Psalm 64 (Tehillim 64) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 64
David’s prayer to be hidden from the secret counsel of the wicked, who shoot bitter words; God shall shoot at them suddenly, and the righteous shall be glad in Hashem.
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, where the heading is verse 1. In most English Bibles the heading has no number, so each verse here is one higher than there (verse 2 here is verse 1 there).
64:1To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
אלַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
64:2Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
בשְׁמַע־אֱלֹהִ֣ים קוֹלִ֣י בְשִׂיחִ֑י מִפַּ֥חַד א֝וֹיֵ֗ב תִּצֹּ֥ר חַיָּֽי׃
64:3Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
גתַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי מִסּ֣וֹד מְרֵעִ֑ים מֵ֝רִגְשַׁ֗ת פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
64:4Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
דאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁנְנ֣וּ כַחֶ֣רֶב לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם דָּרְכ֥וּ חִ֝צָּ֗ם דָּבָ֥ר מָֽר׃
64:5That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
הלִיר֣וֹת בַּמִּסְתָּרִ֣ים תָּ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם יֹ֝רֻ֗הוּ וְלֹ֣א יִירָֽאוּ׃
64:6They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, “Who shall see them?”
ויְחַזְּקוּ־לָ֨מוֹ ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר רָ֗ע יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ לִטְמ֣וֹן מוֹקְשִׁ֑ים אָ֝מְר֗וּ מִ֣י יִרְאֶה־לָּֽמוֹ׃
64:7They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
זיַֽחְפְּֽשׂוּ־עוֹלֹ֗ת תַּ֭מְנוּ חֵ֣פֶשׂ מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ וְקֶ֥רֶב אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֵ֣ב עָמֹֽק׃
64:8But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
חוַיֹּרֵ֗ם אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֥ץ פִּתְא֑וֹם הָ֝י֗וּ מַכּוֹתָֽם׃
64:9So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
טוַיַּכְשִׁיל֣וּהוּ עָלֵ֣ימוֹ לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם יִ֝תְנֹדֲד֗וּ כָּל־רֹ֥אֵה בָֽם׃
64:10And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing.
יוַיִּֽירְא֗וּ כָּל־אָ֫דָ֥ם וַ֭יַּגִּידוּ פֹּ֥עַל אֱלֹהִ֗ים וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥הוּ הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃
64:11The righteous shall be glad in Hashem, and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
יאיִשְׂמַ֬ח צַדִּ֣יק בַּ֭יהוָה וְחָ֣סָה ב֑וֹ וְ֝יִתְהַֽלְל֗וּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃
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Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.