CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. II
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. II

Psalm XXXIII (33)

Cantillated — Declarative Praise

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:22
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Psalm 33 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

1

Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright.

רַנְּנ֣וּ צַ֭דִּיקִים בַּֽיהוָ֑ה לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה׃

2

Give thanks to Yahweh with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.

הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר זַמְּרוּ־לֽוֹ׃

3

Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!

שִֽׁירוּ־ל֭וֹ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ הֵיטִ֥יבוּ נַ֝גֵּ֗ן בִּתְרוּעָֽה׃

4

For Yahweh’s word is right. All his work is done in faithfulness.

כִּֽי־יָשָׁ֥ר דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה וְכָל־מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָֽה׃

5

He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loving kindness of Yahweh.

אֹ֭הֵב צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט חֶ֥סֶד יְ֝הוָ֗ה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃

6

By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made: all their army by the breath of his mouth.

בִּדְבַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה שָׁמַ֣יִם נַעֲשׂ֑וּ וּבְר֥וּחַ פִּ֝֗יו כָּל־צְבָאָֽם׃

7

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

כֹּנֵ֣ס כַּ֭נֵּד מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם נֹתֵ֖ן בְּאֹצָר֣וֹת תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃

8

Let all the earth fear Yahweh. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

יִֽירְא֣וּ מֵ֭יְהוָה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ מִמֶּ֥נּוּ יָ֝ג֗וּרוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵֽל׃

9

For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.

כִּ֤י ה֣וּא אָמַ֣ר וַיֶּ֑הִי הֽוּא־צִ֝וָּ֗ה וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃

10

Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

יְֽהוָ֗ה הֵפִ֥יר עֲצַת־גּוֹיִ֑ם הֵ֝נִ֗יא מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת עַמִּֽים׃

11

The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

עֲצַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תַּעֲמֹ֑ד מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת לִ֝בּ֗וֹ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

12

Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.

אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גּוֹי אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו הָעָ֓ם ׀ בָּחַ֖ר לְנַחֲלָ֣ה לֽוֹ׃

13

Yahweh looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men.

מִ֭שָּׁמַיִם הִבִּ֣יט יְהוָ֑ה רָ֝אָ֗ה אֶֽת־כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם׃

14

From the place of his habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,

מִֽמְּכוֹן־שִׁבְתּ֥וֹ הִשְׁגִּ֑יחַ אֶ֖ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

15

he who fashions all of their hearts; and he considers all of their works.

הַיֹּצֵ֣ר יַ֣חַד לִבָּ֑ם הַ֝מֵּבִ֗ין אֶל־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם׃

16

There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

אֵֽין־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב־חָ֑יִל גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב־כֹּֽחַ׃

17

A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power.

שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭סּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה וּבְרֹ֥ב חֵ֝יל֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃

18

Behold, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness,

הִנֵּ֤ה עֵ֣ין יְ֭הוָה אֶל־יְרֵאָ֑יו לַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ׃

19

to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine.

לְהַצִּ֣יל מִמָּ֣וֶת נַפְשָׁ֑ם וּ֝לְחַיּוֹתָ֗ם בָּרָעָֽב׃

20

Our soul has waited for Yahweh. He is our help and our shield.

נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ חִכְּתָ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרֵ֖נוּ וּמָגִנֵּ֣נוּ הֽוּא׃

21

For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

כִּי־ב֭וֹ יִשְׂמַ֣ח לִבֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֤י בְשֵׁ֖ם קָדְשׁ֣וֹ בָטָֽחְנוּ׃

22

Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you.

יְהִֽי־חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר יִחַ֥לְנוּ לָֽךְ׃

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.

Sing for joy

in the LORD

O you righteous

Praise is fitting

for the upright

Give thanks

to the LORD

with the harp

Make melody

to Him

Sing to Him

a new song

Play skillfully

with a shout

HEY

For the word

of the LORD

is upright

All His work

is faithful

He loves

righteousness

He loves

justice

The earth

is full

of His love

By the word

of the LORD

the heavens

were made

By the breath

of His mouth

all their host

He spoke

and it was

He commanded

and it stood

He gathers

the waters

He stores

the deep

Let all the earth

fear the LORD

Let all the world

stand in awe

The LORD

breaks the plans

of nations

But His counsel

stands forever

Blessed

is the nation

whose God

is the LORD

From heaven

He looks

He sees

all mankind

He forms

their hearts

He knows

their works

No king

is saved

by his strength

The horse

is a false hope

for salvation

But the eye

of the LORD

is on those

who fear Him

On those

who hope

in His love

Our soul

waits for the LORD

He is our help

He is our shield

In Him

our hearts rejoice

In His name

we trust

Let Your love

be upon us

as we hope

in You

Let Your love

be upon us

as we hope

in You

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