Page:Philip Birnbaum - ha-Siddur ha-Shalem (The Daily Prayer Book,1949).pdf/175

150 thy presence, O Lord, I do seek. Hide not thy face from me; turn not thy servant away in anger; thou hast been my help; do not abandon me, forsake me not, O God my Savior. Though my father and mother have forsaken me, the Lord will take care of me. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and guide me in a straight path, in spite of my enemies. Deliver me not to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe forth violence. I do believe I shall yet see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Hope in the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be brave; yes, hope in the Lord.

For the Choirmaster; a psalm of the Korahites. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all you inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor alike. My mouth speaks wisdom, and my heart’s meditation is deep insight, I incline my ear to a parable; I unfold my profound problem to the accompaniment of a harp.

Why should I be afraid in days of evil, when the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth, and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem his brother [from death], nor give to God a ransom for him—for too costly is the ransom of one’s soul and can never be—that he should go on living forever, that he should not see the grave. Surely, one must see that wise men die, that the stupid and senseless perish alike, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward consolation is that their houses shall continue forever, and their homes throughout all generations; they name estates after themselves. But man abides not in his splendor; he is like the beasts that perish. Such is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and the end of those who are pleased with their own mouthing. Like sheep they are destined to die; death shall shepherd them; the upright shall triumph over them in the morning; their form is to decay in the nether-world,

... Though I am orphaned, friendless and deserted, God will be father to me and protect me.

... The remainder of the sentence is left to the imagination: "What would my condition be, if I had not believed!"

... The psalmist addresses all the inhabitants of the world and summons them to hear his parable which concerns all humanity.

moral philosophy. The rich man cannot deliver his friends or himself from death, and his prosperity need cause no dismay to those who are less fortunate.

... They delude themselves with the thought that their names will be perpetuated in the names of their estates.

... death will take control of them; and in the morning, when the dark night of suffering is over, the victims of lawlessness will be triumphant over their fallen oppressors.