Many say to my soul: Rabbi Shmuel interpreted the verse about Doeg and Ahithophel who were many in Torah. They said that if a person can steal a sheep, kill the shepherd, and kill Israel with a sword, he has salvation. There is no salvation for him. But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, and for all those whom you have protected through the merit of my forefathers.
My glory is through my senses, which have been established by Him. And I lift up my head through Nathan the prophet, who said to me in your name (2 Samuel 12:13), "The Lord has also put away your sin." The rabbis interpreted the verse about the nations of the world. Many of these are the nations of the world, as it says (Isaiah 17:12), "Woe to the multitude of many people."
They say to my soul: Perhaps a nation that heard from the mouth of God that He said (Exodus 20:3), "You shall have no other gods before me." And at the end of forty days they said to the calf (Exodus 32:4), "This is your God, O Israel." They have salvation. There is no salvation for him.
But you, O Lord, who agreed with them in the Torah (Exodus 22:19), "He who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed." You are a shield for me, because if not for their protection, my father would have destroyed us. My glory is that Your divine presence dwells among us, as it says (Exodus 25:8), "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." And I lift up my head, for we are obligated to you and you have given us a suspended head, as it says (Exodus 30:12), "When you take a census of the people."