A Michtam of David
(Psalm 16)
Shamar
Guard me,
O, my EL.
Strong Leader,
You Who are the Power and Authority
Over Yashar’EL,
Hedge me in with thorns.
Keep watch over my life.
I will declare of YeHOWAH,
My ADONAI:
You exist
Upright,
Rich,
Bountiful,
Beautiful,
All that is fair,
All that is valuable,
True wealth,
True prosperity.
My goodness
Is nothing
Compared to You.
The qodeshiym—
Those set-apart ones—
Who exist in the earth,
These noble,
These excellent,
In whom is all
My longing,
My pleasure,
And my delight.
Sorrows,
Wounds,
And pain
Shall increase,
Shall become
Numerous in quantity
For those who
Impetuously rush headlong,
Who become skilful
In following,
And who attribute praise
To other elohim.
I will not pour out
Libations in offering,
Nor lift a glass of wine,
The blood of grapes,
In honor of other elohim.
I will not
Exalt their name
Nor with speech
Lift up
Their character
Or manner of life.
YeHOWAH—
My portion weighed out,
My allotted inheritance,
You bring
The vessel,
You hold up
The cup
For me!
Stones are cast,
Pebbles have fallen,
And I receive
A choice possession.
In praise,
I will kneel
And place a gift before Him,
Eth-YeHOWAH,
The Self-Existent, Eternal One,
Who has given me guidance,
Who counsels me
In seasons of night,
When adversity twists
Away from light.
He admonishes me
In my innermost being.
Make level my feet.
Fit me for the work.
Because YeHOWAH exists
Perpetually
At my right side,
At morning,
At evening,
You will not find me wavering
From the correct path.
I shall not totter about on feeble knees.
I shall not shake and fall into ruin.
Therefore,
Destruction and chaos
Are outside;
My heart shall shine
With brightness of joy,
My abundance and riches,
My splendor,
Also, my nephesh,
He shall settle down
To reside
Without danger or fear.
For You will not forsake me
Nor loosen my bonds;
My nephesh–
My living, breath self–
You will not cast away
Into Sheol,
Neither will You give up
The kind and excellent–
Your worshipers–
To experience
The underground prison.
You will instruct me in knowledge.
I will observe
And experience
The course of life,
The mode of action
Of Your path.
At Your right
Abundance,
A banquet
Of joyful voices;
And before Your faces
You will lead
Singing,
Sweet sounding music
Forevermore.
Pamela Glasgow
The Psalm Project represents my desire for a deeper understanding of the Word of YAHUAH. It is not a mechanical translation, a one-word-for-word exchange from Hebrew to English. We have those. This is a lyrical adaptation of the many possibilities hidden in the Hebrew, arranged with consideration for the poetic and musical intent of the original writer. I pray you are as enriched in the reading as I was in the transcribing.
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