Beginning
1 Blessed is the man, that goeth not in the counsel of wicked men; and stood not in the way of sinners, and sat not in the chair of pestilence. (Happy is the person who goeth not in the counsel of the wicked; and walketh not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the chair of pestilence.)
2 But his will is in the law of the Lord; and he shall bethink in the law of him day and night. (But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and he shall think about his Law day and night.)
3 And he shall be as a tree, which is planted beside the runnings of waters; that shall give his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall down; and all things, whichever he shall do, shall have prosperity. (And he shall be like a tree, which is planted beside the running water; it shall give its fruit at its proper time, and its leaves shall not fall down. Yea, everything, whatever he shall do, shall prosper.)
4 Not so wicked men, not so; but they be as dust, which the wind casteth away from the face of the earth. (Not so the wicked, not so; but they be like the dust, which the wind bloweth away from off the face of the earth.)
5 Therefore wicked men rise not again in doom; neither sinners in the council of just men. (And so the wicked shall not stand long at the judgement; nor shall the sinners stand with the congregation of the righteous.)
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of just men; and the way of wicked men shall perish. (For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the wicked shall perish on their own way.)
2 Why gnashed with teeth heathen men; and peoples thought vain things? (Why do the heathen gnash with their teeth? and the peoples think up useless plans?)
2 The kings of earth stood together; and princes came together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (The kings of the earth stood together; yea, the rulers came together against the Lord, and against his anointed king.)
3 Break we the bonds of them; and cast we away the yoke of them from us. (And they said, Let us break their bonds, that is, their rule over us; yea, let us throw off their yoke from us.)
4 He that dwelleth in heavens shall scorn them; and the Lord shall bemock them. (But he who liveth in heaven shall scorn them; yea, the Lord shall mock them.)
5 Then he shall speak to them in his wrath; and he shall trouble them in his strong vengeance. (And then he shall speak to them in his anger; and he shall trouble them with his fury.)
6 Soothly I am ordained of him a king upon Zion, his holy hill; (And the Lord saith of me, I have set my king upon Zion; upon my holy hill.)
7 preaching his commandment. The Lord said to me, Thou art my son; I have begotten thee today. (And I said, I shall tell out his decree. Then the Lord said to me, Thou art my son; and today I have become thy father.)
8 Ask thou of me, and I shall give to thee heathen men (for) thine heritage; and (for) thy possession the terms of earth. (Ask thou of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance; and the ends of the earth for thy possession.)
9 Thou shalt govern them in an iron rod; and thou shalt break them together as the vessel of a potter. (Thou shalt govern them with an iron rod; and thou shalt break them in pieces, like a clay pot.)
10 And now, ye kings, understand; ye that deem the earth, be ye learned. (And so now, ye kings, understand; ye who judge, or who rule, the earth, learn your lesson!)
11 Serve ye the Lord with dread; and make ye full out joy to him with trembling. (Serve ye the Lord in fear/Serve ye the Lord with reverence; and bow down before him with trembling.)
12 Take ye lore of chastising; lest the Lord be wroth sometime, and ye perish from the just way. When his wrath shall burn out in short time; blessed be all they, that trust in him. (Kiss ye the King, that is, worship and serve him; lest sometime, the Lord be angry. And then, ye perish on the way; when, in a moment of time, his anger flareth up. Happy be all they, who trust in him.)
3 The psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom, his son. Lord, why be they multiplied that trouble me? many men rise against me. (The song of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. Lord, why be there so many who trouble me? why be there so many who rise up against me?)
2 Many men say of my soul, None health there is to him in his God. (Many say of me, There is no help for him from his God.)
3 But thou, Lord, art mine up-taker; my glory, and enhancing mine head. (But thou, Lord, art my defender; my glory, and the one who lifteth up my head.)
4 With my voice I cried to the Lord; and he heard me from his holy hill. (I cried to the Lord with my voice; and he answered me from his holy hill.)
5 I slept, and rested, and I rose up; for the Lord received me (for the Lord had protected me).
6 I shall not dread thousands of people (en)compassing me; (I shall not fear even thousands of people surrounding me;)
7 Lord, arise thou; my God, make me safe. For thou hast smitten all men being adversaries to me without cause; thou hast all-broken the teeth of sinners. (Lord, rise thou up; my God, save me. Thou hast struck down all who be my adversaries; thou hast broken all the teeth of the sinners.)
8 Health is of the Lord; and thy blessing is on thy people. (Victory is from the Lord/Salvation, or deliverance, is from the Lord; and thy blessing is upon thy people.)
4 To the victory in organs, the psalm of David. When I inwardly called, God of my rightwiseness heard me; in tribulation thou hast alarged to me. Have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer. (To victory, on instruments, the song of David. Please answer me when I call thee, O God of my righteousness. For when I was in trouble, thou set me free, or at large. So have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer.)
2 Sons of men, how long be ye of heavy heart? why love ye vanity, and seek leasing? (Sons and daughters of men, how long shall ye insult me? why love ye empty and futile, or worthless, things, and go after lies?)
3 And know ye, that the Lord hath made marvellous his holy man; the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him. (And know ye, that the Lord hath chosen the holy man for his own/that the Lord hath shown me his wondrous love; and that the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him.)
