Verses Of Praise

Pesukei D'zimrah

פְּסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָה

Visible layers

We should rely only on God

Hebrew

הַלְלוּיָהּ, הַלְלִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְיָ:
אֲהַלְלָה יְיָ בְּחַיָּי,
אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי:1 אַל
תִּבְטְחוּ בִנְדִיבִים, בְּבֶן אָדָם
שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְשׁוּעָה: תֵּצֵא רוּחוֹ
יָשֻׁב לְאַדְמָתוֹ, בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא
אָבְדוּ עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָיו: אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁאֵל
יַעֲקֹב בְּעֶזְרוֹ, שִׂבְרוֹ עַל יְיָ
אֱלֹהָיו: עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, אֶת
הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם, הַשֹּׁמֵר
אֱמֶת לְעוֹלָם:

Sephardi

Halleluyah, halleli nafshi et Adonai:
Ahaleilah Adonai bechayai,
Azamerah leilohai be'odi:1 Al
tivtechu vindivim, beven adam
she'ein lo teshu'ah: Tetze rucho
yashuv leadmato, bayom hahu
avdu eshtonotav: Ashrei she'El
Ya'akov be'ezro, sivro al Adonai
Elohav: Oseh shamayim va'aretz, et
hayam ve'et kol asher bam, hashomer
emet le'olam:

English

הַלְלוּיָהּ Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God for as long as I exist.1 Do not rely on important, powerful people, for they are only human beings, who do not have the power to bring salvation. When a person passes away and his soul leaves him, he is buried and returns to the ground. On that day, all of his plans become nothing. Therefore, fortunate is the person whose rescuer is the God of Jacob; fortunate is the person whose hope is in the Lord his God. God is the Creator of the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything that is in them. He keeps His word faithfully forever.

God helps everyone in need

Hebrew

עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט לַעֲשׁוּקִים,
נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לָרְעֵבִים,2 יְיָ מַתִּיר
אֲסוּרִים: יְיָ פֹּקֵחַ עִוְרִים, יְיָ זֹקֵף
כְּפוּפִים, יְיָ אֹהֵב צַדִּיקִים: יְיָ
שֹׁמֵר אֶת גֵּרִים, יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה
יְעוֹדֵד, וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים יְעַוֵּת:
יִמְלֹךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם, אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן,
לְדֹר וָדֹר, הַלְלוּיָהּ:

Sephardi

Oseh mishpat la'ashukim,
Noten lechem lare'evim,2 Adonai matir
asurim: Adonai poke'ach ivrim, Adonai zokef
kefufim, Adonai ohev tzaddikim: Adonai
shomer et gerim, yatom ve'almanah
ye'oded, vederech resha'im ye'avet:
Yimloch Adonai le'olam, Elohayich Tziyon,
ledor vador, Halleluyah:

English

He does justice for people who are mistreated. He provides food to those who are hungry.2 The Lord frees those who are imprisoned. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind and gives them sight. The Lord straightens those whose backs are bent. The Lord loves and protects the righteous. The Lord watches over converts, who have no one to watch over them. He encourages orphans and widows, who have no one to help them, He confuses evil people by making their path twisted and complicated. May the Lord rule as king forever; may the God of Zion (Jerusalem) rule as king throughout all generations. Praise the Lord.

God cares for the Jewish Nation

Hebrew

הַלְלוּיָהּ, כִּי טוֹב זַמְּרָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ, כִּי נָעִים

Sephardi

Halleluyah, ki tov zamrah
Eloheinu, ki na'im

English

הַלְלוּיָהּ Praise the Lord, Sing to our God because He is good. It is fitting to praise Him because He is pleasant. The Lord is the

Hebrew

נָאוָה תְהִלָּה: בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם
יְיָ, נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל3 יְכַנֵּס:
הָרוֹפֵא לִשְׁבוּרֵי לֵב, וּמְחַבֵּשׁ
לְעַצְּבוֹתָם: מוֹנֶה מִסְפָּר
לַכּוֹכָבִים, לְכֻלָּם שֵׁמוֹת
יִקְרָא: גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ,
לִתְבוּנָתוֹ אֵין מִסְפָּר:4 מְעוֹדֵד
עֲנָוִים יְיָ, מַשְׁפִּיל רְשָׁעִים
עֲדֵי אָרֶץ: עֱנוּ לַייָ בְּתוֹדָה,
זַמְּרוּ לֵאלֹהֵינוּ בְכִנּוֹר:

