CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. II
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. II

Psalm XXVI (26)

Cantillated — Declarative Confidence

Paul Whitehorn

0:003:33
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Psalm 26 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

By David.

1

Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in Yahweh without wavering.

לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ שָׁפְטֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֗ה כִּֽי־אֲ֭נִי בְּתֻמִּ֣י הָלַ֑כְתִּי וּבַיהוָ֥ה בָּ֝טַ֗חְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶמְעָֽד׃

2

Examine me, Yahweh, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind.

בְּחָנֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֣ה וְנַסֵּ֑נִי צרופה כִלְיוֹתַ֣י וְלִבִּֽי׃

3

For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth.

כִּֽי־חַ֭סְדְּךָ לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י וְ֝הִתְהַלַּ֗כְתִּי בַּאֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃

4

I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites.

לֹא־יָ֭שַׁבְתִּי עִם־מְתֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וְעִ֥ם נַ֝עֲלָמִ֗ים לֹ֣א אָבֽוֹא׃

5

I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.

שָׂ֭נֵאתִי קְהַ֣ל מְרֵעִ֑ים וְעִם־רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים לֹ֣א אֵשֵֽׁב׃

6

I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh,

אֶרְחַ֣ץ בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן כַּפָּ֑י וַאֲסֹבְבָ֖ה אֶת־מִזְבַּחֲךָ֣ יְהוָֽה׃

7

that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard and tell of all your wondrous deeds.

לַ֭שְׁמִעַ בְּק֣וֹל תּוֹדָ֑ה וּ֝לְסַפֵּ֗ר כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

8

Yahweh, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells.

יְֽהוָ֗ה אָ֭הַבְתִּי מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מְק֗וֹם מִשְׁכַּ֥ן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃

9

Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men

אַל־תֶּאֱסֹ֣ף עִם־חַטָּאִ֣ים נַפְשִׁ֑י וְעִם־אַנְשֵׁ֖י דָמִ֣ים חַיָּֽי׃

10

in whose hands is wickedness; their right hand is full of bribes.

אֲשֶׁר־בִּידֵיהֶ֥ם זִמָּ֑ה וִֽ֝ימִינָ֗ם מָ֣לְאָה שֹּֽׁחַד׃

11

But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me.

וַ֭אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּ֥י אֵלֵ֗ךְ פְּדֵ֣נִי וְחָנֵּֽנִי׃

12

My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless Yahweh.

רַ֭גְלִי עָֽמְדָ֣ה בְמִישׁ֑וֹר בְּ֝מַקְהֵלִ֗ים אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Judge me, O LORD

for I have walked

in integrity

I have trusted

in You

I do not slip

Test me, LORD

examine me

try my heart

and my mind

For Your steadfast love

is before my eyes

I walk

in Your truth

I do not sit

with the false

I do not walk

with the hidden

I will walk

in integrity

I will stand

before You

I will walk

in truth

before You

I hate the assembly

of evildoers

I do not sit

with the wicked

I wash my hands

in innocence

and go around

Your altar

Declaring thanksgiving

telling Your wonders

O LORD

I love Your house

the place

where Your glory dwells

Do not take my soul

with sinners

nor my life

with men of blood

Their hands are evil

their right hand

full of bribes

But I

walk in integrity

Redeem me

be gracious to me

I will stand

on level ground

I will stand

before You

In the assembly

I will bless

the LORD

My foot stands firm

on level ground

In the gathered people

I bless

the LORD

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn