A Tephillah Of David

(Psalm 17)

 

 

Shamah, YaHUWaH

 

Hear and answer,

O, YaHUWaH,

From the straight paths,

Prick up Your ears,

Sharpen Your hearing;

Listen to my mournful cry,

My wailing.

Hear now my tephillah–

My prayer–

Which is not muffled

Within my mouth,

Nor does it proceed

From deceitful lips.

 

From before Your faces,

My judgment has come forth.

From Your court,

The place where You decide

The controversy,

The sentence is pronounced.

Your eyes perceive,

You have experienced

Straightness of path.

 

You have examined

The evidence.

You have proved me;

You have tested my substance

And the inner workings of my heart.

You have visited me

In the night season–

Layilah, that twisting away

From light–

You have refined me as gold.

You find no impurities.

I shall not transgress

With my mouth;

I have purposed

Not to pass over

Or to depart

From the correct path.

 

Concerning the wages

Of ‘adam,

In the word of Your lips,

I have kept watch;

I have guarded my feet

From the path

Of the violent man.

 

Hold fast my steps

As I follow Your course of action.

As I transverse

The Way of YaHUWaH,

Let not my steps waver;

Do not let my feet slip

And fall into ruin.

 

I have cried to You,

Weeping,

For I know that

You will hear

And answer tunefully.

You Who are the Power and Authority

In Yashar’EL,

Bend down Your ear

Unto me,

Hear my hymn of supplication.

 

Behold the mouth of our leader.

Show the words of Your favor.

You support me.

You preserve me.

You make broad the space

Of my liberty.

Those outside

Who experience the thorns,

The affliction sent upon those

Who rise up against the right;

From the devouring chaos,

Guard me.

Protect me

As the little man of Your eye–

The pupil of darkness–

In the shadow of Your defense,

Under the edges of Your garments,

Let me be hidden,

From the faces

Of the wicked and condemned,

From those

Who are guilty of death,

Who have left

The correct path,

My haters.

They encircle my nephesh–

The living, breathing vitality

Of self–

To strike at me.

 

They are shut up

With the richest and choicest things:

Fat of the land,

Fat of beasts.

The words of their mouth

Are lifted up with pride.

 

In a short time,

The way of our going

They have prevented.

They have turned aside,

These adversaries.

Their works

Encircle our dwelling

Like strong cedars

Or the boxwood.

Eyes

They have set in array.

They descended,

They have stretched out their tent,

They have perverted the way

Upon the earth.

 

In the similitude of a lion,

Pale with hunger,

Pounce,

Tearing flesh;

And just as the shaggy beast

Lurks in his secret dwelling,

Hunched down,

Ready to spring

At his prey,

Stand up, O, YaHUWaH,

Rush onto the scene!

Suddenly and unexpectedly,

Come before the faces

Of mine adversaries.

Bring them to their knees!

Afflict them!

Cause me to slip away

From the condemned and guilty,

From one worthy of death;

Bear me away!

Save my nephesh—

My living, breathing essence—

From my enemy

And from the edge of the sword.

 

Chaos!

Chaos!

From men!

Your sign, O, YaHUWaH,

The work of Your hand—

Chaos!

Chaos!

From the men of this age!

Their smooth flatteries,

Their lot and portion

In the land of the living

You fill them

With Your hidden treasures,

And the womb is filled

With offspring.

Their house continues;

Yet, they depart

And their unbridled excess

Is left unto suckling babes.

 

O, YaHUWaH,

I will perceive

Your straight paths.

From the slumber of death,

I will arise

To behold Your faces.

As the thirsty land

Drinks the rain of heaven,

Even so,

With Your appearance,

Will I be satisfied.