Verses Of Praise

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Hebrew

בְּמָחוֹל, בְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר1 יְזַמְּרוּ
לוֹ: כִּי רוֹצֶה יְיָ בְּעַמּוֹ, יְפָאֵר
עֲנָוִים בִּישׁוּעָה:

Sephardi

Be-machol, be-tof vechinor1 yezammeru
lo: ki rotzeh Adonai be'amo, yefa'er
anavim bishu'ah:

English

to Him with the drum and harp.1 Because they will see how the Lord wants them as His nation, the Jewish Nation will praise Him. When the Redemption arrives, the Jewish Nation, the humble people, will become beautiful by God’s salvation.

The evil rulers among the nations will be destroyed

Hebrew

יַעְלְזוּ חֲסִידִים בְּכָבוֹד,
יְרַנְּנוּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם:
רוֹמְמוֹת אֵל בִּגְרוֹנָם, וְחֶרֶב
פִּיפִיּוֹת בְּיָדָם: לַעֲשׂוֹת
נְקָמָה בַגּוֹיִם, תּוֹכֵחוֹת
בַּלְאֻמִּים: לֶאְסֹר מַלְכֵיהֶם
בְּזִקִּים, וְנִכְבְּדֵיהֶם בְּכַבְלֵי
בַרְזֶל: לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם מִשְׁפָּט
כָּתוּב, הָדָר הוּא לְכָל
חֲסִידָיו, הַלְלוּיָהּ:

Sephardi

Ya'lezu chasidim bechavod,
yerannenu al mishkevotam:
romemot El bi-gronam, vecherev
fifiyot beyadam: la'asot
nekamah vagoyim, tokhechot
bal'umim: le-esor malkheihem
be-zikkim, ve-nikhbedeihem be-khavlei
varzel: la'asot bahem mishpat
katuv, hadar hu lechol
chasidav, halleluyah:

English

The Jewish Nation, the devoted people, will rejoice because of the glory that will come to them. They will sing to God, thanking Him for the peace and rest He gave them. With their throats, they will tell exalting praises of God. Their praises will be like a double-edged sword in their hand, which they will use to take retribution from the nations, to punish the nations of the world, to tie their kings with chains and their honored people with iron shackles. They will carry out upon them the judgment that was written by the prophet Ezekiel, that God will take retribution from the nation of Edom when the Redemption arrives. Doing this will make all of God’s devoted people glorious. Praise the Lord.

Praise God with musical instruments

Hebrew

הַלְלוּיָהּ, הַלְלוּ אֵל בְּקָדְשׁוֹ,2
הַלְלוּהוּ בִּרְקִיעַ
עֻזּוֹ: הַלְלוּהוּ בִגְבוּרֹתָיו,
הַלְלוּהוּ כְּרֹב גֻּדְלוֹ: הַלְלוּהוּ
בְּתֵקַע שׁוֹפָר, הַלְלוּהוּ בְּנֵבֶל
וְכִנּוֹר: הַלְלוּהוּ בְּתֹף וּמָחוֹל,
הַלְלוּהוּ בְּמִנִּים וְעֻגָב:

Sephardi

Halleluyah, hallelu El be-kodsho,2
halleluhu birkia
uzo: halleluhu vigvurotav,
halleluhu k'rov gudlo: halleluhu
be-teka shofar, halleluhu b'nevel
vechinor: halleluhu be-tof u-machol,
halleluhu be-minnim ve-ugav:

English

Praise the Lord. Angels in His holy surroundings, praise God!2 Praise Him in outer space, where He shows His strength. Praise Him by speaking about His mighty acts. Praise Him in the way that His plentiful greatness should be praised—through music and song. Praise Him with the sounding of the shofar. Praise Him with musical instruments like the lyre and the harp. Praise Him by playing the drum and dancing. Praise Him with stringed instruments and the flute. Praise Him with

Hebrew

הַלְלוּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי שָׁמַע, הַלְלוּהוּ
בְּצִלְצְלֵי תְרוּעָה: כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה
תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ הַלְלוּיָהּ: כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה
תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ הַלְלוּיָהּ:

Sephardi

Halleluhu ve-tziltzelei shama, halleluhu
be-tziltzelei teru'ah: kol haneshamah
tehallel Yah halleluyah: kol haneshamah
tehallel Yah halleluyah:

English

the loud sound of cymbals. Praise Him with the clanging sound of cymbals. Every creation that has a soul should praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Every creation that has a soul should praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Stand and remain standing until after בָּרְכוּ, on page 81.

