed thy banim within thee.

¹⁴ He granteth shalom within thy borders, and filleth thee with the chelev chittim (the finest of wheat).

¹⁵ He sendeth forth His imrah (command) upon eretz: His Devar runneth swiftly.

¹⁶ He giveth sheleg (snow) like tzemer (wool); He scattereth the kfor (frost) like ashes.

¹⁷ He casteth down His kerach (ice) like crumbs: who can stand before His cold?

¹⁸ He sendeth out His Devar, and melteth them: He causeth His ruach to blow, and the mayim to flow.

¹⁹ He declareth His Devar unto Ya’akov, His chukkot and His mishpatim unto Yisroel.

²⁰ He hath not dealt so with any Goy (nation): and as for His mishpatim, they have not known them. Praise ye Hashem.

148 Praise Hashem. Praise Hashem from HaShomayim: praise Him in the heights above.

² Praise ye Him, all His malachim: praise ye Him, all Tzivos Hashem.

³ Praise ye Him, shemesh and yarei’ach: praise Him, all ye kokhavim of ohr.

⁴ Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above HaShomayim.

⁵ Let them praise the Shem of Hashem: for He commanded, and they were created.

⁶ He hath also established them forever and ever: He hath made a Chok (decree) which shall not pass away.

⁷ Hallelu Hashem from ha’aretz, ye sea creatures, and all tehomot:

⁸ Eish, and barad; snow, and cloud; stormy wind fulfilling His Devar:

⁹ Mountains, and all hills; etz pri (fruitful trees), and all cedars:

¹⁰ Beasts, and all cattle; remesh (creeping things), and flying fowl:

¹¹ Malchei eretz, and all people; sarim (princes), and all shoftei aretz:

¹² Both bochurim, and betulot; zekenim, and ne’arim:

¹³ Let them praise the Shem of Hashem: for Shmo alone is excellent; His hod is above Eretz and Shomayim.

¹⁴ He also exalteth the keren of His people, tehillah (the praise) of all His Chasidim; even of the Bnei Yisroel, an Am (people) close unto Him. Hallelu Hashem.

149 Praise Hashem. Shiru l’Adonoi shir chadash (Sing unto Hashem a new song), and His praise in the Kahal Chasidim.

² Let Yisroel rejoice in Him that made him; let the Bnei Tziyon be glad in their Melech.

³ Let them praise Shmo in the dance; let them sing zemirot unto Him with the tambourine and kinnor.

⁴ For Hashem taketh pleasure in His people; He will crown the meek with Yeshuah (salvation).

⁵ Let the Chasidim be joyful in kavod; let them sing for joy upon their beds.

⁶ Let the high praises of G-d be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

⁷ To execute vengeance upon the Goyim, and punishments upon the people;

⁸ To bind their melachim with chains, and their nobles with shackles of barzel (iron);

⁹ To execute upon them the mishpat katuv (written judgment); this honor have all His Chasidim. Hallelu Hashem.

150 Praise Hashem. Hallelu El (Praise G-d) in His Kodesh [Beis Hamikdash]; Hallelu Him in the raki’a [see Bereshis 1:6] of His might.

² Hallelu Him for His gevurot (mighty acts); hallelu Him according to His surpassing greatness.

³ Hallelu Him with the sound of the shofar; hallelu Him with the nevel (harp) and kinnor (lyre).

⁴ Hallelu Him with the tambourine and dance; hallelu Him with stringed instruments and flute.

⁵ Hallelu Him upon the clashing cymbals; hallelu Him upon the resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let every thing that hath neshamah praise Hashem. Praise Hashem!

1 Mishlei Sh’lomo Ben Dovid, Melech Yisroel;

² To have da’as of chochmah and musar (discipline); to understand the words of binah;

³ To receive the musar of those with seichel, tzedek and mishpat, and meisharim (equity, uprightness);

⁴ To give subtlety to the simple, to the na’ar, da’as and discretion.

⁵ A chacham (wise person) will hear, and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

⁶ To understand a mashal (proverb), and the melitzah (enigma); the divrei chachamim, and their chidot (riddles).

⁷ The Yirat Hashem is the reshit da’as, but fools despise chochmah and musar.

⁸ Beni (my son), hear the musar Avicha, and forsake not the Torat Immecha.

⁹ For they shall be a garland of chen unto thy rosh, and a chain about thy neck.

¹⁰ Beni (my son), if chatt’aim (sinners) entice thee, consent thou not.

¹¹ If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for dahm, let us lurk secretly for the naki (innocent, harmless) chinnom (without cause);

¹² Let us swallow them up chayyim (alive) like She’ol; and whole, as those that go down into the bor (pit);

¹³ We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill bateinu (our houses) with plunder;

¹⁴ Throw in thy goral (lot) among us; let all of us have kis echad (one pouch, purse).

¹⁵ Beni (my son), walk not thou in the derech with them; refrain thy regel from their path;

¹⁶ For their raglayim run to rah, and make haste for shefach dahm (shedding of blood).

¹⁷ Surely in vain the reshet (net) is spread in the eyes of kol ba’al kanaf (all the birds, i.e., lit. master of [the] wing);

¹⁸ And they lie in wait for their own dahm; they lurk secretly for their own nafshot.

¹⁹ So are the ways of every one that is greedy for betza (ill-gotten gain); which taketh away the nefesh of the be’alim (owners) thereof.

²⁰ Chochmot crieth out in the street; she lifts up her voice in the rechovot (city squares);

²¹ She crieth out in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the she’arim (gates); in the Ir (city) she uttereth her words, saying,

²² Ad mosai, ye simple ones, will ye love being simpletons? And the scoffers delight in their mockery, and kesilim (fools) hate da’as?

²³ Turn you at my tokhechah (reproof); hinei, I will pour out my ruach unto you, I will make known my devarim unto you.

²⁴ Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my yad, and no man regarded;

²⁵ But ye have disdained all my etza (counsel), and would have none of my tokhechah (reproof);

²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your pachad (terror) cometh;

²⁷ When your pachad (terror) cometh like a storm, and your calamity cometh like a whirlwind; when tzarah (distress) and oppression cometh upon you.

²⁸ Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall look for me diligently, but they shall not find me;

²⁹ For that they hated da’as, and did not choose the Yirat Hashem;

³⁰ They would have none of my etza (counsel); they despised all my tokhechah (reproof).

³¹ Therefore shall they eat of the p’ri (fruit) of their own derech, and be filled with their own mo’atzot (schemes, devices).

³² For the waywardness of the simple shall slay them, and the complacent contentment of kesilim (fools) shall destroy them.

³³ But the one who payeth heed unto me [Chochmat Hashem, i.e., the Redemptive Word, not only Hashem’s creative agent (Ps 33:6; Prov 8:30; 30:4) but the one who comes with a healing mission according to Ps 107:20, though Moshiach has to die in the midst of his healing Mission to accomplish our healing from guilt and punitive dread-Isa 53:5] shall dwell safely, and shall be secure from pachad ra’ah (terror of evil).

2 Beni (my son), if thou wilt receive my words, and treasure my mitzvot with thee;

² So that thou incline thine ear unto chochmah, and apply thine lev to tevunah (understanding);

³ Yea, if thou criest out after binah, and liftest up thy voice for tevunah (understanding)

⁴ If thou seekest her as kesef, and searchest for her as for matmonim (hidden treasures);

⁵ Then shalt thou understand the Yirat Hashem, and find the Da’as Elohim.

⁶ For Hashem giveth chochmah; out of His Peh (mouth) cometh da’as (knowledge) and tevunah (understanding).

⁷ He layeth up tushiyyah (wise Torah counsel) for the yesharim (upright ones); He is a mogen (shield) to them that walk in blamelessness.

⁸ He keepeth the orkhot mishpat, and is shomer over the derech of His Chasidim.

⁹ Then shalt thou understand tzedek, and mishpat, and mesharim (equity, fairness)‖every ma’agal tov (good path).

¹⁰ When chochmah entereth into thine lev, and da’as (knowledge) is pleasant unto thy nefesh;

¹¹ Mezimah (discretion) shall be shomer over thee, tevunah (understanding) shall safeguard thee;

¹² To save thee from the derech rah, from the ish medaber tahpukhot (man speaking perverse things);

¹³ Who leaving the orkhot yosher (paths of uprightness), walk in the drakhei choshech (ways of darkness);

¹⁴ Who rejoice to do rah, and delight in the tahpukhot (perverse things) of rah (evil);

¹⁵ Whose orkhot (paths) are crooked ones, and they are devious in their ma’agalot (paths);

¹⁶ To save thee from the isha zarah (strange woman), even from the nokhriyah (strange [immoral] woman) which useth smooth words;

¹⁷ Which forsaketh the alluf (companion, husband) of her youth, and forgetteth the brit (covenant) of her G-d.

¹⁸ For her bais inclineth toward mavet, and her ma’agalot (paths) to the refa’im (spirits of the dead).

¹⁹ None that go unto her return again, neither attain they to the orkhot chayyim (paths of life).

²⁰ That thou mayest walk in the derech tovim, and be shomer over the orkhot tzaddikim (paths of the righteous).

²¹ For the yesharim (upright ones) shall dwell in the land, and the tamimim (blameless, faultless ones) shall remain in it.

²² But the resha’im shall be cut off from ha’aretz, and the bogedim (treacherous ones) shall be rooted out of it.

3 Beni (my son), forget not my torah; but let thine lev keep my mitzvot;

² For orekh yamim (length of days), and shnot chayyim, and shalom, shall they add to thee.

³ Let not chesed and emes forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the luach (tablet) of thine lev;

⁴ So shalt thou find chen and seichel tov in the eyes of Elohim and adam.

⁵ Trust in Hashem with all thine lev, and lean not unto thine own binah (understanding).

⁶ In all thy drakhim acknowledge Him, and He shall make yosher thy orkhot (paths).

⁷ Be not chacham in thine own eyes; fear Hashem, and depart from rah.

⁸ It shall be rife’ut (health) to thy navel, and marrow to thy atzmot.

⁹ Honor Hashem with thy substance, and with the reshit (firstfruit) of all thine increase;

¹⁰ So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall burst out with tirosh.

¹¹ Beni (my son), despise not the musar Hashem; neither be weary of His tokhakhah (reproof);

¹² For whom Hashem loveth, He correcteth; even as an av the ben in whom he delighteth.

¹³ Ashrei (happy) is the man that findeth chochmah, and the man that getteth tevunah (understanding).

¹⁴ For the gain of it is better than the gain of kesef, and the increase thereof than fine gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than peninim (pearls); and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

¹⁶ Orekh yamim is in her right hand; and in her left hand osher and kavod.

¹⁷ Her drakhim are drakhim of pleasantness, and all her netivot (trodden paths) are shalom.

¹⁸ She is an Etz Chayyim (Tree of Life) to them that lay hold upon her; and me’usher (blessed) is every one that holdeth her fast.

¹⁹ Hashem by chochmah hath founded Eretz (Earth); by tevunah (understanding) hath He established Shomayim.

²⁰ By His da’as (knowledge) the tehomot (oceanic depths) were divided, and the clouds drop down the tal (dew).

²¹ Beni (my son), let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound judgment and mezimah (discretion);

²² So shall they be chayyim unto thy nefesh, and chen to thy neck.

²³ Then shalt thou walk in thy derech safely, and thy regel shall not stumble.

²⁴ When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; when thou liest down, thy sheynah (sleep) shall be sweet.

²⁵ Be not afraid of sudden pachad (terror), neither of the desolation of the resha’im (wicked ones), when it cometh.

²⁶ For Hashem shall be thy confidence, and shall be shomer over thy regel from the snare.

²⁷ Withhold not tov from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine yad to do it.

²⁸ Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and makhar (tomorrow) I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

²⁹ Devise not ra’ah against thy re’a, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

³⁰ Strive not with adam without cause, if he have done thee no ra’ah.

³¹ Envy thou not the ish chamas, and choose none of his drakhim.

³² For the perverse person is to’avat (detestable) to Hashem; but His sod (secret, intimate counsel) is with the yesharim (upright ones).

³³ The curse of Hashem is in the bais of the rasha; but He puts a bracha on the dwelling of the tzaddikim.

³⁴ Surely He scorneth the scorners; but He giveth chen (grace, favor) unto the anayim (lowly, humble ones).

³⁵ The chachamim shall inherit kavod, but shame shall be the promotion of kesilim (fools).

4 Hear, ye banim, the musar (instruction, discipline) of an av, and attend to know binah (understanding).

² For I give you lekach tov (good doctrine, good instruction), forsake ye not my torah.

³ For I was ben to avi, tender and yachid (an only child) before immi.

⁴ He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine lev retain my words; be shomer over my mitzvot, and live.

⁵ Acquire chochmah, acquire binah (understanding); forget it not; neither turn from the words of my peh (mouth).

⁶ Forsake her not, and she shall be shomer over thee; love her, and she shall protect thee.

⁷ Chochmah is the principal thing; therefore get chochmah, and with all thy getting get binah (understanding).

⁸ Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall honor thee with kavod, when thou dost embrace her.

⁹ She shall give to thine head a garland of chen; an ateret (crown) of tiferet (glory) shall she present to thee.

¹⁰ Hear, O beni (my son), and receive my sayings; and thy shnot chayyim shall be many.

¹¹ I have taught thee in the derech chochmah; I have led thee in ma’aglei yosher (right paths).

¹² When thou goest, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, lo tikashel (thou shalt not stumble).

¹³ Take firm hold of musar; let her not go; guard her; for she is thy chayyim.

¹⁴ Enter not into the orach resha’im, and go not on the derech ra’im (road of the wicked).

¹⁵ Avoid it, travel al (not) on it, turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶ For they sleep not, unless they have done evil; and their sheynah (sleep) is robbed, unless they cause some to fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the lechem of resha, and drink the yayin of chamasim (violences).

¹⁸ But the orach tzaddikim (path of the righteous) is as the bright light, that shineth brighter and brighter unto the full day.

¹⁹ The derech resha’im is as deep darkness; they know not at what they stumble.

²⁰ Beni (my son), attend to my words; incline thine ozen unto my sayings.

²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes; be shomer over them within thine lev.

²² For they are chayyim unto those that find them, and health to all their basar.

²³ Set watch over and guard thy lev with all diligence; for out of it are the totze’ot chayyim (issues, wellsprings of life cf Mk 7:20-23).

²⁴ Put away from thee a deceitful peh (mouth), and perverse sfatayim (lips) put far from thee.

²⁵ Let thine eynayim look straight forward, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

²⁶ Ponder the ma’agal (path) of thy raglayim, and let all thy drakhim be firm.

²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy regel from rah [T.N. Everyone in life has two paths to choose from just as Moshiach Tzidkeinu spoke of two gates, a wide one crowded with traffic and leading to destruction, and another one found by few but leading to life and redemption‖Mt 7:13-14].

5 Beni (my son), attend unto my chochmah, and bow thine ozen to my tevunah (understanding);

² That thou mayest regard mezimah (discretion), and that thy sfatayim (lips) may keep da’as (knowledge).

³ For the sfatayim (lips) of a zarah (strange woman) drip as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than shemen (olive oil);

⁴ But her end is marah (bitter) as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged cherev.

⁵ Her raglayim go down to mavet; her steps lead to Sheol.

⁶ Lest thou shouldest compare [hers] to the orach chayyim, her ma’agalot (paths) are crooked, that thou canst not know them.

⁷ Hear me now therefore, O ye banim, and turn not from the words of my peh (mouth).

⁸ Remove thy derech far from her, and come not near the petach (doorway) of her bais;

⁹ Lest thou give thine hod (strength) unto others, and thy shanim unto the cruel one;

¹⁰ Lest zarim (strangers) be filled with thy koach; and thy toilings be in the bais nochri;

¹¹ And thou mourn at the acharit (last, latter end, future), when thy basar and thy body are consumed,

¹² And say, How have I hated musar, and my lev spurned tokhakhat (reproof);

¹³ And have not obeyed the voice of my morim (teachers), nor inclined mine ear to the ones who were my melamed!

¹⁴ I was at the brink of all rah (evil, ruin) in the midst of the kahal (congregation) and edah (assembly).

¹⁵ Drink mayim out of thine own bor (cistern), and running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶ Should thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and channels of mayim in the rekhovot (town squares)?

¹⁷ Let them be only thine own, and never zarim (strangers) with thee.

¹⁸ Let thy makor (fountain) be blessed; and rejoice with the isha of thy youth.

¹⁹ Let her be as the loving deer and graceful doe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou enraptured tamid (ever) with ahavat (love of) her.

²⁰ And why wilt thou, beni (my son), be intoxicated with a zarah (strange woman), and embrace the kheyk (bosom) of a nochriyah (foreign [heathen] woman)?

²¹ For the drakhim ish are before the eyes of Hashem, and He pondereth all his ma’agalot (paths).

²² His own avonot shall entrap the rashah himself, and he shall be held fast by the cords of his chattat.

²³ He shall die without musar; and in the greatness of his folly he shall be led astray.

6 Beni (my son), if thou put up collateral for thy re’a, if thou hast shaken hands in pledge with a zar (stranger),

² Thou art snared with the words of thy peh (mouth), thou art trapped with the words of thy peh (mouth).

³ Do this now, beni (my son), and deliver thyself, since thou art come into the palm of thy re’a; go, humble thyself, and plead with thy re’a.

⁴ Give not sheynah to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

⁵ Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the yad [of the hunter], and as a tzippor (bird) from the yad of the fowler.

⁶ Go to the nemalah (ant), thou atzel (sluggard, lazy one); consider her drakhim (ways), and be chacham (wise);

⁷ Which having no katzin (officer, leader) or shoter (policeman) or moshel,

⁸ Prepareth her lechem in the kayitz (summer), and gathereth her food in the katzir (harvest).

⁹ Ad mosai wilt thou lie down, O atzel (sluggard, lazy one)? When wilt thou arise out of thy sheynah (sleep)?

¹⁰ Yet a little sheynot (sleep [pl.]), a little slumber, a little folding of the yadayim to sleep;

¹¹ So shall thy poverty come as a prowler, and thy need as an ish mogen (man of armor).

¹² A worthless person, a wicked man, walketh with a perverse peh (mouth).

¹³ He winketh with his eyes, he shuffleth with his regel, he pointeth with his fingers;

¹⁴ Tahpukhot (perversity) is in his lev, he deviseth rah continually; he stirs up midanim (contention, strife, discord [pl.]).

¹⁵ Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be destoyed without marpeh (remedy).

¹⁶ These shesh (six) things doth Hashem hate; indeed, shevah (seven) are an abomination unto His Nefesh;

¹⁷ Haughty eyes, a lashon sheker, and hands guilty of shefach dahm naki,

¹⁸ A lev that deviseth wicked machshevot (plans), raglayim that are swift in running to ra’ah,

¹⁹ An ed sheker that speaketh lies, and he that soweth midanim (contention, strife, discords) among achim.

²⁰ Beni (my son), keep the mitzvat Avicha, and forsake not the torat Immecha;

²¹ Bind them tamid (continually) upon thine lev, and tie them about thy neck.

²² When thou goest, it shall guide thee; when thou sleepest, it shall be shomer over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

²³ For the mitzvah is a ner (lamp); and torah an ohr; and tokhakhot musar (reproofs of discipline) are the Derech Chayyim (Life Lane);

²⁴ To be shomer over thee, keeping thee from the eshet rah, from the smooth lashon of the nokhriyah (strange woman).

²⁵ Lust not after her beauty in thine lev; neither let her allure thee with her eyelids.

²⁶ For by means of an isha zonah a man is reduced to a kikar lechem; and [another] man’s wife will prey on the nefesh yekara (precious soul).

²⁷ Can a man take eish in his kheyk, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸ Can one walk upon hot coals, and his regel not be burned?

²⁹ So is he that goeth into his eshet re’a; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

³⁰ Men do not despise a ganav if he steal to satisfy his nefesh when he is starving;

³¹ But if he be found out, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give hon (substance, wealth) of his bais;

³² But the no’ef (one who committeth adultery) with an isha lacketh lev [of understanding]; he that doeth it destroyeth his own nefesh.

³³ A nega [see Isaiah 53:8 for Moshiach’s nega taken for unfaithful Israel] and dishonor shall he get; and his cherpah (reproach) shall not be wiped away.

³⁴ For kina (jealousy) is the chamat gever (husband’s rage); therefore he will not spare in the yom nakam (day of vengeance).

³⁵ He will not regard kofer (compensation); neither will he be the appeased, though shochad (bribe) be great.

7 Beni (my son), be shomer over my words, and treasure up my mitzvot with thee.

² Be shomer over my mitzvot, and live, and over my torah as the apple of thine eye.

³ Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the luach (tablet) of thine lev.

⁴ Say unto chochmah, Thou art my achot; and call binah (understanding) thy kinsman;

⁵ That they may be shomer over thee and keep thee from the zarah, from the nokhriyah with her smooth words.

⁶ For at the chalon (window) of my bais I looked through my lattice,

⁷ And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the banim, a na’ar (young man) devoid of lev [of understanding, sense],

⁸ Passing through the street near her corner; and he went on the derech to her bais,

⁹ In the twilight, at erev, in the black and dark lailah;

¹⁰ And, hinei, there met him an isha with the attire of a zonah, and crafty of lev

¹¹ —She is loud and soreret (rebellious, defiant); her raglayim abide not in her bais;

¹² Now is she without, now in the rechovot, and lurketh in wait at every pinnah (corner)—

¹³ So she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with a brazen ponem said unto him,

¹⁴ I have zivkhei shelamim vowed; this yom have I payed my neder.

¹⁵ Al ken (therefore) came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

¹⁶ I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with a bedspread of fine linen of Mitzrayim.

¹⁷ I have perfumed my mishkav (bed) with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of dodim (loves) until boker; let us delight ourselves with ahavim (loves, pl. of intensity).

¹⁹ For the ish (man, i.e., husband) is not b’bais, he is gone a derech merachok (distant journey);

²⁰ He hath taken a bag of kesef with him, and will come back to his bais at the appointed time.

²¹ By her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with the smoothness of her sfatayim she seduced him.

²² He goeth after her and followeth immediately, as a shor (ox) goeth to tavach (stock yard, slaughter-house), or as the fettered to the musar of the fool;

²³ Till a khetz (arrow) strike through his liver; as a tzippor hasteth to the pach (snare), and knoweth not that it is for his nefesh (life).

²⁴ Pay heed unto me now therefore, O ye banim, and attend to the words of my peh (mouth).

²⁵ Let not thine lev turn aside to her drakhim; go not astray in her netivot (trodden paths).

²⁶ For she hath cast down many chalalim (wounded); indeed, many strong men have been slain by her.

²⁷ Her bais is the drakhei Sheol, going down to the chadarim (chambers, rooms) of mavet (death). [T.N. The off-stage character here in chp 7 has been the cuckold. Because of her Ba’al affair, Hashem became the cuckold of Israel even as Hosea became the cuckold of Gomer.]

8 Doth not Chochmah cry out? And Tevunah (understanding) put forth her voice?

² In the top of high hills, beside the derech (road) in the bais netivot (meeting place of trodden paths, crossroads) nitzavah (she [Lady Wisdom, the lady street preacher] stands).

³ She crieth out at the she’arim (gates), at the entry of the city, at the entrance at the petachim (doorways):

⁴ Unto you, O ishim, I call out; and my voice is to the Bnei Adam.

⁵ O ye simple ones, understand armah (prudence); and, ye kesilim, understand in your lev.

⁶ Hear; for I will speak negidim (noble things, worthy [words]); and the opening of my sfatayim (lips) shall be meisharim (upright, fair things).

⁷ For my mouth shall speak emes; and resha is an abomination to my sfatayim (lips).

⁸ All the words of my peh (mouth) are in tzedek; there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

⁹ They are all correct to him that discerneth, and yesharim (straight ones) to them that find da’as (knowledge).

¹⁰ Receive my musar, and not kesef; and da’as (knowledge) rather than choice gold.

¹¹ For chochmah is tovah (better, more precious) than pearls; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

¹² I, Chochmah, dwell with armah (prudence), and find out da’as (knowledge) of mezimot (discretions).

¹³ The Yirat Hashem is to hate rah; pride, and ga’on (arrogance), and the derech rah, and the perverse peh (mouth), do I hate.

¹⁴ Etzah (counsel, advice) is mine, and sound judgment; I am binah; I have gevurah.

¹⁵ By me melachim reign, and nobles decree tzedek.

¹⁶ By me sarim (princes) rule, and nobles, even all the shofetim of tzedek.

¹⁷ I love them that have ahavah for me; and those that seek me shall find me.

¹⁸ Osher and kavod are with me; indeed, enduring hon (wealth) and tzedakah.

¹⁹ My p’ri is better than gold, indeed, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice kesef.

²⁰ I walk in the orach tzedakah (way of righteousness), in the midst of the netivot (paths) of mishpat,

²¹ That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their otzarot.

²² Hashem possessed me in the reshit of His derech, before His works of old.

²³ I was set up [to reign] me’olam (from eternity), from the beginning, or ever eretz was.

²⁴ When there were no tehomot, I was brought forth; when there were no springs abounding with mayim.

²⁵ Before the harim were settled, before the geva’ot (hills) was I brought forth;

²⁶ While as yet He had not made eretz, nor the outer places, nor the beginning of the dust of the tevel.

²⁷ When He set in place Shomayim, I was there; when He drew a khoog (circle, horizon) upon the face of the tehom,

²⁸ When He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the tehom,

²⁹ When He gave to the yam His chok (decree, limits), that the mayim should not pass its limits, when He appointed the foundations of the Eretz;

³⁰ Then I was etzel (at the side of, beside [see Yn 1:1]) Him, as an Amon (master craftsman, builder, architect, artist); and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him [Mishle 30:4] ;

³¹ Rejoicing in the tevel of His Eretz; and my delights were with the Bnei Adam.

³² Now therefore pay heed unto me, O ye banim; for ashrei (blessed, happy) are they that are shomer over my drakhim.

³³ Hear musar, and be chacham, and disdain it not.

³⁴ Ashrei is adam that heareth me, watching daily at my dalatot, waiting at the mezuzot of my doors.

³⁵ For whosoever findeth me findeth Chayyim, and shall obtain ratzon Hashem.

³⁶ But he that sinneth against me doth chamas against his own nefesh; all they that hate me love mavet.

9 Chochmah hath built her bais, she hath hewn out her seven ammudim;

² She hath prepared her meat; she hath mixed her yayin; she hath also set her shulchan.

³ She hath sent forth her na’arot; she calleth from the highest points of the city;

⁴ Whosoever is simple, let him turn in here; as for him that lacketh lev (a heart of understanding), she saith to him,

⁵ Come, eat of my lechem, and drink of the yayin which I have mixed [Yn 6:53-54 OJBC].

⁶ Forsake the simple ways, and live; and go in the derech binah.

⁷ He that reproveth a letz (mocker) getteth to himself shame, and he that is a mochiach (reprover) of a wicked man getteth himself a blot stain.

⁸ Reprove not a letz, lest he hate thee; rebuke a chacham, and he will love thee.

⁹ Give instruction to a chacham, and he will be yet wiser; teach a tzaddik, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰ The Yirat Hashem is the beginning of chochmah, and the da’as Kedoshim (knowledge of the Holy One) is binah (understanding).

¹¹ For by me thy yamim shall be multiplied, and shanot chayyim shall be increased to thee.

¹² If thou be chacham, thou shalt be wise for thyself, but if thou mockest, thou alone shalt suffer.

¹³ Aishes Kesilut (Dame Folly) is clamorous; she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

¹⁴ For she sitteth at the petach (doorway) of her bais, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵ To call those passing on the derech (road) who go straight on their way:

¹⁶ Whoso is simple, let him turn in here, and as for him that lacketh lev (heart of understanding), she saith to him,

¹⁷ Stolen waters are sweet, and lechem eaten in secret is pleasant.

¹⁸ But he has no da’as that the dead ones are there; and that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

10 The mishle (proverbs) of Sh’lomo. A ben chacham maketh glad an av, but a ben kesil is the grief of his em.

² Otzarot resha profit nothing, but tzedakah (righteousness) saveth from mavet.

³ Hashem will not suffer the nefesh of the tzaddik to famish, but He thwarteth the craving of the resha’im.

⁴ He becometh poor that dealeth with a negligent palm, but the yad of the diligent maketh wealth.

⁵ He that gathereth in kayitz is a ben maskil (son of wisdom), but he that sleepeth in katzir (harvest) is a ben that causeth shame.

⁶ Brakhot are upon the head of the tzaddik, but chamas covereth the peh (mouth) of the resha’im.

⁷ The memory of the tzaddik is as bracha, but the shem resha’im shall rot.

⁸ The chacham lev will receive mitzvot, but one with foolish sfatayim (lips) shall be thrust down.

⁹ He that walketh uprightly walketh securely, but he that perverteth his drakhim shall be known.

¹⁰ He that winketh with the ayin causeth trouble, but one with foolish sfatayim shall come to ruin.

¹¹ The peh (mouth) of a tzaddik is a Makor Chayyim, but chamas covereth the peh (mouth) of the resha’im.

¹² Sin’ah (hatred) stirreth up medanim (dissensions), but ahavah covereth all peysha’im.

¹³ In the sfatayim (lips) of him that hath understanding chochmah is found, but a shevet (rod) is for the back of him that is devoid of lev [understanding].

¹⁴ Chachamim treasure up da’as (knowledge); but the peh (mouth) of the foolish is near destruction.

¹⁵ The oisher’s wealth is his strong city; the destruction of the poor ones is their poverty.

¹⁶ The wage of the tzaddik leadeth to Chayyim; the wage of the rashah is for chattat [Ro 6:23].

¹⁷ He is in the orach (path) of Chayyim that is shomer over musar, but he that abandoneth tokhakhat (reproof) goes astray.

¹⁸ He that hideth sin’ah with sfatayim sheker, and he that uttereth a slander, is a kesil (fool).

¹⁹ In the multitude of devarim there wanteth not sin, but he that restraineth his sfatayim (lips) is maskil (wise).

²⁰ The lashon of the tzaddik is as choice kesef; the lev of the resha’im is of little worth.

²¹ The sfatayim (lips) of the tzaddik feed rabbim (many), but fools die for lack of lev [of chochmah].

²² The Birkat Hashem, it maketh wealthy, and He addeth no sorrow with it.

²³ It is as sport to a kesil to do zimmah (evil design), but an ish tevunah (man of understanding) hath chochmah.

²⁴ What the rashah dreads, it shall come upon him, but the ta’avat tzaddikim shall be granted.

²⁵ As the whirlwind passeth, so is the rashah no more, but the tzaddik is a yesod olam (an everlasting foundation).

²⁶ As chometz to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) to them that send him.

²⁷ The Yirat Hashem prolongeth yamim; but the shanot of the resha’im shall be cut short.

²⁸ The prospect of the tzaddikim shall be simchah, but the tikveh of the resha’im shall perish.

²⁹ The Derech Hashem is maoz to the blameless, but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

³⁰ The tzaddik shall never be removed, but the resha’im shall not inhabit Eretz.

³¹ The peh (mouth) of the tzaddik bringeth forth chochmah, but the lashon tahpukhot (tongue of perversion, distortion) shall be cut off.

³² The sfatayim (lips) of the tzaddik know what is ratzon (acceptable), but the peh (mouth) of the resha’im speaketh tahpukhot (perversity).

11 A balance of mirmah (dishonesty, deception) is abomination to Hashem, but an even shelemah (perfect stone, just weight) is His ratzon.

² When zadon (pride) cometh, then cometh kalon (shame, disgrace), but with the humble is chochmah.

³ The integrity of the yesharim (upright ones) shall guide them, but the deceit of the bogedim (treacherous ones) shall destroy them.

⁴ Hon (riches) profit not in the yom evrah (day of wrath), but tzedakah (righteousness) delivereth from mavet.

⁵ The tzidkat tamim (righteousness of the blameless) shall make his derech straight, but the rasha shall fall by his own evil.

⁶ The tzidkat yesharim shall deliver them, but bogedim (treacherous ones) shall be caught in their own evil desire.

⁷ At the mot adam rasha, his tikveh shall perish, and the expectation of his [surviving] strong ones perisheth.

⁸ The tzaddik is delivered out of tzoros, but the rashah cometh on to take his place.

⁹ A chanef (hypocrite, man without G-d) with his peh (mouth) destroyeth his re’a, but through da’as (knowledge) shall the tzaddikim be delivered.

¹⁰ When it goeth well with the tzaddikim, the city rejoiceth, and when the resha’im perish, there is rinnah (joyful shouting).

¹¹ By the birkat yesharim the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the peh (mouth) of the resha’im.

¹² He that is devoid of lev [of understanding] despiseth his re’a, but an ish tevunot holdeth his peace.

¹³ A bringer of rekhil (gossip, rekhilut) revealeth sod (secrets, confidences), but he that is of a ne’eman ruach concealeth the matter.

¹⁴ Where no strategic policy is, the nation falls, but in the multitude of yoetz (counsellors, advisors) there is teshu’ah (victory, safety).

¹⁵ He that is guaranty for a zar shall suffer for it, and he that hateth pledging collateral is secure.

¹⁶ An eshet chen retaineth kavod (honor, respect), but ruthless men retain osher.

¹⁷ The ish chesed (merciful man) doeth good to his own nefesh, but he that is cruel harmeth his own self.

¹⁸ The reshah worketh a wage of sheker, but to him that soweth tzedakah (righteousness) shall be a sachar emes (sure reward).

¹⁹ As tzedakah (righteousness) leadeth to Chayyim, so he that pursueth ra’ah pursueth it to his own mot (death).

²⁰ They that are of a perverse lev are an abomination to Hashem, but such as are upright in their derech are His delight.

²¹ Though yad join in yad, the rah shall not go unpunished, but the zera of the tzaddikim shall be delivered.

²² As a ring of zahav in the snout of a chazir, so is an isha yafah which is without ta’am (judgment, discretion).

²³ The ta’avat tzaddikim is only tov, but the tikveh of the resha’im is wrath.

²⁴ There is that which scattereth, and yet increaseth more; and there is that which withholdeth more than is yosher, but it leadeth to machsor (want, need, poverty).

²⁵ The nefesh brocha (generous person) shall be made to prosper, and he that watereth shall be refreshed also himself.

²⁶ He that withholdeth grain, the people shall curse him, but brocha shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

²⁷ He that diligently seeketh tov procureth ratzon, but he that seeketh ra’ah, it shall come unto him.

²⁸ He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the tzaddik shall flourish like the green leaf.

²⁹ He that troubleth his own bais shall inherit the ruach (wind), and the fool shall be eved to the chacham lev.

³⁰ The p’ri tzedek is Etz Chayyim, and he that winneth nefashot is chacham (wise).

³¹ If the tzaddik are recompensed on ha’aretz (the earth), much more the rashah and the choteh (sinner).

12 He who loveth musar loveth da’as, but he that hateth tokhakhat (reproof, correction) is ba’ar (a boorish, ignorant person).

² A tov (good man) obtaineth ratzon (favor) from Hashem, but an ish mezimor (a man of crafty devices) will He condemn.

³ An adam shall not be made secure by resha, but the shoresh tzaddikim (root of the righteous ones) shall not be moved. [T.N. Cf 12:4 and 31:10.]

⁴ An aishes chayil (a woman of valor, an excellent wife) is an ateret to her ba’al, but she that bringeth shame is like rottenness in his atzmot.

⁵ The thoughts of the tzaddikim are right, but the tachbulot (guidance) of the resha’im are mirmah (deceitful).

⁶ The devarim of the resha’im are to lie in wait for dahm, but the peh (mouth) of the yesharim (upright ones) shall deliver them.

⁷ The resha’im are overthrown, and are no more, but the bais tzaddikim shall stand.

⁸ An ish shall be commended according to his seichel, but he that is of a perverse mind shall be despised.

⁹ He that is lightly esteemed, and hath an eved, is better than he that honoreth himself, and lacketh lechem.

¹⁰ A tzaddik regardeth the nefesh (life) of his behemah (beast), but the compassion of the reshaim is cruel.

¹¹ He that worketh his adamah shall be satisfied with lechem, but he that chaseth after worthless persons is devoid of lev [of understanding].

¹² The resha coveteth the catch of ra’im (evil men), but the shoresh (root) of the tzaddikim yieldeth fruit.

¹³ The rah is ensnared by the peysha (transgression) of his sfatayim (lips), but the tzaddik shall escape from tzoros.

¹⁴ An ish shall be filled with tov by the fruit of his peh (mouth), and the recompence of the hands of adam shall be rendered unto him.

¹⁵ The derech of a fool is yashar (right) in his own eynayim, but he that payeth heed unto etzah is chacham (wise).

¹⁶ A fool’s wrath is known immediately, but a prudent man covereth kalon (shame, disgrace, shameful nakedness).

¹⁷ He that speaketh emunah declareth tzedek, but an ed shekarim, mirmah.

¹⁸ There is one who speaketh rash words like the wounding of a cherev, but the lashon of the chachamim promotes marpeh (healing).

¹⁹ The lip of emes shall be established forever, but a lashon sheker is but for a moment.

²⁰ Mirmah (deceit) is in the lev of them that plot rah, but to the counsellors of shalom is simchah.

²¹ There shall no harm befall the tzaddik, but the resha’im shall be filled with rah.

²² Sfatayim (lips) of sheker are to’evah to Hashem, but they that deal emunah (faithfully, truthfully) are His delight.

²³ A prudent man concealeth da’as, but the lev kesilim (mind of fools) preaches folly.

²⁴ The yad of the kharutzim (diligent ones) shall rule, but the remiyyah (deceitfully lazy man) shall be put to forced labor.

²⁵ Anxiety in the lev ish causeth depression, but a davar tov cheers it up.

²⁶ The tzaddik prevaileth advantageously over his neighbor, but the derech resha’im leads them astray.

²⁷ The remiyyah (deceitfully lazy man) roasteth not that which he took in hunting, but diligence is the precious possession of man.

²⁸ In the orach tzedakah (way of righteousness) is chayyim, and in the derech netivot (pathway) thereof there is no mavet.

13 A ben chacham heareth his musar av, but a scoffer heareth not ge’arah (scolding, rebuke).

² An ish shall eat tov by the fruit of his peh (mouth), but the nefesh of the bogedim (unfaithful ones, traitors) shall eat chamas.

³ He that is shomer over his peh (mouth) guards his nefesh, but he that openeth wide his sfatayim (lips) shall have ruin.

⁴ The nefesh of the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) desireth, and hath nothing, but the nefesh of the kharutzim (diligent ones) shall have ample provision.

⁵ A tzaddik hateth sheker, but a wicked man is shamefully loathsome, and bringeth disgrace.

⁶ Tzedakah is guard over him whose derech is blameless, but wickedness overthroweth the chattat (sinner).

⁷ There is one who maketh himself out to be rich, yet hath nothing; there is one that maketh himself out to be poor, yet hath hon rav (great wealth).

⁸ The riches of an ish is kofer (ransom) for his nefesh (life), but the poor heareth no threat.

⁹ The ohr (light) of the tzaddik rejoiceth, but the ner (lamp) of the resha’im (wicked) shall be put out.

¹⁰ By zadon (pride) cometh only contention, but with the teachable is chochmah.

¹¹ Hon (wealth) gotten by dishonesty shall be diminished, but he that gathereth incrementally shall have an increment.

¹² Hope deferred maketh the lev sick, but when the ta’avah (desire) cometh, it is an Etz Chayyim (Tree of Life).

¹³ He who despiseth the davar shall be destroyed, but he that feareth the mitzvah shall be rewarded.

¹⁴ The torat chacham (teaching of the wise) is a makor chayyim (fountain of life), to turn one away from the snares of mavet.

¹⁵ Seichel tov giveth favor, but the derech bogedim (way of traitors) is hard.

¹⁶ Every prudent man acts with da’as, but a kesil (fool) displays his folly.

¹⁷ A malach rasha falleth into rah (trouble), but a tzir emunim (trustworthy envoy) is marpeh (healing).

¹⁸ Poverty and shame shall be to him that disdains musar, but he that is shomer over tokhakhat (reproof) shall be honored.

¹⁹ The ta’avah (desire, longing) fulfilled is sweet to the nefesh, but it is to’evat kesilim (the abomination of fools) to depart from rah.

²⁰ He that walketh with chachamim shall be wise, but a companion of kesilim (fools) shall come to harm.

²¹ Ra’ah (disaster) pursueth chatta’im (sinners), but tov is the reward of the tzaddikim.

²² A tov (good man) leaveth an inheritance to his bnei banim, and the wealth of the choteh (sinner) is laid up for the tzaddik.

²³ Rav ochel (much food) is in the untilled ground of the poor, but for want of mishpat (justice) it is swept away.

²⁴ He that spareth his shevet (rod) hateth bno (his son), but he that loveth him is diligent in his musar (discipline).

²⁵ The tzaddik (righteous) eateth to the satisfying of his nefesh (soul), but the beten (stomach) of the resha’im shall want.

14 Chachmot nashim buildeth her bais, but the foolish pulleth it down with her hands.

² He that walketh in his yashar feareth Hashem, but he that is devious in his drakhim despiseth Him.

³ In the peh (mouth) of the fool is a rod of ga’avah (pride), but the sfatayim (lips) of the chachamim shall be shomer over them and preserve them.

⁴ Where no oxen are, the evus (feeding trough) is clean, but much increase is by the ko’ach of the shor (ox).

⁵ An ed emunim will not lie, but an ed sheker will utter lies.

⁶ A scoffer seeketh chochmah, and findeth it not, but da’as cometh easily unto him that is discerning.

⁷ Go from the presence of an ish kesil, when thou perceivest not in him the sfatayim (lips) of da’as (knowledge).

⁸ The chochmah of the prudent is to understand his derech, but the folly of kesilim is mirmah (deceit).

⁹ Fools mock at guilt, but among the yesharim (upright ones) there is ratzon (favor).

¹⁰ The lev knoweth its own bitterness, and a zar (stranger) doth not share its simchah.

¹¹ The bais of the resha’im shall be shmad, but the ohel of the yesharim shall flourish.

¹² There is a derech (road) which seemeth yashar (right) unto an ish, but the acharit (latter end, future) thereof are the drakhim of mavet.

¹³ Even in sekhok (laughter) the lev is sad, and the acharit (latter end) of that simchah is grief.

¹⁴ The sug (backslider, faithless one) in lev is filled with his own drakhim (roads), but an ish tov shall be satisfied from above himself.

¹⁵ The naive believeth every davar, but the prudent looketh with care to his steps.

¹⁶ A chacham feareth, and departeth from rah, but the kesil throweth off restraint and is arrogantly reckless.

¹⁷ He that is quicktempered dealeth folly, and an ish mezimot (a man of crafty schemes) is hated.

¹⁸ The naive inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with da’as.

¹⁹ The ra’im will bow before the tov’im, and the resha’im at the she’arim of the tzaddik.

²⁰ The poor is hated even by his own re’a (neighbor), but the oisher hath many friends.

²¹ He that despiseth his re’a sinneth, but he that is kind to the anayim (needy ones), happy is he.

²² Do they not go astray that plot rah? But chesed and emes shall be to them that plan tov.

²³ In all hard work there is profit, but idle chatter of the sfatayim (lips) tendeth only to makhsor (poverty, want).

²⁴ The ateret chachamim is their riches, but the foolishness of kesilim is folly.

²⁵ An ed emes (true witness) saveth nefashot (souls, lives), but a lying witness is a betrayer.

²⁶ In the Yirat Hashem is strong confidence, and his banim shall have a place of refuge.

²⁷ The Yirat Hashem is a makor chayyim (fountain of life) to turn one away from the snares of mavet.

²⁸ In the multitude of people is the glory of a melech, but in the lack of subjects is the ruin of the prince.

²⁹ He that is slow to wrath is of rav tevunah (great understanding), but he that is angrily impulsive exalteth folly.

³⁰ A lev marpeh (sound mind) is life to the basar, but kinah (envy) is the rottenness of the atzmot (bones).

³¹ He that oppresseth the dal (poor) showeth contempt for his Oseh (Maker), but he that honoreth Him is kind to the evyon (needy).

³² The reshah is banished in his ra’ah, but the tzaddik hath refuge in his mot (death).

³³ In the lev of the discerning reposes chochmah, but that which is in kesilim is made known.

³⁴ Tzedakah exalteth a nation, but chattat (sin) is a reproach to any people.

³⁵ The ratzon melech (king’s favor) is toward an eved maskil (a wise servant), but his wrath is against him that bringeth shame.

15 A soft answer turneth away chemah (wrath); but harsh devarim stir up anger.

² The lashon of chachamim useth da’as aright, but the peh (mouth) of kesilim (fools) poureth out folly.

³ The eynayim of Hashem are in kol makom (every place), watching the ra’im and the tovim.

⁴ A marpeh lashon (a tongue of healing) is an Etz Chayyim, but selef (perversity) therein is crushing to the ruach (spirit).

⁵ A fool spurns his musar av, but he that is shomer over tokhakhat (reproof) is prudent.

⁶ In the bais of the tzaddik is much treasure, but in the revenues of the rashah is trouble.

⁷ The sfatayim (lips) of chachamim disperse da’as, but the lev of kesilim doeth not so.

⁸ The zevach of the resha’im is a to’evah to Hashem, but the tefillah (prayer) of the yesharim is His delight.

⁹ The derech rashah is a to’evah unto Hashem, but He loveth him that pursueth tzedakah.

¹⁰ Musar is grievous unto him that forsaketh the orach (way), and he that hateth tokhakhat (reproof) shall die.

¹¹ Sheol and Avaddon are before Hashem, how much more then the hearts of Bnei Adam?

¹² A scoffer loveth not one that correcteth him, neither will he go unto chachamim.

¹³ A lev same’ach maketh a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the lev the ruach is broken.

¹⁴ The lev of him that hath understanding seeketh da’as, but the peh (mouth) of kesilim feedeth on folly.

¹⁵ All the days of the oni are ra’im, but he that is of a tov lev hath a mishteh tamid (a continual feast).

¹⁶ Better is little with the Yirat Hashem than otzar rav (great treasure) and trouble therewith.

¹⁷ Better is a meal of yarak (vegetables) where love is, than a fatted calf and sinah (hatred) therewith.

¹⁸ An ish chemah (angry man) stirreth up madon (strife), but he that is slow to anger pacifies a quarrel.

¹⁹ The derech (road) of the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) is a thorny hedge, but the orach yesharim (way of the upright) is a highway.

²⁰ A ben chacham maketh glad an av, but a kesil adam despiseth immo.

²¹ Folly is simchah to him that is destitute of lev [of discernment], but an ish tevunah walketh uprightly.

²² Without counsel, plans go amiss, but in the multitude of yo’atzim (counsellors) they are established.

²³ An ish hath simchah in the apt reply of his peh (mouth), and a timely davar, mah tov (how good!)

²⁴ The Orach Chayyim leads upward to the wise, in order that he may depart from Sheol beneath.

²⁵ Hashem will destroy the bais of the proud, but he will maintain the boundary of the almanah.

²⁶ The thoughts of the rah are a to’evah to Hashem, but the words of the tehorim (pure ones) are pleasant.

²⁷ He that is greedy of unjust gain troubleth his own bais, but he that hateth mattanot (bribes) shall live.

²⁸ The lev tzaddik studieth how to answer, but the peh (mouth) of the resha’im poureth out evil things.

²⁹ Hashem is far from the resha’im, but He heareth the tefillah of the tzaddikim.

³⁰ The ohr (light) of the eynayim rejoiceth the lev, and a good report giveth health to the etzem.

³¹ The ozen that heareth the tokhakhat chayyim (reproof of life) lodgeth among chachamim.

³² He that refuseth musar despiseth his own nefesh, but he that heareth tokhakhat (reproof) gaineth lev [of understanding].

³³ The Yirat Hashem is the musar of chochmah; and before kavod (honor) is anavah (humility).

16 The plans of the lev belong to adam, and the answer of the lashon is from Hashem.

² All the drakhei ish are pure in his own eynayim, but Hashem weigheth the ruchot.

³ Commit thy ma’asim (works) unto Hashem, and thy plans shall be established.

⁴ Hashem works out all things for Himself, indeed, even the rasha (wicked) for the Yom Ra’ah (day of evil).

⁵ Every one that is proud in lev is to’evat Hashem; though yad join in yad, he shall not go unpunished.

⁶ By chesed and emes avon is purged, and by the Yirat Hashem men depart from rah.

⁷ When drakhei ish please Hashem, He maketh even his oyevim to be in shalom with him.

⁸ Better is a little with tzedakah than great revenues without mishpat (justice).

⁹ The lev adam plans his derech, but Hashem directeth his steps.

¹⁰ A kesem (oracle) is on the sfatayim (lips) of Melech, his peh (mouth) must not betray mishpat.

¹¹ A just weight and balance are Hashem’s, all the weights of the bag are His concern.

¹² It is to’evat melachim to commit resha (wickedness), for the kisse is established through tzedakah.

¹³ Sfatayim (lips) of tzedek are the delight of melachim; and they love him that speaketh yesharim (upright things).

¹⁴ The wrath of a melech is as malachim of mavet, but an ish chacham will appease it.

¹⁵ In the light of the countenance of melech is chayyim, and his favor is like the cloud of a spring rain.

¹⁶ How much better is it to acquire chochmah than zahav, and acquiring binah (understanding) a better choice than kesef!

¹⁷ The mesilat yesharim (highway of the upright) is to depart from rah; he that guards his derech is shomer over his nefesh (soul).

¹⁸ Ga’on (pride) goeth before shever (destruction), and a ruach of haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹ Better it is to be of a humble ruach among the anayim, than to divide the plunder with the proud.

²⁰ He that wisely heeds the Davar shall find tov (good), and he who trusteth in Hashem, happy is he.

²¹ The chacham lev shall be called prudent, and the sweetness of the sfatayim (lips) adds to learning.

²² Seichel is a Makor Chayyim unto him that hath it, but the musar (instruction, discipline) of fools is folly.

²³ The lev chacham guides his peh (mouth), and addeth learning to his sfatayim (lips).

²⁴ Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the nefesh, and marpeh (healing) to the atzmot (bones).

²⁵ There is a derech that seemeth yashar (right) before an ish, but its acharit (future, latter end) is the drakhei mavet.

²⁶ The nefesh (appetite) of the laborer works for him, for his peh (mouth) of hunger driveth him on.

²⁷ An ish Beliya’al diggeth up ra’ah, and in his sfatayim (lips) there is as a scorching eish.

²⁸ A perverse ish soweth madon (strife, dissension), and a whisperer separateth close friends.

²⁹ An ish chamas enticeth his re’a, and leadeth him into the derech that is not good.

³⁰ He winking his eynayim to plot perverse things, compressing his sfatayim (lips), bringeth ra’ah to pass.

³¹ The silvery hair is an ateret tiferet; it is found in the derech tzedakah.

³² He that is slow to anger is better than the gibbor; and he that ruleth his ruach than he that captures a city.

³³ The goral is cast into the kheyk (lap), but the whole decision thereof is from Hashem.

17 Better is a dry crust, and quietness therewith, than a bais full of zevakhim (sacrificial religious meals) with strife.

² An eved maskil (wise servant) shall have rule over a ben that causeth shame, and shall have a share of the nachalah among the achim.

³ The crucible is for kesef, and the furnace for zahav, but Hashem is the testor of hearts.

⁴ An evildoer giveth heed to false sfatayim (lips), and a sheker (liar) giveth ear to a spiteful lashon.

⁵ He who mocketh the poor showeth contempt for his Oseh (Maker), and he that gloats at calamities shall not go unpunished.

⁶ Bnei banim are the ateret of zekenim; and the tiferet of banim are their avot.

⁷ Eloquent speech becometh not a naval (fool), much less do lying sfatayim (lips) a ruler.

⁸ A shochad (gift, bribe) is like a charm in the eynayim of him that hath it: wherever he turneth, he prospereth.

⁹ He that covereth a peysha (transgression) seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth the best of friends.

¹⁰ Ge’arah (scolding) goeth deeper into a meiven than a hundred blows into a kesil (fool).

¹¹ A rah seeketh only rebellion; therefore a merciless malach shall be sent to him.

¹² Let an ish meet a dov robbed of her cubs rather than a kesil in his folly.

¹³ He who rewardeth ra’ah for tovah, ra’ah shall not depart from his bais.

¹⁴ The beginning of madon (strife) is like releasing mayim, therefore stop contention before a quarrel begins.

¹⁵ He that justifieth the rashah, and he that condemneth the tzaddik, even they both are to’evah to Hashem.

¹⁶ Why is there the purchase price in the yad of a kesil (fool) to acquire chochmah, seeing he hath no lev for it?

¹⁷ The re’a (friend) loveth at all times, and a brother is born for tzarah (adversity).

¹⁸ Adam devoid of lev [of understanding] shaketh hands in pledge, and becometh the security deposit for his neighbor.

¹⁹ He loveth peysha (transgression, sin) that loveth strife, and he that maketh his threshold high seeketh shever (fracture).

²⁰ He that hath a crooked mind findeth no tov, and he that hath a deceitful lashon falleth into ra’ah.

²¹ He that begetteth a kesil doeth it to his sorrow, and the avi naval hath no simchah.

²² A lev same’ach doeth tov like a medicine, but a downcast ruach drieth up the bones.

²³ A rasha accepts a shochad (bribe) out of the kheyk (bosom, i.e., secretly) to pervert the orkhot mishpat (paths of justice).

²⁴ Chochmah is before the meiven (discerning one); but the eynayim of a kesil are on the ends of ha’aretz.

²⁵ A ben kesil is a ka’as (grief) to aviv (his father), and bitterness to her that bore him.

²⁶ Also to punish the tzaddik is not tov, nor to flog officials for their yashar (uprightness, integrity).

²⁷ He that hath da’as spareth his words, and an ish tevunah (man of understanding) is of a calm ruach.

²⁸ Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted chacham, and he that shutteth his sfatayim (lips) is esteemed a man of understanding.

18 A man who separates himself seeks his own ta’avah (desire); he defies all tushiyyah (wisdom, sound judgment).

² A kesil (fool) hath no delight in tevunah (understanding), but only in airing out his lev (mind, opinions).

³ When the rashah cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with dishonor, cherpah (reproach, disgrace).

⁴ The devarim of a man’s mouth are deep mayim; the makor chochmah is a flowing stream.

⁵ It is not tov to show partiality to the rashah, to subvert the tzaddik in mishpat.

⁶ The sfatayim (lips) of a kesil enter into contention, and his peh (mouth) inviteth blows.

⁷ The peh (mouth) of a kesil is his undoing, and his sfatayim (lips) are the mokesh (snare) of his nefesh.

⁸ The devarim of a nirgan (gossip, talebearer, slanderer) are like mitlachamim (delicious tidbits), and they go down into the innermost parts of the beten (belly).

⁹ He also that is slack in his work is brother to him that is ba’al mashchit (master of destruction).

¹⁰ The Shem of Hashem is a strong migdal (tower), the tzaddik runneth into it, and is safe.

¹¹ The oisher’s wealth is his strong city, and is a high chomah in his own conceit.

¹² Before shever (destruction) the lev ish is haughty, and before kavod is anavah (humility).

¹³ He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and kelimmah (reproach, shame) unto him.

¹⁴ The ruach ish will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed ruach who can bear?

¹⁵ The lev of the prudent acquireth da’as, and the ozen of the chachamim seeketh da’as.

¹⁶ The mattan adam (gift of a man) openeth the way for him, and bringeth him before gedolim.

¹⁷ He that is harishon (the first) to make his case seemeth tzaddik, but his re’a cometh and doth cross-examine him.

¹⁸ The goral (lot) causeth contentions to cease, and keepeth the mighty apart.

¹⁹ A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and their contentious quarrelings are like the bars of an armon (citadel).

²⁰ An ish’s beten shall be filled with the fruit of his peh (mouth), and with the produce of his sfatayim (lips) shall he be satisfied.

²¹ Mavet and chayyim are in the power of the lashon, and they that love it shall eat the p’ri (fruit) thereof.

²² He who findeth an isha (wife) findeth tov, and obtaineth ratzon (favor) from Hashem.

²³ The poor useth entreaties, but the oisher answereth roughly.

²⁴ An ish of many companions may come to ruin, but there is an ohev (friend) that sticketh closer than a brother.

19 Better is the poor that walketh in his tohm (integrity, guilelessness), than he that is perverse in his sfatayim (lips), and is a kesil (fool).

² Also, that the nefesh (desire) be without da’as, it is not tov, and he that hasteth with his raglayim (feet) sinneth.

³ The folly of adam maketh his derech crooked, yet his lev rages against Hashem.

⁴ Wealth maketh many friends, but the dal (poor) is separated from his re’a (neighbor).

⁵ An ed shekarim (false witness) shall not go unpunished, and he that speaketh kezavim (lies) shall not escape.

⁶ Rabbim (many) will entreat the favor of the ruler, and every ish is the re’a (friend) to him that giveth mattan (gifts).

⁷ All the kin of the rahsh (pauper) do hate him; how much more does his friend avoid him? He pursueth them with words, yet they are not there.

⁸ He that getteth lev [of understanding] loveth his own nefesh; he that is shomer over tevunah (understanding) shall find tov.

⁹ An ed shekarim (false witness) shall not go unpunished, and he that speaketh kezavim (lies) shall perish.

¹⁰ Luxury is not fitting for a kesil (fool); much less for an eved to have rule over sarim.

¹¹ The seichel adam deferreth his anger, and it is his tiferet (glory) to pass over a peysha (transgression).

¹² The wrath of a melech is like the roaring of a lion, but his ratzon (favor) is as tal (dew) upon the esev (grass).

¹³ A ben kesil is the calamity of aviv (his father), and the contentions of an isha are a constant dripping [i.e., an irritant].

¹⁴ Bais and hon (wealth) are the nachalah avot, and a prudent isha (wife) is from Hashem.

¹⁵ Atzlah (slothfulness, laziness) casteth into a tardemah (deep sleep), and a nefesh remiyyah (a deceitfully lazy soul) shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶ He that is shomer over the mitzvah is shomer over his own nefesh, but he that is reckless in his drakhim shall die.

¹⁷ He that hath compassion on the dal (poor) lendeth unto Hashem; and for his benefits He will repay him.

¹⁸ Chasten binecha (thy son) while there is yet tikvah, and give not in to thy nefesh (desire) to kill him.

¹⁹ One of gadol chemah (great temper) shall bear onesh (punishment), for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

²⁰ Hear etzah, and accept musar, that thou mayest be wise in thy acharit (latter end, future).

²¹ There are many plans in a lev ish; nevertheless it is the etzah of Hashem that shall stand.

²² The ta’avah (what is desirable) in an adam is his chesed, and a rahsh (pauper) is better than an ish kazav (liar).

²³ The Yirat Hashem tendeth to chayyim, and he that hath it shall rest secure; he shall not be visited by rah.

²⁴ An atzel (sluggard, lazy one) thrusteth his yad into his dish, and will not so much as bring it back to his peh (mouth) again.

²⁵ Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn what is prudent, and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand da’as.

²⁶ He that mistreateth his av, and driveth out his em, is a ben that causeth shame, and bringeth cherpah.

²⁷ Cease, beni (my son), to hear musar and thou shalt go astray from the words of da’as.

²⁸ An ed beliya’al (corrupt witness) scorneth mishpat (justice), and the peh (mouth) of the resha’im devoureth iniquity.

²⁹ Shefatim (penalties, judgments) are prepared for scoffers, and for kesilim, beatings for the back.

20 The yayin is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whosoever is seduced to be led astray thereby is not wise.

² The wrath of a melech is as the roaring of a lion; he who provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own nefesh.

³ It is kavod for an ish to cease from strife, but any fool can start a quarrel.

⁴ The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) will not plow by reason of choref (winter, cold); therefore shall he beg at katzir (harvest), and have nothing.

⁵ Etzah (purpose; see Yn 2:24-25 ) in the lev ish is like deep mayim, but an ish tevunah will draw it out.

⁶ Rav adam will proclaim every one his own chesed, but an ish emunim (faithful man, loyal man) who can find one?

⁷ The tzaddik walketh in his tohm (integrity, guilelessness); his banim after him are blessed.

⁸ A melech that sitteth in the kisse din (throne of judgment) winnows out all rah with his eynayim.

⁹ Who can say, I have made my lev pure, I am tahor from my chattat?

¹⁰ Differing weights, and differing measures, both of them are alike to’evah to Hashem.

¹¹ Even a na’ar (child) is known by his ways, whether his conduct be pure, and whether it be yashar (right).

¹² The hearing ozen, and the seeing ayin, Hashem hath made even both of them.

¹³ Love not sheynah (sleep), lest thou come to poverty; open thine eynayim, and thou shalt have enough lechem.

¹⁴ It is good for nothing, it is naught, saith the koneh (buyer), but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

¹⁵ There is zahav, and a multitude of rubies, but the sfatayim (lips) of da’as are a precious jewel.

¹⁶ Take his garment that is guaranty for a zar (stranger), and hold it as his pledge for a nokhriyah (foreign woman, strange woman, seductress).

¹⁷ Lechem from sheker (deceit) is sweet to an ish, but afterwards his peh (mouth) shall be filled with gravel.

¹⁸ Every plan is established by etzah, and with tachbulot (guidance) wage milchamah.

¹⁹ He that goeth about as a rakhil (gossip, slanderer, talebearer) revealeth secrets; therefore associate not with the babbler.

²⁰ He who curseth aviv or immo, his ner (lamp) shall be put out in deep choshech.

²¹ A nachalah (inheritance) may be gotten hastily at the rishonah (beginning); but the acharit (latter end) thereof shall not have a bracha.

²² Say not thou, I will pay back rah; but wait on Hashem, and He shall save thee.

²³ Differing weights are a to’evah unto Hashem, and scales of mirmah (deceit) are not tov.

²⁴ The steps of a gever are from Hashem; how can an adam then understand his own derech (way, life’s course)?

²⁵ It is a mokesh adam to devote rashly as kodesh, and after nedarim (vows) to reconsider his consecration.

²⁶ A melech chacham winnows out the resha’im and bringeth the ofan (threshing wheel) over them.

²⁷ The neshamah of adam is the ner (light) of Hashem, searching all the innermost beten.

²⁸ Chesed and emes guard the Melech, and his kisse is upheld by chesed.

²⁹ The tiferet (glory) of bochurim is their ko’ach (strength), and the hadar (splendor) of zekenim is the silvery head.

³⁰ Blows that wound cleanseth away rah; so do beatings the innermost beten.

21 The lev melech is in the yad Hashem, as the channels of mayim; He directeth it wherever He will.

² Every derech ish is yashar (right) in his own eynayim, but Hashem weigheth the hearts.

³ To do tzedakah and mishpat is more acceptable to Hashem than zevach.

⁴ A high and haughty eye, and a proud lev—ner resha’im (the lamp of the wicked ones)—are chattat (sin).

⁵ The plans of the kharutz (diligent) lead surely to profit; but of every one that is hasty surely to machsor (poverty, want).

⁶ The getting of otzarot by a lashon sheker is hevel (vain, empty, meaningless) and fleeting for them that seek mavet.

⁷ The violence of the resha’im shall drag them away; because they refuse to do mishpat (justice).

⁸ The derech of the guilty ish is hafachpach (crooked, tortuous), but as for the pure, his conduct is yashar (right).

⁹ It is better to dwell in a corner of the gag (roof), than with a quarrelsome isha in a shared bais.

¹⁰ The nefesh of the rashah desireth rah; his re’a findeth no mercy in his eynayim.

¹¹ When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise, and when insight is disclosed to the chacham, he receiveth da’as.

¹² The tzaddik (righteous one) wisely considereth the bais of the rashah, and hurleth the resha’im to rah.

¹³ He who stoppeth his ozen at the cry of the dal (poor), he also shall cry out himself, but shall not be heard.

¹⁴ A mattan (gift) in secret pacifieth af (anger), and a shochad (bribe) in the kheyk (bosom, i.e., a concealed bribe) strong wrath.

¹⁵ It is simchah to the tzaddik to do mishpat, but terror for the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity).

¹⁶ The adam that wandereth astray from the derech haseichel (road of understanding) shall rest in the kahal of the refa’im (congregation of the dead).

¹⁷ The ohev simchah (lover of pleasure) shall be an ish machsor (man of poverty, want, shortage); he that loveth yayin and shemen shall not be rich.

¹⁸ The reshah shall be a kofer (ransom) for the tzaddik, and the boged (the unfaithful) for the yesharim.

¹⁹ It is better to dwell in eretz midbar, than with a quarrelsome and an angry isha.

²⁰ There is otzar to be desired and shemen in the naveh (dwelling) of the chacham; but a kesil adam squanders it.

²¹ He that pursueth tzedakah and chesed findeth chayyim, tzedakah, and kavod.

²² A chacham scaleth the city of the gibborim (mighty ones), and casteth down the trusted stronghold thereof.

²³ He who is shomer over his peh (mouth) and his lashon (tongue) is shomer over his nefesh from tzoros.

²⁴ Proud and haughty scoffer is shmo, who acteth in superfluity of zadon (pride).

²⁵ The ta’avah (desire, craving) of the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) killeth him, for his yadayim refuse to work.

²⁶ He craveth greedily kol hayom, but the tzaddik giveth and spareth not.

²⁷ The zevach of the resha’im is to’evah (detestable, abomination); how much more, when he bringeth it with zimmah (evil intent).

²⁸ An ed kezavim (lying witness) shall perish, but the ish that heareth [emes] speaketh lanetzach (unto eternity).

²⁹ An ish rasha defiantly hardeneth his face, but as for the yashar (upright) he maketh his derech (road) sure.

³⁰ There is no chochmah nor tevunah (understanding) nor etzah against Hashem.

³¹ The sus is prepared against the yom milchamah, but teshuah (victory, deliverance) is from Hashem.

22 A shem tov is rather to be desired than osher rav, and chen (grace) rather than kesef and zahav.

² The oisher (rich man) and the rahsh (pauper) have this in common: Hashem is the Oseh (Maker) of them all.

³ A prudent man foreseeth the ra’ah, and hideth himself, but the naïve trudge on, and are punished.

⁴ By anavah (humility) and the Yirat Hashem are osher, and kavod, and chayyim.

⁵ Thorns and pachim (snares) are in the derech of the crooked; he that is shomer over his nefesh shall be far from them.

⁶ Train up a na’ar in the derech (road) he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

⁷ The oisher ruleth over the rahshim (paupers), and the loveh (borrower, debtor) is eved (slave) to the ish malveh (lender).

⁸ He that soweth iniquity shall reap aven (iniquity), and the shevet (rod) of his wrath shall disappear.

⁹ He that hath a tov ayin (generous eye) shall have a bracha; for he giveth of his lechem to the dal (poor).

¹⁰ Cast out the scoffer, and contention shall leave; indeed, strife and kalon (shame) shall cease.

¹¹ He that loveth tahor lev (a pure heart), for the chen (grace) on his sfatayim (lips) the Melech shall be his re’a (friend).

¹² The eynayim of Hashem preserve da’as, and He overthroweth the devarim of the boged (unfaithful, treacherous, traitor).

¹³ The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) saith, There is an ari (lion) outside; I shall be murdered in the streets.

¹⁴ The peh (mouth) of zarot (strange women) is a deep pit; he that is under the wrath of Hashem shall fall therein.

¹⁵ Folly is bound in the lev na’ar, but the shevet musar (rod of correction) shall drive it far from him.

¹⁶ He that oppresseth the dal (poor) in order to increase, and he that giveth to the oisher, shall surely come to machsor (poverty, want).

¹⁷ Bow down thine ozen, and hear the devarim of chachamim, and apply thine lev (mind, heart) unto my da’as.

¹⁸ For it is a pleasant thing if thou be shomer over them within thee; they shall therewith abide ready upon thy sfatayim (lips).

¹⁹ That thy trust may be in Hashem, I have made thee know this yom, even thee!

²⁰ Have not I written to thee shloshim (thirty sayings) in mo’etzot (counsels) and da’as,

²¹ That I might make thee know the certain truth of the words of emes; that thou mightest bring back words of emes to them that send thee?

²² Exploit not the dal (poor), because he is dal (poor); neither oppress the oni (afflicted) in the sha’ar,

²³ For Hashem will plead their cause, and plunder the nefesh of those that plundered them.

²⁴ Make no friendship with a ba’al af (angry man), and with an ish chemot (man of wrath) thou shalt not go,

²⁵ Lest thou learn his orkhot (ways), and take a mokesh (snare) for thy nefesh.

²⁶ Be not thou one of them that shake hands in a pledge, or of them that are collateral for masha’ot (debts, loans).

²⁷ If thou hast nothing with which to pay, why should he take away thy mishkav (bed) from under thee?

²⁸ Remove not the gevul olam (ancient landmark), which avoteicha have set.

²⁹ Seest thou an ish mahir (diligent, one who excells) in his work? He shall stand before melachim; he shall not stand before obscure men.

23 When thou sittest to dine with a moshel (ruler), consider diligently what is before thee,

² And put a sakin (knife) to thy throat, if thou be a ba’al nefesh (man given to gluttony).

³ Be not desirous of his delicacies, for they are lechem kezavim (deceitful food).

⁴ Overwork not to get rich; cease from thine own binah (understanding).

⁵ Wilt thou let thine eynayim fly after that which is not? For such [wealth] certainly sprouts kenafayim (wings); they fly away as a nesher (eagle) toward Shomayim.

⁶ Eat thou not the lechem of him that hath a rah ayin (evil eye, i.e., a miser), neither desire thou his delicacies;

⁷ For as he reckoneth in his nefesh, so is he. Eat and drink, saith he to thee, but his lev is not with thee.

⁸ The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy pleasant devarim.

⁹ Speak not in the oznayim of a kesil (fool), for he will despise the seichel of thy words.

¹⁰ Remove not the gevul olam (ancient landmark); and enter not into the sadot of the yetomim (fatherless ones, orphans),

¹¹ For their Go’el is chazak (strong); He shall plead their cause against thee.

¹² Apply thine lev unto musar, and thine oznayim to the words of da’as.

¹³ Withhold not musar (correction) from the na’ar (child), for if thou spank him with the shevet, he shall not die.

¹⁴ Thou shalt spank him with the shevet, and shalt save his nefesh from Sheol.

¹⁵ Beni (my son), if thine lev be chacham, my own lev shall have simchah.

¹⁶ Indeed, my inmost being shall rejoice, when thy sfatayim (lips) speak meisharim (upright things).

¹⁷ Let not thine lev envy chatta’im, but be thou in the Yirat Hashem kol hayom.

¹⁸ For surely there is an acharit (latter end, future), and thine tikvah shall not be cut off.

¹⁹ Hear thou, beni (my son), and be chacham, and guide thine lev straight on the derech.

²⁰ Be not among yayin gluttons; among gluttonous eaters of basar,

²¹ For the drunkard and the zolel (glutton) shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe with rags.

²² Pay heed unto avicha that fathered thee, and despise not immecha when she is old.

²³ Buy emes, and sell it not; also chochmah, and musar, and binah (understanding).

²⁴ Avi tzaddik (the father of a righteous one) shall greatly rejoice, and he that fathereth a chacham shall have simchah in him.

²⁵ Avicha and immecha shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.

²⁶ Beni (my son), give me thine lev, and let thine eynayim delight in my drakhim.

²⁷ For a zonah is a deep pit, and a nokhriyah (strange woman, foreign woman, seductress, unfaithful wife) is a narrow well.

²⁸ She also lieth in wait like a road bandit, and increaseth the bogedim (unfaithful) among adam (mankind).

²⁹ Who hath oy (woe)? Who hath sorrow? Who hath strifes? Who hath complaint? Who hath needless wounds? Who hath bloodshot eynayim?

³⁰ They that tarry long at the yayin, they that turn in to sample mixed wine.

³¹ Stare not thou into the yayin when it is red, when it sparkles in the kos (cup), when it goeth down smoothly.

³² At the acharit (latter end, future) it biteth like a nachash, and stingeth with venomous poisons like a viper.

³³ Thine eynayim shall behold zarot (strange women), and thine lev shall utter perverse things.

³⁴ Indeed, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the lev yam (heart of the sea), or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

³⁵ They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not hurt; they have beaten me, and I felt it not. Mosai (when) shall I awake? I will seek yet another drink.

24 Be not thou envious of anshei ra’ah, neither desire to be with them.

² For their lev plotteth violence, and their sfatayim (lips) talk of amal (trouble).

³ Through chochmah is a bais built, and by tevunah (understanding) it is established.

⁴ And by da’as shall the chadarim (chambers, rooms) be filled with all precious and pleasant hon (riches, wealth).

⁵ A gever chacham is strong; indeed, an ish da’as (man of knowledge) increaseth ko’ach.

⁶ For by tachbulot (guidance) thou shalt wage thy milchamah (war), and in a multitude of yo’etz (counselors) there is teshu’ah (victory, safety).

⁷ Chochmah is too lofty for a fool; he openeth not his peh (mouth) at the sha’ar.

⁸ He that plotteth to do evil shall be called a ba’al mezimmot (master of schemes).

⁹ The scheme of folly is chattat (sin), and the scoffer is a to’evah to adam (man).

¹⁰ If thou faint in the yom tzarah, thy strength is small.

¹¹ Save those who are drawn away toward mavet, and hold back those stumbling toward slaughter.

¹² If thou sayest, See, we knew it not, doth not He that weigheth the levavot consider it? And He that is guard over thy nefesh, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every adam according to his works?

¹³ Beni (my son), eat thou devash, because it is tov; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of chochmah be unto thy nefesh; when thou hast found it, then there shall be an acharit (latter end, future), and thy tikvah (hope) shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not in wait, O rasha, against the naveh (dwelling) of the tzaddik; assault not his resting place;

¹⁶ For a tzaddik falleth sheva (seven times), and riseth up again, but the resha’im are overthrown in ra’ah.

¹⁷ Gloat not when thine oyev falleth, and let not thine lev rejoice when he stumbleth,

¹⁸ Lest Hashem see it, and it is rah in His eyes, and He turn away His wrath from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of ra’im, neither be thou envious of the resha’im,

²⁰ For there shall be no acharit (latter end, future) to the rah; the ner (light) of the resha’im shall be put out.

²¹ Beni (my son), fear thou Hashem and the Melech, and do not associate with them that are otherwise disposed.

²² For their calamity shall arise suddenly; and who hath da’as of ruin those two [i.e., Hashem and the Melech] can bring?

²³ These things also belong to chachamim: it is not tov to show partiality in mishpat.

²⁴ He that saith unto the rashah, Thou are tzaddik, him shall the people curse, nations shall detest him;

²⁵ But to them that rebuke the wicked, it is well, and birkat tov shall come upon them.

²⁶ He that giveth an answer that is nakhon (right, correct), giveth a kiss on the sfatayim.

²⁷ Set in order thy outside work, and make ready for thyself in the sadeh; then afterwards build thine bais.

²⁸ Be not an ed (witness) against thy re’a without cause, and deceive not with thy sfatayim (lips).

²⁹ Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the ish according to his work.

³⁰ I went by the sadeh of the ish atzel (sluggard, lazy one), and went past the kerem (vineyard) of the adam chasar lev (the man void of lev [of understanding]),

³¹ And, hinei, it was all grown over with thorns, and charullim (nettles) had covered the surface thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered it well in my lev; I looked upon it, and received musar.

³³ Yet a little shenot (slumber), a little sleep, a little folding of the yadayim to rest;

³⁴ So shall thy poverty come like a prowler; and thy want like an ish mogen (armed warrior).

25 These are also mishlei Sh’lomo, which the anashim of Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah copied out:

² It is the Kavod Elohim to conceal a thing, but the kavod melachim is to search out a matter.

³ The Shomayim for height, and Eretz for depth, so the lev melachim is unsearchable.

⁴ Take away the dross from the kesef, and there shall come forth a vessel for the tzoref (silversmith);

⁵ Take away the rasha from before Melech, and his kisse shall be established in tzedek.

⁶ Do not exalt thyself in the presence of Melech, and stand not in the makom (place) of gedolim;

⁷ For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up here, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the noble whom thine eynayim have seen.

⁸ Go not forth hastily to bring a lawsuit, lest thou know not what to do in the acharit thereof, when thy re’a hath put thee to shame.

⁹ Plead thy cause with thy re’a himself; and betray not a sod (confidence) to another,

¹⁰ Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and the evil report of thee never depart.

¹¹ A word aptly spoken is like tapukhim (apples) of zahav in settings of kesef.

¹² As a nezem (earring) of zahav, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a mochi’ach chacham (a wise reprover) upon an obedient ozen.

¹³ As the cold of sheleg (snow) in the yom katzir (day of harvest), so is a tzir ne’eman (faithful envoy) to them that send him; for he refresheth the nefesh of his adonim.

¹⁴ He who boasteth falsely of giving is like clouds and ruach (wind) without geshem (rain).

¹⁵ By forbearance is a katzin (ruler) persuaded, and a gentle lashon breaketh the bone.

¹⁶ Hast thou found devash? Eat only as much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it out.

¹⁷ Let thy regel (foot) seldom be in thy neighbor’s bais; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.

¹⁸ An ish that beareth ed sheker (false witness) against his re’a is a club, and a cherev, and a sharp khetz (arrow).

¹⁹ Confidence in a boged in the yom tzarah is like a shen ra’ah (bad tooth), and a regel out of joint.

²⁰ As he that taketh away a beged (garment) on a cold day, and as chometz (vinegar) upon lye, so is he that singeth shirim (songs) to a lev rah (heavy heart, i.e., depressed person).

²¹ If thine enemy be hungry, give him lechem to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him mayim to drink;

²² For so shalt thou heap hot coals upon his rosh, and Hashem shall reward thee.

²³ The ruach tzafon (north wind) brings forth geshem; so doth a lashon seter (backbiting tongue) bring an angry countenance.

²⁴ It is better to dwell in the corner of the gag (roof), than in a bais shared with a quarrelsome isha.

²⁵ As cold mayim to a weary nefesh, so is good news from a far country.

²⁶ A tzaddik who falters before the rasha is like a muddy spring, and a polluted makor (fountain).

²⁷ It is not tov to eat much devash; so for men to seek their own kavod is not glory.

²⁸ He that hath no rule over his own ruach is like an ir that is broken down, and without a chomah (wall).

26 As sheleg (snow) in kayitz (summer), and as matar (rain) at katzir (harvest), so kavod is not fitting for a kesil (fool).

² As the tzippor in its fluttering, as the swallow in its flying, so the kelelah (curse) without cause shall not alight.

³ A shot (whip) for the sus, a bridle for the chamor, and a shevet for the back of kesilim.

⁴ Answer not a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵ Answer a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest he be chacham in his own eyes.

⁶ He that sendeth a message by the yad of a kesil (fool) cutteth off the raglayim, and drinketh chamas.

⁷ The legs of the pisei’ach (lame man) hang limp; so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.

⁸ As he that bindeth an even (stone) in a sling, so is he that giveth kavod to a kesil (fool).

⁹ As a thornbush goeth up into the yad of a shikkor, so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.

¹⁰ Like an archer wounding all, so is he that hireth the kesil (fool), or hireth the passerby.

¹¹ As a kelev returneth to his vomit, so a kesil (fool) returneth to his folly.

¹² Seest thou an ish chacham in his own eyes? There is more tikvah (hope) for a kesil (fool) than for him.

¹³ The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) saith, There is a lion in the derech; an ari is in the rechovot.

¹⁴ As the delet (door) turneth upon its hinges, so doth the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) upon his mittah (bed).

¹⁵ The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) hideth his yad in his dish; it’s too tiring to bring it back to his peh (mouth) again.

¹⁶ The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) is chacham in his own eyes, more than seven that give an excellent answer.

¹⁷ He that passeth by, and meddleth in a quarrel that doth not belong to him, is like one that taketh a kelev by the oznayim.

¹⁸ As a mad man who shooteth firebrands, khitzim (arrows), and mavet,

¹⁹ So is the ish that deceiveth his re’a, and saith, Am I not just having a laugh?

²⁰ Where no wood is, there the eish goeth out; so where there is no nirgan (gossip, slanderer, talebearer), the strife dieth down.

²¹ As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to eish; so is a contentious ish to kindle strife.

²² The devarim of a nirgan (gossip, slanderer, talebearer) are like tasty morsels, and they go down into the innermost chambers of the beten.

²³ Fervent sfatayim (lips) and a lev rah are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

²⁴ He that hateth disguises it with his sfatayim (lips), and within harboreth mirmah (deceit);

²⁵ When he speaketh fair, believe him not; for there are sheva to’avot in his lev.

²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by guile, yet his wickedness shall be exposed before the whole kahal.

²⁷ He who diggeth a shachat (pit) shall fall therein, and he that rolleth an even (stone), it will roll back upon him.

²⁸ A lashon sheker hateth those that are crushed by it; and a flattering peh (mouth) worketh ruin.

27 Boast not thyself of yom makhar (tomorrow), for thou hast no da’as of what a yom may bring forth.

² Let another praise thee, and not thine own peh (mouth); a nokhri (stranger), and not thine own sfatayim (lips).

³ An even (stone) is heavy, and the chol (sand) weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.

⁴ Chemah (anger) is cruel, and fury is a torrent, but who is able to stand before kinah (jealousy, envy)?

⁵ Open tovah tokhakhat (good, constructive reproof) is better than secret ahavah.

⁶ Ne’emanim (faithful) are the wounds of an ohev (friend); but deceitful the neshikot (kisses) of an enemy.

⁷ The full nefesh trampleth a honeycomb, but to the hungry nefesh every mar (bitter thing) is sweet.

⁸ As a tzippor that wandereth from her ken (nest), so is an ish that wandereth from his makom (place, home).

⁹ Shemen and ketoret rejoice the lev; so doth the sweet discourse of a re’a (friend) from an atzat nefesh (a counselling of the soul).

¹⁰ Thine own re’a (friend), and the re’a avicha, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s bais in the yom of thy calamity; for better is a shakhen (neighbor) that is near than a brother far off.

¹¹ Beni (my son), be chacham, and make my lev glad, that I may answer my accusers.

¹² A prudent man foreseeth ra’ah, and hideth himself; but the naïve ones trudge on, and are punished.

¹³ Take his beged (garment) that is collateral for a zar; seize the pledge given for surety for a nokhriyah (strange woman, foreign woman, seductress).

¹⁴ He that maketh a bracha on his re’a (friend) with a kol gadol (loud voice), rising early in the boker, it shall be counted a kelalah to him.

¹⁵ A continual dripping in a very rainy day and a quarrelsome isha are alike;

¹⁶ To restrain her is like restraining the ruach (wind), and like grasping shemen in the right hand.

¹⁷ Barzel (iron) sharpeneth barzel (iron); so one ish sharpeneth another.

¹⁸ He who is guard over the te’enah (fig tree) shall eat the p’ri (fruit) thereof, so he that is shomer over his adon shall be honored.

¹⁹ As mayim reflecteth the face, so one lev ha’adam reflects another.

²⁰ Sheol and Avaddon are never full; so the eynayim of adam are never satisfied.

²¹ As the crucible is for kesef, and the furnace for zahav; so is an ish tested by the praise he receives.

²² Though thou shouldest grind a fool in the makhtesh (mortar) among grain with the pestle, yet will not his folly be removed from him.

²³ Be thou diligent to know the condition of thy tzon, and look well to thy adarim (flocks).

²⁴ For riches are not l’olam (forever); and doth the nezer (crown) endure dor vador?

²⁵ The hay is removed, and the deshe (tender grass) showeth itself, and herbs of the harim are gathered,

²⁶ The kevasim (lambs) are for thy clothing, and the goats are the purchase price of the sadeh.

²⁷ And thou shalt have cholov of izzim (goats) enough for thy lechem, for the lechem of thy bais, and for the nourishment of thy na’arot (servant girls).

28 The rasha flee when none pursueth; but the tzaddikim are bold as a lion.

² For the peysha eretz (land in rebellion) many are the sarim (rulers) thereof, but by an adam meiven yodei’a (a man of wisdom and knowledge) shall be lasting order.

³ A gever rahsh (poor man) that oppresseth the dalim (poor ones) is like a sweeping matar (rain) which leaveth no lechem (food, crop).

⁴ They that forsake the torah praise the rasha, but such as be shomer over the torah contend against them.

⁵ Anshei rah understand not mishpat, but they that seek Hashem understand all things.

⁶ Better is the rahsh (poor) that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his drakhim (ways), though he be rich.

⁷ He who keepeth torah is a ben meiven, but he that is a companion of zolelim (gluttons) shameth aviv.

⁸ He that by neshekh (interest) and increase increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the dalim (poor ones).

⁹ He that turneth away his ozen from mishmo’a torah (heeding torah), even his tefillah (prayer) shall be to’evah (abomination).

¹⁰ He who causeth the yesharim (upright ones) to go astray in a derech rah, he shall fall himself into his own trap, but the blameless ones shall inherit tov.

¹¹ The ish oisher is chacham in his own eyes, but the dal meiven (poor man with understanding) searcheth him out.

¹² When tzaddikim do triumph, there is rabbah tiferet (great glory), but when the resha’im rise, the people go into hiding.

¹³ He that covereth his peysha’im (sins) shall not prosper, but he who confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy.

¹⁴ Ashrei adam that is reverent always, but he that hardeneth his lev shall fall into ra’ah.

¹⁵ As a roaring ari, and a charging dov (bear), so is a wicked moshel (ruler) over the am dal (poor people).

¹⁶ The nagid (ruler) lacking tevunot (understanding) is also a great oppressor, but he that hateth betza (ill-gotten gain) shall prolong his yamim (days).

¹⁷ If an adam is burdened with dahm (blood, murder) of any nefesh, let him be a fugitive ad bor (till the pit, death); let no ish help him.

¹⁸ He who walketh tamim (blamelessly) shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his drakhim shall fall suddenly.

¹⁹ He that tilleth his adamah shall have plenty of lechem, but he that chaseth after empty things shall have poverty enough.

²⁰ An ish emunot (faithful man, loyal man) shall abound with birkhot, but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not go unpunished.

²¹ To show partiality is not tov; for a piece of lechem that gever will transgress.

²² He that hasteth to be rich hath a rah ayin, and considereth not that want shall come upon him.

²³ He that rebuketh an adam afterwards shall find more chen (favor) than he that flattereth with the lashon.

²⁴ He who robbeth aviv or immo, and saith, It is no peysha (transgression), the same is the chaver (fellow, companion) of an ish mashchit (man of destruction).

²⁵ The covetous stirreth up strife, but he that putteth his trust in Hashem shall be prospered.

²⁶ He that trusteth in his own lev is a kesil (fool), but he who walketh in chochmah, he shall be delivered.

²⁷ He that giveth unto the rahsh (poor) shall not lack, but he that hideth his eynayim meeteth many curses.

²⁸ When the resha’im rise, adam hide themselves, but when they perish, the tzaddikim increase.

29 He, that being often reproved, stiffeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without marpeh (remedy).

² When the tzaddikim are increased, the people rejoice, but when the rasha beareth rule, the people groan.

³ He who loveth chochmah rejoiceth aviv, but he that keepeth company with zonot squanders his hon (substance, wealth).

⁴ Melech by mishpat establisheth eretz, but an ish terumot (a man of bribes) bringeth it down.

⁵ A gever that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a reshet (net) for his feet.

⁶ By peysha (transgression) an ish rah is snared, but the tzaddik doth sing and have simchah.

⁷ The tzaddik considereth the cause of the dalim, but the rasha (wicked) doeth not understand such da’as (knowledge).

⁸ Scornful men enflame a city, but chachamim turn away af (wrath).

⁹ If an ish chacham has to contend with a fool, he [the fool] rageth or laugheth, and hath no rest.

¹⁰ The anshei damim hate integrity, but the yesharim seek his nefesh (soul, i.e., his soul’s well-being).

¹¹ A kesil (fool) uttereth all his wrath, but a chacham keepeth it back quietly.

¹² If a moshel pays heed to davar sheker, all his mesharetim (officials, ministers) are resha’im.

¹³ The rahsh (pauper) and the oppressor have this in common: Hashem enlighteneth both their eynayim.

¹⁴ If Melech shofet be’emes (judges in truth) the dalim, his kisse shall be established forever.

¹⁵ The shevet (rod) and tokhakhat (reproof) give chochmah, but a na’ar (child) left to himself bringeth immo to shame.

¹⁶ When the resha’im are multiplied, peysha (transgression) increaseth, but the tzaddikim shall see their downfall.

¹⁷ Correct binecha, and he shall give thee rest; indeed, he shall give delight unto thy nefesh.

¹⁸ Where there is no chazon (prophetic vision), the people cast off restaint [i.e., perish ungovernable], but he that is shomer over the torah, happy is he.

¹⁹ An eved will not be corrected by devarim, for though he understand he will not answer.

²⁰ Seest thou an ish that is hasty in his devarim? There is more tikvah for a kesil (fool) than for him.

²¹ He that pampers his eved from youth up shall have him as his ben at the acharit (end).

²² An ish af (angry man) stirreth up strife, and a ba’al chemah (ill-tempered man) aboundeth in peysha (transgression).

²³ Ga’avat adam (pride of man) shall bring him low, but the humble in ruach shall attain kavod.

²⁴ He who is partner with a ganav hateth his own nefesh; he heareth the curse of the victim but discloses nothing.

²⁵ The fear of adam bringeth a mokesh (snare), but he who putteth his trust in Hashem shall be secure.

²⁶ Many seek the moshel’s favor, but mishpat ish cometh from Hashem.

²⁷ An unjust man is a to’evah to the tzaddikim, and he that is yeshar derech (upright in the way) is to’evah to the rasha.

30 The devarim of Agur Ben Yakeh, even the massa; the gever (man) spoke unto Itiel, even unto Itiel and Uchal:

² Surely I am more stupid than any ish, and have not the binat adam.

³ I neither learned chochmah, nor have the da’as of the kadoshim.

⁴ Who hath ascended into Shomayim, or descended? Who hath gathered ruach in the hollows of His hands? Who hath bound the mayim in a cloak? Who hath established all the afsei aretz (ends of the earth)? What is Shmo (His Name), and what is Shem Bno (the Name of His Son [See Memra, creative Word of G-d in Targumim]), if thou canst tell?

⁵ Every word of G-d is flawless; He is a mogen unto them that take refuge in Him.

⁶ Add thou not unto His devarim, lest He rebuke thee, and thou be found a kazav (liar).

⁷ Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before my mot;

⁸ Remove far from me shav (vanity, falsehood) and davar kazav (word of a liar); give me neither poverty nor osher; feed me lechem chukki (my daily bread);

⁹ Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is Hashem? Or lest I be poor, and become a ganav, and profane the Shem of Elohai.

¹⁰ Do not slander an eved unto his adon, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

¹¹ There is a dor (generation) that curseth its av, and doth not make a bracha on its em.

¹² There is a dor (generation) that is tahor (pure) in its own eynayim, and yet is not washed from its filthiness.

¹³ There is a dor (generation), O how haughty in loftiness are their eynayim! And their eyelids are proudly lifted up.

¹⁴ There is a dor (generation), whose teeth are as charavot (swords), and their jaw teeth are as knives, to devour the aniyim (oppressed poor ones) from off ha’aretz, and the evyonim (needy ones) from among adam.

¹⁵ The leech hath two banot: Give! Give! There are shalosh (three) that are never satisfied, indeed, four things never say, Enough!

¹⁶ Sheol, and the barren womb; eretz that is never satisfied with mayim; and eish that saith not, Enough!

¹⁷ The ayin (eye) that mocketh at av, and scorneth to obey em, the ravens of the valley shall peck it out, and the bnei nesher shall eat it.

¹⁸ There are shalosh which are too wonderful for me, indeed, four which I understand not;

¹⁹ The derech hanesher (way of the eagle) in the sky; the derech nachash upon a tzur (rock); the derech oniyah (way of a sailing vessel) in the midst of the yam (sea); and the derech gever (way of a man) with an almah (unmarried young virgin; see Gn 24:43,16,63-65.

²⁰ Such is the derech isha mena’efet (way of an adulterous woman): she eateth, and wipeth her peh (mouth), and saith, I have done no wrong.

²¹ For shalosh the eretz is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

²² For an eved (slave) when he reigneth; and a naval (fool) when he is full with lechem;

²³ For an unloved woman when she is married; and a shifchah that displaces her gevirah (lady, mistress).

²⁴ There are four things which are little upon eretz, but they are exceeding chachamim:

²⁵ The nemalim (ants) are an am (people) not strong, yet they store up their lechem in the kayitz (summer);

²⁶ The badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their bais in the rocks;

²⁷ The arbeh (locusts) have no melech, yet they go forth all of them in ranks;

²⁸ The lizard can be held in the hands, yet is in heikhelot (palaces) of a melech.

²⁹ There are shloshah which are majestic in stride, indeed, four are stately in walk:

³⁰ A lion which is gibbor among behemah (beasts), and retreateth not from any;

³¹ The strutting rooster; the he-goat also; and a melech, when his army is with him.

³² If thou hast done foolishly in exalting thyself, or if thou hast devised rah, lay thine yad upon thy peh.

³³ Surely the churning of cholov (milk) bringeth forth khemah (butter), and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth dahm; so the stirring up of anger bringeth forth strife.

31 The devarim of Lemuel Melech, the massa (burden, oracle) that immo taught him.

² What, my bar (son, see Ps 2:12)? And what, the bar of my womb? And what, the bar of my nedarim (vows)?

³ Give not thy strength unto nashim, nor thy drakhim to that which destroyeth melachim.

⁴ It is not for melachim, O Lemuel, it is not for melachim to drink yayin; nor for rulers to crave strong drink;

⁵ Lest they drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the justice of the bnei oni (all the oppressed afflicted people).

⁶ Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and yayin unto those that be of bitter nefesh.

⁷ Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his amal (misery) no more.

⁸ Open thy peh (mouth) for the illem (mute) in the cause of all such as are bnei chalof (sons of destitution).

⁹ Open thy peh (mouth), judge tzedek, and plead the cause of the oni and the evyon.

¹⁰ Who can find an aishes chayil (a woman of valor, an excellent wife Prov 12:4)? For her worth is far above rubies.

¹¹ The lev of her ba’al (husband) doth securely trust in her, so that he shall have no lack of gain.

¹² She will do him tov and not rah all the days of her life.

¹³ She seeketh tzemer (wool), and flax, and worketh willingly with her palms.

¹⁴ She is like the oniyyot socher (ship merchant); she bringeth her lechem from afar.

¹⁵ She riseth also while it is yet lailah, and provideth food to her bais, and a chok (portion) to her na’arot (servant girls).

¹⁶ She considereth a sadeh, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her palms she planteth a kerem (vineyard).

¹⁷ She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her zero’ot (arms).

¹⁸ She perceiveth that her merchandise is tov; her ner (light) goeth not out balailah.

¹⁹ She layeth her yadayim to the distaff, and her fingers lay hold of the spindle.

²⁰ She extends her palms to the oni; indeed, she reacheth forth her yadayim to the evyon (needy).

²¹ She is not afraid of the sheleg (snow) for her bais; for all her bais are clothed with scarlet.

²² She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her levush (clothing) is fine linen and purple.

²³ Her ba’al (husband) is known in the she’arim, when he sitteth among the ziknei eretz.

²⁴ She maketh fine garments, and selleth them; and delivereth sashes unto the kena’ani (merchant).

²⁵ Oz (strength) and hadar (dignity) are her clothing; and her smile is toward the yom acharon (coming day, future).

²⁶ She openeth her peh (mouth) with chochmah; and on her lashon is the torat chesed (teaching of kindness).

²⁷ She watcheth well over the halichot (goings, ways) of her bais (household), and eateth not the lechem atzlut (bread of idleness).

²⁸ Her banim rise up, and call her blessed; her ba’al (husband) also, and he praiseth her.

²⁹ Rabbot banot have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

³⁰ Chen (charm) is sheker (deceitful), and yofi (beauty) is fleeting; but an isha Yirat Hashem (a G-d fearing wife), she shall be praised.

³¹ Give her of the p’ri (fruit) of her yadayim; and let her own ma’asim praise her in the she’arim.

1 There was an ish in Eretz Uz, shmo Iyov; and that ish was blameless and yashar, and yire Elohim, and shunned evil.

² And there were born unto him seven banim and shalosh banot.

³ His possessions also were seven thousand tzon and three thousand gemalim, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-donkeys, and very many avadim; so that this ish was the greatest of kol bnei kedem.

⁴ And his banim went and held a mishteh in their bais, every one in his turn in his bais; and sent and called for their three achayot to eat and to drink with them.

⁵ And it was so, when the yamim of their mishteh were gone, that Iyov sent and set them apart as kodesh, and rose up early in the boker, and offered olot (burnt offerings) according to the mispar (number) of them all: for Iyov said, It may be that my banim have sinned, and cursed Elohim in their hearts. Thus did Iyov kol hayamim.

⁶ Now there was a yom when the Bnei HaElohim came to present themselves before Hashem, and Hasatan came also among them.

⁷ And Hashem said unto Hasatan, From where comest thou? Then Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, From roaming to and fro in ha’aretz, and from walking up and down in it.

⁸ And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hast thou considered in thy heart avdi Iyov, that there is none like him in ha’aretz, a perfect and a yashar ish, yire Elohim, and shunneth evil?

⁹ Then Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, Is Iyov a yire Elohim (G-d fearer) for nothing?

¹⁰ Hast not Thou made a hedge [of protection] about him, and about his bais, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the ma’aseh (work) of his hands, and his possessions are increased in ha’aretz.

¹¹ But put forth Thine yad now, and strike all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.

¹² And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hinei, all that he hath is in thy yad; only upon himself put not forth thine yad. So Hasatan went out from the presence of Hashem.

¹³ And there was a yom when his banim and his banot were eating and drinking yayin in the bais achihem habechor (the house of their firstborn brother):

¹⁴ And there came a malach (messenger) unto Iyov, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them:

¹⁵ And the Sabeans attacked, and took them away; yea, they have slain the na’arim with the edge of the cherev; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The eish Elohim is fallen from Shomayim, and hath burned up the tzon, and the na’arim, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Kasdim (Chaldeans) formed shloshah rashim, and fell upon the gemalim and have carried them away, yea and slain the na’arim with the edge of the cherev; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy banim and thy banot were eating and drinking yayin in the bais achihem habechor;

¹⁹ And, hinei, there came a ruach gedolah from the midbar, and struck the arbah pinot (four corners) of the bais, and it fell upon the na’arim, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

²⁰ Then Iyov arose, and made the keri’ah on his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped,

²¹ And said, Arom came I out of beten immi, and arom shall I return there; Hashem gave, and Hashem hath taken away; yehi Shem Hashem mevorach.

²² In all this Iyov sinned not, nor natan tiflah leElohim (charged G-d with folly).

2 Again there was a day when the Bnei HaElohim came to present themselves before Hashem, and Hasatan came also among them to present himself before Hashem.

² And Hashem said unto Hasatan, From where comest thou? And Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, From going to and fro through ha’aretz, and from walking up and down in it.

³ And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hast thou considered in your meditation Avdi (My Servant) Iyov, that there is none like him in ha’aretz, ish tam and yashar, yire Elohim, and shunning rah? And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou inciteth Me against him, to ruin him for no reason.

⁴ And Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that an ish hath will he give for his nefesh.

⁵ But stretch forth Thine yad now, and touch his etzem and his basar, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.

⁶ And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hinei, he is in thine yad; but spare his nefesh.

⁷ So went Hasatan out from the presence of Hashem, and afflicted Iyov with shekhin rah (foul boils) from the sole of his regel unto the top of his head.

⁸ And he took him a cheres (potsherd, piece of broken pottery) to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

⁹ Then said his isha unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse Elohim, and die.

¹⁰ But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the nevalot (foolish women) speaketh. What? Shall we receive hatov from Elohim, and shall we not accept harah? In all this did not Iyov sin in what he said.

¹¹ Now when the three friends of Iyov heard of all this ra’ah that had come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temani, and Bildad the Shuchi, and Tzophar the Na’amati; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

¹² And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and recognized him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they made the keri’ah every one on his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward Shomayim.

¹³ So they sat [shiva] with him upon the ground shivat yamim and shivat lailah, and none spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his suffering was very great.

3 After this opened Iyov his mouth, and cursed his yom.

² And Iyov spoke, and said,

³ Let the yom perish wherein I was born, and halailah in which it was said, There is a gever born.

⁴ Let that yom be choshech; let not Elohim regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

⁵ Let choshech and the tzalmavet (shadow of death) claim it; let an anan dwell upon it; let the blackness of the yom terrify it.

⁶ As for that lailah, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the yamim of the shanah, let it not come into the number of the months.

⁷ Hinei, let that lailah be barren; let no joyful shout come therein.

⁸ Let them curse it that curse the yam, who are ready to rouse Leviathan.

⁹ Let the kokhavim of the dawn thereof be dark; let it look for ohr, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the shachar,

¹⁰ Because it shut not up the dalatot of my mother’s womb, nor hid amal (tzoros) from mine eyes.

¹¹ Why did I not come to mot at birth? Why did I not perish when I came out of the beten (belly, womb)?

¹² Madua (why) were there birkayim to receive me? Or why the shadayim that from them I should nurse?

¹³ For atah (now) I would be lying still and quiet, have slept and been at rest,

¹⁴ With melachim and yo’atzim of ha’aretz, which build ruins for themselves;

¹⁵ Or with sarim (princes) that had zahav, who filled their batim (houses) with kesef;

¹⁶ Or as a hidden stillborn—I had not been!—as olelim which never saw ohr.

¹⁷ There the resha’im cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸ There the asirim (prisoners, captives) rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

¹⁹ The katon and gadol are there; and the eved is free from his adon.

²⁰ Why is ohr given to him that is in misery, and chayyim unto the bitter in nefesh;

²¹ Which long for mavet, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

²² Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the kever?

²³ Why is ohr given to a gever whose derech is hidden, and whom Elohim hath hedged in?

²⁴ For my sighing cometh instead of lechem, and my groanings are poured out like the mayim.

²⁵ For the pachad (terror) which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I dreaded is come unto me.

²⁶ I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; and rogez (tzoros, turmoil) came.

4 Then Eliphaz the Temani answered and said,

² If we attempt a davar with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

³ Hinei, thou hast instructed rabbim (many), and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

⁴ Thy words have upheld him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble birkayim (knees).

⁵ But atah (now) it is come upon thee, and thou art impatient; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶ Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy tikveh, and the blamelessness of thy ways?

⁷ Consider now, who ever perished, being naki (innocent)? Or where were the yesharim (upright ones) cut off?

⁸ Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow amal (trouble), reap the same.

⁹ By the neshamah (breath) of Eloah they perish, and by the ruach of His nostrils are they consumed.

¹⁰ The roaring of the aryeh, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

¹¹ The old lion perisheth for lack of teref (prey), and the stout lion’s cubs are scattered.

¹² Now a davar was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.

¹³ In thoughts from the chezyonot lailah, when tardemah (deep sleep) falleth on anashim,

¹⁴ Pachad came upon me, and trembling, which made all my atzmot to shake.

¹⁵ Then a ruach passed before my face; the hair of my basar stood up;

¹⁶ It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; a temunah (form) was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

¹⁷ Shall enosh (mortal man) be more righteous than Eloah? Shall a man be more tahor than his Maker?

¹⁸ Behold, He puts no trust in His avadim, and His malachim (angels) He charged with toholah (error).

¹⁹ How much more them that dwell in batim (houses) of clay, whose yesod (foundation, origin) is in the dust, which are crushed like the moth?

²⁰ They are destroyed from boker to erev; they perish forever without any regarding it.

²¹ Is not the cord of their tent which is in them pulled up? They die, even without chochmah (wisdom).

5 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the kadoshim (holy ones) wilt thou turn?

² For ka’as (anger) killeth the foolish man, and kinah (envy) slayeth the simple one.

³ I have seen the fool taking shoresh (root), but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

⁴ His banim are far from yesha (safety, salvation), and they are crushed in the sha’ar (gate, before the public), neither is there any to deliver them.

⁵ Whose katzir (harvest) the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even from among of the tzinnim (thorns), and the intriguer pants after their wealth.

⁶ Although affliction springeth not forth of the aphar (dust), neither doth amal (trouble, tzoros) sprout out of the adamah;

⁷ Yet adam is born unto amal (trouble, tzoros), even as sparks fly upward.

⁸ I would seek El (G-d), and before Elohim would I lay my cause;

⁹ Who doeth gedolot unsearchable, marvellous things without mispar;

¹⁰ Who giveth matar upon eretz, and sendeth mayim upon the fields;

¹¹ To set up on high those that be the shefalim (the lowly ones); that those which mourn may be exalted to safety,

¹² Thwarting the machshevot of the arumim (crafty ones), so that their hands cannot accomplish tushiyyah (success).

¹³ He taketh the chachamim in their own arum (craftiness), and the etzah of the wily is swiftly swept away.

¹⁴ They meet with choshech in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the lailah,

¹⁵ But He saveth the needy from the cherev of their mouth, and from the yad chazak.

¹⁶ So the poor hath tikveh, and olatah (perversity, wickedness) stoppeth her mouth.

¹⁷ Hinei, ashrei is the enosh whom Eloah correcteth; therefore despise not thou the musar (chastening) of Shaddai;

¹⁸ For He woundeth, and bindeth up; He injureth, and His yadayim (hands) heal.

¹⁹ He shall deliver thee in shesh tzoros; yea, in shivah there shall no rah touch thee.

²⁰ In ra’av (famine) He shall redeem thee from mavet; and in milchamah from the power of the cherev.

²¹ Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the leshon, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

²² At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; neither shalt thou be afraid of the chayyat ha’aretz.

²³ For thou shalt be in league with the avanim of the sadeh, and the chayyat sadeh shall be hashelemah (at peace) with thee.

²⁴ And thou shalt know that shalom shall be thy ohel; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and find nothing wanting.

²⁵ Thou shalt know also that thy zera shall be rav, and thine offspring as the esev ha’aretz.

²⁶ Thou shalt come to thy kever in a ripe age, like a shock of grain cometh in its season.

²⁷ Hinei zot, this we have searched out, so it is; hear it, and apply thou it for thy good.

6 But Iyov answered and said,

² Oh that my ka’as (vexation) were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the scales together!

³ For now it would be heavier than the chol of the seas; therefore my words are impetuous.

⁴ For the khitzim (arrows) of Shaddai are in me, the poison whereof drinketh my ruach; the terrors of Eloah do set themselves in array against me.

⁵ Doth the pereh (wild donkey) bray when he hath desheh? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?

⁶ Can that which is tasteless be eaten without melach? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

⁷ The things that my nefesh refused to touch are like my loathsome lechem.

⁸ Who will grant that I might have my she’elah (request); oh that Eloah would grant me my tikveh!

⁹ Even that it would please Eloah to crush me; that He would let loose His yad, and cut me off!

¹⁰ Then should I yet have nechamah (consolation); yea, I would exult in chilah (pain); let him not spare; for I have not concealed the imrei Kadosh (words of the Holy One).

¹¹ What is my koach, that I should wait? And what is mine end, that I should make patient my nefesh?

¹² Is my koach the koach of avanim? Or is my basar bronze?

¹³ Is it that my help is not within me? And is tushiyyah (success) driven from me?

¹⁴ To him that is afflicted, chesed should be shown from his friend; otherwise, he forsaketh the fear of Shaddai.

¹⁵ Achai (my brethren) have dealt deceitfully as a wadi, and as the torrents of wadis they vanish away;

¹⁶ Which are blackish muddy by reason of the kerakh (ice), and wherein the sheleg (snow) is melted.

¹⁷ What season they become warm, they vanish; when it is hot, they disappear from their makom.

¹⁸ The paths of their derech wind about; they go up to tohu [Gn 1:2], and perish.

¹⁹ The caravans of Tema looked for them; the halichot (traveling companies) of Sheva hoped for them.

²⁰ They were disappointed because of their bitachon; they come there and are confounded.

²¹ For now ye are become such; ye see my chatat (casting down), and are afraid.

²² Did I say, Bring unto me? Or, Give a present for me of your ko’ach (power, wealth)?

²³ Or, Deliver me from the yad tzar (hand of the enemy, oppressor)? Or, Redeem me with a ransom from the yad of the tyrants?

²⁴ Teach me, and I will hold my tongue, and cause me to have binah wherein I have erred.

²⁵ How forcible are the imrei yosher (words of rectitude)! But what doth your hokhiach (reproof) reprove?

²⁶ Do ye think to reprove words? The words of one in despair, which are as ruach?

²⁷ Yea, ye cast lots for the yatom, and over your friend ye barter.

²⁸ Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; for it is evident unto you if in me there is kazav (falsity).

²⁹ Turn, now, let there be no iniquity; yea, turn again; at issue is my tzedek (righteousness).

³⁰ Is there iniquity on my leshon? Cannot my palate discern havvot (perverse things)?

7 Is there not a tzava (forced hard service in the army) to enosh (man) upon earth? Are not his days also like the yamim of a sachir (hired laborer)?

² As an eved earnestly longeth for tzel (shade), and as a sachir waiteth for the wage of his work,

³ So am I made to possess months of shav (vanity, futility), and lailot amal (nights of weariness) are appointed to me.

⁴ When I lie down, I say, Mosai (how long) till I arise? But the erev drags on, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto dawn.

⁵ My basar is clothed with worm and clod of aphar; my ohr (skin) is broken, and become loathsome.

⁶ My yamim are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without tikveh.

⁷ O remember that my life is ruach (wind); mine eye shall no more see tov.

⁸ The ayin (eye) of him that hath seen me shall see me no longer; thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

⁹ Like the anan that fades and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.

¹⁰ He shall return no more to his bais, neither shall his makom know him any more.

¹¹ Therefore I will not curb my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my ruach; I will complain in the mar (bitterness) of my nefesh.

¹² Am I a yam, or a tannin (monster of the yam [sea]), that Thou settest a mishmar (guard watch) over me?

¹³ When I say, My bed shall give me nachamah (comfort), my couch shall ease my complaint,

¹⁴ Then Thou frightenest me with chalomot (dreams), and terrifiest me through chezyonot (visions),

¹⁵ So that my nefesh chooseth machanak (strangling) and mavet (death) rather than this skeleton.

¹⁶ I loathe it; I would not live l’olam, let me alone; for my yamim are hevel (vanity, meaningless).

¹⁷ What is enosh (man), that Thou shouldest make much of him? And that Thou shouldest set Thine lev upon him?

¹⁸ And that Thou shouldest visit him every boker, and try him every moment?

¹⁹ How long dost Thou not look away from me? Nor let me alone till I swallow down my rok (spittle)?

²⁰ Chatati (I have sinned); what shall I do unto Thee, O Thou Notzer HaAdam (Observer of men)? Why hast Thou set me as a mifgah (mark, target, something to be hit) to Thee, so that I am a massa (burden) to Thee?

²¹ And why dost Thou not pardon my peysha (transgression), and take away my avon (iniquity)? For now shall I sleep in the aphar; and Thou shalt search for me, but I shall be no more.

8 Then answered Bildad the Shuchi, and said,

² How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a raging ruach (wind)?

³ Doth El pervert mishpat (justice)? Or doth Shaddai pervert tzedek?

⁴ If thy banim have sinned against Him, and He have cast them away for their peysha (transgression);

⁵ If thou wouldest seek El (G-d) earnestly, and make thy techinnah (supplication) to Shaddai;

⁶ If thou wert pure and yashar; surely now He would rouse Himself for thee, and restore the habitation of thy tzedek.

⁷ Though thy reshit (beginning) was small, yet thy acharit (end) shall be exceedingly great.

⁸ For inquire, now, of the dor rishon (former age), and consider the research of their avot;

⁹ —For we are but of temol (yesterday, etmol) and know nothing, because yameinu (our days) upon earth are a tzel (shadow)—

¹⁰ Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and bring forth words out of their lev?

¹¹ Can the papyrus grow up without marsh? Can the reed grow without mayim?

¹² Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before kol khatzir (all grass).

¹³ So are the paths of all that forget El (G-d), and the tikvat chanef (hope of the hypocrite, the irreligious, the secretly wicked profane person) shall perish,

¹⁴ Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose reliance shall be a bais akavish (spider’s web).

¹⁵ He shall lean upon his bais, but it shall not stand, he shall cling to it, but it shall not hold.

¹⁶ He is like a green plant before the shemesh, and its branch shooteth forth in its gan (garden).

¹⁷ Its shorashim (roots) are wrapped about the rock heap, and it looks on the bais avanim (place of stones).

¹⁸ But when cast away from its makom, then its place shall deny it, saying, Loh re’iticha (I never saw thee).

¹⁹ Behold, thus was the joy of its derech, and others spring forth from the aphar (dust).

²⁰ Surely El (G-d) will not cast away a blameless man, neither will He help the resha’im (evil-doers);

²¹ Till He fill thy mouth with sechok (laughter), and thy lips with teruah (shouts of joy).

²² They that hate thee shall be clothed with bushah (shame), and the ohel resha’im shall be no more.

9 Then Iyov answered and said,

² I know it is indeed thus, but how should yitzdak Enosh im El (Man be in the right, justified, before G-d)?

³ If he will contend with Him, once of a thousand can Man not answer G-d back.

⁴ G-d is chochom in lev, and mighty in ko’ach; who hath hardened himself to defy Him and remained unhurt?

⁵ Which removeth the harim (mountains), and they know not; which overturneth them in His anger;

⁶ Which shaketh eretz out of its place, and the ammudim thereof tremble;

⁷ Which commandeth the cheres (sun), and it riseth not; and sealeth up the kokhavim;

⁸ Which spreadeth out Shomayim by Himself alone, and treadeth upon the waves of the yam;

⁹ Which maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the constellations on the south side of the heavens;

¹⁰ Which doeth gedolot past finding out; yea, and nifla’ot (wonders) without number.

¹¹ Hen (lo), He passeth by me, and I see Him not; He goeth on also, but I perceive Him not.

¹² Hinei, He taketh away, who can stop Him? Who will say unto Him, Mah ta’aseh (what are You doing)?

¹³ If Eloah restraineth not His anger, the helpers of Rahab must bow themselves under Him.

¹⁴ How much less shall I dispute with Him, and choose my dvarim with Him?

¹⁵ Whom, though I were tzaddik (righteous, innocent, in the right), yet would I not answer, but I would make techinnah (supplication, plea for mercy) for my mishpat (right).

¹⁶ If I had summoned, and He had responded to me, yet would I not believe that He had paid heed unto my kol (voice);

¹⁷ For He breaketh me in a sa’arah (tempest, storm), and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸ He will not allow me to take my ruach (breath), but filleth me with bitterness.

¹⁹ If I speak of ko’ach, hinei, He is mighty, and if of mishpat, who can give Him a court summons?

²⁰ If etzdak (I am justified, in the right), mine own mouth would condemn me; if I say, I am blameless, He would prove me perverse.

²¹ Though I were blameless, yet would I not know my nefesh; I would despise my life.

²² This is one thing; therefore I said it, He destroyeth the tam (blameless) and the rasha (wicked).

²³ If the shot (scourge) slay suddenly, He laugheth at the melting away [in anguish] of the nekiyim (innocent ones, the guiltless ones).

²⁴ Eretz is given into the yad of the resha; He blindfoldeth the faces of the shofetim (judges) thereof; if not, then, who doeth it?

²⁵ Now my yamim are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no tovah.

²⁶ They slip by like oniyyot (boats) of reed; as the nesher that swoopeth down on the prey.

²⁷ If I say, I will forget my si’akh (complaint), I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself,

²⁸ I am afraid of all my sorrows; I have da’as that Thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁹ If I be wicked, why then labor I in hevel (vain)?

³⁰ If I wash myself with sheleg (snow), and make my hands clean with lye,

³¹ Yet shalt Thou plunge me in the shachat (slime pit), and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

³² For He is not an ish, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in mishpat (in the court).

³³ Neither is there any mochiach (arbitrator) between us, that might lay his yad upon us both.

³⁴ Let Him take His shevet (rod) away from me, and let not His fear terrify me.

³⁵ Then would I speak, and not fear Him; but it is not ken (so) with me.

10 My nefesh is sick of my life; I will give free rein to my si’akh (complaint); I will speak in the mar (bitterness) of my nefesh.

² I will say unto Eloah, Do not condemn me; show me what charge Thou dost contend with me.

³ Is it hatov (pleasing) unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest reject the work of Thine hands, and shine [favor] upon the etzah (scheme) of the resha’im?

⁴ Hast Thou eyes of basar? Or seest Thou as enosh seeth?

⁵ Are Thy yamim like the yamim of enosh? Are Thy years like the days of gever (man),

⁶ That Thou seekest after mine avon, and searchest after my chattat?

⁷ Though Thou has da’as that I am not a resha, and there is none that can deliver out of Thine yad,

⁸ Thine yadayim have formed me and altogether round about have fashioned me; yet Thou hast now swallowed me.

⁹ Remember, now, that Thou hast molded me like the chomer (clay), and wilt Thou turn me into aphar again?

¹⁰ Hast Thou not poured me out like cholov, and curdled me like gvinah (cheese)?

¹¹ Thou hast clothed me with ohr and basar, and hast knitted me together with atzmot and sinews.

¹² Thou hast granted me chayyim and chesed, and Thy visitation hath been shomer over my ruach.

¹³ And these things hast Thou hid in Thine lev; I have da’as that this was in Thy mind.

¹⁴ If I sin, then Thou art shomer over me, and Thou wilt not let my avon go unpunished.

¹⁵ If I am guilty, woe unto me; even if I be tzaddik (innocent), yet will I not lift up my head, being full of kalon (shame) and conscious of my oni (misery),

¹⁶ For if my head is held high, Thou stalkest me like a fierce lion, and ever Thou displayest Thy awesome power against me.

¹⁷ Thou bringest Thy fresh edim (witnesses) against me, and increasest Thine hot indignation toward me; in waves Thy tzava troop against me.

¹⁸ Why then hast Thou brought me forth out of the rechem (womb)? Oh that I had expired, and no eye had seen me!

¹⁹ I should have been as though I had never been; I should have been carried from the beten straight to the kever.

²⁰ Are not my yamim few? Then cease, and let me alone, that I may take a little cheer

²¹ Before I go from where I shall not return, even to the Eretz Choshech V’Tzalmavet,

²² An eretz of darkness, like darkness itself; and of tzalmavet, no sedarim (order), where the light is like darkness.

11 Then answered Tzophar the Na’amati, and said,

² Should not the multitude of dvarim be answered? And should an ish full of talk yitzdak (be justified)?

³ Should thy vain talk silence men, so that thou mockest, v’ein machlim (without anyone putting thee to shame)?

⁴ For thou hast said, My lekach (doctrine, teaching, belief) is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes.

⁵ But oh that Eloah would speak, and open His lips against thee,

⁶ And that He would show thee the secrets of chochmah, that tushiyyah (true wisdom) has two sides! Have da’as therefore that Eloah forgetteth much of thy avon.

⁷ Canst thou search out the cheker Eloah (depths of G-d)? Canst thou probe to the tachlis Shaddai (the end, completeness of Almighty)?

⁸ It is like the heights of Shomayim; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; of what canst thou have da’as?

⁹ The measure thereof is longer than ha’aretz, and broader than the yam (sea).

¹⁰ When Eloah passes by and arrests and convenes for judgment, who then can constrain Him?

¹¹ For He has da’as of deceitful men; He seeth wickedness also; will He not then take note of it?

¹² But before a witless ish can become wise, a colt of a pereh (wild donkey) would be born an adam!

¹³ If thou direct thine lev, and stretch out thine hands to Him,

¹⁴ If iniquity be in thine yad, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy ohalim.

¹⁵ For then shalt thou lift up thy face without mum; yea, thou shalt be firm, and shalt not fear,

¹⁶ Because thou shalt forget thy amal (grief), and remember it as waters that flow by,

¹⁷ And thine cheled (duration of life) shall be brighter than the tzohorayim (noonday); thou shalt shine forth; thou shalt be as the boker.

¹⁸ And thou shalt be secure, because now there is tikveh; yea, thou shalt search, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

¹⁹ Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, rabbim (many) shall court thy favor.

²⁰ But the eyes of the resha’im faileth, and they shall not escape, and their tikveh shall be as the last gasp of the nefesh.

12 And Iyov answered and said,

² Doubtless then ye are the people, and chochmah shall die with you.

³ But I have levav (understanding) as well as you; I am not inferior to you; yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

⁴ I am as a laughingstock to his neighbor: The man who calleth upon Eloah [they say of me], and He answereth him! [To them I am] a laughingstock, the tzaddik, the tamim (blameless one)!

⁵ Those at ease have buz (contempt) for a downfall which awaits the one whose regel is slipping.

⁶ The ohalim of shodedim (robbers) remain in peace; they that defy El are secure, who Eloah brought forth by His yad.

⁷ But ask now the behemot, and they shall teach thee, and the oph haShomayim (birds of the air), and they shall tell thee;

⁸ Or speak to ha’aretz, and it shall teach thee; and the dagim of the yam shall declare unto thee.

⁹ Of all of these, who lacketh da’as that the yad Hashem hath wrought this?

¹⁰ In whose yad is the nefesh of every living thing, and the ruach of kol basar ish.

¹¹ Doth not the ozen (ear) test words? And the mouth tastes its ochel?

¹² With the ancient ones is chochmah; and in orech yamim (length of days) is binah (understanding).

¹³ With Him is chochmah and gevurah; He hath etzah and understanding.

¹⁴ See, what He tears down cannot be reconstructed; He shutteth up an ish, and there can be no prison release.

¹⁵ See, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, and they overturn eretz.

¹⁶ With Him is oz (strength) and tushiyyah (true wisdom); the deceived and the deceiver are His.

¹⁷ He leadeth yoatzim (counsellors) away stripped, and maketh the shofetim (judges) fools.

¹⁸ He looseth the shackle of melachim (kings), and girdeth their loins with loincloth.

¹⁹ He leadeth kohanim away stripped, and overthroweth the mighty.

²⁰ He removeth the speech of the ne’emanim (trusted ones), and taketh away the understanding of the zekenim.

²¹ He poureth buz (contempt) upon nobles, and loosens the belt of the mighty.

²² He uncovers the depths of choshech, and bringeth tzalmavet to light.

²³ He giveth prosperity to the Goyim, and then destroyeth them; He enlargeth them, and then carrieth the Goyim away.

²⁴ He taketh away the lev (understanding) of the Rashei Am HaAretz, and sendeth them to tohu lo derech (trackless wilderness).

²⁵ They grope in the choshech without ohr, and He maketh them to stagger like a shikkor (drunken man).

13 See, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ozen hath heard and understood it.

² What ye know, of the same I have da’as also; I am not inferior unto you.

³ Surely I would speak to Shaddai, and I desire to reason with El (G-d).

⁴ But ye are forgers of sheker, ye are all rofim (physicians) of no value.

⁵ O that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it should be your chochmah.

⁶ Hear now my tokhachat (protest, public argumentation), and pay heed to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷ Will ye talk wickedly on behalf of El (G-d) and speak deceitfully for Him?

⁸ Will ye be partial to Him? Will ye play the part of the defense attorney for El?

⁹ Is it hatov that He should search you out? Or do you play the jester with Him, as one plays the jester with enosh?

¹⁰ He will surely reprove you, if ye do act with partiality beseter (secretly).

¹¹ Shall not His majesty make you afraid? And the pachad of Him fall upon you?

¹² Your zichron meshalim (memorable sayings) are like unto ashes, your defenses are strongholds of chomer (clay).

¹³ Hold your peace, let me alone, that Ani (I) may speak, and let come on me what will.

¹⁴ Why do I take my basar in my teeth, and take my nefesh in mine yad?

¹⁵ Though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust in Him; but I will maintain my derech before Him.

¹⁶ He also shall be my Yeshuah (salvation); for a chanef (irreligious man, hypocrite) shall not come before Him.

¹⁷ Hear diligently my confession, and my declaration with your oznayim.

¹⁸ Hinei now, I have prepared my mishpat (cause, case); I know that I shall be acquitted.

¹⁹ Who is he that can contend against me? For atah (now), if I hold my tongue, I shall expire.

²⁰ Only do not shtayim (two things) unto me; then will I not hide myself from Thee.

²¹ Withdraw Thine hand far from me, and let not Thy eimah (dread, terror) make me afraid.

²² Then kerah (summon), and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer me.

²³ How many are mine avonot and chatta’ot? Make me to know my peysha and my chattat.

²⁴ Lammah (why) hidest Thou Thy face, and holdest me for Thine enemy?

²⁵ Wilt Thou frighten away a leaf driven to and fro? And wilt Thou pursue the dry kash (straw, chaff)?

²⁶ For Thou writest down merorot (bitter things) against me, and makest me to inherit the avonot of my neurim (youth).

²⁷ Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and observest kol orkhot (paths, ways) of me; Thou settest a mark upon the soles of my raglayim,

²⁸ Around one who wastes away as a rotten thing, as a beged (garment) that is moth eaten.

14 Adam that is born of isha is of few yamim and full of rogez (unrest).

² He cometh forth like a tzitz (flower), and is cut down; he fleeth also as a tzel, and continueth not.

³ And doth Thou open Thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into mishpat with Thee?

⁴ Who can bring a tahor (clean thing) out of a tameh (an unclean, cf Ro 5:12)? Loh echad (No one).

⁵ Seeing his yamim are determined, the number of his chodashim (months) are with Thee, Thou hast appointed his limits that he cannot exceed.

⁶ Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a sachir (a hired man), his day.

⁷ For there is tikveh of an etz, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

⁸ Though the shoresh (root) thereof grow old in ha’aretz, and the stump thereof die in the aphar (dust),

⁹ Yet through the scent of mayim it will bud, and bring forth branches like a young plant.

¹⁰ But gever dieth, and wasteth away; yea, adam breathes his last, and where is he?

¹¹ As the mayim flow away from the yam, and the nahar (stream) becomes parched and drieth up,

¹² So ish lieth down, and riseth not, till Shomayim be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

¹³ O that Thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that Thou wouldest conceal me until Thy wrath has passed, that Thou wouldest appoint me a chok (set time), and remember me!

¹⁴ If a gever die, shall he live again? All the days of my tzava (hard army service) will I wait, till my chalifah (changing, renewal) come.

¹⁵ Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee; Thou wilt have a desire for the ma’aseh (work) of Thine hands.

¹⁶ For now Thou countest my steps. Dost Thou not watch over my chattat?

¹⁷ My peysha is sealed up in a bag, and Thou would cover over mine avon.

¹⁸ And surely the har (mountain) falling crumbles, and the tzur (rock) is moved out of its place.

¹⁹ The mayim wear away the avanim; Thou washest away the things which grow out of the aphar aretz; and Thou destroyest the tikvat enosh.

²⁰ Thou prevailest lanetzach (forever) against him, and he passeth away; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

²¹ His banim come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

²² Only his basar shall have pain upon him, and his nefesh within him shall mourn.

15 Then answered Eliphaz the Temani, and said,

² Should a chacham (wise man) utter vain knowledge, and fill his inner being with the east wind?

³ Should he reason with unprofitable davar (talk)? Or with speeches wherewith no good is done?

⁴ Yea, thou makest void yireh [Elohim], and doth diminish si’akh (meditation) before El.

⁵ For thy mouth uttereth thine avon, and thou choosest the leshon arumim (tongue of the crafty).

⁶ Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and loh Ani (not I); yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

⁷ Art thou harishon adam (the first man) that was born? Or wast thou made before the hills?

⁸ Hast thou attended to the sod Eloah (counsel of G-d)? And dost thou limit chochmah to thyself?

⁹ Of what dost thou have da’as, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?

¹⁰ Both the grayheaded and very aged men are among us, much elder than avicha.

¹¹ Are the tanechumot El (consolations of G-d) not enough for thee? Or the davar that deals gently with thee?

¹² Why doth thine lev carry thee away? And why do thy eyes flash,

¹³ That thou ventest thy ruach against El (G-d), and lettest such words pour out of thy mouth?

¹⁴ What is enosh, that he should be pure [in the sight of Hashem]? And he which is born of an isha, that yitzdak (he should be in the right)?

¹⁵ If He trusteth not His Kadoshim; yea, Shomayim is not pure in His eyes.

¹⁶ How much more vile and corrupt is ish, which drinketh iniquity like mayim?

¹⁷ I will show thee, shema to me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

¹⁸ Things which chachamim declare from their avot without concealment;

¹⁹ Unto whom alone ha’aretz was given, and no zar passed among them.

²⁰ The reshah travaileth with pain all his yamim, and numbered shanim are reserved for the oppressor.

²¹ A dreadful sound is in his oznayim; during shalom the shoded (destroyer) shall come upon him.

²² He believeth not in a return from choshech, and he is marked for the cherev.

²³ He wandereth about after lechem, saying, Where is it? He has da’as the Yom Choshech is near at hand for him.

²⁴ Distress and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall seize him as a melech poised for battle.

²⁵ For he stretcheth out his yad against El (G-d), and with insolence vaunts himself against Shaddai.

²⁶ He charges against Him, with a stiff neck, with the thick bosses of his mogen (shield);

²⁷ Though he covereth his panim with his fatness, and addeth fat on his flanks;

²⁸ And he dwelleth in desolate towns, and in batim (houses) which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to crumble to rubble.

²⁹ He shall not be osher, neither shall his substance continue; neither shall their possessions spread over ha’aretz.

³⁰ He shall not escape from choshech; the flame shall wither his branches, and in the ruach of his mouth shall he perish.

³¹ Let not him that is deceived trust in shav (vanity); for shav shall be his recompense.

³² His Yom is not yet; then it is accomplished, and his branch shall not flourish.

³³ He shall shake off his unripe grape like the gefen, and shall cast off his blossom like the zayit (olive tree).

³⁴ For the Adat Chanef (congregation of hypocrites) shall be barren, and eish shall consume the ohalim of bribery.

³⁵ They conceive amal (trouble), and give birth to evil, and their belly worketh mirmar (deceit).

16 Then Iyov answered and said,

² I have heard many such things; menachamei amal (miserable comforters) are ye all.

³ Shall divrei ruach (vain words) have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

⁴ I also could speak as ye do; if your nefesh were in place of my nefesh, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

⁵ But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my shfatayim (lips) should relieve your grief.

⁶ Though I speak, my grief is not relieved, and though I forbear, mah (what) alleviation is it for me?

⁷ But now He hath worn me out; Thou hast made desolate kol adat (whole household) of me.

⁸ And Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is an ed (witness) against me; and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

⁹ He teareth me in his wrath, who warreth against me; He gnasheth upon me with His shinayim (teeth); mine adversary sharpeneth His eyes against me.

¹⁰ They have struck at me with their mouth; they have struck me upon the lekhi (cheek) reproachfully; [Isa 50:6; Lam 3:30] they have conspired themselves together against me.

¹¹ El hath delivered me to evil men, and turned me over into the hands of the resha’im.

¹² I was at ease, but He hath shattered me; He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for His mattarah (object of attack, target).

¹³ His archers surround me, He pierces my klayot (kidneys), and doth not show mercy; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.

¹⁴ He bursteth upon me again and again; He runneth upon me like a gibbor (warrior).

¹⁵ I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and laid my keren (horn, strength) in the aphar (dust).

¹⁶ My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the tzalmavet;

¹⁷ Not for any chamas in mine hands; also my tefillah is pure.

¹⁸ O earth, cover not thou my dahm, and let my outcry have no makom (place of rest).

¹⁹ Also now, hinei, my Ed is in Shomayim, and my Sahed (witness, one who vouches for me) is on high [MJ 4:15].

²⁰ My friends scorn me; but mine eye poureth out tears unto Eloah.

²¹ O that one might plead for a man with Eloah, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor!

²² When a few shanot are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

17 My ruach is broken, my yamim are extinct, the kevarim are ready for me.

² Does not hatulim (mockery) surround me? And doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

³ Lay down an eravon (pledge) with Thee; who is he that will put up security for me?

⁴ For Thou hast hid their lev from seichel; therefore shalt Thou not exalt them.

⁵ He that informs on re’im for chelek, even the eyes of his banim shall fail.

⁶ He hath made me also a mashal (byword) of the peoples; and I am one in whose face they spit.

⁷ Mine eye also is dim by reason of ka’as, and all my members are like a tzel (shadow).

⁸ Yesharim shall be appalled at this and the naki (pure, innocent) shall stir up himself against the chanef (profane, irreligious).

⁹ The tzaddik also shall hold to his derech, and he whose yadayim are tahor shall grow stronger and stronger.

¹⁰ But as for all you, do ye return, and come back now; for I cannot find one chacham among you.

¹¹ My yamim are past, my plans are broken, even the morashot (possessions, desires) of my lev.

¹² They change the lailah into yom; the ohr is near to choshech, say they.

¹³ If I wait, Sheol is mine bais; I have made my bed in the choshech.

¹⁴ I have said to Shachat, thou art avi; to the worm, thou art immi, and achoti.

¹⁵ And where is now my tikveh? As for my tikveh, who regards it?

¹⁶ Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we go down together into the dust?

18 Then answered Bildad the Shuchi, and said,

² Ad anah (Until when, how long) will it be ere ye make an end of words? Gain binah, and afterwards we will speak.

³ Why are we counted as behemah (cattle), and reputed stupid in your sight?

⁴ Thou art he who teareth his nefesh in his anger; shall eretz (earth) be forsaken for thee? And shall the tzur be removed out of its place?

⁵ Yea, the ohr of the resha’im shall be put out, and the flame of his eish shall not burn.

⁶ The ohr shall be choshech in his ohel, and his ner (lamp) above him is extinguished.

⁷ The steps of his vigor shall be shortened, and his own etzah (counsel, scheme) shall cast him down.

⁸ For he is cast into a reshet by his own raglayim, and he walketh into a pitfall.

⁹ The pach (trap) shall take him by the akev (heel), and the snare shall prevail against him.

¹⁰ The noose is laid for him ba’aretz (on the ground), and a trap for him in the path.

¹¹ Ballahot (terrors, terrible thoughts) shall make him afraid on every side, and shall dog him behind his feet.

¹² Calamity is ra’ev (hungry) for him, and destruction shall be ready for his fall.

¹³ It shall devour the limbs of his ohr (skin); even the bechor mavet (plague) shall devour his members.

¹⁴ That in which he trusted is rooted out of his ohel, and it shall march him to Melech Ballahot (King of Terrors).

¹⁵ In his ohel nothing dwells; gofrit (brimstone) is scattered upon his habitation.

¹⁶ His shorashim shall be dried up beneath, and above his branch shall wither.

¹⁷ His memory shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no shem in the land.

¹⁸ He shall be driven from ohr into choshech, and chased out of the tevel.

¹⁹ He shall neither have offspring nor descendent among his am (people), nor is there a sarid in his dwellings.

²⁰ The acharonim shall be astonished at his yom, as the kadmonim were affrighted.

²¹ Surely such are the mishkenot (dwellings) of the resha’im, and this is the place of him that has no da’as of El.

19 Then Iyov answered and said,

² How long will ye torment my nefesh, and crush me with words?

³ These ten times have ye reproached me; ye have no bushah that ye cause me astonishment.

⁴ And be it indeed that I have erred, mine meshugah (error) remaineth with myself.

⁵ If indeed ye will magnify yourselves above me, and use against me my cherpah (reproach, humiliation),

⁶ Have da’as now that Eloah hath put me in the wrong, and hath encompassed me with his matzud (net).

⁷ Behold, when I cry chamas, I am not heard; I cry for help, but there is no mishpat.

⁸ He hath fenced around my way that I cannot pass, and set choshech in my paths.

⁹ He hath stripped me of my kavod, and taken the ateret from my rosh.

¹⁰ He breaks me down on every side till I am gone, and mine tikveh hath He uprooted like an etz.

¹¹ He hath also kindled His wrath against me, and He counteth me unto Him as His tzar (enemy).

¹² His forces come together, and raise up their seige ramp against me, and encamp around my ohel.

¹³ He hath put achai (my brethren) far from me, and mine acquaintances are verily estranged from me.

¹⁴ My kerov (near and dear) have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵ They that dwell in mine bais, and my maidservants, count me for a zar; I am a nokhri in their sight.

¹⁶ I summoned avdi, and he gave me no answer; I entreated him with my mouth.

¹⁷ My ruach is repulsive to my isha, loathsome to bnei beten of mine.

¹⁸ Even avilim (little children) treat me with contempt; I appear, and they ridicule me.

¹⁹ All my metei sod (confidants) detest me, and they whom I loved are turned against me.

²⁰ My etzem cleaveth to my ohr (skin) and to my basar, and I am escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

²¹ Chanuni, chanuni, O ye my friends; for the yad Eloah hath touched me.

²² Why do ye persecute me like El, not satisfied with my basar?

²³ Oh that my words were but written! O that they were recorded in a sefer!

²⁴ That they were engraved with a pen of barzel and with oferet (lead) in the tzur forever!

²⁵ For Ani yadati Goeli chai (I know that my Redeemer liveth), and that he shall stand up at Acharon (at the Last) upon aphar (dust, the earth);

²⁶ And though after my ohr (skin) has been thus destroyed, yet from my basar I shall see Eloah;

²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold and no other; my heart faints within me.

²⁸ But ye think, How we will persecute him, seeing the shoresh (root) of the matter is found in me?

²⁹ Be ye afraid of the cherev; for wrath bringeth the avonot (punishments) of the cherev, that ye may know there is a judgment.

20 Then answered Tzophar the Na’amati, and said,

² Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and ba’avur (because of [this]) I make haste.

³ I hear the musar that insults me, and the ruach of my understanding causeth me to answer.

⁴ Knowest thou not this of old, since adam was placed upon earth,

⁵ That the triumphing of the resha’im is short, and the simchat chanef (joy of the hypocrite) but for a moment?

⁶ Though his excellency mount up to Shomayim, and his rosh reach unto the clouds;

⁷ Yet he shall perish lanetzach (forever) like his own dung; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

⁸ He shall fly away as a chalom, and shall not be found; yea, he shall be chased away as a chezyon lailah.

⁹ The ayin also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his makom any more behold him.

¹⁰ His banim shall seek the favor of the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

¹¹ His atzmot are full of youthful vigor, which shall lie down with him in the aphar.

¹² Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his leshon;

¹³ Though he savor it, and forsake it not, but keep it still betoch (within) his mouth;

¹⁴ Yet his lechem in his stomach is turned sour; it is the venom of vipers within him.

¹⁵ He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; El shall drive them out of his beten.

¹⁶ He shall suck the venom of asps; the viper’s leshon shall slay him.

¹⁷ He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of devash and khemah (butter, curds).

¹⁸ That which he labored for shall he give back, and shall not swallow it down; he shall not rejoice according to his chayil temurah (business profit).

¹⁹ Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the destitute; because he hath violently seized a bais which he built not;

²⁰ Surely he knew no quiet in his beten; he shall not save anything which he desired.

²¹ There shall none of his ochel be left; therefore his posterity will not endure.

²² In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in distress; kol yad of misery shall come upon him.

²³ When he is about to fill his beten, He shall cast the charon af (fury of His wrath) upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

²⁴ He shall flee from the weapon of barzel (iron), and the keshet of bronze shall strike him through.

²⁵ It is drawn, and cometh out of their body; yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall; emim (terrors [of death]) are upon them.

²⁶ Kol choshech is reserved for his treasures; an eish not fanned shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his ohel.

²⁷ Shomayim shall reveal his iniquity; and eretz shall rise up against him.

²⁸ The increase of his bais shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in [G-d’s] Yom Af.

²⁹ This is the chelek of an adam rasha from Elohim, and the nachalah decreed unto him by El (G-d).

21 But Iyov answered and said,

² Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your tanechumot (consolations).

³ Bear with me that I may speak; and achar (after) that I have spoken, mock on.

⁴ As for me, is my complaint to adam (mortals)? Or why should my ruach not become impatient?

⁵ Look at me, and be astonished, and lay your yad upon your peh (mouth).

⁶ Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my basar.

⁷ Madu’a (why) do the resha’im live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

⁸ Their zera is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

⁹ Their batim (houses) are shalom from pachad; neither is the shevet Eloah upon them.

