Daily Tehillim: Day 10

Prayer before Tehillim on a Weekday

May it be the will before You, Hashem, our G-d, and the G-d of our forefathers, Who chose David His servant and his offspring after him, and Who chose songs and praises - that you attend with mercy to the recitation of psalms that I shall merit and consider it as if they were recited by King David, of blessed memory, himself, may his merit be a shield over us. And stand in our favor may the merit of the verses of the psalms together with the merit of their words and their letters and their vowels and their cantilations, and together with the Holy Names that are formed from them, from the initial (letters) of the words and from the final (letters) of the words - may their merit serve to bring atonement for our transgressions, iniquities, and sins, and to cut down ruthless men, and slash away all the thorns and briars which surround the Rose, Celestial; and to unite the Bride of Youth with her Beloved in love, brotherhood, and companionship. And from that (unification) may be drawn to us an abundant blessing to our spirit, breath and soul, to purify us of our iniquities, to forgive our sins and to atone for our transgressions, just as You forgave David who recited these very same psalms before You - as it is said: Hashem also has forgiven your sin, you shall not die. May you not take us from This World before our time, until the completion of our years, (among them are seventy years,) in a manner that we be able to rectify anything that we have ruined. May the merit of King David, of blessed memory, shield over us and for us; that You may be patient (with us), (and wait) until we return to You in repentance that is complete before You. From your treasury of grace that is undeserved, be gracious to us - as it is written: I am Compassionate to those whom I favor, and I am Merciful to those upon whom I have mercy. And just as we recite before You a song in This World, so let us merit to recite before You - O Hashem, our G-d - songs and praises in the World to Come. And through the recitation of the psalms arouse the Rose of Sharon to sing with a voice that is pleasant, with ecstasy and joy. May the glory of the Levanon be given to her, majesty and splendor in the House of our G-d, speedily in our days. Amein. Selah!

Before Saying Tehillim it is customary to say these Three Verses

Come! Let us sing joyfully to Hashem, let us call out to the Rock of our Salvation,
Let us greet Him with thanksgiving, with praiseful songs let us call out to Him.
For a great G-d is Hashem, and a great King above all heavenly powers.

1. To the chief Musician for stringed instruments, A Maskil of David.
2. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and do not hide yourself from my supplication.
3. Attend to me, and answer me; I sob in my complaint, and moan,
4. Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
5. My heart inside me is in anguish; and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
6. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
7. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then I would fly away, and be at rest.
8. Behold, then I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
9. I would hasten to find a refuge from the windy storm and the tempest.
10. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
11. Day and night they go about it upon its walls; and mischief and trouble are in its midst.
12. Wickedness is in its midst; oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.
13. For it was not an enemy who taunted me; then I could have borne it; nor was it one who hated me who magnified himself against me; then I could hide from him,
14. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion, my close friend.
15. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.
16. Let death spread its oblivion upon them, and let them go down alive into Sheol; for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
17. As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.
18. Evening, and morning, and at noon, I pray, and cry aloud; and he hears my voice.
19. He has saved my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; for there were many who strove against me.
20. God, who is enthroned from old, shall hear, and afflict them. Selah. Because they do not change, and do not fear God.
21. He has put forth his hands against those who are at peace with him; he has broken his covenant.
22. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
23. Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain you; he shall never let the righteous be moved.
24. But you, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in you.

1. To the chief Musician, according to Jonat-helem-rechokim, A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
2. Be gracious to me, O God, for men long to swallow me up; all day long the warrior oppresses me.
3. My enemies daily long to swallow me up; for they are many who fight against me, O you most High.
4. When I am afraid, I will trust in you,
5. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
6. Every day they wrest my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
7. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, as they wait for my soul.
8. Shall they escape by iniquity? In your anger cast down the peoples, O God.
9. You have kept count of my wanderings; put my tears into your bottle. Are they not in your book?
10. When I cry to you, then shall my enemies turn back; this I know, because God is for me.
11. In God, whose word I praise; in the Lord, whose word I praise,
12. In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid. What man can do to me?
13. Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
14. For you have saved my soul from death, indeed my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

1. To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.
2. Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul trusts in you; and in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until calamities have passed over.
3. I will cry to God most high; to God who performs all things for me.
4. He shall send from heaven, and save me; he scorns him who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his loving kindness and his truth.
5. My soul is among lions; and I lie down among those who are set on fire, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
6. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be above all the earth.
7. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they dug a pit before me, and into its midst they have fallen themselves. Selah.
8. My heart is constant, O God, my heart is constant; I will sing and give praise.
9. Awake up, O my glory! Awake, O lyre and harp! I will awake the dawn!
10. I will praise you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to you among the nations.
11. For your loving kindness is great to the heavens, and your truth to the clouds.
12. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be above all the earth.