4 Be ye wroth, and do not ye sin; and for those evils to which ye say in your hearts and in your beds, be ye compunct. (Be ye angry, but sin ye not; and have ye remorse for the evils which ye say in your hearts, and in your beds.)
5 Sacrifice ye the sacrifice of rightfulness/Offer ye an offering of rightfulness, and hope ye in the Lord; (Offer ye a righteous sacrifice, and trust ye in the Lord;)
6 many say, Who showed good things to us? Lord, the light of thy cheer is marked upon us; (many say, Who hath shown us any good thing? Lord, shine the light of thy face upon us!)
7 thou hast given gladness in mine heart. They be multiplied of the fruit of wheat, and of wine; and of their oil. (But thou hast put more gladness in my heart, than they have ever had; yea, even when their corn, and their wine, were plentiful.)
8 In peace in the same thing; I shall sleep, and take rest. For thou, Lord; hast set me singularly in hope/hast set me only in hope. (And so I shall lie down in peace; and sleep. For thou alone, Lord, hast given me hope/hast made me safe.)
5 To the overcomer, on the heritages, the psalm of David. Lord, perceive thou my words with ears; understand thou my cry. (To the overcomer, for the inheritance, the song of David. Lord, hear thou my words; understand my cry.)
2 My king (My King), and my God; give thou attention to the voice of my prayer. For, Lord, I shall pray to thee;
3 hear thou early my voice. Early I shall stand nigh to thee, and I shall see; (hear thou my voice in the morning. Early in the morning I shall stand near to thee, and I shall see thee;)
4 for thou art God not desiring wickedness. Neither an evil-willed man shall dwell beside thee; (for thou art not a God who desireth wickedness. No one with an evil will shall stand beside thee;)
5 neither unjust men shall dwell before thine eyes. Thou hatest all them that work wickedness; (nor shall the unrighteous stand before thine eyes. Thou hatest all those who do evil;)
6 thou shalt lose them that speak leasing. The Lord shall hold abominable a man-queller, and a guileful man. (thou shalt destroy those who tell lies. And the Lord shall hold as abominable man-killers, that is, murderers, and liars.)
7 But Lord, in the multitude of thy mercy, I shall enter into thine house; I shall worship to(ward) thine holy temple in thy dread. (But Lord, because of thy great love, I shall enter into thy House; I shall bow toward thy holy Temple in reverence for thee.)
8 Lord, lead thou forth me in thy rightwiseness for mine enemies; (ad)dress thou my way in thy sight. (Lord, lead thou me forth in thy righteousness, because my enemies be all around me; direct thou my way before thee/direct thou me along thy way.)
9 For truth is not in their mouth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open sepulchre, they did guilefully with their tongues; (For truth is not in their mouths; their hearts be empty. Their throats be an open tomb, or an open grave, and everything they say is deceitful, or corrupt;)
10 God, deem thou them. Fall they down from their thoughts; after the multitude of their wickednesses, or unpiousnesses, cast thou them down; for, Lord, they have stirred thee to wrath. (God, judge thou them. Let them fall by their own thoughts; throw thou them down after all their wickednesses; for, Lord, they have rebelled against thee.)
11 And all that hope in thee, be they glad; they shall make full out joy [into] without end, and thou shalt dwell in them. And all that love thy name shall have glory in thee; (But all who hope in thee, be they glad; they shall rejoice forever, and thou shalt live with them. And all who love thy name shall have glory in thee;)
12 for thou shalt bless the just man. Lord, thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of thy good will. (for thou shalt bless the righteous. Lord, thou hast surrounded us with thy favour, yea, like with a shield.)
6 To the overcomer in psalms, the psalm of David, on the eighth. Lord, reprove thou not me in thy strong vengeance; neither chastise thou me in thine ire. (To the overcomer, in songs, the song of David, on the eighth. Lord, do not thou condemn me in thy fury; nor chastise thou me in thy anger.)
2 Lord, have thou mercy on me, for I am sick (for I am weak, or feeble); Lord, make thou me whole, for all my bones be troubled.
3 And my soul is troubled greatly; but thou, Lord, how long? (And my soul is greatly troubled; but thou, O Lord, how long shalt thou wait?)
4 Lord, be thou converted/be thou turned again, and deliver my soul; make thou me safe, for thy mercy. (Lord, return thou, and rescue my soul; save thou me, in thy mercy/for the sake of thy love.)
5 For none there is in death, that is mindful of thee; but in hell who shall acknowledge to thee? (For there is no one among the dead, who remembereth thee; who shall praise thee in Sheol, or the land of the dead?/who shall praise thee in the grave?)
6 I travailed in my wailing, I shall wash my bed by each night; I shall moisten, either make wet, my bedstraw with my tears. (I am travailed, or made weary, from all my wailing, and each night I wash my bed with my weeping; yea, I moisten my bedstraw with my tears.)
7 Mine eye is troubled of strong vengeance; I wax eld among all mine enemies. (My eyes be full of grief; they grow old because of all my enemies.)
