נ֤וֹדַ֨ע ׀ יְהוָה֮ מִשְׁפָּ֪ט עָ֫שָׂ֥ה בְּפֹ֣עַל כַּ֭פָּיו נוֹקֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֑ע הִגָּי֥וֹן סֶֽלָה׃
16The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
The Hebrew in Psalm 9:16 that is translated as something like “the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands” in English is rendered in Medumba as “the works of the hands of the wicked man throw him into the pit” (“‘To throw into the pit’ is a figure of speech for ‘betraying’, ‘condemning’, and the pit symbolizes a difficult situation from which there appears to be no way out.”)
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 143ff.
Drawing by Ismar David from The Psalms: A new English translation, linked with permission from Ismar David Archive .
For other images of Ismar David drawings, see here.
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).
Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).
In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
See also nations.
Psalms 9 and 10 constitute one psalm in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate translations. Accordingly all Orthodox and some Catholic translations also treat it as one psalm. One indication that it might in fact have been intended to be one psalm is the fact that both Psalm 9 and 10 together constitute one acrostic, a literary form in which each verse is started with one of the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. According to Brenda Boerger (in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. ) there are three different reasons for acrostics in the Hebrew text: “for ease of memorization,” the representation “of the full breadth and depth of a topic, all the way from aleph to taw (tav),” and the perception of “the acrostic form as aesthetically attractive.” (p. 191)
While most translations mention the existence of the acrostic in a note or a comment, few implement it in their translation. The Natügu translation is one such exception. Boerger (see above) cites a strong tradition in singing the psalms and the fact that Natügu, like Hebrew, also has 22 possible initial letters as motivating factors to maintain the acrostics in that language.
Psalm 9
1 Awi Yawe! Naglqpx-atwrnr-ngrne nim.
Ale-zvzq da kcng tzkctipxng, x napipxxng.
2 Angrlvzx drtqm.
Bilvzx nim kc tqmyalz-esz’ngr.
3 Brngzvxitx nzyzlukr enqmi rnge mz nzmc-krde nim.
Bz x tao-ngrde nzulrm.
4 Clvetio-lzbqx x rpiq kx tubqx.
Clveq leplz amrlx mz nzwxbuo-krme mz tron, x ayzlu-ngrbzme da badr.
5 Dalr nrlc nzmailzlr kxdrka’-ngrng.
Delc napnanati-ngrn nidr x
Drtqdr na-amrbrtx-alobzme.
6 Doa ngr alwx lcng nzyrkrtrpeng.
Enqmi rngeng trpengr nzdcpx-krdr mz drtwr leplz x mztea nyzdr amznrpe-ngrnq.
7 Eu, a’ Yawe ngini-alom King.
Elalvzx nzwxbuo-krme mz tron nyzm murde nzayzlu-krbzme da mz leplz tubq.
8 Eu, murde nzaclve-krm nrlc tubq-esz’ngr,
Esakrlrngr nzpipx-krm nztubqkr leplz o trtingr.
9 Gct, nim lrpalvc nyz kxnzobqszong.
Glxx kx nim me nzrlakitrkr mzli kx prtzngr da.
10 Gct, krkcng tzkrlzlr nim nzabrtrpzlr drtwrdr bam.
Itoto x doa amrlx kcng tzrtangrtilr nim, trmrbrtru mz drtwrm.
11 Itoto x nigu amrlx napipxbzku mz kxnzmnc-mrbrng da kcng tqale Yawe.
Jerusalem ngi mzteadau nyzde mrkc tqmnc-ngrde. Na-angrlvzku nide.
12 Jzsle krkcng tzrnibqting leplz mz nzayzlu-kr-mopwzle badr da kcng tqtrka tzalelr.
Kxnzmncng mz drtq kxetq sa na-ayzlu-kzpzle badr natq ngr nzyrni-krbzlr bade.
13 Kxetu, nayc mz drtwrm ninge x mcom kxmu nzaetq-krm enqmi rngeng drtqnge.
Kxrpalz, bzkq rlrpx-ngrn nzbz-krnge.
14 Kxarlapx, naelalz-ngrm drtwrnge nzarlapx-krm ninge.
Leplz kxkqlu Jerusalem sa naxlrlr nzglqlz-krnge nim.
15-16 Lalztqmamu! Yawe aelwapx-lzbqngr mz nztubqkr nzayzlu-krbzle da mz leplz.
Murde lr mrkzbleng nztao-moung mz gq kx nzekqtilr.
Mz br kx nzatu-kapqlr, nzdwatr-moung elr.
Mz trtxki kx nzamwilr, nzprtz mou kxdrka’-ngrng elr.
17 Mz nzesablqti-krdr Gct,
Nabz-ngrdr leplz ngr nrlc.
18 Nzmu nakxpung, trtxpnzngr nzmrbrtitrkr drtwr Gct nidr.
Nzobqtipxngr kxtrnzrngiscung trtxpnzngr nzbotxpx-krde.
19 Natulzme Yawe, mz nzaryplapx-krm lr mrkzbleng amrlx.
Na-aelwapx-ngrn kx drtwr kxnzetung amrlx ngi brmrda.
20 Namwxlrtilr x na-amrluelr nim.
Nakrlzlr kx nidr leplz txneng, x sa nabzng.
Psalm 10
1 Opxm kx mncme rlru, Yawe.
Opxm kz kx mnc-kapqq mzli kc tqkxpu-ngrgr.
2 Obqm! Kxdrka’ngr glqpx-lzbqmile nzayoti-krde leplz kxnzkxpung.
Pnz drtwrnge kx sa namwati-lzbq mz br scde.
3 Pipxle kx nzaotikr drtwrde da kxtrka zlwz ngi da kxmrlz mz nzbilvz-zvz-krdele.
Pivxile Yawe x pxtxpx-ngrde nide, a’ amrlzle leplz kx nztrkibrng.
4 Rblx nzrtangrti-krde Gct murde glqpx-lzbq.
Rblx nzrmcti-krde Gct murde mz drtwrde trtxpnzngr Gct.
5 Rlr! Xplrmi-zlwzle nzmncngr kxtrka, a’ pxtxpx-ngrde me pnz drtwrm.
Suti txpwz drtwrde nzyrpalelvz-krde enqmi rdeng.
6 Sc tqrpipele kx, “Trpnzngr da kxtrka kx naprtzm bange,
X trpnzngr nzodatingr ninge kalr.”
7 Sc tqglqlz-zvzle alwx x nzpokiangr.
Natqdeng amrlx ngi dalr nzrpikitingr, nzrpibqtingr, x nzrpilzngr. Rom 3:14
8 Trmrlzu nzmnc-kapq-aepztr-krde mztea mz nzrnibq-krde kx nabzdr lq.
Tu zvz mz nzaenzli-krde ncblo kxesz’nebz.
9 Tqtu-kapq apule laion kc
Tqtcngzpxm mz gq nyzde mz nzkivzti-krde ncblo kx trxplru.
10 Vz zvz nzxplr-zlwz-krde.
Vz zvz nzatrkati-krde nzmnckr kxnzkxpung.
11 Vz-rbr kxdrka’ngr mz nzrpi-krde kx, “Gct trobqpepuu bange.
Wzx a’ trkrlzleu da kcng trka tqalex.”
12 Wztitxpxbz nzwzkr ncblo kxdrka’ngr, kx Yawe, mz nzayrplapx-krm nide.
Wai-ngrn da lc murde bzkq mrbrtr mz drtwrm kxnzkxpung.
13 Wai-ngrdele kxdrka’ngr pxtxpx-ngrde nim.
X rpile kx, “Gct trtxpnzngr nzayrplapx-krde ninge.”
14 Xlqkqamu nimu kxdrka’-ngrng, murde Gct mcle da kxtrka lcng amrlx tqaleamu.
X oliqtile nzokatr-krde kxnzkxpung kcng tzrtangrtilr nide.
Xlrle nidr murde nide kc tqokatr zvz kxnzobqszong.
15 Yawe, katxpxbz zmatq ngr kxdrka’-ngrng.
Yrpalelvz nidr x ayrplapxng mz da kxtrka kcng tzalelr, navz x naesaki zpwx.
16 Yawe, nim King.
Yc zvz nzaclve-krm nrlc.
Yrlqtxpx mz drtc’ nyzm krkcng trnzangiolru nim.
17 Zmatq ngrm etu-esz’ngr, murde krlzpe-kaiq nike narlxtibz kxnztubqng.
Zbq kalvz axplrq nidr x kabzme badr nike nzrlxtilr.
18 Zbo ngr leplz kxnzobqszong x kxnzkxpung, sa na-arlapxbzmeng mz zmatq ngr leplz mz nrlc ka.
Zmwxlr amrlx sa na-aesaki-zvzq.
© 2008, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Dutch translation Tot Lof van God by Frans Croese (publ. 2010) also maintained the acrostic.
Psalm 9
Voor de concertmeester: op ‘De dood, voor de zoon’; een muziekstuk op naam van David.
2
Alom en van ganser harte, zo dank ik Jehovah!
AI Uw wonderdaden, van hen wol ik vertellen!
3
Aangaande U zij mijn verheugen, mijn juichen,
Allerhoogste, maar al te graag bezing ik Uw naam!
4
Bij de aftocht van mijn vijanden
vergingen die struikelend van voor Uw aangezicht;
5
U hebt immers het pleit beslecht, mijn rechtsgeding,
gezeten op de zetel van de rechtvaardige Rechter.
6
De heidense volkeren hebt U bestraft,
het wetteloze te gronde gericht,
hun namen hebt U voor altijd en eeuwig gewist.
7
Het is gedaan met de vijand,
verwoesting alom en voor eeuwig,
waar U complete steden hebt uitgerukt.
Vergaan is hun gedachtenis sowieso.
Feitelijk geldt dat voor henzelf evenzo.
8
Jehovah daarentegen zetelt voor immer,
Zijn zetel gereed voor het gericht.
9
Hij is het die de wereld naar gerechtigheid oordeelt;
eerlijk en billijk, zo richt Hij de staten.
10
Gerechtigheid is er voor de verdrukten;
voor hen is Jehovah een burcht,
een burcht in tijden van nood en ontbering.
11
Wie Uw naam werkelijk kennen, vertrouwen op U;
wie naar U werkelijk vorsen, Jehovah, liet U nooit in de steek.
12
Heft dus aan de muziek voor Jehovah die zetelt op Sion,
verhaalt van Zijn handelen onder de volkeren;
13
Hij heeft gedacht aan wie onschuldig bloed te wreken had,
zoals Hij evenmin de noodkreet der misdeelden vergat:
14
‘Ik smeek U Jehovah, wees mij goedgunstig,
zie de ellende, mij berokkend door hen die mij haten,
door mij op te heffen uit de poorten des doods,
15
zodat ik van al Uw roemrijke daden mag vertellen,
daar, in de poorten van Sions dochter.
Ik wil dansen van vreugde om redding door U!’
16
Jammerlijk zijn zij weggezakt, de natiën, in hun zelfgemaakte kuil,
hun voet verward in het net dat zijzelf zo geniepig hadden gezet.
17
Zo zal men weten: Jehovah verschaft daadwerkelijk recht,
de wetteloze raakt verstrikt in hetgeen hij eigenhandig bewerkt.
biggajon, sela
18
Kortom, die wettelozen keren rechtstreeks richting dodenrijk,
al die natiën die God zo gaarne vergeten.
19
Luister, de behoeftige wordt nimmer vergeten,
nooit zal de hoop van wie arm zijn vergaan.
20
O Jehovah, sta toch op,
opdat de macht niet gaat naar ‘mensen slechts’.
Mogen die natiën voor Uw aangezicht worden berecht.
21
O Jehovah, zet hun desnoods het mes op de keel.
De heidense volkeren dienen te weten:
‘mensen slechts’ zijn ook zij. sela
Psalm 10
Maar waarom, Jehovah, staat U zo veraf,
houdt U terug, met daardoor tijden van nood en ontbering?
2
Met gewetenloze hoogmoed brandt men los op de misdeelde,
ze zijn in de ban van ‘listen en lagen’, heel handig bedacht.
3
De gewetenloze geeft hoog op van zijn persoonlijke genoegens,
zijn zegen geldt het winstbejag.
Overduidelijk heeft hij Jehovah veracht,
4
want de gewetenloze, de neus arrogant in de lucht, kijkt nergens naar;
al zijn kwalijke spinsels hebben ‘God is er niet’ als gedachte.
5
En zo gaat hij voort in handel en wandel;
hoe verheven Uw oordelen zijn, ontgaat hem geheel,
allen die hem tegenstaan blaft hij verachtelijk af.
6
Hij zei bij zichzelf: ‘Mij kan toch niets gebeuren,
geen malheur immers, en dat al van geslacht op geslacht.’
7
En vloeken daarbij!
Stijf staat zijn mond van bedrog en intrige,
ongeluk en onrecht liggen paraat onder zijn tong.
8
Zo zet hij zich neer in dicht omheinde hinderlagen,
op verscholen plekken vermoordt hij wie totaal onschuldig is!
Richt zijn spiedend oog zich op zo’n stakker,
9
terwijl hij in zijn schuilplaats op de loer ligt,
als een leeuw in het kreupelhout, op de loer om een ellendige te vangen,
door zijn vangnet dicht te trekken vangt hij de ellendige.
10
Die zakt dan gebroken in elkaar,
gevallen, ten prooi aan zijn brute kracht – de stakkers.
