Psalm 1: A Bilingual Edition

My goal in offering a bilingual edition of the psalms is to lay out the Hebrew and the text in translation such that the poetry’s fierce eloquence is more fully evident to readers.

אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר
לֹא הָלַךְ
בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים

וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים
לֹא עָמָד

וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים
לֹא יָשָׁב׃

כִּי־אִם־בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה חֶפְצוֹ
וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ יֶהְגֶּה
יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה׃

1          The blessings of the one
            who has not walked
            in advice of the wicked,

            in the way of the errant
            has not stood,

            in the seat of scoffers
            has not sat!

2          On the contrary,
            the instruction of יהוה is his delight,
            and from his instruction he recites
            day and night.

וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל
עַל־פַּלְגֵי מָיִם

אֲשֶׁר פִּרְיוֹ
יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ

וְעָלֵהוּ לֹא יִבּוֹל
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה יַצְלִיחַ׃

3          He shall be like a tree transplanted
            by channels of water

            where he will yield
            his fruit in season,

            his foliage will not fade,
            and all he does will thrive.

לֹא־כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים
כִּי־אִם־כַּמֹּץ אֲשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶנּוּ רוּחַ׃

עַל־כֵּן לֹא יָקֻמוּ
רְשָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט
וְחַטָּאִים בַּעֲדַת צַדִּיקִים׃

כִּי־יוֹדֵעַ יְהוָה
דֶּרֶךְ צַדִּיקִים
וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים תֹּאבֵד׃

4          Not so the wicked.
            On the contrary,
            they are like chaff that wind drives away.

5          So it is that the wicked
            in judgment will not stand,
            the errant in the assembly of the righteous.

6          For יהוה takes note
            of the way of the righteous
            and the way of the wicked will perish.