¹⁰ Their shor (bull) breeds, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and doth not miscarry her calf.

¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a tzon, and their yeladim jump about.

¹² They sing to the tambourine and kinnor, and rejoice at the sound of the flute.

¹³ They spend their yamim in tov, and in a moment go down to Sheol.

¹⁴ Therefore they say unto El, Depart from us; for we desire not the da’as of Thy ways.

¹⁵ What is Shaddai, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we importune Him?

¹⁶ Lo, their tov is not in their yad; the etzah (counsel, scheme) of the resha’im is far from me.

¹⁷ How oft is the ner (light) of the resha’im put out! And how oft cometh their destruction upon them and He distributeth pains in His anger.

¹⁸ They are as straw before the ruach, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

¹⁹ Eloah layeth up his iniquity for his banim; He payeth him back, and he shall know it.

²⁰ His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of Shaddai.

²¹ For what pleasure hath he in his bais after him, when the mispar (number) of his months is cut off?

²² Shall any teach El da’as, seeing He judgeth those that are on high?

²³ Zeh (this one) dieth in his full prosperity, being wholly at ease and secure.

²⁴ His troughs are full of cholov, and his atzmot are moistened with marrow.

²⁵ And another dieth in the marah (bitterness) of his nefesh, and never eateth with pleasure.

²⁶ They shall lie down alike in the aphar, and the worms shall cover them.

²⁷ Behold, I know your machshevot, and the stratagems which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

²⁸ For ye say, Where is the bais of the tyrant? And where are the ohel mishkenot of the resha’im?

²⁹ Have ye not asked them that travel the derech? And do ye not accept their testimony,

³⁰ That the rah is spared in the yom eid (day of calamity)? They shall be rescued in the yom avarot (day of wrath).

³¹ Who shall declare his derech to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³² Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the gadish (gravemound).

³³ The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and kol adam shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

³⁴ How then comfort ye me with hevel (empty nothings), seeing in your answers there is nothing left but falsehood?

22 Then Eliphaz of Teman answered and said,

² Can a gever be profitable unto El, as he that has seichel may be profitable unto himself?

³ Is it any pleasure to Shaddai, that thou art tzaddik? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?

⁴ Is it for thy yireh [Elohim] that He reproves thee? Will He enter with thee into mishpat?

⁵ Is not thy rah great? And thine avonot infinite?

⁶ For thou hast exacted a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the arummim (naked ones) of their clothing.

⁷ Thou hast not given mayim to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld lechem from the hungry.

⁸ But as for the ish zeroa (mighty man), his is ha’aretz; and the honorable man dwelt therein.

⁹ Thou hast sent almanot away empty, and the arms of the yetomim have been broken.

¹⁰ Therefore pachim (snares) are around thee, and sudden pachad troubleth thee;

¹¹ Or choshech, that thou canst not see; and overflow of mayim cover thee.

¹² Is not Eloah in the height of Shomayim? And hinei the rosh kokhavim, how high they are!

¹³ And thou sayest, How doth El know? Can He judge through the thick cloud?

¹⁴ Thick clouds veil Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the vault of Shomayim.

¹⁵ Wilt thou note the orach olam which wicked men have trodden?

¹⁶ Who were cut down before their time, whose yesod was overflown with a flood;

¹⁷ Who said unto El, Depart from us; and what can Shaddai do to them?

¹⁸ Yet He filled their batim (houses) with tov; but the etza (counsel) of the resha’im is far from me.

¹⁹ The tzaddikim see it, and are glad, and the naki (innocent) laugh them to scorn.

²⁰ Verily our foe is destroyed, and the abundance of them the eish consumeth.

²¹ Acquaint now thyself with Him, and so hast thou shalom; thereby tovah shall come unto thee.

²² Receive, now, torah from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine lev.

²³ If thou return to Shaddai, thou shalt be restored; if thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy ohalim;

²⁴ Then shalt thou lay up gold as aphar, and that of Ophir as the tzur of the brooks.

²⁵ Yea, Shaddai shall be thy gold, and thy precious kesef.

²⁶ For then shalt thou have thy delight in Shaddai, and shalt lift up thy face unto Eloah.

²⁷ Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt fulfill thy nederim.

²⁸ Thou shalt also decide a matter, and it shall be established unto thee, and the ohr shall shine upon thy ways.

²⁹ When they are cast down, thou shalt say, Arise, and He shall save the one with low eynayim (i.e., humility).

³⁰ He shall deliver even the guilty; and he is delivered by the bar (cleanness) of thine hands.

23 Then Iyov answered and said,

² Even hayom (today) is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

³ Oh that I knew where I might find Him! That I might come even to His techunah (abode)!

⁴ I would order my mishpat (cause) before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵ I would know the words which He would answer me, and have binah of what He would say unto me.

⁶ Will He contend against me with His great koach? No, but He would pay heed to me.

⁷ There the yashar might dispute with Him; so should I be delivered forever from my Shofet (Judge).

⁸ Hen (behold), I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him;

⁹ On the left hand, where He doth work, but I cannot behold Him; He hideth himself yamin (on the right hand), that I cannot see Him;

¹⁰ But He knoweth the derech that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as zahav.

¹¹ My regel hath held to His steps, over His way have I been shomer, and not turned aside.

¹² Neither have I gone back from the mitzvah of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my appointed portion.

¹³ But He stands alone, and who can turn Him? And what His nefesh desireth, even that He doeth.

¹⁴ For He accomplisheth the thing that is appointed for me; and rabbot (many) such things are with Him.

¹⁵ Al-ken (therefore) am I troubled at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him.

¹⁶ For El maketh my lev dejected, and Shaddai troubleth me,

¹⁷ Because I was not cut off from before the choshech, neither hath He hidden deep darkness from my face.

24 Why are times [for judgment] from Shaddai not kept, and why do those who have da’as of him not see his yamim [days [of assize])?

² Some move the boundary stones; they steal edar, and pasture them.

³ They drive away the chamor of the yetomim, they take the ox of the almanah for a pledge.

⁴ They thrust the needy out of the derech; the poor of the eretz needs hide themselves together.

⁵ Look, as wild donkeys in the midbar go they forth to their work; foraging for teref (nourishment); the wilderness yieldeth lechem for them and for their na’arim.

⁶ They reap every one his fodder in the sadeh, and they glean the kerem of the resha’im.

⁷ They spend the night arom (naked) without levush (clothing), they have no covering in the cold.

⁸ They are wet with the rain of the harim, and embrace the tzur for want of a shelter.

⁹ They pluck the yatom from the breast, and seize the oni for debt.

¹⁰ They cause him to go arom without levush, and they take away the omer (sheaf) from the hungry;

¹¹ Which crush olives within their walls, and tread their winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

¹² Men groan from out of the Ir, and the nefesh of the chalalim (wounded ones) crieth out, yet Eloah chargeth not tiflah (folly) to them.

¹³ They are of those that are moredei ohr (rebelling ones against the light); they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

¹⁴ The rotzeach rising with the daylight killeth the oni and needy, and in the lailah is like a ganav.

¹⁵ The eye also of the no’ef is shomer, watching for the dusk’s twilight, saying, No eye shall see me, and puts something to hide his face.

¹⁶ In the choshech they dig through batim (houses); in the daytime they shut themselves in; they have no da’as of the ohr.

¹⁷ For the boker is to them even as the tzalmavet; they are friends with the terrors of tzalmavet.

¹⁸ Swiftly vanishing is he on the surface of the mayim; their chelek is cursed in ha’aretz; he turneth no more in the derech of the kramim (vineyards).

¹⁹ Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth Sheol those which have sinned.

²⁰ The rechem (womb) shall forget him; the worm shall feast on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken like an etz.

²¹ He plundereth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the almanah.

²² He drags away also the mighty with his ko’ach; he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

²³ Though it be given him to be in safety, and he be sustained, yet His eynayim are upon their ways.

²⁴ They are exalted me’at (for a little while), then they are no more and are withered and snatched away like all others, and cut off like the tops of the ears of grain.

²⁵ And if it be not so, who will charge me with lying, and make my milah (word) worth nothing? [T.N. Notice the question answered by Romans, Galatians, and Gn 15:6 as well as Chabakuk 2:4 is stated in Job 25:4 below; see Ephesians 2:8-9 and Ro 3:24,26, 28; 4:2; 5:1,9; Ga 2:16,17; 3:11, 24; 5:4; Ti 3:7; this the most important question raised in the Bible: it is for eternity]

25 Then answered Bildad the Shuchi, and said,

² Dominion and pachad are with Him, oseh shalom bimromav.

³ Is there any number of His armies? And upon whom doth not His ohr arise?

⁴ Mah yitzdak Enosh im El (how then can man be justified, set right, with G-d?) Or how can he be clean that is born of isha?

⁵ If even the yarei’ach shineth not, yea, the kokhavim are not pure in His sight,

⁶ How much less enosh, that is a maggot? And the ben adam, which is a tola’at (worm)?

26 But Iyov answered and said,

² How hast thou helped him that is without ko’ach? How savest thou the zero’a that hath no oz (strength)?

³ How hast thou counseled him that hath no chochmah? And how hast thou plentifully declared the tushiyyah (efficient wisdom)?

⁴ To whom hast thou uttered words? And whose neshamah came from thee?

⁵ Dead things tremble from under the mayim, and the inhabitants thereof.

⁶ Sheol is naked before Him, and Avaddon hath no cover.

⁷ He stretcheth out the Tzafon over the tohu, and hangeth eretz upon nothing.

⁸ He bindeth up the mayim in His thick clouds; and the anan doeth not burst under them.

⁹ He covers the face of [His] kisse, and spreadeth His anan upon it.

¹⁰ He hath circled the horizon on the face of the mayim for a boundary between ohr and choshech.

¹¹ The ammudim of Shomayim tremble and are aghast at His rebuke.

¹² He divideth the yam with His ko’ach, and by His understanding He struck down Rahav.

¹³ By His Ruach He hath made fair Shomayim; His yad hath pierced the fleeing nachash.

¹⁴ Lo, these are but the ketzot of His ways, but how faint the davar we hear of Him. And the thunder of His gevurah who can understand?

27 Moreover Iyov continued his mashal, and said,

² As El liveth, Who hath taken away my mishpat, and Shaddai, Who hath saddened my nefesh;

³ All the while my neshamah is in me, and the ruach of Eloah is in my nostrils,

⁴ My lips shall not speak falsehood, nor my leshon utter deceit.

⁵ Far be it from me I should justify you; till I die I will not remove mine tom (integrity) from me.

⁶ My tzedakah I hold fast, and will not let it go; my lev shall not reproach for any of my days.

⁷ Let mine enemy be as the rasha (evildoer), and he that riseth up against me as unrighteous.

⁸ For what is the tikveh of the chanef, when He cutteth off, when Eloah taketh away, his nefesh?

⁹ Will El hear his cry when tzarah cometh upon him?

¹⁰ Will he delight himself in Shaddai? Will he always call upon Eloah?

¹¹ I will teach you concerning the yad El; that which is with Shaddai will I not conceal.

¹² Hen (behold), all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

¹³ This is the chelek (lot) of the adam rasha with El and the nachalah of oppressors, which they shall receive from Shaddai.

¹⁴ If his banim be multiplied, it is for the cherev, and his offspring shall not have lechem enough.

¹⁵ Those that survive him shall be buried in mavet, and his almanot shall not weep.

¹⁶ Though he heap up kesef as the aphar, and pile up raiment as the clay,

¹⁷ He may prepare it, but the tzaddik shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the kesef.

¹⁸ He buildeth his bais as a moth, and as a sukkah that the watchman maketh.

¹⁹ The oisher (rich man) shall lie down, but he shall do so no more; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

²⁰ Terrors take hold on him as a flood, a tempest stealeth him away in the lailah.

²¹ The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth as a storm hurleth him forth from his makom.

²² For it will hurl against him, without sparing; he desperately flees from its yad.

²³ Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him away from his makom.

28 Surely there is a mine for the kesef, and a makom for zahav where they refine it.

² Barzel (iron) is taken out of aphar, and nechoshet is smelted out of the even (stone, ore).

³ He setteth a ketz to choshech, and searcheth out all extremities, the even (ore) of darkness and tzalmavet.

⁴ He cuts out a shaft down far from the inhabitant; forgotten of the regel, they dangle, suspended, away from enosh.

⁵ As for eretz, out of it cometh lechem, and under it is transformed as by eish.

⁶ The stones of it are the makom of the sapphire, and it hath ore of zahav.

⁷ There is a hidden path of which no bird of prey has da’as, and which the falcon’s eye hath not seen.

⁸ The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the shachal (lion’s cub) passed over it.

⁹ He [the miner] putteth forth his yad upon the rock; he upturneth the mountains by the shoresh.

¹⁰ He cutteth out channels through the tzurot (rocks), and his eye seeth every precious thing.

¹¹ He dams up the streams from flowing, and the thing that is hidden bringeth he forth to ohr.

¹² But where shall chochmah be found? And where is the makom binah?

¹³ Enosh knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the Eretz HaChayyim.

¹⁴ The tehom (abyss) saith, It is not in me; and the yam saith, It is not with me.

¹⁵ It cannot be gotten in exchange for fine gold, neither shall kesef be weighed for the price thereof.

¹⁶ It cannot be valued with the fine gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

¹⁷ The zahav and the crystal cannot equal it, and the exchange of it shall not be for the jewel of gold.

¹⁸ Nor shall mention be made of coral or crystal, for the price of chochmah is above pearls.

¹⁹ The chrysolite of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with tahor gold.

²⁰ From where then cometh chochmah? And where is the makom binah?

²¹ Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of kol chai, and concealed from the oph HaShomayim.

²² Abaddon and Mavet say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.

²³ Elohim understandeth the way to it, and He knoweth the makom thereof.

²⁴ For He looketh to the ketzot ha’aretz, and seeth all under Shomayim.

²⁵ The weight He appointed for the ruach, and He weigheth the mayim by measure.

²⁶ When He made a decree for the matar, and a derech for the lightning of the thunder,

²⁷ Az (then) did He see it, and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

²⁸ And unto adam He said, See, the Yirat Adonoi, that is chochmah, and to depart from rah is binah.

29 Moreover Iyov continued his mashal, and said,

² Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when Eloah was shomer over me;

³ When His ner (lamp) shined upon my rosh, and when by His ohr I walked through choshech;

⁴ As I was in the days of my prime, when the Sod Eloah (friendship, counsel of G-d) was over my ohel;

⁵ When Shaddai was yet with me, when my children were around me;

⁶ When I washed my steps with khemah, and the tzur poured me out streams of shemen;

⁷ When I went out to the sha’ar through the city, when I took my moshav in the rekhov!

⁸ The ne’arim saw me, and stepped aside, and the aged arose, and stood up.

⁹ The sarim (nobles) refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

¹⁰ The nobles held their peace, and their leshon cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

¹¹ When the ozen heard me, then it commended me; and when the ayin saw me, it did bear witness of me,

¹² Because I delivered the oni that cried out, and the yatom that had no ozer (helper) for him.

¹³ The birkat oved (blessing of the oppressed) came upon me, and I caused the lev almanah to sing for joy.

¹⁴ I put on tzedek, and it clothed me; my mishpat was as a robe and a tzanif (turban).

¹⁵ I was eyes to the ivver, and feet was I to the pisei’ach.

¹⁶ I was an av to the evyonim (needy); and the cause which I knew not I investigated.

¹⁷ And I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the prey out of his shinayim.

¹⁸ Then I said, I shall die in my ken (nest, house), and I shall multiply my yamim like the chol (sand).

¹⁹ My shoresh was spread out to the mayim, and the tal lay all night upon my branch.

²⁰ My kavod was fresh with me, and my keshet was ever new in my yad.

²¹ Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my etzah (counsel).

²² Acharei (after) my words they spoke not again; and my speech fell upon them.

²³ And they waited for me as for the matar; and they opened their mouth wide as for the malkosh (spring, late rain).

²⁴ I smiled on them when they did not believe; and the ohr of my countenance they did not cast down.

²⁵ I chose out their derech, and sat as Rosh, and dwelt as a melech with his army, as one that comforteth the avelim (mourners).

30 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose avot I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my tzon.

² Yea, what use was the koach of their hands to me, since their vigor hath perished?

³ For choser (want, lack) and hunger they gnawed the parched ground desolate and waste.

⁴ They cut up mallow plants by the bushes, and juniper roots for their lechem.

⁵ They were banished from among men, (they shouted after them as after a ganav);

⁶ To dwell in the clefts of the wadis, in holes of aphar, and in the rocks.

⁷ Among the bushes they brayed; tachat (under) the underbrush they were huddled together.

⁸ They were bnei naval, yea, sons of base men; they were driven forth out of ha’aretz.

⁹ And atah (now) am I their mocking song, yea, I am their byword.

¹⁰ They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not rok (spit) in my face [Mt 26:67].

¹¹ Because He hath loosed my bowstring, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the resen (bridle) before me.

¹² Upon my yamin (right hand) rise up the rabble; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

¹³ They break up my road, they set forward my overthrow, they have no ozer (helper).

¹⁴ They approach me as through a wide breach; in the shoah (desolation, Holocaust), they rolled themselves upon me.

¹⁵ Ballahot (terrors) are turned upon me; they pursue my dignity like the ruach, and my safety passeth away like a cloud.

¹⁶ And now my nefesh ebbs away from me; the yemei oni have taken hold upon me.

¹⁷ My atzmot are pierced in me in the night, and my gnawing pains take no rest.

¹⁸ By great koach is my garment disfigured; it bindeth me about like the collar of my kuttonet (chiton, robe).

¹⁹ He hath cast me into the chomer, and I am become like aphar and ashes.

²⁰ I cry unto Thee, and Thou dost answer me lo (not); I stand up, and Thou regardest me not.

²¹ Thou art become cruel to me; with Thy strong yad Thou opposest Thyself against me.

²² Thou liftest me up to the ruach; Thou causest me to drive along, and vanish in the roaring of the storm.

²³ For I know that Thou wilt bring me down to mavet, to the bais mo’ed l’khol chai.

²⁴ Yet will not one stretch out his yad in a heap of ruin, or cry out for help in his disaster.

²⁵ Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my nefesh grieved for the evyon (needy)?

²⁶ When I looked for tov, then rah came unto me; and when I waited for ohr, there came ofel (darkness).

²⁷ My bowels boiled, and rested not; yemei oni met me.

²⁸ I went mourning without the sun; I stood up, and I cried out in the kahal.

²⁹ I am an ach to jackals, and a re’a to owls.

³⁰ My ohr (skin) grows black upon me, and my atzmot are burned with fever.

³¹ My kinnor (harp) also is turned to evel (mourning), and my flute into the voice of them that weep.

31 I made a brit (covenant) with mine eyes; how then look I upon a betulah?

² For what chelek of Eloah is there from above? And what nachalah of Shaddai from on high?

³ Is not destruction to the wicked? And a disaster to the poalei aven (workers of wrong)?

⁴ Doth not He see my derech, and count all my steps?

⁵ If I have walked with shav (vanity, falsehood), or if my regel hath hasted to mirmah (deceit),

⁶ Let me be weighed in scales of tzedek that Eloah may know mine tom (integrity).

⁷ If my step hath turned out of the derech, and mine lev walked after mine eyes, and if any mum hath cleaved to mine hands,

⁸ Then let me sow, and let acher (another) eat; yea, let my harvest be uprooted.

⁹ If mine lev have been deceived by an isha, or if I have lurked at petach (doorway) of my re’a;

¹⁰ Then let my isha grind for another, and let another kneel over her.

¹¹ For this is a heinous crime; yea, it is an avon to be brought before judges.

¹² For it is an eish that consumeth to Abaddon, and would root out all mine increase.

¹³ If I did despise the mishpat (cause) of my eved or of my amah, when they contended with me,

¹⁴ What then shall I do when El riseth up? And when He visiteth, what shall I answer Him?

¹⁵ Did not He that made me in the beten make them? And did not Echad fashion us in the rechem?

¹⁶ If I have withheld the poor from their chefetz (desire), or have caused the eyes of the almanah to grow weary,

¹⁷ Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the yatom hath not eaten thereof;

¹⁸ (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with an av, and I have guided her from beten immi;)

¹⁹ If I have seen any oved (one perishing) for want of clothing, or any evyon (needy) without covering,

²⁰ If his heart did not bless me for warming him with the giz (fleece) of my sheep,

²¹ If I have lifted up my yad against the yatom, when I saw my influence in the sha’ar (gate, court);

²² Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder, and mine zero’a be broken from its socket.

²³ For destruction from El was a pachad to me, and by reason of His majesty I could not endure.

²⁴ If I have made zahav my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my security,

²⁵ If I rejoice because my wealth was rav (great), and because mine yad had gotten much,

²⁶ If I beheld the ohr when it shined, or the yarei’ach moving in splendor,

²⁷ And my lev hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my yad [in heathen worship];

²⁸ This also were an avon to be punished by the judge; for then I would have been unfaithful, denying El that is on high.

²⁹ If I rejoice at the misfortune of him that hated me, or gloated when rah found him,

³⁰ Neither have I allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse to his nefesh.

³¹ Have the men of my ohel not said, Where can we find one who has not been sated with his basar (meat)?

³² The stranger did not spend the night in the street, but I opened my delet to the ger.

³³ If I concealed my peysha like Adam, by hiding mine avon in my heart,

³⁴ Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of mishpekhot terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of doors?

³⁵ Oh that one would hear me! See, my tav [signature], that Shaddai would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a sefer [of indictment];

³⁶ Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder, and bind it to me like atarot (crowns).

³⁷ I would declare unto Him the number of my steps; like a nagid (prince) would I go near unto Him.

³⁸ If my adamah cry against me, or if the furrows had wept together,

³⁹ If I have eaten the yield thereof without kesef (payment), or have broken the nefesh of the tenants thereof,

⁴⁰ Let thistles grow instead of chittim (wheat), and weed instead of barley. The divrei Iyov are ended.

32 So these shloshet ha’anashim ceased to answer Iyov, because he was tzaddik in his eyes.

² Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu ben Barachel the Buzi, of the mishpochah Ram; against Iyov was his wrath kindled, because Iyov justified his nefesh rather than Elohim.

³ Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no ma’aneh (refutation, answer), and yet had condemned Iyov.

⁴ Now Elihu had waited till Iyov had spoken, because they were elder than he.

⁵ When Elihu saw that there was no ma’aneh in the mouth of these shloshet ha’anashim, then his wrath was kindled.

⁶ And Elihu ben Barachel the Buzi answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and dared not tell you of what I have da’as.

⁷ I said, Yamim should speak, and multitude of shanim should teach chochmah.

⁸ But there is a ruach in enosh, and the neshamat Shaddai giveth them binah.

⁹ Great men are not always wise, neither do the zekenim understand mishpat.

¹⁰ Therefore I said, Pay heed to me; I also will tell of what I have da’as.

¹¹ Hen (behold), I waited for your dvarim; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

¹² Yea, I attended unto you, and, hinei, there was none of you that proved Iyov wrong, or that answered his words.

¹³ Yet do not say, We have found chochmah; El may vanquish him, lo ish (not man).

¹⁴ Now he hath not directed his millin (words) against me; neither will I answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵ They were amazed; they answered no od (more); they left off speaking.

¹⁶ When I had waited, (for they spoke not, but stood still, and answered no od [more]);

¹⁷ I said, I will answer also my chelek (portion); I also will show of mine da’as.

¹⁸ For I am full of millim (words), the ruach within me compelleth me.

¹⁹ Hinei, my beten is like yayin which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like ovot chadashim (new wineskins).

²⁰ I will speak that I may be relieved; I will open my sfatayim and answer.

²¹ Let me not, now, show any man partiality, neither let me flatter adam.

²² For I am not skilled in flattery; in so doing Oseini (my Maker) would soon take me away.

33 Wherefore, Iyov, now, hear my speeches, and pay heed to all my words.

² Hinei, now I have opened my mouth, my leshon hath spoken in my mouth.

³ My words shall be of my yosher lev (the uprightness of my heart), and my lips shall utter da’as that is pure.

⁴ The Ruach El [Ruach Hakodesh] hath made me, and the Neshamah of Shaddai hath given me life.

⁵ Im (If) thou canst, answer me; set thy words in order in my presence; take thy stand.

⁶ See, I am like thee, of El, from chomer (clay) was I taken also.

⁷ Hinei, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.

⁸ Surely thou hast spoken in my ozen, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

⁹ I am pure without peysha; I am clean; neither is there avon in me [Yn 8:46].

¹⁰ Yet He findeth tenuot (occasions) against me, He counteth me for his oyev,

¹¹ He putteth my raglayim in the stocks, He watcheth all my orkhot.

¹² But in this thou art not right; I will answer thee, that Eloah is greater than enosh.

¹³ Why dost thou contend against Him? For He giveth not account of any of His matters.

¹⁴ For El speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

¹⁵ In a chalom, in a chezyon lailah, when deep sleep falleth upon anashim, in slumberings upon the mishkav (bed),

¹⁶ Then He openeth the ozen anashim, and sealeth their admonition

¹⁷ That He may turn them aside from their deeds, and hide pride from gever (man).

¹⁸ He keepeth back his nefesh from the shachat, and his life from the overthrow of the sword.

¹⁹ He is chastened also with pain upon his mishkav, and the continual strife in his atzmot;

²⁰ So that his life abhorreth lechem, and his nefesh dainty food.

²¹ His basar is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his atzmot that were not seen stick out.

²² Yea, his nefesh draweth near unto the shachat, and his life to the ones bringing death.

²³ If there be a malach (messenger, i.e., Malach HaBrit, HaAdon [see Malachi 3:1] ) as melitz (mediator) for him, one of a thousand, who declares a person yashar (upright, Isa 53:11),

²⁴ Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the shachat (pit); I have found a kofer (ransom) [Mk 10:45].

²⁵ His basar shall be restored like a na’ar; he shall return to the yamim of his youthful vigor;

²⁶ He shall pray unto Eloah, and be accepted by Him, and he shall see His face with teruah (shouts of joy); thus He recompenseth unto enosh his tzedek.

²⁷ He looketh upon anashim, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was yashar, and it was not recompensed to me,

²⁸ He will redeem his nefesh from going into the shachat, and his life shall see the ohr.

²⁹ Lo, all these things worketh El, twice, shalosh with gever (man)

³⁰ To bring back his nefesh from the shachat (pit), to be enlightened with the Ohr HaChayyim (light of the living).

³¹ Mark well, O Iyov, pay heed unto me; hold thy peace, and I will speak.

³² If thou hast anything to say, answer me; dabbir (speak), for I desire to justify thee.

³³ If not, pay heed unto me; hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee chochmah.

34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

² Hear my words, O ye chachamim; and give ear unto me, ye that have da’as.

³ For the ozen trieth words, as the mouth tasteth food.

⁴ Let us choose for ourselves what is mishpat (right); let us know among ourselves what is tov.

⁵ For Iyov hath said, I am innocent; and El hath taken away my mishpat (right).

⁶ I declare the mishpat (case) against me a lie; though without peysha, my arrow wound is incurable.

⁷ What gever is like Iyov, who drinketh up the scorn [of his friends] like mayim?

⁸ Who goeth in chaverah with the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity, evildoers), and walketh with anshei resha.

⁹ For he hath said, It profiteth a gever nothing that he should please Elohim.

¹⁰ Therefore pay heed unto me ye anashei levav (men of understanding); far be it from El, that He should do evil, and from Shaddai, that He should do wrong.

¹¹ For the po’al adam (work of a man) shall He repay unto him, and make every man to find according to the man’s ways.

¹² Yea, surely El will not do wickedly, neither will Shaddai pervert mishpat (justice).

¹³ Who hath given Him right to rule the earth? Or who hath appointed Him over the tevel?

¹⁴ If He should so determine, if He gather unto Himself His Ruach and His Neshamah,

¹⁵ All basar would perish together, and adam would return unto aphar.

¹⁶ If now thou hast binah, hear this: pay heed to the kol (voice) of my words.

¹⁷ Shall even one that hateth mishpat (right) govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is Tzaddik and Kabir (the Mighty One)?

¹⁸ Is it fit to say to a melech, Thou art beli’ya’al? And to nobles, Ye are rasha.

¹⁹ Who shows no partiality to sarim (princes), nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the ma’aseh (work) of His hands.

²⁰ In a moment shall they die, and at chatzot lailah the people shall be shaken, and pass away, and the mighty shall be taken away without human hand.

²¹ For His eyes are upon the darkhei ish and He seeth all his goings.

²² There is no choshech, nor tzalmavet, where the po’alei aven (evildoers) may hide themselves.

²³ For He does not need to consider an ish further for anyone to go before El in mispat (judgment).

²⁴ He shall break in pieces kabirim (mighty men) without investigation, and sets acherim (others) in their place.

²⁵ Therefore He knoweth their works, and He overthroweth them in the lailah, so that they are crushed.

²⁶ He striketh them as resha’im in the open sight of others;

²⁷ Because they turned back from following Him, and would not regard any of His drakhim;

²⁸ So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto Him, and He heareth the cry of the aniyim.

²⁹ When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? When He hideth His panim, who then can behold Him? Whether it be a nation, or an individual only?

³⁰ That the chanef (hypocrite) reign not, nor those who ensnare the people.

³¹ For has anyone said unto El, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more;

³² Teach Thou me what I see not; im (if) I have done iniquity, I will do no more?

³³ Will He then recompense to suit you, just because you disavow it? Thou must choose, not I; therefore speak that of which thou hast da’as.

³⁴ Let anshei levav (men of understanding) say to me, and let a gever chacham who pays heed unto me say,

³⁵ Iyov hath spoken without da’as, and his words were without seichel.

³⁶ Iyov ought to be tried unto the limit, because his answers are those of anshei aven.

³⁷ For he addeth peysha unto his chattat, he clappeth his hands [shaking fist at G-d] among us, and multiplieth his words against El.

35 Elihu spoke moreover, and said,

² Thinkest thou this to be mishpat (right, just), that thou saidst, Tzidki meEl (I am cleared, in the right, justified before G-d)?

³ Ki (yet) thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned [see 9:22]?

⁴ I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

⁵ Look unto Shomayim, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

⁶ If thou sinnest, what doest thou against Him? Or if thy peysha’im be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him?

⁷ If thou be tzaddik (righteous), what givest thou Him? Or what receiveth He of thine yad?

⁸ Thy resha (wickedness) may hurt an ish as thou art; and thy tzedek may profit the ben adam.

⁹ They cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the zero’a of the rabbim.

¹⁰ But none saith, Where is Eloah Osai (G-d my Maker), Who giveth zemirot balailah (songs in the night);

¹¹ Who teacheth us more than the behamot eretz, and maketh us wiser than the oph HaShomayim?

¹² There they cry out, but none giveth answer, because of the ga’on (pride, arrogance) of ra’im (wicked men).

¹³ Surely El will not hear shav (vanity), neither will Shaddai regard it.

¹⁴ Although thou sayest thou cannot see Him, yet Din (the court case) is before Him; therefore trust thou, waiting for Him,

¹⁵ though ye say His anger does not pakad (visit, punish) anything and that He does not regard wickedness much;

¹⁶ Therefore doth Iyov open his mouth hevel (in vain); he multiplieth words without da’as.

36 Elihu also proceeded, and said,

² Bear with me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on behalf of Eloah.

³ I will get my da’as from afar, and will ascribe tzedek to my Maker.

⁴ For truly my words shall not be sheker; one that is tamim (complete) in da’as is among thee.

⁵ See, El is kabir (mighty), and despiseth not any; He is kabir in ko’ach lev (strength of understanding).

⁶ He preserveth not the life of the rasha, but giveth mishpat to the aniyim.

⁷ He withdraweth not His eyes from the tzaddik, but with melachim are they on the kisse; yea, He doth establish them lanetzach (forever), and they are exalted.

⁸ And if they be bound in chains, and be held fast in chevlei oni (cords of affliction),

⁹ Then He showeth them their work, and their peysha’im that they have done arrogantly.

¹⁰ He openeth also their ozen to musar (discipline), and commandeth that they make teshuvah and turn from evil.

¹¹ If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their yamim in tov (prosperity), and their shanim in contentment.

¹² But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without da’as.

¹³ But the chanefei lev (irreligious in heart, hypocrites) incur wrath; they do not cry for help when He bindeth them.

¹⁴ They die in youth, their nefesh among the kedeshim (cult male prostitutes, youthful lusts).

¹⁵ He delivereth the oni in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

¹⁶ Even so would He have removed thee out of the tzar (distress) into a rachav (broad place), free from restriction, to the comfort of thy shulchan, full of choice food.

¹⁷ But thou hast been fixated on the din of the rasha; din and mishpat take hold on thee.

¹⁸ Because there is chemah, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke; then a rav kopher (great ransom) cannot deliver thee.

¹⁹ Will He esteem thy riches? No, not zahav, nor all the forces of ko’ach.

²⁰ Desire not halailah (the night), when people are cut off in their place.

²¹ Take heed, regard not iniquity; for this hast thou chosen rather than oni.

²² See, El exalted by His ko’ach. Who is a moreh (teacher) like Him?

²³ Who hath enjoined Him His derech? Or who can say, Thou hast done wrong?

²⁴ Remember that thou must extol His work, of which anashim have sung praises.

²⁵ Kol adam has seen it; enosh beholds it afar off.

²⁶ See, El is great, and we know Him not, neither can the mispar of His shanim be searched out.

²⁷ For He draws up the drops of mayim; He distills His mist as matar;

²⁸ Which the clouds do drop and distill upon adam abundantly.

²⁹ Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the thunderings of His sukkah?

³⁰ See, He spreadeth His ohr upon it, and covereth the depths of the yam.

³¹ For by them governeth He the amim (nations); He giveth okhel in abundance.

³² His hands He covers with the ohr (lightning), and commandeth it to strike the mark.

³³ The thunder thereof showeth concerning Him; the storm tells His indignant af (wrath).

37 At this also my lev trembleth, and is moved out of its place.

² Hear attentively the rogez of His voice, and the sound that goeth out of His mouth.

³ He directeth it under kol HaShomayim, and His ohr (lightning) unto the ends of ha’aretz.

⁴ After it His kol (voice) roareth; He thundereth with the kol of His majesty; one cannot hold them back when His kol is heard.

⁵ El thundereth marvellously with His kol; gedolot doeth He, beyond our understanding.

⁶ For He saith to the snow, Fall thou to the eretz; likewise to the geshem matar, the heavy downpour of rain.

⁷ He sealeth up kol adam; that all men may know His work.

⁸ Then the chayyah (beasts) go into their lair, and remain in their places.

⁹ Out of its cheder (chamber) cometh the whirlwind; and cold out of the driving winds.

¹⁰ By the neshamah of El frost is given, and the broad mayim are frozen.

¹¹ Also by watering He loadeth the thick cloud; He scattereth the anan of His ohr (lightning),

¹² And it is turned round about by His guidance; that they may do whatsoever He commandeth them upon the face of the tevel (habitable world).

¹³ He causeth it to happen, whether for correction, or for His land, or for chesed.

¹⁴ Pay heed unto this, O Iyov; stand still, and consider the nifle’ot El (wondrous works of G-d).

¹⁵ Dost thou know how Elo’ah controls them, and caused the ohr (lightning) of His cloud to flash?

¹⁶ Dost thou know the spreading out of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him which is tamim in da’as?

¹⁷ You whose garments are hot, when the eretz is still because of the south wind,

¹⁸ Hast thou with Him spread out the shekhakim (clouds), hard as a molten mirror?

¹⁹ Teach us what we shall say unto Him, for we cannot order our case by reason of choshech.

²⁰ Should it be told Him that I wish to speak? Or should an ish say that he would be swallowed up?

²¹ And now men cannot look at the bright ohr which is in the clouds, when the ruach passeth, and cleareth them.

²² Splendor of zahav cometh out of the north; with Elo’ah is awesome hod (majesty).

²³ Touching Shaddai, we cannot reach Him; He is exalted in ko’ach, and in mishpat, and rov tzedakah; He does not oppress.

²⁴ Anashim do therefore fear Him; He regardeth not any that are wise of heart.

38 Then Hashem answered Iyov out of the whirlwind, and said,

² Who is this that darkeneth etzah (counsel) with words without da’as?

³ Gird up now thy loins like a gever; for I will ask of thee, and thou wilt answer Me.

⁴ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of eretz? Tell, if thou hast binah.

⁵ Who hath drafted the dimensions thereof, if thou hast da’as? Or who hath stretched a measuring line across it?

⁶ Whereupon are the foundations thereof set? Or who laid the even-pinnah (cornerstone) thereof

⁷ When the kokhvei boker sang together, and all the Bnei Elohim shouted for joy?

⁸ Or who shut up the yam behind doors? Who brought it forth, issuing out of the rekhem (womb)

⁹ When I made the anan the garment thereof, and thick darkness its swaddling band,

¹⁰ And fixed bounds for it, and set bars and dlatot (doors),

¹¹ And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and poh (here) shall thy proud waves be stopped?

¹² Hast thou commanded the boker since thy yamim began; or caused the shachar (dawn) to know its place;

¹³ That it might seize the ends of ha’aretz, that the resha’im be shaken out of it?

¹⁴ It is changed like chomer (clay) under the khotam (seal); and they stand out like a garment.

¹⁵ And from the resha’im their ohr is denied, and the upraised zero’a shall be broken.

¹⁶ Hast thou entered into the springs of the yam? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the tehom?

¹⁷ Have the sha’arei mavet been disclosed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the sha’arei tzalmavet?

¹⁸ Hast thou perceived the expanse of eretz? Tell Me if thou hast da’as of it all.

¹⁹ Where is the derech where ohr dwelleth? And as for choshech, where is the place thereof,

²⁰ That thou shouldest take it to its border, and that thou shouldest have da’as of the paths to its bais?

²¹ Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? Or because the mispar of thy yamim is so great?

²² Hast thou entered into the otzrot (storehouses) of the snow? Or hast thou seen the otzrot of barad (hail),

²³ Which I have reserved for the time of tzar, for the yom kerav (battle) and milchamah (war)?

²⁴ Which is the derech where the ohr is distributed, where is scattered the east wind upon eretz?

²⁵ Who hath cut a channel for the overflowing of waters, or a derech for the lightning of thunder,

²⁶ To cause it to rain on eretz, where lo ish is; on midbar, wherein there is lo adam;

²⁷ To saturate a desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the desheh to spring forth?

²⁸ Hath the rain an av? Or who hath begotten the drops of tal (dew)?

²⁹ Out of whose beten cometh the ice? And the frost of Shomayim, who giveth birth to it?

³⁰ The mayim harden like even (stone), and the face of tehom is frozen.

³¹ Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bonds of Orion?

³² Canst thou bring forth Mazzarot in their times? Or canst thou guide the Bear with its banim?

³³ Knowest thou the chukkot of Shomayim? Canst thou set the rule over ha’aretz?

³⁴ Canst thou lift up thy kol (voice) to the clouds, that abundance of mayim may cover thee?

³⁵ Canst thou send lightning bolts, that they may go and say unto thee, Hineinu (here we are)?

³⁶ Who hath put chochmah in the inward parts, or who hath given binah to the mind?

³⁷ Who can number the clouds in chochmah, or who can tip the waterskins of Shomayim,

³⁸ When the dust hardens into a clump, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹ Wilt thou hunt the teref for the lioness, or fill the appetite of her whelps,

⁴⁰ When they crouch in their me’onot (dens), and abide in the lair to lie in ambush?

⁴¹ Who provideth for the raven his food? When his young ones cry unto El, they wander about for lack of okhel.

39 Dost thou have da’as of the et (time) when the mountain goats give birth, or art thou shomer to watch when the doe bears her fawn?

² Canst thou number the months that they fulfil, or dost thou have da’as of the et (time) when they give birth?

³ They crouch down, they bring forth their yeledim, their chavalim (birth pains) are cast off in riddance.

⁴ Their banim gain strength, they grow up in the bar (open, wild); they go forth, and return not unto them.

⁵ Who hath sent out the pere (wild donkey) free, or who hath untied the ropes of the arod (wild donkey, onager),

⁶ Whose bais I have made the aravah, and the barren land his mishkenot (dwellings)?

⁷ He laughs at the tumult of the kiryah (city), neither regardeth he the shouts of the driver.

⁸ The range of the harim is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

⁹ Will the wild ox be willing to be thy eved, or stay the night by thy evus (animal feeding trough)?

¹⁰ Canst thou bind the wild ox to the furrow with a rope, or will it behind thee till the amakim (valleys)?

¹¹ Wilt thou depend on him, because his ko’ach is great, or wilt thou hand over thy heavy work to him?

¹² Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring in thy zera (grain), and gather it into thy goren (threshing floor)?

¹³ Joyfully flapping are the wings of the ostrich, but are her wings and feathers like the khasidah (stork)?

¹⁴ For the ostrich layeth her betzim (eggs) la’aretz (on the ground), and warmeth them in the sand,

¹⁵ And forgetteth that the regel may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

¹⁶ She treats harshly her banim, as though they were not hers; though her labor should be in vain, yet she is without pachad (fear, care),

¹⁷ Because Elo’ah hath deprived her of chochmah, neither hath he imparted to her binah.

¹⁸ Yet at the et (time) she flaps her wings [to run], she laughs at the sus and his rider.

¹⁹ Hast thou given the sus gevurah? Hast thou clothed his neck with a flowing mane?

²⁰ Canst thou make him leap like an arbeh (locust)? The hod (glory) of his snorting strikes terror.

²¹ He paweth in the emek (valley), and rejoiceth in his koach; he chargeth into the fray.

²² He laugheth at pachad, and nothing fears; neither turneth he back from the cherev.

²³ The quiver rattleth at his side, the glittering spear and the kidon (scimitar, curved sword).

²⁴ He eats up the eretz with fierceness and rogez (rage); neither standeth he still at the sound of the shofar.

²⁵ As often as the shofar, he snorts Aha! and he smelleth the milchamah afar off, the shout of the sarim, and the teru’ah (battle cry).

²⁶ Doth the hawk fly by thy binah, and stretch her wings toward the south?

²⁷ Doth the nesher (eagle) mount up at thy command, and make her ken (nest) on high?

²⁸ She dwelleth and abideth on the cliff, upon the crag of the rock, its metzudah (stronghold).

²⁹ From there she seeketh the okhel (food, prey), and her eyes behold it from afar off.

³⁰ Her young ones feast on dahm; and where the chalalim (slain ones) are, there it is.

40 Moreover Hashem answered Iyov, and said,

² Shall he that contendeth with Shaddai correct him? The mokhiach Eloah (rebuker of G-d), let him answer it.

³ Then Iyov answered Hashem, and said,

⁴ See, I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine yad upon my mouth.

⁵ Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea, shtayim (twice), but I will proceed no further.

⁶ Then answered Hashem unto Iyov out of the whirlwind, and said,

⁷ Gird up thy loins now like a gever. I will question thee, and thou shall answer Me.

⁸ Wilt thou also annul My mishpat (justice)? Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be justified?

⁹ Hast thou a zero’a like El? Or canst thou thunder with a kol (voice) like Him?

¹⁰ Adorn thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with hod (glory) and hadar (splendor).

¹¹ Unleash thy evrot af (furious wrath); and behold every one that is proud, and bring him low.

¹² Look on every one that is proud, and humble him, and tread down the resha’im in their place.

¹³ Bury them in the aphar together; shroud their faces in the crypt.

¹⁴ Then odecha (will I confess, admit unto thee) that thine own right hand can save thee.

¹⁵ Hinei now behemot (hippopotamus), which I made along with thee; he eateth grass like an ox.

¹⁶ Hinei now, his koach is in his loins, and his force is in the sinews of his beten (belly).

¹⁷ He moveth his zanav (tail) like a cedar branch; the sinews of his thighs are firmly interwoven.

¹⁸ His atzmot are like tubes of nechoshet; his limbs are like rods of barzel (iron).

¹⁹ He is the reshit (firstling) of the ways of El; He, his Maker, can approach it with His cherev.

²⁰ Surely the harim bring forth food for him, where all the wild beasts play.

²¹ He lieth under the shade of lotus plants, beseter (in the covert) of the reed and marsh.

²² The lotus plants cover him with their shadow; the willows by the nakhal (brook, stream) surround him.

²³ See, when the nahar (river) rages, he is not alarmed; he is confident, though Yarden breaketh forth upon his mouth.

²⁴ While he is looking can one capture him? With mokeshim (hooks) can one pierce his nose?

41 Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a khakah (fishhook)? Or tie down his leshon with a cord?

^2 (26) Canst thou put a hook into his af (nose)? Or bore his jaw through with a barb?

^3 (27) Will he make many tachanunim unto thee? Will he speak soft words unto thee?

^4 (28) Will he make a brit (covenant) with thee? Wilt thou take him for an eved olam?

^5 (29) Wilt thou play with him as with a pet bird? Or wilt thou leash him for thy na’arot (maidens)?

^6 (30) Shall traders barter for him? Shall they divide him among the Kena’anim (Canaanites, merchants)?

^7 (31) Canst thou fill his ohr (skin) with harpoons? Or his head with fishing spears?

^8 (32) Lay thine hand upon him; remember the milchamah. Thou wilt not do it more.

^9 (41:1) See, every tokhelet (expectation) is false; shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

^10 (41:2) None is so foolhardy that dare stir him up. Mi (who) then is able to stand before Me?

^11 (41:3) Mi (who) hath given Me, that I must repay him? Whatsoever is under the kol HaShomayim is Mine.

^12 (41:4) I will not keep silent about his members, nor his gevurah, nor the grace of his form.

^13 (41:5) Mi (who) can remove his outer garment? Or mi (who) can come near him with a double bridle?

^14 (41:6) Mi (who) can open the doors of his face? Terror is round about his teeth.

^15 (41:7) His scales are his ga’avah (pride), shut up together as with a rigid chotam (seal).

^16 (41:8) One is so near to another, that no ruach (air) can pass between them.

^17 (41:9) They are joined one to another; they stick together, inseparably.

^18 (41:10) By his sneezings ohr flares out, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the shachar.

^19 (41:11) Out of his mouth goeth flame, and sparks of eish leap out.

^20 (41:12) Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, like a seething pot or caldron.

^21 (41:13) His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

^22 (41:14) In his neck resideth oz (strength), and terror dances before him.

^23 (41:15) The flanks of his basar are joined together; they are firm in themselves, immoveable.

^24 (41:16) His lev (chest) is as firm as an even (stone); yea, as hard as the lower millstone.

^25 (41:17) When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid; shuddering they retreat.

^26 (41:18) The cherev of him that reacheth at him cannot hold—the spear, the dart, nor the harpoon.

^27 (41:19) He esteemeth barzel (iron) like straw, and nechoshet as rotten wood.

^28 (41:20) The arrow cannot make him flee; sling stones are turned with him into stubble.

^29 (41:21) Clubs are counted as straw; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

^30 (41:22) Sharp shards are his under parts; he leaveth a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

^31 (41:23) He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he stirreth the yam like a pot of ointment.

^32 (41:24) He maketh a wake to shine after him; one would think the deep to be white hair.

^33 (41:25) Upon earth there is not his equal, who is created without fear.

^34 (41:26) He beholdeth all things lofty; he is a melech over every proud beast.

42 Then Iyov answered Hashem, and said,

² I have da’as that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.

³ Who is this that hideth etzah (counsel) without da’as? Therefore have I judged without understanding things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

⁴ Shema, I beseech Thee, and I will speak; I will ask of Thee, and declare Thou unto me.

⁵ I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ozen, but now mine eye hath seen Thee.

⁶ Therefore I abhor myself, and nichamti (I am sorry, I make teshuvah) in dust and ashes.

⁷ And it was so, that after Hashem had spoken these words unto Iyov, Hashem said to Eliphaz the Temani, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken in reference to Me the thing that is nekhonah (correct), like Avdi Iyov hath.

⁸ Therefore take unto you now seven bulls and seven rams, and go to Avdi Iyov, and offer up for yourselves olah (burnt offering); and Avdi Iyov shall pray for you; for him will I accept; lest I deal with you after your nevalah (folly), in that ye have not spoken in reference to Me the thing which is nekhonah (correct), like Avdi Iyov.

⁹ So Eliphaz the Temani and Bildad the Shuchi and Tzophar the Na’amati went, and did according as Hashem commanded them. Hashem also accepted Iyov.

¹⁰ And Hashem restored the fortunes of Iyov, when he prayed for his friends; also Hashem gave Iyov twice as much as he possessed before.

¹¹ Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat lechem with him in his bais; and they expressed sympathy with him, and comforted him over all the ra’ah that Hashem had brought upon him; every ish also gave him a kesitah, and every ish a ring of zahav.

¹² So Hashem blessed the acharit (latter end) of Iyov more than his reshit; for he had fourteen thousand tzon, and six thousand gemalim, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-donkeys.

¹³ He had also seven banim and shalosh banot.

¹⁴ And he called the shem of the first, Yemima, and the shem of the second, Ketziah, and the shem of the third, Keren-hapuch.

¹⁵ And in kol ha’aretz were no nashim found so fair as the banot Iyov; and their av gave them nachalah with their achim.

¹⁶ After this lived Iyov an hundred and forty shanah, and saw his banim, and his banei banim, even arba’ah dorot.

¹⁷ So Iyov died, being zaken and full of yamim.

1 Shir HaShirim, which is Sh’lomo’s

² Let him kiss me with the neshikot (kisses) of his mouth; for better is dodecha (thy love) than yayin (wine).

³ Tovim is the fragrance of thy shmanim (ointments); thy shem (name) is like shemen (ointment) poured forth; therefore do the alamot love thee [alamot, young unmarried virgins; pl of almah virgin; see Shir HaShirim 6:8; Yeshayah 7:14; Bereshis 24:43; Shemot 2:8; Mishlei 30:19, where the word has this explicit or implicit meaning throughout the Tanakh; see page vii].

⁴ Draw me; so will we run after thee; the Melech hath brought me into his chadarim (chambers); we will be glad and rejoice in thee; we will extol dodecha (thy love) more than yayin; uprightly have they loved thee.

⁵ Shechorah (black, dark, sun-blackened) am I, yet lovely, O ye banot Yerushalayim, like the oholim (tents) of Kedar, like the curtains of Sh’lomo.

⁶ Let your eyes burn not into me because I am black, because the shemesh hath burned its eyes into me; bnei immi (my step-brothers) were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the kramim (vineyards); but mine own kerem (vineyard) have I not kept.

⁷ O tell me, thou whom my nefesh loveth, where feedest thou? Where makest thou thy flock to lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who veils herself among the edrei chaverecha (the flocks of thy chaverim, fellow companions)?

⁸ If thou know not, O thou fairest among nashim, go thy way forth by the footprints of the tzon, and feed thy young goats beside the mishkenot haro’im (the tents of the shepherds).

⁹ O my love, to a susah (mare) among the chariots of Pharaoh do I compare thee.

¹⁰ Thy cheeks are lovely with ornaments, thy tzavar (neck) with necklaces.

¹¹ Ornaments of zahav will we make for thee, studded with kesef.

¹² While the Melech is at his table, my spikenard perfume has yielded its fragrance.

¹³ Dodi (my beloved) is to me a sachet of myrrh that lieth in my bosom.

¹⁴ Dodi (my beloved) is to me as a cluster of henna blooms in the kramim (vineyards) of Ein-Gedi.

¹⁵ See, thou art yafeh (fair), my love; see, thou art fair; thine eynayim are yonim (doves).

¹⁶ See, thou art yafeh (handsome), dodi (my beloved), yea, na’im (pleasing); also our couch is verdant.

¹⁷ The beams of our bais are cedar, and our rafters are cypress.

2 I am the rose of Sharon, and the shoshan (lily) of the valleys.

² As the shoshan (lily) among thorns, so is my love among the banot.

³ As the tapuach (apple tree) among the trees of the wood, so is dodi (my beloved) among the banim. Betzilloh (in his shade, shadow) chimmadti (I desire [see Shir HaShirim 5:16]), and his p’ri (fruit) is sweet to my taste.

⁴ He brought me to the Bais HaYayin, and his degel (standard, banner, flag) over me is ahavah.

⁵ Sustain me with cakes of raisins, comfort me with apples: ki cholat ahavah ani (for I am faint with ahavah, lovesick).

⁶ His left hand is under my rosh, and his right hand doth embrace me.

⁷ I charge you, O ye banot Yerushalayim, by the gazelles, and by the deer of the sadeh, that ye arouse nor awake HaAhavah till it pleases [i.e., until its own time—see 3:5; 8:4].

⁸ Kol dodi (the voice of my beloved)! Hinei, he cometh leaping upon the harim, bounding over the hills.

⁹ Dodi (my beloved) is like a gazelle or a young deer; hinei, he standeth behind our Kotel (Wall); he looketh forth at the chalonot (windows), peering through the lattices [Rev 3:20].

¹⁰ Dodi (my beloved) spoke, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

¹¹ For, hinei, the winter is past, the geshem (rain) is over and gone;

¹² The flowers appear on ha’aretz; the time of zemer (song, singing of birds) has come; and the voice of the turtledove is heard in Artzeinu (our Land);

¹³ The te’enah (fig tree) putteth forth her early figs, and the vines with the tender grape give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

¹⁴ O my yonah (dove), that art in the clefts of the rock, in the seter (secret place) of the cliff, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is lovely.

¹⁵ Catch the shu’alim (foxes), the shu’alim ketanim (little foxes), that spoil the kramim (vines); for krameinu (our [blooming] vines) have tender grapes.

¹⁶ Dodi (my beloved) is mine, and I am his; he feedeth among the lilies.

¹⁷ Until HaYom (the day) break, and the shadows flee away, turn, dodi (my beloved), and be thou like a gazelle or a young deer upon the hills of Beter.

3 In the nights on my bed I sought him whom my nefesh loveth; I sought him, but I found him not.

² So I will rise then, and go about the city in the streets, and in the rechovot (open squares, places); I will seek him whom my nefesh loveth; I sought him, but found him not.

³ The shomrim (watchmen) that go about the city found me; to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my nefesh loveth?

⁴ Scarcely had I passed from them, when I found him whom my nefesh loveth; I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into the bais immi (the house of my mother), and into the cheder of her that conceived me.

⁵ I charge you, O ye banot Yerushalayim, by the gazelles, and by the deer of the sadeh, that ye arouse nor awake HaAhavah till it pleases [i.e., until its own time, see 2:7; 8:4].

⁶ Who is this that cometh out of the midbar like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense from all the fragrant powders of the rokhel (merchant)?

⁷ Hinei, his conveyance [see palanquin, 3:9], which is Sh’lomo’s; threescore gibborim (valiant men) are around it, of the Gibborei Yisroel.

⁸ They all hold swords, being expert in michamah (war); every man hath his cherev (sword) at his side against the pachad (terror, dread) of the nights.

⁹ HaMelech Sh’lomo made himself an appiryon (palanquin, mobile throne carried on a litter on the shoulders of men) of the wood of the Levanon.

¹⁰ He made the pillars thereof of kesef, the support thereof of zahav, the cushion of it of purple, the interior thereof being inlaid with Ahavah, by the banot Yerushalayim.

¹¹ Come out, O ye banot Tziyon, and behold Sh’lomo HaMelech with the atarah (crown) wherewith his em crowned him in the Yom Chasunoh (day of his wedding), and in the Yom Simchat Libo (day of the gladness of his heart [see Rv 19:6-10; Ep 5:22-33; Yn 3:29; 2C 11:1-2; Yeshayah 54:5-6; Yirmeyah 2:2 Yechezkel 16:8-14,20-21,32,38; Hoshea 2:16,18-20 and here see the Shulamite as a type of the Kehillah of Moshiach and Sh’lomo Ben Dovid a type of Moshiach Ben Dovid the Ro’eh HaTov, the Good Shepherd])

4 Behold, thou art yafeh, my love; behold, thou art yafeh; thine eyes are yonim (doves) behind your veil; thy hair is like an eder (flock) of goats descending from Mount Gil`ad.

² Thy teeth are like an eder of sheep that are just shorn, coming up from washing; whereof every one is matched, and none is missing among them.

³ Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy mouth is naveh (lovely); thy temple is like a half-pomegranate within thy veil.

