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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 22

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1For the leader; on ayyeleth ha-shachar. A psalm of David.

אלַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד׃

2My Hashem, my God, why have You abandoned me; why so far from delivering me and from my anguished roaring?

באֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי רָחוֹק מִישׁוּעָתִי דִּבְרֵי שַׁאֲגָתִי׃

3My Hashem, I cry by day—You answer not; by night, and have no respite.

גאֱ‍לֹהַי אֶקְרָא יוֹמָם וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה וְלַיְלָה וְלֹא־דוּמִיָּה לִי׃

4But You are the Holy One, enthroned, the Praise of Yisrael.

דוְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

5In You our fathers trusted; they trusted, and You rescued them.

הבְּךָ בָּטְחוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ בָּטְחוּ וַתְּפַלְּטֵמוֹ׃

6To You they cried out and they escaped; in You they trusted and were not disappointed.

ואֵלֶיךָ זָעֲקוּ וְנִמְלָטוּ בְּךָ בָטְחוּ וְלֹא־בוֹשׁוּ׃

7But I am a worm, less than human; scorned by men, despised by people.

v'-a-no-KHEE to-LA-at v'-lo EESH kher-PAT a-DAM uv-ZUY AM

זוְאָנֹכִי תוֹלַעַת וְלֹא־אִישׁ חֶרְפַּת אָדָם וּבְזוּי עָם׃

 22:7   But I am a worm, less than human

The Talmud (Chullin 89a) states that Hashem grants greatness to the righteous but they humble themselves. Avraham calls himself “dust of the earth” (Genesis 18:27), Moshe and Aharon say “For who are we” (Exodus 16:7), Shaul calls himself a “simple son of the small tribe of Binyamin” (I Samuel 9:21), and Gidon says “But I am only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Yisrael, and my clan is the least of all the clans of the tribe of Binyamin!” (Judges 6:15). But when the Lord grants greatness to the wicked, they lash out against Him and Israel in arrogance. Pharaoh says “Who is Hashem that I should heed Him?” (Exodus 5:2), Goliath says “I herewith defy the ranks of Yisrael” (I Samuel 17:10), Sennacherib asks “Which among all the gods of [those] countries saved their countries from me, that Hashem should save Yerushalayim from me?” (II Kings 18:35), and Nebuchadnezzar says “and what god is there that can save you from my power?” (Daniel 3:15). David reminds us of the value of humility that leaders must display in their lives.

8All who see me mock me; they curl their lips, they shake their heads.

חכָּל־רֹאַי יַלְעִגוּ לִי יַפְטִירוּ בְשָׂפָה יָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ׃

9“Let him commit himself to Hashem; let Him rescue him, let Him save him, for He is pleased with him.”

טגֹּל אֶל־יְהֹוָה יְפַלְּטֵהוּ יַצִּילֵהוּ כִּי חָפֵץ בּוֹ׃

10You drew me from the womb, made me secure at my mother's breast.

יכִּי־אַתָּה גֹחִי מִבָּטֶן מַבְטִיחִי עַל־שְׁדֵי אִמִּי׃

11I became Your charge at birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God.

יאעָלֶיךָ הָשְׁלַכְתִּי מֵרָחֶם מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אֵלִי אָתָּה׃

12Do not be far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

יבאַל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־צָרָה קְרוֹבָה כִּי־אֵין עוֹזֵר׃

13Many bulls surround me, mighty ones of Bashan encircle me.

יגסְבָבוּנִי פָּרִים רַבִּים אַבִּירֵי בָשָׁן כִּתְּרוּנִי׃

14They open their mouths at me like tearing, roaring lions.

ידפָּצוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם אַרְיֵה טֹרֵף וְשֹׁאֵג׃

15My life ebbs away: all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me;

טוכַּמַּיִם נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי וְהִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָי הָיָה לִבִּי כַּדּוֹנָג נָמֵס בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי׃

16my vigor dries up like a shard; my tongue cleaves to my palate; You commit me to the dust of death.