God and His name are blessed forever

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
בָּרוּךְ יְיָ מִצִּיּוֹן שֹׁכֵן
יְרוּשָׁלָיִם, הַלְלוּיָהּ: בָּרוּךְ יְיָ
אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹשֵׂה
נִפְלָאוֹת לְבַדּוֹ: וּבָרוּךְ שֵׁם
כְּבוֹדוֹ לְעוֹלָם, וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹדוֹ
אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:

Sephardi

Baruch Adonai le'olam, amen ve-amen:
Baruch Adonai mitziyon shochen
Yerushalayim, halleluyah: Baruch Adonai
Elohim Elohei Yisrael oseh
nifla'ot levado: uvaruch shem
kevodo le'olam, ve-yimmale chevodo
et kol ha'aretz, amen ve-amen:

English

The Lord is blessed forever. Amen and Amen. Blessed is the Lord, Whose Divine Presence spreads out to the world from Zion, Whose Divine Presence dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. Blessed is the Lord, the only God, the God of the Children of Israel. He alone has the power to do wonders. His glorious name is blessed forever. May God’s glory fill the entire world. Amen and Amen.

Everything in the world comes from God

Hebrew

וַיְבָרֶךְ דָּוִיד אֶת יְיָ לְעֵינֵי כָל
הַקָּהָל, וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד,
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
אָבִינוּ, מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם:
לְךָ יְיָ הַגְּדֻלָּה, וְהַגְּבוּרָה,
וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת, וְהַנֵּצַח, וְהַהוֹד, כִּי
כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, לְךָ יְיָ
הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא לְכֹל
לְרֹאשׁ: וְהָעֹשֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד
מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, וְאַתָּה מוֹשֵׁל בַּכֹּל,
וּבְיָדְךָ, כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה, וּבְיָדְךָ,
לְגַדֵּל וּלְחַזֵּק לַכֹּל: וְעַתָּה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ,

Sephardi

Vayevarech David et Adonai l'einei kol
hakahal, vayomer David,
Baruch Atah Adonai Elohei Yisrael
Avinu, me'olam ve'ad olam:
Lecha Adonai hagedullah, vehagevurah,
vehatiferet, vehanetzach, vehahod, ki
chol bashamayim uva'aretz, lecha Adonai
ha-mamlakhah ve-ha-mitnasse lechol
lerosh: ve-ha-osher ve-ha-kavod
milfanekha, ve'atah moshel bakol,
u-ve-yadekha, ko'ach ugvurah, u-ve-yadekha,
le-gaddel u-le-chazzek lakol: ve-Atah
Eloheinu, modim anachnu lach,

English

King David blessed and thanked the Lord for giving him the opportunity to prepare for the building of the Holy Temple. He thanked God in front of all the people. King David said: Blessed are You, Lord, the God of Jacob, our father, forever; from this world to the World to Come. The following special things belong to You, Lord: greatness, the strength to win wars, the glory that I received when I won wars, the ability to achieve victory in those wars, and the majesty of being a king. All of these came from You, because everything in heaven and on earth is Yours. The ability to rule as a king belongs to You, Lord, and You have given kings the power to rule over their kingdoms. You are raised above all other rulers. Wealth and honor come from You, and You rule over everything. Strength and power are in Your hand. And it is in Your hand to give greatness and strength to everyone. And now our God, we thank You for Your goodness, and we

Commentary

1 The drum and harp have two very different sounds. The harp is sweet, representing God’s attribute of kindness, while the drum is abrupt and loud, representing the attribute of severity (strictness). When the Redemption arrives, both of these attributes will fuse together to form a perfectly balanced energy—like “a drum and a harp” being played together.

2 Angels in heaven have fixed roles—they do only what they are instructed to. The instruments listed in this Psalm correspond to the various specific types of Divine tasks that the angels carry out—some are symbolized by the shofar, others by the harp, and so on. Regarding the soul, however, we say, “All” instruments should be used to “praise the Lord”—the soul is not limited in the ways in which it can serve God.