11
Terwijl hij bij zichzelf feitelijk zei:
‘God? Die is het allang vergeten!
Die heeft Zijn gezicht verborgen, heeft nooit iets gezien.’
12
U echter wil ik smeken, Jehovah, sta toch op!
O God, hef op Uw hand,
vergeet niet wie ellendig zijn.
13
Waartoe leidt die gewetenloze godsverachting wel niet,
door wie bij zichzelf zei dat U ‘nergens naar kijkt’?
14
Vast en zeker zag U het, want die ellende en ontsteltenis
neemt U toch waar om het zelf ter hand te nemen?
Op U immers verlaat zich de stakker,
U was de wees toch tot hulp?
15
Welnu, verbreek de sterke arm van we doortrapt gewetenloos is,
met daarbij tevens het kwaad;
speur diens wetteloze sporen na tot U echt niets meer vindt
16
– Jehovah is Koning voor altijd en eeuwig,
de heidense volkeren zullen voorgoed zijn vergaan van Zijn aarde.
17
Zeker zult U luisteren, Jehovah, naar wat die misdeelden verlangen,
U bemoedigt hen, leent hun aandachtig het oor,
18
om recht te verschaffen aan de wees en aan de gekwelde.
Niet langer zal men dan nog proberen
om, waar ook op aarde, gewone mensen te terroriseren.
With thanks to Thamara van Eijzeren
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 9:16:
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God or a person or persons to be honored, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) can be used, as in go-jishin (ご自身), a combination of “onseself” (jishin) and the honorific prefix go-. This can also be used for other reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, yourself etc.)
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, okonaw-are-ru (行われる) or “do/perform” is used.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
In these two verses the psalmist speaks of the punishment of the heathen in vivid terms of their being victims of their own evil plans (see 7.15-16).
For nations see comments on 2.1.
Two figures are used: that of a pit, such as was dug in order to catch wild animals, and that of a net, used for catching birds, fish, or small animals. For pit see comments on 7.15. Instead of net, which is not used widely in English as a specific term for an instrument to catch animals, Good News Translation uses the more generic term “trap.” The verb translated have sunk in appears in Psalms only here and in 69.2, 14. The verb “to hide” is often used with “traps” and “nets” (see 31.4; 35.7-8; 64.5; 140.5; 142.3).
In cultures where trapping animals in pits is unknown, it will be necessary to make explicit the purpose of such a pit; for example, “It is just as though the heathen have dug a pit to make their enemies fall in and have fallen in themselves.”
In allowing the wicked to be “trapped by their own deeds” (Good News Translation), Yahweh reveals himself as a just judge. The expression The LORD has made himself known must often be recast as “the LORD has shown who he is.”
The words “by his righteous judgments” (Good News Translation) translate “he has done justice” (so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy; An American Translation and Revised Standard Version he has executed judgment); New English Bible “Justice is done.” “His righteous judgments” is a nominal phrase which must often be recast as a clause, and the object of the event of judging must often be made explicit; for example, “he judges people in the right way.” This entire clause can then be related to the previous one as a clause of means: “The LORD has shown who he is by the fact that he judges people in the right way.”
In the last statement (verse 16b), “by the work of his hands the wicked (person) is snared,” “his hands” is usually taken to mean the hands of the wicked person himself; but Briggs and Moffatt take it to mean the hands of Yahweh: “as his hands have trapped the ungodly.” Instead of understanding the verb in the Masoretic text in line b as the passive of the verb “to snare” (Revised Standard Version are snared, Good News Translation “are trapped”), Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“C” decision) takes the Masoretic text pointing (so Briggs) as the participle of the verb “to push” or “to stumble,” meaning either “Yahweh pushes” or “the wicked stumble.” It seems better to take the text as Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and others have done. In the work of their own hands and Good News Translation‘s “by their own deeds” are used to express the means by which they are caught. In this context the work of their own hands refers specifically to the pit and the net that they had prepared in order to trap their enemies; it is therefore better to translate “are trapped by the devices they themselves built.” In languages which require an active verb, line b of verse 16 must be recast; for example, “the evil deeds which bad people do trap them.” If the term “net” is used, one must be careful to indicate specifically the type of nets used to catch wild animals, and not one of the various nets used only for fishing.
Higgaion appears also in 19.14, where it means “meditation,” and in 92.3b, where it is translated “melody.” If it is related to the verb for “to meditate” (1.2), it may mean a quiet melody. New Jerusalem Bible translates “Muted music” (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); Bible en français courant “interlude.”
Selah: see comments on 3.2.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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