Beginning

32 Learning to David. [The understanding of David.] Blessed be they, whose wickedness be forgiven; and whose sins be covered. (The teaching of David. Happy be they, whose wickedness be forgiven; and whose sins be covered.)

² Blessed is the man, to whom the Lord areckoned not sin; neither guile is in his spirit. (Happy is the person, to whom the Lord did not reckon any sin; and there is no deceit in his spirit.)

³ For I was still, my bones waxed eld; while I cried all day. (For when I kept silent/For when I did not confess my sins, my bones grew old; while I cried all day long.)

⁴ For by day and night thine hand was made grievous on me (And day and night thy hand was heavy upon me); I am turned in my wretchedness, while the thorn is set in.

⁵ (Then) I made my sin known to thee; and I hid not my unrightfulness. I said, I shall acknowledge against me mine unrightfulness to the Lord; and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.

⁶ For this thing each holy man shall pray to thee; in covenable time. Nevertheless in the great flood of many waters; they shall not (come) nigh to thee. (For this thing, each holy man shall pray to thee; in his time of need. And then, in the great flood of many troubles, none shall come near him.)

⁷ Thou art my refuge from tribulation, that (en)compassed me; thou, my fully joying, deliver me from them that (en)compass me. (Thou art my refuge, from the troubles that surround me; thou, my full out joy, deliver me from those who surround me.)

⁸ I shall give understanding to thee, and I shall teach thee; in this way in which thou shalt go, I shall make steadfast mine eyes on thee. (And the Lord said, I shall give understanding to thee, and I shall teach thee the way in which thou should go; and I shall put my eyes steadfastly upon thee.)

⁹ Do not ye be made as an horse and mule; to which is none understanding. Lord, constrain thou the cheeks of them with a barnacle and bridle; that (they) nigh not to thee. (Do not ye be made like a horse or a mule; which have no understanding, or reasoning ability. Their mouths must be constrained with a bit and a bridle; so that they finally submit to where they should go.)

¹⁰ Many beatings be of the sinner; but mercy shall (en)compass him that hopeth in the Lord. (Many beatings be to the sinner; but the love of the Lord shall surround those who trust in him.)

¹¹ Ye just men, be glad, and make fully joy in the Lord; and all ye rightful of heart, have glory. (Ye who be righteous be glad, and make full out joy, or rejoice, in the Lord; and all ye with an upright heart, have glory, or shout for joy!)

33 Ye just men, have fully joy in the Lord; praising (al)together becometh rightful men. (Ye who be righteous, have full out joy, or rejoice, in the Lord; praising him becometh those who be upright, or obedient.)

² Acknowledge ye to the Lord in an harp; sing ye to him in a psaltery of ten strings. (Praise ye the Lord on a harp; sing ye to him on a ten-stringed lute.)

³ Sing ye to him a new song; say ye well psalm to him in crying [out]. (Sing ye to him a new song; boldly say ye a psalm to him, and shout out loud.)

⁴ For the word of the Lord is rightful (For the word of the Lord is true); and all his works be (done) in faithfulness.

⁵ He loveth mercy and doom; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. (He loveth righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the love of the Lord.)

⁶ Heavens be made steadfast by the word of the Lord; and all the virtue of those by the spirit of his mouth. (The heavens were made by the word of the Lord; yea, all the host of them, by the breath from his mouth.)

⁷ And he gathered together the waters of the sea as in a bouget/as in a bottle; and he setteth deep waters in treasures. (And he gathered the waters of the sea together, like in a bottle; and he put the deep waters in his treasuries, or in his storehouses.)

⁸ All earth dread the Lord; soothly all men inhabiting the world be moved of him. (Let all the earth fear the Lord/Let all the earth revere the Lord; let all those who inhabit the world be in awe of him.)

⁹ For he said, and things were made; he commanded, and things were made of nought (he commanded, and everything was made out of nothing!).

¹⁰ The Lord destroyeth the counsels of folks, forsooth he reproveth the thoughts of peoples; and he reproveth the counsels of princes. (The Lord destroyeth the plans of the nations; he thwarteth the plans of the rulers of the peoples.)

¹¹ But the counsel of the Lord dwelleth (into) without end; the thoughts of his heart dwell in generation and into generation. (But the plans of the Lord shall stand forever; the thoughts of his heart shall remain for all generations.)

¹² Blessed is the folk, whose Lord is his God; the people which he chose into heritage to himself. (Happy is the nation, whose God is the Lord; the people whom he chose for his own inheritance.)

¹³ The Lord beheld from heaven; he saw all the sons of men. (The Lord looked down from heaven; he saw all the sons and daughters of men.)

¹⁴ From his dwelling place made ready before; he beheld on all men, that inhabit the earth (he looketh on all those who inhabit the earth).

¹⁵ Which made singularly, either each by himself, the souls of them; which understandeth all the works of them. (Who made each one of them individually; and who understandeth all their works, or their deeds.)

