When the Wrong People Are Winning.

מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אַ֤ךְ ט֭וֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֱלֹהִ֗ים לְבָרֵ֥י לֵבָֽב׃

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

וַאֲנִ֗י כִּ֭מְעַט ׳נָטוּי׳ ״נָטָ֣יוּ״ רַגְלָ֑י כְּ֝אַ֗יִן ׳שֻׁפְּכָה׳ ״שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ״ אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃

[2] But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

כִּֽי־קִ֭נֵּאתִי בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים שְׁל֖וֹם רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֶרְאֶֽה׃

[3] For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

כִּ֤י אֵ֖ין חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת לְמוֹתָ֗ם וּבָרִ֥יא אוּלָֽם׃

[4] For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.

בַּעֲמַ֣ל אֱנ֣וֹשׁ אֵינֵ֑מוֹ וְעִם־אָ֝דָ֗ם לֹ֣א יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃

[5] They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

לָ֭כֵן עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ גַאֲוָ֑ה יַעֲטָף־שִׁ֝֗ית חָמָ֥ס לָֽמוֹ׃

[6] Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.

יָ֭צָא מֵחֵ֣לֶב עֵינֵ֑מוֹ עָ֝בְר֗וּ מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת לֵבָֽב׃

[7] Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.

יָמִ֤יקוּ׀ וִידַבְּר֣וּ בְרָ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁק מִמָּר֥וֹם יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃

[8] They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.

שַׁתּ֣וּ בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם פִּיהֶ֑ם וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

[9] They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.

לָכֵ֤ן׀ ׳יָשִׁיב׳ ״יָשׁ֣וּב״ עַמּ֣וֹ הֲלֹ֑ם וּמֵ֥י מָ֝לֵ֗א יִמָּ֥צוּ לָֽמוֹ׃

[10] Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.

וְֽאָמְר֗וּ אֵיכָ֥ה יָדַֽע־אֵ֑ל וְיֵ֖שׁ דֵּעָ֣ה בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃

[11] And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"

הִנֵּה־אֵ֥לֶּה רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י ע֝וֹלָ֗ם הִשְׂגּוּ־חָֽיִל׃

[12] Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

אַךְ־רִ֭יק זִכִּ֣יתִי לְבָבִ֑י וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן כַּפָּֽי׃

[13] All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.

וָאֱהִ֣י נָ֭גוּעַ כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י לַבְּקָרִֽים׃

[14] For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.

אִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה כְמ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֤ה ד֭וֹר בָּנֶ֣יךָ בָגָֽדְתִּי׃

[15] If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל ׳הִיא׳ ״ה֣וּא״ בְעֵינָֽי׃

[16] But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

עַד־אָ֭בוֹא אֶל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵ֑ל אָ֝בִ֗ינָה לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃

[17] until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

אַ֣ךְ בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת תָּשִׁ֣ית לָ֑מוֹ הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃

[18] Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.

אֵ֤יךְ הָי֣וּ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה כְרָ֑גַע סָ֥פוּ תַ֝֗מּוּ מִן־בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃

[19] How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!

כַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָי בָּעִ֤יר׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃

[20] Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃

[21] When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,

וַאֲנִי־בַ֭עַר וְלֹ֣א אֵדָ֑ע בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת הָיִ֥יתִי עִמָּֽךְ׃

[22] I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

וַאֲנִ֣י תָמִ֣יד עִמָּ֑ךְ אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ בְּיַד־יְמִינִֽי׃

[23] Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.

בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְ֝אַחַ֗ר כָּב֥וֹד תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃

[24] You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

מִי־לִ֥י בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗ לֹא־חָפַ֥צְתִּי בָאָֽרֶץ׃

[25] Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

כָּלָ֥ה שְׁאֵרִ֗י וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י צוּר־לְבָבִ֥י וְחֶלְקִ֗י אֱלֹהִ֥ים לְעוֹלָֽם׃

[26] My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה כָּל־זוֹנֶ֥ה מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

[27] For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

וַאֲנִ֤י׀ קִֽרֲבַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים לִ֫י־ט֥וֹב שַׁתִּ֤י׀ בַּאדֹנָ֣י יְהוִֹ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר כָּל־מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

[28] But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.