Psalm 17 Text
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Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 17. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional and discourse analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.
Simple Reading (Hebrew) |
Simple Reading (English) |
Dramatic Reading (Hebrew) |
Dramatic Reading (English) |
Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.
Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) |
---|---|---|
תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד | 1a | A prayer. By David. |
שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק | 1e | YHWH, hear a righteous case! |
הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י | 1g | Pay attention to my cry! |
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י | 1i | Listen to my prayer |
בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃ | 1k | which is made without deceitful lips! |
מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א | 2a | May my judgment come from you. |
עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ | 2c | May your eyes see uprightness. |
בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה | 3a | You have examined my heart; you have inspected [my heart] at night; |
צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א | 3c | you have tested me; yet, you find nothing. |
זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃ | 3e | What I say is not different from what I think. |
לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ | 4a | As for what people do, by the word of your lips |
אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃ | 4c | I have restrained violent behavior, |
תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ | 5a | my steps persisting in your ways. |
בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃ | 5c | My feet have not slipped. |
אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל | 6a | I have called out to you, God, for you answer me. |
הַֽט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃ | 6c | Incline your ear to me! Hear what I am saying! |
הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים | 7a | Carry out your covenant acts wondrously, deliverer of those |
מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃ | 7c | who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries. |
שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן | 8a | Guard me like the apple of your eye! |
בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃ | 8c | You must hide me in the shade of your wings |
מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי | 9a | from wicked people who have been violent toward me, |
אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃ | 9c | from my ravenous enemies who gather around against me! |
חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ | 10a | They have enclosed their [heart with] fat; |
פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃ | 10c | they have spoken arrogantly with their mouths. |
*אִשְּׁרֻנִי* עַתָּ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנׅי | 11a | They have tracked me down; now they surround me. |
עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | 11c | They fix their eyes to scan over the land. |
דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְר֑וֹף | 12a | He is like a lion eager to maul; |
וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | 12c | And like a young lion lurking in hiding places. |
קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ | 13a | Arise, YHWH! Confront his face! Cause him to bow down! |
פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃ | 13c | Deliver my life from wicked people by your sword, |
מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד | 14a | from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people |
חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ *וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮* תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם | 14c | whose portion is in this life. May you fill their belly with what you have stored up for them! |
יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 14e | May the children eat their fill and have some left over for their little ones! |
אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ | 15a | After being vindicated, may I see your face. |
אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ | 15a | May I be satisfied with [seeing] your likeness when I awake. |
Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.
Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) |
---|---|---|
תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד | 1a | A prayer. By David. |
שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק | 1e | YHWH, hear a righteous case! |
הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י | 1g | Pay attention to my cry! |
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י | 1i | Listen to my prayer |
בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃ | 1k | which is made without deceitful lips! |
מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א | 2a | May my judgment come from you. |
עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ | 2c | May your eyes see uprightness. |
בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה | 3a | You have examined my heart; you have inspected [my heart] at night; |
צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א | 3c | you have tested me; yet, you find nothing. |
זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃ | 3e | What I say is not different from what I think. |
לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ | 4a | As for what people do, by the word of your lips |
אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃ | 4c | I have restrained violent behavior, |
תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ | 5a | my steps persisting in your ways. |
בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃ | 5c | My feet have not slipped. |
אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל | 6a | I have called out to you, God, for you answer me. |
הַֽט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃ | 6c | Incline your ear to me! Hear what I am saying! |
הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים | 7a | Carry out your covenant acts wondrously, deliverer of those |
מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃ | 7c | who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries. |
שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן | 8a | Guard me like the apple of your eye! |
בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃ | 8c | You must hide me in the shade of your wings |
מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי | 9a | from wicked people who have been violent toward me, |
אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃ | 9c | from my ravenous enemies who gather around against me! |
חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ | 10a | They have enclosed their [heart with] fat; |
פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃ | 10c | they have spoken arrogantly with their mouths. |
*אִשְּׁרֻנִי* עַתָּ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנׅי | 11a | They have tracked me down; now they surround me. |
עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | 11c | They fix their eyes to scan over the land. |
דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְר֑וֹף | 12a | He is like a lion eager to maul; |
וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | 12c | And like a young lion lurking in hiding places. |
קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ | 13a | Arise, YHWH! Confront his face! Cause him to bow down! |
פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃ | 13c | Deliver my life from wicked people by your sword, |
מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד | 14a | from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people |
חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ *וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮* תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם | 14c | whose portion is in this life. May you fill their belly with what you have stored up for them! |
יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 14e | May the children eat their fill and have some left over for their little ones! |
אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ | 15a | After being vindicated, may I see your face. |
אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ | 15a | May I be satisfied with [seeing] your likeness when I awake. |
Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.
Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Expanded Paraphrase |
---|---|---|
תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃ | 1 | A prayer. By David. YHWH, hear a righteous case which I bring because of my enemies who threaten me! Pay attention to my cry because I have been wronged, though I am upright! Listen to my prayer which is made without deceitful lips! |
מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ | 2 | May my judgment come from you because you are just and discerning. I am aligning with you in asking this. May your eyes see and act upon uprightness. |
בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃ | 3 | You who see into human hearts have examined my heart; you have inspected [my heart] at night when human behavior is less constrained; you have tested me in order to determine whether I am at fault; yet, you find nothing blameworthy because I live uprightly before you. What I say is not different from what I think. |
לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃ | 4 | As for what other people may do, whether good or bad, I have restrained my violent behavior and that of others by the words of your lips because it enables me to know and do what is right, even as |
תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃ | 5 | my steps have continually been persisting in your ways. My feet have not slipped. |
אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַֽט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃ | 6 | I have called out to you, God, for you answer me because you made a covenant with me and are faithful to it. Incline your ear to me! Hear what I am saying because you hear and respond to those who are righteous! |
הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃ | 7 | Carry out your covenant acts wondrously like you did when you freed your people from the tyranny of Pharaoh, deliverer of those who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries. |
שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃ | 8 | Because of your covenant relationship with your chosen people, you treat them as the “apple of your eye,” meaning that they are extremely valuable and that you take special care of them. So, Guard me like the apple of your eye because we are in covenant relationship! You must hide me in the shade of your wings as you did in the past for your people Israel when they were journeying through the wilderness toward the Promised land after you delivered them from their slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt. |
מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃ | 9 | Hide me from wicked people who have been violent toward me without just cause, [from] my numerous ravenous enemies who gather around against me to attack me again! |
חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃ | 10 | They have enclosed their [heart with] fat, resolving to show me no mercy; they have spoken arrogantly with their mouths intimidating and threatening me. |
*אִשְּׁרֻנִי* עַתָּ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנׅי עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | 11 | They have tracked me down; now they surround me. They fix their eyes to scan over the land so that I cannot move without them seeing and pursuing me. |
דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְר֑וֹף וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | 12 | The chief of my enemies is particularly threatening. He is like a lion eager to maul and I am the prey he is after; and he is like a young lion lurking in hiding places so that he can ambush me unexpectedly. |
קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃ | 13 | Arise, YHWH because I am not able to deliver myself! Confront his face! Cause him to bow down! Deliver my life from wicked people by your sword. |
מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ *וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮* תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 14 | Deliver me from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people who do not care about living for you whose chosen portion is in this life which they live aloof from you. May you fill their belly with what you have stored up for them which is your judgment of them because of their wicked deeds! May the children eat their fill of your just punishment and have some of your continued punishment on them for their ancestors' wickedness left over for their little ones so that even they also experience your judgment, YHWH, on account of their forebears evil deeds! |
אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ | 15 | After being vindicated by you, God, because you see that my cause is righteous, may I see your face. That is, may I experience you more fully. And may I be more deeply satisfied with seeing your likeness when I awake. |
Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.