⁴ Thy tzavar (neck) is like the migdal Dovid girt with battlements, whereon there hang a thousand mogen [Dovid], all the shields of Gibborim.

⁵ Thy two breasts are like two ofarim (fawns, young deer) that are twins, which graze among the lilies.

⁶ Until HaYom (the day) break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the har hamor (mountain of myrrh), and to the hill of frankincense.

⁷ Thou art all yafeh, my love; there is no mum (blemish, spot, defect, flaw) in thee.

⁸ Come with me from the Levanon, my kallah (bride), with me from the Levanon; come down from the heights of Amanah, from the top of Senir and Chermon, from the dens of the arayot (lions), from the hills of the nemerim (leopards).

⁹ Thou hast ravished my lev, my sister, my kallah; thou hast ravished my lev with one of thy glances, with one link of thy necklace.

¹⁰ How fair is thy love, my sister, my kallah! How much better is thy love than yayin! And the scent of thine perfumes than any spice!

¹¹ Thy lips, O my kallah, drip like the honeycomb; devash and cholov are under thy tongue; and the scent of thy garments is like the scent of the Levanon.

¹² A gan (garden) locked is my sister, my kallah; a spring enclosed, a ma’ayan (fountain) sealed.

¹³ Thy plants are a pardeis (park, paradise) of pomegranates, with pleasant p’ri; henna with spikenard,

¹⁴ Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with kol atzei levonah (all kinds of incense trees); myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices:

¹⁵ A na’yan (fountain) of gardens, a be’er (well) of mayim chayyim (well of living waters), and streams from the Levanon.

¹⁶ Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south wind; blow upon my gan (garden), that the fragrances thereof may flow out. Let dodi (my beloved) come into his gan (garden), and let him taste its choice pri (fruits).

5 I am come into my gan (garden), my sister, my kallah; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my devash (honey); I have drunk my yayin with my cholov (milk): Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, dodim.

² I sleep, but my lev waketh: it is the voice of dodi (my beloved) that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my yonah (dove) tammati (my undefiled, my perfect one); for my head is filled with tal (dew), and my hair with the drops of the lailah.

³ I have put off my kuttonet (kesones, chiton, robe); how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

⁴ Dodi (my beloved) thrust his hand through the latchopening, my heart began pounding for him.

⁵ I arose to open to dodi (my beloved); and my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the man’ul (lock, door bolt).

⁶ I opened to dodi (my beloved); but dodi had withdrawn and gone; my nefesh departed when he spoke; I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

⁷ The shomrim (watchmen) that went about the city found me, they beat me, they wounded me; the shomrei hachomat (i.e., the shomrim, the guardians [of the city on the wall]) took away my cloak from me.

⁸ I charge you, O banot Yerushalayim, if ye find dodi (my beloved), what will ye tell him? Tell him shecholat ahavah ani (I am faint with ahavah, lovesick [see 2:5]).

⁹ How is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among nashim? How is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

¹⁰ Dodi (my beloved) is radiant and ruddy, unrivaled by ten thousand.

¹¹ His head is like the purest gold, his hair is wavy and shachor (black) as the raven.

¹² His eyes are like yonim (doves) by the streams of mayim, washed with cholov, jewels fitly set.

¹³ His cheeks are like beds of spices, like sweet flowers; his lips like shoshanim (lilies), dripping sweet scented myrrh.

¹⁴ His hands are like rods of zahav set with chrysolites; his body is like a polished work of ivory decorated with sapphires.

¹⁵ His legs are like pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine zahav; his countenance is like the Levanon, bachor (one being choice) like the cedars.

¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is machamaddim (altogether desirable [see Shir HaShirim 2:3; Chaggai 2:7 says Moshiach is the Desired of all Nations]). This is dodi (my beloved), and this is my friend, O banot Yerushalayim. [T.N. The next chapter is commented on extensively beginning at page vii. This section is one of the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it buttresses Isa 7:14 and its foundational meaning.]

6 Where is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among nashim? Where is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?

² Dodi (my beloved) is gone down into his gan (garden), to the beds of spices, to feed in the ganim (gardens), and to gather shoshanim (lilies).

³ I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; he feedeth among the shoshanim.

⁴ Thou art yafeh, O my love, as Tirtzah, lovely as Yerushalayim, awe-inspiring as bannered troops on the march.

⁵ Turn away thine eyes from me, for they overwhelm me; thy hair is as an eder of goats that descend from Gil‘ad.

⁶ Thy teeth are as an eder harechalim (flock of ewes) which go up from the washing, whereof every one is matched, and there is not one missing among them.

⁷ As a half pomegranate is thy temple within thy veil.

⁸ There are threescore melakhot (queens), and fourscore pilagshim (concubines), and alamot (young unmarried virgins) without number [T.N. Alamot is plural of almah, "virgin," alamot, "virgins;" see Shir HaShirim 1:3; Yeshayah 7:14; Bereshis 24:43; Shemot 2:8; Mishlei 30:19 where the word means explicitly or implicitly "virgin" and where "young woman" is not an adequate rendering, in this case, since the King was hardly interested in only young women in his harem, but demanded "virgins"; the older Jewish translations like Harkavy’s so translated the word as "virgin" in this verse until it became politically incorrect to do so in later, more liberal Jewish translations into English].

⁹ My yonah (dove), tammati (my perfect one, my undefiled) is unique; she is the only one of her em (mother), she is the barah (choice one) of her that bore her. The banot saw her, they called her blessed; yea, the melakhot and the pilagshim [see 6:8] praise her.

¹⁰ Who is she that looks forth like the shachar (dawn), yafeh as the levanah (moon), clear as the sun, and aweinspiring as bannered troops on the march?

¹¹ I went down into the grove of nut trees to see the blossoms of the valley, and to see whether hagefen (the vine) flourished and the pomegranates bloomed.

¹² Before I was aware, my nefesh lifted me up to the merkevot of ammi (my people) of one, a royal one.

^13 (7:1) Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may gaze upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the mecholat Machanayim (dance of the Machanayim [see Bereshis 32:3]).

7 How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! Thy graceful legs are like jewels, ma’aseh yedei amon (the work of the hands of an artist, see Prov 8:30).

^2 (7:3) Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not wine: thy waist is like a mound of chittim (wheat) encircled by shoshanim (lilies).

^3 (7:4) Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a gazelle.

^4 (7:5) Thy tzavar (neck) is like a migdal of ivory; thine eyes like the pools of Cheshbon, by the sha’ar (gate) of Bat-Rabbim; thy nose is like the migdal of the Levanon which looketh toward Damascus.

^5 (7:6) Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like royal tapestry; Melech is held captive in its tresses.

^6 (7:7) How fair and how pleasant art thou, O Ahavah, for delights!

^7 (7:8) This thy stature is like a tamar (palm tree), and thy breasts eshkolot (clusters [of fruit]).

^8 (7:9) I said, I will climb up to the tamar, I will take hold of the branches thereof; now also thy breasts shall be as eshkelot hagefen (clusters of the vine), and the scent of thy breath like apples;

^9 (7:10) And the roof of thy mouth like the best yayin of dodi (my beloved), that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

^10 (7:11) I am my beloved’s, and to me goeth forth his teshukah (desire).

^11 (7:12) Come, dodi (my beloved), let us go forth into the sadeh; let us lodge in the villages.

^12 (7:13) Let us get up early to the kramim (vineyards); let us see if the gefen budded, whether the tender grape appears, and the pomegranates bloom; there will I give thee my love.

^13 (7:14) The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our doors are all manner of pleasant fruits, chadashim (new ones) and yeshanim (old ones), which I have stored up and kept for thee, O dodi (my beloved). [T.N. Just as there are different classes of women in the harem—so there are different residences in the book of Esther, for the malkah, for the pilegesh and for the almah or betulah; cf Song 6:8 and Esther chp 2.]

8 O that thou were like my brother, that nursed the breasts of immi (my mother)! Then, if I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee; yea, and no one would look down on me.

² I would lead thee, and bring thee into bais immi [see 3:4]. Thou wouldest instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced yayin and the nectar of my pomegranate.

³ His left hand should be under my rosh, and his right hand embrace me.

⁴ I charge you, O banot Yerushalayim, that ye arouse nor awake HaAhavah (the Love) till it pleases [i,e., until its own time, see 2:7; 3:5] .

⁵ Who is this that cometh up from the midbar, leaning upon her beloved? Under the tapuach (apple tree) I awakened thee; it was there thy em conceived thee; there she who brought thee forth conceived thee.

⁶ Set me as a chotam (seal) upon thine lev, as a chotam upon thine zero’a (arm); for ahavah is strong as mavet (death); kinah (jealousy) as unyielding as Sheol; the flames thereof are flames of eish, the flame of Hashem.

⁷ Mayim rabbim (many waters) cannot quench HaAhavah, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the wealth of his bais for ahavah, it would be utterly scorned.

⁸ We have an achot ketannah (little sister), and she hath as yet no breasts. What shall we do for achoteinu (our sister) in the day when she shall be spoken for?

⁹ If she be a chomah (wall), we will build upon her a pinnacle of kesef; and if she be a delet (door), we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

¹⁰ I am a chomah (wall), and my breasts, like migdalot; then was I in his eyes like one that findeth shalom.

¹¹ Sh’lomo had a kerem (vineyard) at Baal-Hamon; he gave over the kerem (vineyard) unto caretakers; each had to pay a thousand pieces of kesef for the p’ri (fruit) thereof.

¹² My kerem (vineyard), which is mine, is at my own disposal [see 7:13 (12)]; thou, O Sh’lomo, the thousand are for thee, and two hundred for those that tend the p’ri thereof!

¹³ Thou that dwellest in the ganim (gardens), the chaverim are listening for thy voice; cause me to hear it.

¹⁴ Make haste, dodi (my beloved), and be thou like to a gazelle or a young deer upon the mountains where spices grow.

1 Now it came to pass in the yamim when HaShofetim (the Judges) ruled, that there was a ra’av (famine) in the land. And a certain ish (man) of Beit-Lechem Yehudah went to sojourn in the sadei Moav, he, and his isha (wife), and his two banim (sons).

² And the shem (name) of the ish (man) was Elimelech, and the shem (name) of his isha (wife) Naomi, and the shem of his two banim Machlon and Kilyon, Ephrathites of Beit-Lechem Yehudah. And they came into the sadei Moav, and continued there.

³ And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left (alive) and her two banim.

⁴ And they took them wives of the nashim (women) of Moav; the shem (name) of the one was Orpah, and the shem (name) of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about eser shanim (ten years).

⁵ And Machlon and Kilyon died also both of them; and the isha was left (alive), surviving with neither her yeladim nor her ish.

⁶ Then she arose with her kallot, that she might make teshuvah (return) from the sadei Moav: for in the sadeh of Moav she had heard how that Hashem had visited His people in giving them lechem (bread).

⁷ Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two kallot with her; and they set on the derech (way, road) to make teshuvah (return) unto Eretz Yehudah.

⁸ And Naomi said unto her two kallot, Go, go back each to her beis em (mother’s house): may Hashem show chesed (lovingkindness) to you, as ye have dealt with hamesim (the dead ones), and with me.

⁹ Hashem grant you that ye may find menuchah (resting place), each of you in the bais of her ish. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

¹⁰ And they said unto her, Surely we will make teshuvah (return) with thee unto thy people.

¹¹ And Naomi said, Turn back, my banot; why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more banim in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

¹² Turn back, my banot, go your way; for I am too old to have an ish. If I should say, I have tikvah, if I should have an ish halailah (tonight), and should also bear banim,

¹³ Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay from having ba’alim (husbands) for them? Nay, my banot; for it is more mar (bitter) for me than you, for the Yad Hashem has gone out against me.

¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed [cf Mt 26:49] her chamot; but Ruth clung unto her.

¹⁵ And she said, Hinei, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her g-ds; return thou after thy sister-inlaw.

¹⁶ And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy G-d shall be Elohai;

¹⁷ Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. Hashem do so to me, and more also, if anything but HaMavet part thee and me.

¹⁸ When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left urging her.

¹⁹ So they two went until they came to Beit-Lechem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beit-Lechem, that kol ha’ir (all the town) was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

²⁰ And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi [Pleasant], call me Mara [Bitter]; for Shaddai hath dealt very bitterly with me.

²¹ I went away full and Hashem hath brought me back empty; why then call me Naomi, seeing Hashem hath testified against me, and Shaddai hath made me very bitter?

²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her kallah, with her, which returned out of the sadei Moav; and they came to Beit-Lechem in the beginning of katzir seorim (barley harvest).

2 And Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, an ish gibbor chayil, of the mishpochah of Elimelech; and shmo was Boaz.

² And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the sadeh, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I shall find chen (grace, favor). And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

³ And she went, and came, and gleaned in the sadeh behind the kotzerim (harvesters, reapers); and it so happened that she came on a part of the sadeh belonging unto Boaz, who was of the mishpochah of Elimelech.

⁴ And, hinei, Boaz came from Beit-Lechem, and said unto the kotzerim, Hashem be with you. And they answered him, Yevarech’chah Adonoi (Hashem bless thee).

⁵ Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the kotzerim, Whose na’arah is this?

⁶ And the servant that was set over the kotzerim answered and said, It is the na’arah from Moav that came back with Naomi out of the sadeh of Moav.

⁷ And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the kotzerim among the omarim (sheaves); so she came, and hath worked steadily from the boker even until now, except for a short rest in the bais.

⁸ Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another sadeh, neither go from hence, but abide here close by my ne’arot;

⁹ Let thine eyes be on the sadeh that they do reap, and go thou after them; have I not charged the ne’arim that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go unto the kelim (vessels), and drink of that which the ne’arim have drawn.

¹⁰ Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found chen (favor, grace) in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a nokhriyah (foreigner, alien)?

¹¹ And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shown me, all that thou hast done unto thy chamot since the mot (death) of thine ish; and how thou hast left thy av and thy em, and the eretz moledet, and art come unto an Am (people) which thou knewest not heretofore.

¹² Hashem recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Hashem Elohei Yisroel, under Whose wings thou art come to seek refuge.

¹³ Then she said, Let me find chen (favor, grace) in thy sight, adoni; for that thou hast brought nachamah (comfort) to me, and for that thou hast spoken to the lev of thine shifcha, though I be not like unto one of thine shfakhot.

¹⁴ And Boaz said unto her, At et haokhel (mealtime) come thou hither, and eat of the lechem, and dip thy morsel in the chometz. And she sat beside the kotzerim; and he offered her roasted grain, and she did eat, and was filled, and had left over [shirayim].

¹⁵ And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his ne’arim, saying, Let her glean even among the omarim, and reproach her not;

¹⁶ And let fall also some [out from the omarim] of the handfuls on purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

¹⁷ So she gleaned in the sadeh until the erev, and she threshed what she had gleaned; and it was about an ephah of seorim.

¹⁸ And she took it up, and went into the town; and her chamot saw what she had gleaned; and she brought forth, and gave to her the left over [shirayim] after she had been filled.

¹⁹ And her chamot said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned hayom (today)? And where did you work? Baruch be he who did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her chamot with whom she had worked, and said, Shem HaIsh with whom I worked hayom (today) is Boaz.

²⁰ And Naomi said unto her kallah, Baruch hu l’Hashem asher lo azav chasdo et haChayyim v’et haMesim (Blessed be he of Hashem who hath not abandoned his chesed to the living and to the dead). And Naomi said unto her, The man is karov unto us. MiGoaleinu hu (he is one of our kinsmen redeemers).

²¹ And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep close by my ne’arim, until they have ended kol HaKatzir that is mine.

²² And Naomi said unto Ruth her kallah, It is tov, my daughter, that thou go out with his ne’arot, because in someone else’s sadeh you might be harmed.

²³ So she kept close by the ne’arot of Boaz to glean unto the end of katzir haseorim and of katzir chittim; and dwelt with her chamot.

3 Then Naomi her chamot said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek manoach (a resting place) for thee, that it may be well with thee?

² And now is not Boaz our relative, with whose ne’arot thou wast? Hinei, he winnoweth haseorim halailah in the threshing floor.

³ Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing floor; but make not thyself known unto the Ish, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

⁴ And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the makom (place) where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

⁵ And she said unto her, Kol that thou sayest unto me I will do.

⁶ And she went down unto the threshing floor, and did according to kol that her chamot bade her.

⁷ And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his lev was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

⁸ And it came to pass in the middle of the night, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, hinei, an isha lay at his feet!

⁹ And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid; spread therefore thy robe over thine amah (handmaid); for thou art a Go’el (Redeemer).

¹⁰ And he said, Berukhah at laHashem, my daughter; for thou hast showed more chesed in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not the bochurim, whether poor or rich.

¹¹ And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest; for kol sha’ar ami doth have da’as that thou art an aishes chayil (virtuous woman, Prov 31).

¹² And now it is true that I am thy Go’el; howbeit there is a Go’el karov mimeini (Redeemer nearer than I).

¹³ Tarry this night, and it shall be in the boker, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a Go’el, well; let him do the Go’el’s part; let him redeem you. But if he will not do the part of a Go’el to thee, then will I do the part of a Go’el to thee, as Hashem liveth. Lie down until HaBoker.

¹⁴ And she lay at his feet until HaBoker; and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that an isha came into the threshing floor.

¹⁵ Also he said, Bring the mitpachat (shawl) that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of seorim (barley) and laid it on her; and she went into the town.

¹⁶ And when she came to her chamot, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that HaIsh had done to her.

¹⁷ And she said, These six measures of seorim gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty-handed unto thy chamot (mother-in-law).

¹⁸ Then said she, Wait, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for HaIsh will not rest until the matter is settled HaYom.

4 Then went Boaz up to the sha’ar, and sat him down there; and, hinei, the Go’el of whom Boaz spoke came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

² And he took a minyan of the zekenim of the town, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

³ And he said unto the Go’el, Naomi, that is come again out of the sadeh of Moav, selleth a share of sadeh, which was achinu (our brother) Elimelech’s;

⁴ And I thought to advise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the zekenim of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

⁵ Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the sadeh of the hand of Naomi, thou must acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the eshet hamet (wife of the dead man), lahakim (to raise up, resurrect) the shem hamet upon his nachalah (inheritance).

⁶ And the Go’el said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own nachalah; redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

⁷ Now this was the manner in former time in Yisroel concerning the geulah (redemption) and concerning the temurah (the substitute, exchange), for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was an attestation in Yisroel.

⁸ Therefore the Go’el said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his sandal.

⁹ And Boaz said unto the zekenim, and unto kol haAm, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Kilyon’s and Machlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

¹⁰ Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Machlon, have I purchased to be my wife, lahakim (to raise up, resurrect) the shem hamet (name of the dead man) upon his nachalah, that the shem of the dead man be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the sha’ar of his place; ye are edim (witnesses) HaYom.

¹¹ And kol HaAm that were in the sha’ar, and the zekenim, said, We are edim. Hashem make the isha haba’ah (the woman coming, see Gn 3:15; Isa 7:14) into thine bais [i.e. Bais Dovid] like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the Bais Yisroel; and do thou worthily in Ephrat, and be famous in Beit-Lechem;

¹² And let thy bais be like the bais of Peretz, whom Tamar bore unto Yehudah, of the zera (Bereshis 22:18; Ga 3:16) which Hashem shall give thee of this na’arah.

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his isha; and when he went in unto her, Hashem gave her conception, and she bore ben [see Isa 7:14].

¹⁴ And the nashim said unto Naomi, Baruch Hashem, which hath not left thee this yom without a Go’el. May shmo be famous in Yisroel.

¹⁵ And may he restore your nefesh and be a nourisher of thine old age; for thy kallah, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than shiva banim, hath born him.

¹⁶ And Naomi took the yeled, and laid him in her kheyk (bosom), and became omenet (nurse) unto it.

¹⁷ And the women her shchenim gave him a name, saying, There is a ben born to Naomi; and they called his name Oved; he is the father of Yishai, the father of Dovid.

¹⁸ Now these are the toldot of Peretz; Peretz fathered Chetzron,

¹⁹ And Chetzron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadav,

²⁰ And Amminadav fathered Nachshon, and Nachshon fathered Salmon,

²¹ And Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Oved,

²² And Oved fathered Yishai, and Yishai fathered Dovid.

1 How doth HaIr (the city, Yerushalayim) sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become like an almanah (widow)! She that was great among the Goyim, and sarah (princess) among the provinces, how is she become a forced laborer!

² She weepeth bitterly in the lailah (night), and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she hath no Menachem (comforter); all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.

³ Yehudah is gone into the Golus (Exile) under affliction, and under great avodah (servitude); she dwelleth among the Goyim; she findeth no manoach (rest); all her rodefim (persecutors) overtook her in dire straits.

⁴ The darkhei Tziyon (approaches to Tziyon) do mourn, because none come to mo’ed (set feasts); all her she’arim (gates) are desolate; her kohanim sigh, her betulot (virgins) are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

⁵ Her adversaries are now the rosh (supreme, master); her enemies prosper; for Hashem hath afflicted her because of the multitude of her peysha’im (transgressions); her olalim (little children) are gone into captivity before the enemy.

⁶ And from Bat Tziyon all her beauty has departed; her sarim (princes) are become like deer that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the rodef (persecutor, pursuer).

⁷ In the yamim (days) of her affliction and of her persecutions, Yerushalayim remembers all her pleasant things that she had miymei kedem (in the days of old), when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and there was no ozer (helper) for her; the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her downfall.

⁸ Yerushalayim hath grievously sinned; therefore she is niddah (unclean, Jewish woman’s untouchability during menstruation; Vayikra 15:19); all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her erom (nakedness); yea, she sigheth, and turneth away for shame.

⁹ Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her latter end; therefore she sank appallingly; she had no Menachem (comforter). O Hashem, behold my affliction; for the enemy hath triumphed.

¹⁰ The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her precious things; for she hath seen how the Goyim entered into her [Beis] Hamikdash, whom Thou didst command that they should not enter into Thy Kahal (congregation, community).

¹¹ All her people sigh, they seek lechem; they have given their precious things for bread to revive the nefesh; see, O Hashem, and consider that I am become despised.

¹² Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Consider, and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith Hashem hath afflicted me in the Yom Charon Af (day of His fierce anger).

¹³ From above hath He sent eish into my atzamot (bones), and it prevaileth against them; He hath spread a net for my feet, He hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate and kol hayom (ever) languishing.

¹⁴ The yoke of my peysha’im hath been fastened by His hand; they [i.e., my sins] intertwine themselves and set upon my tzavar (neck); He hath made my strength to fall; Hashem hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

¹⁵ Hashem hath taken away all my strong ones in my midst; He hath proclaimed a mo’ed (set time) against me to crush my young men; Hashem hath trodden the winepress for the Betulat Bat Yehudah.

¹⁶ For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with mayim, because the Menachem (comforter) that should refresh my nefesh is far from me; my children are desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed.

¹⁷ Tziyon stretcheth forth her hands, yet there is no Menachem (comforter) for her; Hashem hath commanded concerning Ya’akov, that his adversaries should be round about him; Yerushalayim is as a niddah (menstruous woman) among them.

¹⁸ Tzaddik is Hashem; for I have rebelled against His mouth; hear, I pray you, kol amim (all people), and behold my sorrow; my betulot and my bochurim are gone into captivity.

¹⁹ I called for my lovers, but they have deceived me; my kohanim and my zekenim gave up the ghost (i.e., expired) in HaIr (the City), while they sought okhel (food) to revive their nefashot.

²⁰ Consider, O Hashem how I am in distress; my bowels are troubled; mine lev is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled; without (i.e., outside), the cherev (sword) bereaveth, within (i.e., babayit, at home) it is like mavet (death).

²¹ They have heard that I sigh; there is no Menachem (comforter); all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that Thou hast done it; Thou bringest the Yom Karata (the day that Thou has proclaimed), that they (all the peoples; see 1:18) may be like me.

²² Let all their wickedness come before Thee; and do unto them, as Thou hast done unto me for all my peysha’im; for my sighs are many, and my lev is faint.

2 How hath Adonoi covered Bat Tziyon with a cloud in His anger, and hurled down from Shomayim unto Eretz the tiferet Yisroel, and remembered not His hadom (footstool) in the Day of His Wrath!

² Adonoi hath swallowed up all the habitations of Ya’akov, and hath not pitied; He hath torn down in His Wrath the strongholds of Bat Yehudah; He hath brought them down to the ground; chillel (He hath defiled) the mamlachah and the sarim (princes) thereof.

³ He hath cut off in His fierce anger kol keren Yisroel; He hath drawn back His right hand from before the oyev, and He burned against Ya’akov like a flaming eish, which devoureth all around.

⁴ He hath bent His keshet (bow) like an oyev; He took His stand with His right hand as an adversary, and slaughtered all that were pleasant to the eye in the ohel Bat Tziyon; He poured out His fury like eish.

⁵ Adonoi was like an oyev; He hath swallowed up Yisroel, He hath swallowed up all her armonot (palaces); He hath destroyed His strongholds, and hath increased in Bat Yehudah mourning and lamentation.

⁶ And He hath violently destroyed His sukkah, as if it were of a gan (garden); He hath laid waste His Mo’ed; Hashem hath caused Mo’ed and Shabbos to be forgotten in Tziyon, and in the indignation of His anger hath spurned Melech and Kohen.

⁷ Adonoi hath cast off His Mizbe’ach, He hath disowned His Mikdash, He hath given up into the yad oyev the chomot armonot of hers; they have raised shouts in the Beis Hashem, as in the Yom Mo’ed.

⁸ Hashem hath purposed to destroy the Chomat Bat Tziyon; He hath stretched out a measuring line, He hath not withdrawn His hand from destroying; therefore He made the rampart and the chomah to lament; they languished together.

⁹ Her she’arim are sunk into the ground; He hath destroyed and broken her bars; her melech and her sarim (princes) are among the Goyim; the torah is no more; her nevi’im also find no chazon (vision) from Hashem.

¹⁰ The Ziknei Bat Tziyon sit upon the ground, and keep silence; they have cast up aphar upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth; the Betulot Yerushalayim hang down their heads to the ground.

¹¹ Mine eyes do fail from weepings, my insides are troubled, empty and poured upon ha’aretz, for the destruction of Bat Ami; because the olel and the infant swoon in the rechovot of the city.

¹² They say to their imahot, Where is grain and yayin? Say they when they swooned like the wounded in the rechovot Ir, when their nefesh ebbed away into the kheyk imahot of them.

¹³ What thing shall I say to thee? What thing shall I liken to thee, O Bat Yerushalayim? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O Betulat Bat Tziyon? For thy shever (destruction) is as gadol as the yam. Who can heal thee?

¹⁴ Thy nevi’im have seen false and worthless visions for thee; and they have not exposed thine avon, to ward off thy captivity; but have seen for thee mase’ot shav and madduchim (false and misleading burdens, oracles).

¹⁵ All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at Bat Yerushalayim, saying, Is this the Ir that men call Kelilat Yofi Masos L’Khol HaAretz (perfection in beauty, the joy of the whole earth)?

¹⁶ All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee; they hiss and gnash their teeth; they say, We have swallowed her up; certainly this is the Yom that we waited for; we have found, we have seen it.

¹⁷ Hashem hath done that which He had devised; He hath fulfilled His word that He decreed in the yemai kedem; He hath overthrown, and hath not pitied, and He hath caused thine oyev to gloat over thee, He hath exalted the keren of thine adversaries.

¹⁸ Their lev cried unto Adonoi, O Chomat Bat Tziyon, let tears run down like a river yomam valailah; give thyself no relief; let not thine eye rest.

¹⁹ Arise, cry out balailah; in the beginning of the night watches pour out thine lev like mayim before the face of Adonoi; lift up thy hands to Him for the nefesh of thy ollelim, that faint for hunger on every street corner.

²⁰ Look, Hashem, and consider to whom Thou hast done this. Shall the nashim eat their offspring, the children they have cared for? Shall the Kohen and the Navi be slain in the Mikdash Adonoi?

²¹ The na’ar and the zaken lie in the dust of the streets; my betulot and my bochurim are fallen by the cherev; Thou hast slain them in the Day of Thy Wrath; Thou hast slaughtered, and not pitied.

²² Thou hast summoned as in a Yom Mo’ed my terrors all around, so that in the Yom Af Hashem none escaped nor remained; those that I have swaddled and reared hath mine oyev consumed.