Psalm 6

"The sound of my weeping"

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**

‏לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ בִּ֭נְגִינוֹת עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

‎

‏יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי

וְֽאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃

‎ ‏חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי

רְפָאֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי

‎ ‏וְ֭נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד ואת

וְאַתָּ֥ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַד־מָתָֽי׃

‎ ‏שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חַלְּצָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י

ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃

‎ ‏כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין בַּמָּ֣וֶת זִכְרֶ֑ךָ

בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ׃

‎ ‏יָגַ֤עְתִּי׀ בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י אַשְׂחֶ֣ה בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה מִטָּתִ֑י

בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה׃

‎ ‏עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י

עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃

‎ ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן

כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְ֝הוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי׃

‎ ‏שָׁמַ֣ע יְ֭הוָה תְּחִנָּתִ֑י

יְ֝הוָ֗ה תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח׃

‎ ‏יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י

יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רָֽגַע׃

10.

11.

For the director, with stringed instruments, on the octave. A psalm by David.

YHWH, do not correct me in your anger,

and do not discipline me in your wrath.

Have mercy on me, YHWH, for I am languishing.

Heal me, YHWH, for my bones have become

dismayed.

And my soul has become very dismayed.

And you, YHWH, how long?

Turn back from (your anger), YHWH.

Rescue my soul. Save me for the sake of your

loyalty.

For there is no commemoration of you in the world

of the dead.

In Sheol, who praises you?

I have grown weary because of my groaning.

I drench my couch every night.

With my tears I melt my bed.

My eye has wasted away because of vexation.

It has become weak because of all my adversaries.

Move away from me, all workers of evil.

For YHWH has heard the sound of my weeping.

YHWH has heard my supplication.

YHWH will accept my prayer.

Let all my enemies be shamed and very dismayed.

Let them turn back. Let them be shamed in a

moment.

10.

11.

For the director, with stringed instruments, on the octave. A psalm by David.

YHWH, don’t carry out your correction in anger!
Don’t let it be in your wrath that you discipline me!

Have mercy on me, YHWH! I’m sinking into despondency.
Heal me, YHWH! My whole being is dismayed.

Down to my core I’m deeply dismayed.
YHWH, you… how long?

Relent, YHWH, and rescue me!
Help me for the sake of your covenant loyalty!

For no one proclaims your name in death.
In the world of the dead, who can praise you?

I’m tired of groaning.
Night after night, my bed floats in a flood
of tears and dissolves.

My health has decayed in grief and anger.
I’m fading away because of my foes.

Get away from me, all you depraved people!
YHWH has heard my weeping!

YHWH has heard my plea for mercy!
YHWH will accept my prayer!

Let all my enemies be shamed and deeply dismayed!
Let them go back to where they came from! Let them be suddenly shamed!

* 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.

Psalm 6