Psalm 5
"Hear my case!"
Translations as Tools
No single translation can fully capture the meaning and beauty of the original Hebrew. These different English renderings each has its own specific purpose, but all highlight a particular feature(s) of the biblical text.

Hebrew
Close-but-clear*
Synthesis**
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אֶֽל־הַנְּחִיל֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
אֲמָרַ֖י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ׀ יְהוָ֗ה
בִּ֣ינָה הֲגִֽיגִי׃
הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה ׀ לְק֬וֹל שַׁוְעִ֗י מַלְכִּ֥י וֵאלֹהָ֑י
כִּֽי־אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ אֶתְפַּלָּֽל׃
יְֽהוָ֗ה בֹּ֭קֶר תִּשְׁמַ֣ע קוֹלִ֑י
בֹּ֥קֶר אֶֽעֱרָךְ־לְ֝ךָ֗ וַאֲצַפֶּֽה׃
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹ֤א אֵֽל־חָפֵ֘ץ רֶ֥שַׁע ׀ אָ֑תָּה לֹ֖א
יְגֻרְךָ֣ רָֽע׃
לֹֽא־יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ הֽ֭וֹלְלִים לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ
שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
תְּאַבֵּד֮ דֹּבְרֵ֪י כָ֫זָ֥ב
אִישׁ־דָּמִ֥ים וּמִרְמָ֗ה יְתָ֘עֵ֥ב ׀ יְהוָֽה׃
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ
אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל־הֵֽיכַל־קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ נְחֵ֬נִי בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ לְמַ֥עַן שׁוֹרְרָ֑יהושר
הַיְשַׁ֖ר לְפָנַ֣י דַּרְכֶּֽךָ׃
כִּ֤י אֵ֪ין בְּפִ֡יהוּ נְכוֹנָה֮
קִרְבָּ֪ם הַ֫וּ֥וֹת
קֶֽבֶר־פָּת֥וּחַ גְּרוֹנָ֑ם
לְ֝שׁוֹנָ֗ם יַחֲלִֽיקוּן׃
הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים יִפְּלוּ֮ מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם
בְּרֹ֣ב פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ כִּי־מָ֥רוּ בָֽךְ׃
וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ כָל־ח֪וֹסֵי בָ֡ךְ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יְ֭רַנֵּנוּ וְתָסֵ֣ךְ עָלֵ֑ימוֹ
וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ בְ֝ךָ֗ אֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
כִּֽי־אַתָּה֮ תְּבָרֵ֪ךְ צַ֫דִּ֥יק
יְהוָ֑ה כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן תַּעְ טְרֶֽנּוּ׃
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For the director, on the flutes, a psalm by David.
Listen to my words, YHWH.
Understand my murmuring.
Pay attention to the sound of my cry for help, my king and my God,
for I am praying to you.
YHWH, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I arrange for you and wait.
For you are not a god pleased with wickedness.
Evil will not sojourn with you.
Boasters will not stand before your eyes.
You hate all workers of evil.
You will destroy speakers of falsehood.
YHWH abhors a person of bloodshed and treachery.
But I, in the greatness of your loyalty, will go to your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple in fear of you.
YHWH, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies.
Make your way straight before me.
For there is nothing true in his mouth.
Their inner parts are disaster.
Their throat is an open tomb.
They make their tongues deceitful.
Make them bear their guilt, God. Let them fall on account of their designs.
Drive them out because of the greatness of their crimes, for they have rebelled against you.
And let all those who take refuge in you rejoice.
Let them shout forever, and you will shelter them, and those who love you will exult in you.
For you bless the righteous one.
YHWH, like a large shield, you surround him with favour.
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For the director, on the flutes, a psalm by David.
Listen to my words, YHWH!
Understand what I struggle to articulate!
Pay attention to my desperate cry for help, my king and my
God,
because it’s you to whom I pray!
YHWH, in the morning you give me a hearing.
The morning is when I prepare cases for you and wait
with anticipation.
For you are not the kind of god who likes wickedness.
Evil cannot come and stay with you.
Proud and boastful people cannot appear before you.
You hate everyone who does evil.
You put an end to liars.
YHWH detests the person who sheds blood and deceives
others.
I, on the other hand, will be able to go to your house
because you are so loyal.
I will bow down toward your holy temple because I revere you.
YHWH, guide me because you are righteous!
I need guidance because of my enemies.
Give me a safe journey!
For nothing that comes out of my enemy’s mouth can be
trusted.
Deep down, they harbour destructive intentions.
They use words to kill and destroy.
Their smooth talk is deceptive.
Hold them guilty, God!
May their plots be the cause of their downfall!
Banish them for all their crimes,
because they have rebelled against you.
Then all who take refuge in you will rejoice!
Their joyful shouts will go on forever as you give them
shelter,
And those you love you will rejoice in you.
Your blessing is on the righteous one.
YHWH, you surround him with favour like a shield.
* The "close-but-clear" is a formal-equivalent rendering of the Hebrew. It is based on the interlinear, adjusted for English word-order. It aims to be as close to the Hebrew as possible while still being clear in English.
** The "synthesis" is a dynamic-equivalent rendering, intended to support the Synthesis (at-a-glance) visualisation.
Layer by Layer

Psalm 5 - Grammar

Psalm 1 - Participants - Mini-Story

Psalm 1 - Discourse - Macrosyntax

Psalm 1 - Semantics - Story behind

Psalm 1 - Discourse - Performance

Psalm 1 - Top 3 Poetic Features
