Harp Song 26

¹(to David)

Judge me Master! Because in my sincerity I walked,

and in my trust of the Master I can’t be shaken.


²Test me! Examine me! Toughen!

Toughen my guts and my heart!—


³because your kindness is in front of my eyes

 and I walk in your way of truth.


⁴I never sat down beside those hopeless narcissistic egotists,

 and with phonies I wouldn’t hang out.


⁵I hated the gang of crooks,

and with bad people I never took a seat.


⁶I’ll wash my hands in blamelessness

 and I’ll go around your altar, Master—


⁷so as to speak up with a thankful voice,

so as to tell all about your marvelousness.


⁸Master, I loved the house that is your home,

and the place that is the base of your splendor.


⁹You mustn’t throw my inner being in with the criminals,

or my life along with the bloodthirsty—


¹⁰ the ones who hold on to crime

 and whose right hand is loaded with bribes.


¹¹As for me, in my blamelessness I go.

Free me! — You be kind to me!—


¹²My feet stand on level ground,

in all the gatherings I will bless the Master.





(Today I began replacing the Tetragrammaton {YHWH} with a euphemism, following the traditional practice. Common replacement-words in Hebrew are “Adonai”; “Elohim” and “HaShem”. In English “the LORD” is the most common in biblical translations, but equivalent meanings are also often rendered as “the Almighty”; “Creator”; “Holy One”; “Ancient of Days”; “Most High”; “God” and “Master.”)