1. To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Miktam of David.
2. Do you indeed decree what is right? Do you judge uprightly, O you sons of men?
3. But in your hearts you work wickedness; your hands deal out violence on the earth.
4. The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from birth speaking lies.
5. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stops its ear;
6. Which will not listen to the voice of charmers, or of the cunning enchanter.
7. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.
8. Let them melt away like waters which run continually; when he aims his arrows, let them be as if cut in pieces.
9. Like the slimy track of a snail which disappears; like the untimely births of a woman that do not see the sun.
10. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall sweep them away as with a whirlwind, both the green and the burning.
11. The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
12. So that a man shall say, Truly there is a reward for the righteous; truly there is a God who judges on earth.

1. To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Miktam of David; when Saul sent,
2. and they watched the house to kill him. Save me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me.
3. Save me from the evil doers, and save me from bloody men.
4. For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul; fierce men are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
5. They run and prepare themselves for no fault of mine; awake to help me, and behold.
6. You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be merciful to any wicked traitors. Selah.
7. They return at evening; they howl like dogs, and go prowling around the city.
8. Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for Who hears?, say they.
9. But you, O Lord, shall laugh at them; you shall have all the nations in derision.
10. O my strength, upon you I will wait! For God is my fortress.
11. God who loves me shall come to meet me; God shall let me gaze upon my enemies.
12. Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by your power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
13. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them be taken in their arrogance; and for cursing and lying which they speak.
14. Consume them in wrath, consume them, till they are no more; and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah.
15. And at evening let them return; and let them howl like a dog, and go prowling around the city.
16. Let them wander up and down for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.
17. But I will sing of your power; indeed, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning; for you have been my fortress and my refuge in the day of my trouble.
18. To you, O my strength, I will sing; for God is my fortress, and the God who loves me.

May it be the will before You, Hashem, our G-d, and the G-d of our forefathers, Who chose David His servant and his offspring after him, and Who chose songs and praises - that you attend with mercy to the recitation of psalms that I shall merit and consider it as if they were recited by King David, of blessed memory, himself, may his merit be a shield over us. And stand in our favor may the merit of the verses of the psalms together with the merit of their words and their letters and their vowels and their cantilations, and together with the Holy Names that are formed from them, from the initial (letters) of the words and from the final (letters) of the words - may their merit serve to bring atonement for our transgressions, iniquities, and sins, and to cut down ruthless men, and slash away all the thorns and briars which surround the Rose, Celestial; and to unite the Bride of Youth with her Beloved in love, brotherhood, and companionship. And from that (unification) may be drawn to us an abundant blessing to our spirit, breath and soul, to purify us of our iniquities, to forgive our sins and to atone for our transgressions, just as You forgave David who recited these very same psalms before You - as it is said: Hashem also has forgiven your sin, you shall not die. May you not take us from This World before our time, until the completion of our years, (among them are seventy years,) in a manner that we be able to rectify anything that we have ruined. May the merit of King David, of blessed memory, shield over us and for us; that You may be patient (with us), (and wait) until we return to You in repentance that is complete before You. From your treasury of grace that is undeserved, be gracious to us - as it is written: I am Compassionate to those whom I favor, and I am Merciful to those upon whom I have mercy. And just as we recite before You a song in This World, so let us merit to recite before You - O Hashem, our G-d - songs and praises in the World to Come. And through the recitation of the psalms arouse the Rose of Sharon to sing with a voice that is pleasant, with ecstasy and joy. May the glory of the Levanon be given to her, majesty and splendor in the House of our G-d, speedily in our days. Amein. Selah! Come! Let us sing joyfully to Hashem, let us call out to the Rock of our Salvation, Let us greet Him with thanksgiving, with praiseful songs let us call out to Him. For a great G-d is Hashem, and a great King above all heavenly powers.