8 All ye that work wickedness, depart from me; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. (All ye who do evil, go away from me; for the Lord hath heard the sound of my weeping.)
9 The Lord hath heard my beseeching; the Lord hath received my prayer. (The Lord hath heard my plea; the Lord hath received my prayer.)
10 All mine enemies be ashamed, and be troubled greatly; be they turned (al)together, and be they ashamed full swiftly. (Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be greatly troubled; yea, let them be turned away, and be they quickly ashamed/and be they greatly confused.)
7 For the ignorance of David, which he sang to the Lord, on the words of (the) Ethiopian, the son of Benjamin. My Lord God, I have hoped in thee; make thou me safe from all that pursue me, and deliver thou me. (For the sin of ignorance by David, which he sang to the Lord, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. My Lord God, I put my trust in thee; save thou me from all who persecute me, and rescue thou me.)
2 Lest any time he as a lion ravish my soul; while none there is that again-buyeth, neither that maketh safe. (Lest any time they tear me apart like a lion; when there is no one who can save me.)
3 My Lord God, if I did this thing, if wickedness is in mine hands, or works (if there is wickedness, or a stain, upon my hands, or deeds);
4 if I yielded to men yielding to me evils, fall I by deserving void from mine enemies; (if I gave back evil to those who first did good to me, let me deservedly fall before my enemies;)
5 mine enemy pursue he my soul, and take he, and defoul my life in earth; and bring my glory into dust. (let my enemy persecute me, and take hold of me, and tread me down into the ground; and bring my honour down into the dust, or down into the dirt.)
6 Lord, rise thou up in thine ire; and be thou raised (up) in the coasts of mine enemies. And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the commandment, which thou hast commanded (And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the justice, or in the judgement, which thou hast commanded);
7 and the synagogue of peoples shall (en)compass thee. And for this go thou again on high; (and the congregation of the people shall surround thee. And for them, go thou again on high;)
8 the Lord deemeth peoples. Lord, deem thou me by my rightfulness; and by mine innocence on me. (and then let the Lord judge the people. Lord, judge thou me according to my righteousness; and the innocence which is in me.)
9 The wickedness of sinners be ended; and thou, God, seeking the hearts, that is, thoughts, and reins, that is, delightings, shall (ad)dress a just man. (Let the wickedness of the sinners be ended; and thou, O God, who judgeth our thoughts, and our desires, shall direct the righteous.)
10 My just help is of the Lord; that maketh safe rightful men in heart. (My righteous help is from the Lord; who saveth the upright in heart.)
11 The Lord is a just judge, strong and patient; whether he is wroth by all days? (The Lord is a righteous judge; every day he is angry with the wicked.)
12 If ye be not converted (If they be not turned from their evil ways), he shall flourish his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 And therein he hath made ready the vessels of death; he hath fully made his arrows with burning things.
14 Lo! the wicked hath conceived sorrow; he painfully hath brought forth unrightfulness, and he hath childed wickedness. (Lo! he who is wicked hath conceived many ways to bring sorrow; yea, he hath painfully brought forth unrighteousness, and he hath birthed wickedness.)
15 He opened a pit, and digged it out; and he fell into the ditch which he made. (He opened a pit, and dug it out; but he himself shall fall into the ditch, which he hath made.)
16 His sorrow shall be turned into his head; and his wickedness shall come down into his neck. (His sorrow shall return onto his own head; and his wickedness shall come down onto his own neck.)
17 I shall acknowledge to the Lord by his rightfulness; and I shall sing to the name of the highest Lord. (I shall praise the Lord for his righteousness; and I shall sing to the name of the Most High Lord.)
8 To the overcomer, for pressers, the psalm of David. Lord, thou art our Lord; thy name is full wonderful in all [the] earth. For thy great doing is raised up, above (the) heavens. (To the overcomer, at the winepresses, the song of David. Lord, thou art our Lord; thy name is most wonderful in all the earth. And thy great doing is raised up, above the heavens.)
2 Of the mouth of young children, not speaking and sucking milk, thou hast made perfect praising, for thine enemies; that thou destroy the enemy and the avenger. (Out of the mouths of young children, who do not speak, but who suck milk, thou hast rebuked thy mighty enemies; yea, thou hast destroyed the enemy and the avenger.)
3 For I shall see thine heavens, the works of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast founded.
4 What is a man, that is mankind, that thou art mindful of him; either the son of a virgin [or the son of man], for thou visitest him? (What is a man, that is humankind, that thou art mindful of him; or who is the son of a man, that thou should care about him?)
5 Thou hast made him a little less than (the) angels; (but) thou hast crowned him with glory and honour,
6 and thou hast ordained him above the works of thine hands. Thou hast made subject all things under his feet; (and thou hast ordained him over all thy creatures. Yea, thou hast put all things under his feet;)
7 all sheep and oxen, furthermore and the beasts of the field; (all the sheep and the oxen, and furthermore, the beasts of the fields, that is, the wild beasts;)
8 the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, (and all the other creatures) that pass by the paths of the sea. (and the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and all the other creatures that go along the paths of the sea.)
9 Lord, our Lord; how wonderful is thy name in all [the] earth.
2001 by Terence P. Noble