¹⁶ A king is not saved by much virtue, that is, strength; and a giant shall not be saved in the muchliness of his virtue. (A king is not saved by his large host, or his army; and a mighty man shall not be saved by his great strength.)

¹⁷ An horse is false to health; forsooth he shall not be saved in the abundance, either plenty, of his virtue. (A horse is an empty thing for salvation, or deliverance; for it shall not be able to save anyone by the abundance, or the plentifulness, of its strength.)

¹⁸ Lo! the eyes of the Lord be on men dreading him; and in them that hope in his mercy. (Lo! the eyes of the Lord be upon those who fear, or who obey, him; and upon those who hope for his mercy./Lo! the eyes of the Lord be upon those who revere him; and upon those who trust in his love.)

¹⁹ That he deliver their souls from death; and feed them in hunger. (So that he can save their souls from death; and feed them in times of famine.)

²⁰ Our soul suffereth the Lord, that is, abideth patiently his will (Our souls wait for the Lord, yea, we wait patiently for his will to be done); for he is our helper and defender.

²¹ For our heart shall be glad in him; and we shall have hope in his holy name. (And our hearts shall be glad in him; for we have trust in his holy name.)

²² Lord, thy mercy be made on us; as we hoped in thee. (Lord, let thy love rest upon us; for we have trusted in thee.)

34 To David, when he changed his mouth, or his word, before Abimelech, and he drove out David, and he went forth. I shall bless the Lord in all time; ever[more] his praising be in my mouth. (To David, when he changed his face, and his words, before Abimelech, who then drove David out, and so he went forth. I shall always bless the Lord; his praises shall be in my mouth forevermore.)

² My soul shall be praised in the Lord; mild men hear, and be glad. (My soul shall have glory in the Lord; let the humble hear, and be glad.)

³ Magnify ye the Lord with me; and enhance we his name into itself (and let us exalt his name together).

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my tribulations (and he rescued, or saved, me, from all of my troubles).

⁵ Nigh ye to him, and be ye lightened (Go ye near to him, and ye shall shine with joy); and your faces shall not be shamed.

⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and saved him from all his tribulations.

⁷ The angel of the Lord sendeth in the compass of men dreading him; and he shall deliver them. (The angel of the Lord guardeth those who fear him/who revere him; and he rescueth them.)

⁸ Taste ye, and see, for the Lord is sweet; blessed is the man, that hopeth in him. (Taste ye, and see, that the Lord is good; happy is the person, who trusteth in him.)

⁹ All ye holy men of the Lord, dread ye him; for no neediness is to men dreading him. (All ye holy people of the Lord, fear him; for there is no neediness in those who fear him./All ye holy people of the Lord, revere him; for there is no neediness in those who revere him.)

¹⁰ Rich men were needy, and were hungry; but men that seek the Lord shall not fail of all good (but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing).

¹¹ Come, ye sons, hear ye me; I shall teach you the dread of the Lord. (Come, ye sons and daughters, and listen ye to me; I shall teach you the fear of the Lord/I shall teach you to revere the Lord.)

¹² Who is the man, that willeth life; that loveth to see good days? (Who is the person who desireth life? who loveth to see good days?)

¹³ Forbid thy tongue from evil; and thy lips speak not guile (and do not let thy lips speak deceitfully).

¹⁴ Turn thou away from evil, and do good; seek thou peace, and perfectly follow thou it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord be on just men (The eyes of the Lord be on the righteous); and his ears be to their prayers.

¹⁶ But the cheer of the Lord is on men doing evils; that he lose the mind of them from [the] earth. (But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil; and he shall blot out the memory of them from off the earth.)

¹⁷ Just men cried [The rightwise cried], and the Lord heard them; and delivered them from all their tribulations (and he rescued, or saved, them from all their troubles).

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh [to] them that be of troubled heart; and he shall save meek men in spirit. (The Lord is near to those who have a troubled heart; and he saveth those whose spirit is meek, or is humble.)

¹⁹ Many tribulations be of just men; and the Lord shall deliver them from all these. (Many troubles be to the righteous; but the Lord shall rescue, or save, them out of all of them.)

²⁰ The Lord keepeth all the bones of them; one of those shall not be broken. (The Lord guardeth, or keepeth safe, all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.)

²¹ The death of sinners is worst; and they that hate a just man shall trespass. (The death of sinners is brought about by the Worst/Evil bringeth about the death of sinners; and those who hate the righteous shall be punished.)

²² The Lord shall again-buy the souls of his servants; and all, that hope in him, shall not trespass. (But the Lord redeemeth, or ransometh, the souls of his servants; and all who trust in him, shall not go astray.)

35 To David. [The psalm of David.] Lord, deem thou them, that annoy me; overcome thou them, that fight against me. (The song of David. Lord, judge thou them, who harm me; overcome thou them, who fight against me.)

² Take thou armours and shield; and rise up into help to me. (Take thou up arms, or weapons, and shield; and rise up to help me.)

