Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
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).
15 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom prepared him merkavah and susim, and fifty ish to run before him.
2 And Avshalom rose up early, and stood beside the derech hasha’ar; and it was so, that when any ish that had a riv (lawsuit, complaint) came to HaMelech for mishpat, then Avshalom called unto him, and said, Of what town art thou? And he said, Thy eved is of one of the Shivtei Yisroel.
3 And Avshalom said unto him, See, thy case is tovim and right; but there is no man deputy of HaMelech to hear thee.
4 Avshalom said moreover, Oh that I were made Shofet in the land, that every ish which hath any riv or mishpat might come unto me, and I would bring him justice!
5 And it was so, that when any ish came near to him to prostrate himself before him, he put forth his yad, and took him, and kissed him.
6 And on this manner did Avshalom to kol Yisroel that came to HaMelech for mishpat; so Avshalom stole the lev anshei Yisroel.
7 And it came to pass after arba’im shanah, that Avshalom said unto HaMelech, Now let me go and fulfill my neder, which I have vowed unto Hashem, in Chevron.
8 For thy eved vowed a neder (vow) while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Hashem shall bring me again indeed to Yerushalayim, then I will serve Hashem.
9 And HaMelech said unto him, Go in shalom. So he arose, and went to Chevron.
10 But Avshalom sent secret messengers throughout kol Shivtei Yisroel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the shofar, then ye shall say, Avshalom reigneth in Chevron.
11 And with Avshalom went two hundred ish out of Yerushalayim, that were invited; and they went innocently, and they had da’as of not anything.
12 And Avshalom sent for Achitophel the Giloni, Dovid’s yo’etz (counsellor), from his town, even from Giloh, while he offered zivakhim. And the kesher (conspiracy) was strong; for the people increased continually with Avshalom.
11 I ask, therefore, has Hashem repudiated His people? Not at all! Chas v’shalom! For I too am a ben Yisroel, of the zera Avraham (seed of Avraham Avinu), of the tribe of Binyamin.
2 Hashem has not repudiated His people whom He foreknew [TEHILLIM 94:14; Ro 8:29). Or do you not have da’as what the Kitvei Hakodesh says in the section about Eliyahu HaNavi, how he appeals to Hashem against Yisroel?
3 "Adonoi, they have killed your Nevi’im, they have torn down your mizbe’achot (altars), and I alone have been left, and they seek my life." [MELACHIM ALEF 19:10]
4 But what is Hashem’s answer to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Ba’al." [MELACHIM ALEF 19:18]
5 Thus, therefore, also in the zman hazeh, there has come into being a she’erit (remnant, remainder) in accordance with the bechirah (election) of chesed (free, unmerited favor or grace).
6 But if on the mekor (basis) of chen v’chesed (unmerited favor, grace), then not on the mekor (basis) of [loin (wages), batsolen (pay) for] ma’asim (works), vi-bahlt (since) otherwise chesed would no longer be chesed (4:4-5).
7 What then? What Yisroel sought for, that is what it did not obtain; but hannivcharim (the elect, the chosen ones) obtained it. And the rest were hardened (9:17-18)
8 As it is written, "G-d gave to them a ruach tardemah (spirit of deep sleep), eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, until this very day" Isa 29:10.
9 And Dovid said, "Let their shulchan (table) become a snare and a net, a trap and a retribution for them;
10 " Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever." TEHILLIM 68:23-24 TARGUM HASHIVIM; [69:22-23].
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International