Sephardi

Na'vah tehilah: Boneh Yerushalayim
Adonai, nidchei Yisrael3 yekhanes:
Harofe lishvurei lev, umechabesh
le'atzvotam: Moneh mispar
lakokhavim, lekhulam shemot
yikra: Gadol Adoneinu v'rav ko'ach,
litevunato ein mispar:4 Me'oded
anavim Adonai, mashpil resha'im
adei aretz: Enu la-adonai betodah,
zamru leiloheinu vekhinor:

English

builder of Jerusalem. God will gather together those of the Children of Israel, who are scattered across distant lands,3 and He will bring them in to Jerusalem when it is rebuilt. He is the healer of broken-hearted people, and He bandages their wounds. He counts the number of stars in the sky and gives a name to each one, even the most distant ones. So too, He counts and remembers even the most distant Jewish person. Our Master, God, can do all of this because He is great and very powerful, and His understanding is unlimited.4 The Lord encourages humble people, and He lowers wicked people down to the ground. Raise your voices to the Lord in thanks, and play on a harp for our God.

God controls the forces of nature

Hebrew

הַמְכַסֶּה שָׁמַיִם בְּעָבִים,
הַמֵּכִין לָאָרֶץ מָטָר, הַמַּצְמִיחַ
הָרִים חָצִיר: נוֹתֵן לִבְהֵמָה
לַחְמָהּ, לִבְנֵי עֹרֵב אֲשֶׁר
יִקְרָאוּ: לֹא בִגְבוּרַת הַסּוּס
יֶחְפָּץ, לֹא בְשׁוֹקֵי הָאִישׁ
יִרְצֶה: רוֹצֶה יְיָ אֶת יְרֵאָיו,
אֶת הַמְיַחֲלִים לְחַסְדּוֹ:
שַׁבְּחִי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶת יְיָ, הַלְלִי
אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן: כִּי חִזַּק בְּרִיחֵי
שְׁעָרַיִךְ, בֵּרַךְ בָּנַיִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּךְ:

Sephardi

Hamchaseh shamayim be'avim,
Hamechin la'aretz matar, hamatzmi'ach
harim chatzir: Noten livhemah
lachmah, livnei orev asher
yikre'u: Lo vigvurat hasus
yechpatz, lo veshokei ha'ish
yirtzeh: Rotzeh Adonai et yere'av,
et hameyachalim lechasdo:
Shabchi Yerushalayim et Adonai, halleli
Elohayich Tziyon: Ki chizak berichei
she'arayich, berach banayich bekirbech:

English

He covers the heaven with clouds. He prepares rain for the earth and makes grass grow on mountains. By doing this, He provides food for animals living on mountains, which would otherwise have nothing to eat. God even feeds young, helpless ravens that are left alone by their parents, when they call out for food. He does not desire those who rely on the strength of a horse instead of relying on Him, to save them in a war. He also does not want a person who relies on the strength of his legs. The Lord wants those who fear Him, people who long for His kindness and trust in Him. Thank the Lord, people who live in the rebuilt Jerusalem. Praise your God, people of Zion (Jerusalem), because He has strengthened the bolts of your cities' gates and protected you from your enemies. He has blessed

Commentary

1 An alternative translation: "I will sing to my God with my other." This "other" is a reference to the body, which is considered secondary to the soul. In this verse we are declaring our commitment to praise God with both our souls and our bodies.

2 God helps not just those who are physically hungry, but also those who are spiritually hungry for Godliness. Rather than allow our spiritual hunger to become a source of weakness or despair, God "satisfies" us by transforming our hunger into a source of positive motivation. This gives us increased energy to serve Him and connect to Him.

3 The "scattered" Jewish Nation in this verse symbolize the sparks of holiness that are scattered in this physical world. It is our task to "elevate" these sparks by using mundane creations for holy purposes. If we look for opportunities to do so, God will respond by assisting us—He will collect the sparks of holiness and "bring them in" for us to elevate.

4 The literal translation of this phrase is, "There is no number to His understanding." As understanding cannot be measured in numbers, this verse requires an alternative interpretation: There is no limit to the number of levels on which we can understand God—ranging from the most basic to the most profound.