Psalm 1 Translations

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Back to Psalm 1

Close-but-Clear[1]

1 Happy is the one who does not walk in the counsel of wicked people,
and does not come to a standstill in the pathway of sinful people,
and does not settle in the dwelling place of insolent people.

2 But his delight is in the instruction of YHWH,
and he rehearses his instruction day and night.

3 And he will become like a tree transplanted beside streams of water,
which gives its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither,
and he makes successful all that he does.

4 Not so the wicked people.
Rather, they will be like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore, wicked people will not stand firm in the trial,
and sinful people will not stand in the congregation of righteous people.

6 Because YHWH cares for the way of righteous people,
and the way of wicked people will come to an end.

Synthesis[2]

1 Here’s to the one
who does not set out on life’s journey with bad guidance,
who does not linger on the road that sinners take,
who does not settle down in the place where mockers live.
2 Instead, he delights in YHWH’s guidance.
Day and night, he thinks about his Law.
3 In this way, he will become like a tree planted by water channels.
Its fruit comes every season.
Its leaves never fall.
He flourishes in every way!
4 It’s not this way for the wicked.
Instead, they will be like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 And so, the wicked will not survive the Judgment.
Sinners will not remain with the righteous.
6 This is because YHWH is intimately involved in the journey of the righteous.
As for the wicked, their way will come to an end.



Notes

  1. ↑ The close-but-clear translation exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text (syntax as well as word and phrase level semantics) for non-Hebrew readers of the Psalms: Layer by Layer materials. It is intended as a supplement to these materials rather than a stand-alone translation.
  2. ↑ Whereas the close-but-clear translation aims for accuracy and clarity in representing the syntax and word-phrase level semantics of the Hebrew text, the synthesis translation takes into account the higher levels of analysis (discourse and poetics) and aims to present the text in more natural English.