³ Shed out the sword/Hold out the sword, and close (al)together (the way) against them that pursue me; say thou to my soul, I am thine health. (Draw out the sword, and close up the way against those who persecute me; say thou to me, I am thy salvation, or thy deliverance.)

⁴ They that seek my life; be shamed, and ashamed. They that think evils to me; be turned away backward, and be they shamed. (Let those who seek my life; be shamed, and ashamed. Let those who plot evil against me; be turned back, and be shamed.)

⁵ Be they made as dust before the face of the wind; and the angel of the Lord make them strait. (Let them be made like the dust in the wind; and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.)

⁶ Their way be made darkness, and sliderness; and the angel of the Lord pursue them. (Let their way be made dark, and slippery; and may the angel of the Lord strike them down.)

⁷ For without cause they hid to me the death of their snare; in vain they despised my soul. (For no reason, they hid their deadly snare for me/they hid their snare for me in a pit; for no reason, they despised me.)

⁸ The snare which he knoweth not come to him, and the taking which he hid take him; and fall he into the snare in that thing. (But let the snare catch him unawares, or by surprise, yea, let the trap which he himself hid, catch him; and let him fall to his own destruction in that thing.)

⁹ But my soul shall fully have joy in the Lord; and shall delight on his health. (But my soul shall have full out joy, or shall rejoice, in the Lord; and it shall delight in his salvation, or in his deliverance.)

¹⁰ All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like thee? Thou deliverest a poor man from the hand of his stronger; a needy man and poor from them that diversely ravish him. (All my bones said, Lord, who is like thee? Thou rescuest the poor from the hands of those who be stronger; yea, the poor and the needy from those who oppress them.)

¹¹ Wicked witnesses rising (up) asked me things, which I knew not.

¹² They yielded to me evils for goods; barrenness to my soul. (They gave me evil for good; making my soul barren.)

¹³ But when they were dis-easeful to me; I was clothed in an hair-shirt. I meeked my soul in fasting; and my prayer shall be turned (again) into my bosom. (But yet when they were sick; I was clothed in a hair-shirt. I humbled myself with fasting; and I prayed to the Lord for them.)

¹⁴ I pleased so as our neighbour, as our brother; I was made meek, so as mourning and sorrowful. (I went around, like he was my neighbour, or my brother; I was humbled, like one mourning and sorrowful for his own mother.)

¹⁵ And they were glad, and came together against me; torments were gathered on me, and I knew it not. They were scattered, and not compunct; (But when I was in torment, they were glad, and came together against me; yea, they were gathered together against me, and I knew not why. They tore me apart, and would not stop;)

¹⁶ they tempted me, they scorned me with mocking, they gnashed on me with their teeth.

¹⁷ Lord, when thou shalt behold, restore thou my soul from the wickedness of them; mine one alone from lions. (Lord, how long shalt thou but look at me? rescue thou me from their wicked assailings, yea, save my life from these lions.)

¹⁸ I shall acknowledge to thee in a great church; I shall praise thee in a firm people. (I shall give thanks to thee in the great congregation; I shall praise thee before many people.)

¹⁹ They that be adversaries wickedly to me, have not joy on me; that hate me without cause, and beckon with eyes. (Let not those who be my adversaries wickedly have joy over me; let not those who hate me for no reason, leer at me with delight.)

²⁰ For soothly they spake (not) peaceably to me; and they speaking in wrathfulness of [the] earth, thought guiles. (For they do not speak peacefully; but they tell forth all kinds of lies, against those, who live quietly upon the earth.)

²¹ And they made large their mouth on me; they said, Well, well! our eyes have seen. (And they opened their mouths wide against me; and they said, Well, well! now our eyes have seen it all!)

²² Lord, thou hast seen, be thou not still; Lord, depart thou not from me. (Lord, thou hast seen all of this, so keep thou not silent; Lord, go thou not away from me.)

²³ Rise up, and give attention to my doom; my God and my Lord, behold into my cause. (Rise up, and give me justice; my God and my Lord, please plead my case!)

²⁴ My Lord God, deem thou me by thy rightfulness; and have they not joy on me. (My Lord God, judge thou me by thy righteousness; and do not let them have joy over me.)

²⁵ Say they not in their hearts, Well, well, to our soul; neither say they, We shall devour him. (Let them not say in their hearts, Well, well; nor let them say, We have devoured him!)

²⁶ Shame they, and dread they together; that joy for mine evils. Be they clothed with shame and dread; that speak evil things on me. (Let them all be ashamed, and fearful; who take joy over my suffering. Let them be clothed with shame and fear; who speak evil against me.)

²⁷ Have they full joy, and be they glad, that will my rightfulness; and say they ever[more], The Lord be magnified, which desire the peace of his servant. (Have they full out joy, or rejoice, and be they glad, who desire my vindication; and let them say forevermore, The Lord be magnified, who delighteth in his servant’s prosperity.)

²⁸ And my tongue shall bethink thy rightfulness; all day thy praising. (And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, or thy justice, and thy praises; all day long.)