CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. VI
Corpus Psalterium Vol. VI cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. VI

Psalm CXXX (130)

Cantillated — Individual Lament Turning to Communal Hope

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 130 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

A Song of Ascents.

1

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh.

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֑וֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּ֖ים קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהוָֽה׃

2

Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.

אֲדֹנָי֮ שִׁמְעָ֪ה בְק֫וֹלִ֥י תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה אָ֭זְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁב֑וֹת לְ֝ק֗וֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃

3

If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?

אִם־עֲוֺנ֥וֹת תִּשְׁמָר־יָ֑הּ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י מִ֣י יַעֲמֹֽד׃

4

But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.

כִּֽי־עִמְּךָ֥ הַסְּלִיחָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן תִּוָּרֵֽא׃

5

I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word.

קִוִּ֣יתִי יְ֭הוָה קִוְּתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י וְֽלִדְבָר֥וֹ הוֹחָֽלְתִּי׃

6

My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

נַפְשִׁ֥י לַֽאדֹנָ֑י מִשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים לַ֝בֹּ֗קֶר שֹׁמְרִ֥ים לַבֹּֽקֶר׃

7

Israel, hope in Yahweh, for there is loving kindness with Yahweh. Abundant redemption is with him.

יַחֵ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶל־יְה֫וָה כִּֽי־עִם־יְהוָ֥ה הַחֶ֑סֶד וְהַרְבֵּ֖ה עִמּ֣וֹ פְדֽוּת׃

8

He will redeem Israel from all their sins.

וְ֭הוּא יִפְדֶּ֣ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִ֝כֹּ֗ל עֲוֺנֹתָֽיו׃

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.

From the deep places

I am calling You, LORD

Lord, hear my voice

turn Your ears toward me

listen close

to my cry for mercy

my soul longs for the Lord

more than the night guard

for daybreak

the night guard

for daybreak

more than the night guard

for daybreak!

If You kept a tally

of wrongs, Yah

Lord

who could stay standing?

But pardon

lives with You

so that we stand

in awe of You

my soul longs for the Lord

more than the night guard

for daybreak

the night guard

for daybreak

more than the night guard

for daybreak!

I wait for the LORD

all of me is waiting

I hang on His word

Israel

wait for the LORD

for kindness lives

with the LORD

and with Him

ransom without end

my soul longs for the Lord

more than the night guard

for daybreak

the night guard

for daybreak

more than the night guard

for daybreak!

He will buy Israel back

from every one

of its wrongs

He will buy Israel back

from every one

of its wrongs!

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