טזיָבֵשׁ כַּחֶרֶשׂ כֹּחִי וּלְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּק מַלְקוֹחָי וְלַעֲפַר־מָוֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵנִי׃

17Dogs surround me; a pack of evil ones closes in on me, like lions [they maul] my hands and feet.

יזכִּי סְבָבוּנִי כְּלָבִים עֲדַת מְרֵעִים הִקִּיפוּנִי כָּאֲרִי יָדַי וְרַגְלָי׃

18I take the count of all my bones while they look on and gloat.

יחאֲסַפֵּר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָי הֵמָּה יַבִּיטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִי׃

19They divide my clothes among themselves, casting lots for my garments.

יטיְחַלְּקוּ בְגָדַי לָהֶם וְעַל־לְבוּשִׁי יַפִּילוּ גוֹרָל׃

20But You, Hashem, be not far off; my strength, hasten to my aid.

כוְאַתָּה יְהֹוָה אַל־תִּרְחָק אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה׃

21Save my life from the sword, my precious life from the clutches of a dog.

כאהַצִּילָה מֵחֶרֶב נַפְשִׁי מִיַּד־כֶּלֶב יְחִידָתִי׃

22Deliver me from a lion's mouth; from the horns of wild oxen rescue me.

כבהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי מִפִּי אַרְיֵה וּמִקַּרְנֵי רֵמִים עֲנִיתָנִי׃

23Then will I proclaim Your fame to my brethren, praise You in the congregation.

כגאֲסַפְּרָה שִׁמְךָ לְאֶחָי בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל אֲהַלְלֶךָּ׃

24You who fear Hashem, praise Him! All you offspring of Yaakov, honor Him! Be in dread of Him, all you offspring of Yisrael!

כדיִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה הַלְלוּהוּ כָּל־זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב כַּבְּדוּהוּ וְגוּרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל־זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

25For He did not scorn, He did not spurn the plea of the lowly; He did not hide His face from him; when he cried out to Him, He listened.

כהכִּי לֹא־בָזָה וְלֹא שִׁקַּץ עֱנוּת עָנִי וְלֹא־הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ וּבְשַׁוְּעוֹ אֵלָיו שָׁמֵעַ׃

26Because of You I offer praise in the great congregation; I pay my vows in the presence of His worshipers.

כומֵאִתְּךָ תְהִלָּתִי בְּקָהָל רָב נְדָרַי אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגֶד יְרֵאָיו׃

27Let the lowly eat and be satisfied; let all who seek Hashem praise Him. Always be of good cheer!

כזיֹאכְלוּ עֲנָוִים וְיִשְׂבָּעוּ יְהַלְלוּ יְהֹוָה דֹּרְשָׁיו יְחִי לְבַבְכֶם לָעַד׃

28Let all the ends of the earth pay heed and turn to Hashem, and the peoples of all nations prostrate themselves before You;

כחיִזְכְּרוּ וְיָשֻׁבוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחוֹת גּוֹיִם׃

29for kingship is Hashem's and He rules the nations.

כטכִּי לַיהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָה וּמֹשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם׃

30All those in full vigor shall eat and prostrate themselves; all those at death's door, whose spirits flag, shall bend the knee before Him.

לאָכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ כָּל־דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶרֶץ לְפָנָיו יִכְרְעוּ כָּל־יוֹרְדֵי עָפָר וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא חִיָּה׃

31Offspring shall serve Him; Hashem's fame shall be proclaimed to the generation

לאזֶרַע יַעַבְדֶנּוּ יְסֻפַּר לַאדֹנָי לַדּוֹר׃

32to come; they shall tell of His beneficence to people yet to be born, for He has acted.

לביָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּידוּ צִדְקָתוֹ לְעַם נוֹלָד כִּי עָשָׂה׃