TORAH

FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES

NEVI'IM

PROPHETS

KETUVIM

WRITINGS

Chapter 35

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Of David. Hashem, strive with my adversaries, give battle to my foes,

אלְדָוִד רִיבָה יְהֹוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַי לְחַם אֶת־לֹחֲמָי׃

2take up shield and buckler, and come to my defense;

בהַחֲזֵק מָגֵן וְצִנָּה וְקוּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִי׃

3ready the spear and javelin against my pursuers; tell me, “I am your deliverance.”

גוְהָרֵק חֲנִית וּסְגֹר לִקְרַאת רֹדְפָי אֱמֹר לְנַפְשִׁי יְשֻׁעָתֵךְ אָנִי׃

4Let those who seek my life be frustrated and put to shame; let those who plan to harm me fall back in disgrace.

דיֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיַחְפְּרוּ חֹשְׁבֵי רָעָתִי׃

5Let them be as chaff in the wind, Hashem's angel driving them on.

היִהְיוּ כְּמֹץ לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה דּוֹחֶה׃

6Let their path be dark and slippery, with Hashem's angel in pursuit.

ויְהִי־דַרְכָּם חֹשֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת וּמַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה רֹדְפָם׃

7For without cause they hid a net to trap me; without cause they dug a pit* for me.

זכִּי־חִנָּם טָמְנוּ־לִי שַׁחַת רִשְׁתָּם חִנָּם חָפְרוּ לְנַפְשִׁי׃

8Let disaster overtake them unawares; let the net they hid catch them; let them fall into it when disaster [strikes].

חתְּבוֹאֵהוּ שׁוֹאָה לֹא־יֵדָע וְרִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַן תִּלְכְּדוֹ בְּשׁוֹאָה יִפָּל־בָּהּ׃

9Then shall I exult in Hashem, rejoice in His deliverance.

טוְנַפְשִׁי תָּגִיל בַּיהֹוָה תָּשִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ׃

10All my bones shall say, “Hashem, who is like You? You save the poor from one stronger than he, the poor and needy from his despoiler.”

KOL atz-mo-TAI to-mar-NAH a-do-NAI MEE kha-MO-kha ma-TZEEL a-NEE may-kha-ZAK mi-ME-nu v'-a-NEE v'-ev-YON mi-go-z'-LO

יכָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַרְנָה יְהֹוָה מִי כָמוֹךָ מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מִגֹּזְלוֹ׃

35:10 All my bones shall say, “Hashem, who is like You?”

David, surrounded by enemies and troubles, seeks out Hashem and prays for greener pastures. He poetically yearns for a time when all of his bones will engage in praising God. The Sages wonder what situation would allow him to serve Hashem with all his bones. Some commandments are done with one’s mind, others with the mouth and some with one’s limbs, but what commandment encompasses the entire body? The answer is the command to settle the Land of Israel. King David was yearning to live in Israel, where one’s entire body is completely immersed in the land, God’s chosen land.

11Malicious witnesses appear who question me about things I do not know.

יאיְקוּמוּן עֵדֵי חָמָס אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי יִשְׁאָלוּנִי׃

12They repay me evil for good, [seeking] my bereavement.

יביְשַׁלְּמוּנִי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה שְׁכוֹל לְנַפְשִׁי׃

13Yet, when they were ill, my dress was sackcloth, I kept a fast— may what I prayed for happen to me!

יגוַאֲנִי בַּחֲלוֹתָם לְבוּשִׁי שָׂק עִנֵּיתִי בַצּוֹם נַפְשִׁי וּתְפִלָּתִי עַל־חֵיקִי תָשׁוּב׃

14I walked about as though it were my friend or my brother; I was bowed with gloom, like one mourning for his mother.

ידכְּרֵעַ־כְּאָח לִי הִתְהַלָּכְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵם קֹדֵר שַׁחוֹתִי׃

15But when I stumble, they gleefully gather; wretches gather against me, I know not why; they tear at me without end.

טווּבְצַלְעִי שָׂמְחוּ וְנֶאֱסָפוּ נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי נֵכִים וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי קָרְעוּ וְלֹא־דָמּוּ׃

16With impious, mocking grimace they gnash their teeth at me.

טזבְּחַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג חָרֹק עָלַי שִׁנֵּימוֹ׃

17O Hashem, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their attacks, my precious life, from the lions,

יזאֲדֹנָי כַּמָּה תִּרְאֶה הָשִׁיבָה נַפְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶם מִכְּפִירִים יְחִידָתִי׃

18that I may praise You in a great congregation, acclaim You in a mighty throng.

יחאוֹדְךָ בְּקָהָל רָב בְּעַם עָצוּם אֲהַלְלֶךָּ׃

19Let not my treacherous enemies rejoice over me, or those who hate me without reason wink their eyes.

יטאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר שֹׂנְאַי חִנָּם יִקְרְצוּ־עָיִן׃

20For they do not offer amity, but devise fraudulent schemes against harmless folk.

ככִּי לֹא שָׁלוֹם יְדַבֵּרוּ וְעַל רִגְעֵי־אֶרֶץ דִּבְרֵי מִרְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבוּן׃

21They open wide their mouths at me, saying, “Aha, aha, we have seen it!”

כאוַיַּרְחִיבוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם אָמְרוּ הֶאָח הֶאָח רָאֲתָה עֵינֵינוּ׃

22You have seen it, Hashem; do not hold aloof! O Hashem, be not far from me!

כברָאִיתָה יְהֹוָה אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ אֲדֹנָי אֲל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי׃

23Wake, rouse Yourself for my cause, for my claim, O my God and my Lord!

כגהָעִירָה וְהָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִי אֱלֹהַי וַאדֹנָי לְרִיבִי׃

24Take up my cause, Hashem my God, as You are beneficent, and let them not rejoice over me.

כדשָׁפְטֵנִי כְצִדְקְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי׃

25Let them not think, “Aha, just what we wished!” Let them not say, “We have destroyed him!”

כהאַל־יֹאמְרוּ בְלִבָּם הֶאָח נַפְשֵׁנוּ אַל־יֹאמְרוּ בִּלַּעֲנוּהוּ׃

26May those who rejoice at my misfortune be frustrated and utterly disgraced; may those who vaunt themselves over me be clad in frustration and shame.

כויֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ יַחְדָּו שְׂמֵחֵי רָעָתִי יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וּכְלִמָּה הַמַּגְדִּילִים עָלָי׃

27May those who desire my vindication sing forth joyously; may they always say, “Extolled be Hashem who desires the well-being of His servant,”

כזיָרֹנּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ חֲפֵצֵי צִדְקִי וְיֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל יְהֹוָה הֶחָפֵץ שְׁלוֹם עַבְדּוֹ׃

28while my tongue shall recite Your beneficent acts, Your praises all day long.

כחוּלְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ כָּל־הַיּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶךָ׃