CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. V
Corpus Psalterium Vol. V cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. V

Psalm CXXV (125)

Cantillated — Declarative Confidence

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:46
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Psalm 125 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

A Song of Ascents.

1

Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים בַּיהוָ֑ה כְּֽהַר־צִיּ֥וֹן לֹא־יִ֝מּ֗וֹט לְעוֹלָ֥ם יֵשֵֽׁב׃

2

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Yahweh surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.

יְֽרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם הָרִים֮ סָבִ֪יב לָ֥הּ וַ֭יהוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

3

For the scepter of wickedness won’t remain over the allotment of the righteous, so that the righteous won’t use their hands to do evil.

כִּ֤י לֹ֪א יָנ֡וּחַ שֵׁ֤בֶט הָרֶ֗שַׁע עַל֮ גּוֹרַ֪ל הַֽצַּדִּ֫יקִ֥ים לְמַ֡עַן לֹא־יִשְׁלְח֖וּ הַצַּדִּיקִ֨ים בְּעַוְלָ֬תָה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃

4

Do good, Yahweh, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts.

הֵיטִ֣יבָה יְ֭הוָה לַטּוֹבִ֑ים וְ֝לִֽישָׁרִ֗ים בְּלִבּוֹתָֽם׃

5

But as for those who turn away to their crooked ways, Yahweh will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.

וְהַמַּטִּ֤ים עַֽקַלְקַלּוֹתָ֗ם יוֹלִיכֵ֣ם יְ֭הוָה אֶת־פֹּעֲלֵ֣י הָאָ֑וֶן שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Whoever leans

on the LORD

is a Zion mountain

nothing can rock it

it sits in its place

for all time

Hills stand in a ring

around Jerusalem

so the LORD

rings His people round

starting today

and never ending

The wicked one's sceptre

will not stay

on the ground

the righteous were given

or the righteous

might put out their hands

to evil

Be good, LORD

Be good, LORD

to the good

to those whose hearts

run straight

But those who bend off

onto twisted paths

the LORD will march them out

with those who work evil

Whoever leans

on the LORD

is a Zion mountain

nothing can rock it

it sits in its place

for all time

Peace

Peace

over Israel

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn