Psalms 120

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶל־יְ֭הוָה בַּצָּרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י קָ֝רָ֗אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵֽנִי׃ A song of ascents.^aA term of uncertain meaning.

In my distress I called to the LORD
and He answered me.

יְֽהוָ֗ה הַצִּ֣ילָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשְּׂפַת־שֶׁ֑קֶר מִלָּשׁ֥וֹן רְמִיָּֽה׃ O LORD, save me from treacherous lips,
from a deceitful tongue!

מַה־יִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭ךָ וּמַה־יֹּסִ֥יף לָ֗ךְ לָשׁ֥וֹן רְמִיָּֽה׃ What can you profit,
what can you gain,
O deceitful tongue?

חִצֵּ֣י גִבּ֣וֹר שְׁנוּנִ֑ים עִ֝֗ם גַּחֲלֵ֥י רְתָמִֽים׃ A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with hot coals of broom-wood.

אֽוֹיָה־לִ֭י כִּי־גַ֣רְתִּי מֶ֑שֶׁךְ שָׁ֝כַ֗נְתִּי עִֽם־אָהֳלֵ֥י קֵדָֽר׃ Woe is me, that I live with Meshech,
that I dwell among the clans of Kedar.

רַ֭בַּת שָֽׁכְנָה־לָּ֣הּ נַפְשִׁ֑י עִ֝֗ם שׂוֹנֵ֥א שָׁלֽוֹם׃ Too long have I dwelt with those who hate peace.

אֲ‍ֽנִי־שָׁ֭לוֹם וְכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר הֵ֝֗מָּה לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ I am all peace;
but when I speak,
they are for war.

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת זְכוֹר־יְהֹוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד אֵ֝֗ת כׇּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃ A song of ascents.

O LORD, remember in David’s favor
his extreme self-denial,

אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭שְׁבַּע לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה נָ֝דַ֗ר לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ how he swore to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

אִם־אָ֭בֹא בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י אִם־אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה עַל־עֶ֥רֶשׂ יְצוּעָֽי׃ “I will not enter my house,
nor will I mount my bed,

אִם־אֶתֵּ֣ן שְׁנַ֣ת לְעֵינָ֑י לְֽעַפְעַפַּ֥י תְּנוּמָֽה׃ I will not give sleep to my eyes,
or slumber to my eyelids^aLit. “eyes.”

עַד־אֶמְצָ֣א מָ֭קוֹם לַיהֹוָ֑ה מִ֝שְׁכָּנ֗וֹת לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ until I find a place for the LORD,
an abode for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי־יָֽעַר׃ We heard it was in Ephrath;
we came upon it in the region of Jaar.^bCf. 1 Sam. 7.1–2; 1 Chron. 13.5–6.

נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו׃ Let us enter His abode,
bow at His footstool.

קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה לִמְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ אַ֝תָּ֗ה וַאֲר֥וֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ׃ Advance, O LORD, to Your resting-place,
You and Your mighty Ark!

כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־צֶ֑דֶק וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ Your priests are clothed in triumph;
Your loyal ones sing for joy.

בַּֽ֭עֲבוּר דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תָּ֝שֵׁ֗ב פְּנֵ֣י מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃ For the sake of Your servant David
do not reject Your anointed one.

נִשְׁבַּֽע־יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ לְדָוִ֡ד אֱמֶת֮ לֹא־יָשׁ֢וּב מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה מִפְּרִ֥י בִטְנְךָ֑ אָ֝שִׁ֗ית לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ The LORD swore to David
a firm oath that He will not renounce,
“One of your own issue I will set upon your throne.

אִֽם־יִשְׁמְר֬וּ בָנֶ֨יךָ ׀ בְּרִיתִי֮ וְעֵדֹתִ֥י ז֗וֹ אֲלַ֫מְּדֵ֥ם גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם עֲדֵי־עַ֑ד יֵ֝שְׁב֗וּ לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ If your sons keep My covenant
and My decrees that I teach them,
then their sons also,
to the end of time,
shall sit upon your throne.”

כִּי־בָחַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּצִיּ֑וֹן אִ֝וָּ֗הּ לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב לֽוֹ׃ For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His seat.

זֹאת־מְנוּחָתִ֥י עֲדֵי־עַ֑ד פֹּה־אֵ֝שֵׁ֗ב כִּ֣י אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃ “This is my resting-place for all time;
here I will dwell, for I desire it.

צֵ֭ידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ אַשְׂבִּ֥יעַֽ לָֽחֶם׃ I will amply bless its store of food,
give its needy their fill of bread.

וְֽ֭כֹהֲנֶיהָ אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ יֶ֑שַׁע וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יהָ רַנֵּ֥ן יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ I will clothe its priests in victory,
its loyal ones shall sing for joy.

שָׁ֤ם אַצְמִ֣יחַ קֶ֣רֶן לְדָוִ֑ד עָרַ֥כְתִּי נֵ֝֗ר לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃ There I will make a horn sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.

א֭וֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ בֹּ֑שֶׁת וְ֝עָלָ֗יו יָצִ֥יץ נִזְרֽוֹ׃ {פ}
I will clothe his enemies in disgrace,
while on him his crown shall sparkle.”

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד הִנֵּ֣ה מַה־טּ֭וֹב וּמַה־נָּעִ֑ים שֶׁ֖בֶת אַחִ֣ים גַּם־יָֽחַד׃ A song of ascents. Of David.

How good and how pleasant it is
that brothers dwell together.

כַּשֶּׁ֤מֶן הַטּ֨וֹב ׀ עַל־הָרֹ֗אשׁ יֹרֵ֗ד עַֽל־הַזָּקָ֥ן זְקַֽן־אַהֲרֹ֑ן שֶׁ֝יֹּרֵ֗ד עַל־פִּ֥י מִדּוֹתָֽיו׃ It is like fine oil on the head
running down onto the beard,
the beard of Aaron,
that comes down over the collar of his robe;

כְּטַל־חֶרְמ֗וֹן שֶׁיֹּרֵד֮ עַל־הַרְרֵ֢י צִ֫יּ֥וֹן כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם ׀ צִוָּ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה אֶת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה חַ֝יִּ֗ים עַד־הָעוֹלָֽם׃ {פ}
like the dew of Hermon
that falls upon the mountains of Zion.
There the LORD ordained blessing,
everlasting life.