CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. III
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. III

Psalm LXV (65)

Cantillated — Declarative Praise

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 65 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָוִ֥ד שִֽׁיר׃

1Heb 2

Praise waits for you, God, in Zion. Vows shall be performed to you.

לְךָ֤ דֻֽמִיָּ֬ה תְהִלָּ֓ה אֱלֹ֘הִ֥ים בְּצִיּ֑וֹן וּ֝לְךָ֗ יְשֻׁלַּם־נֶֽדֶר׃

2Heb 3

You who hear prayer, all men will come to you.

שֹׁמֵ֥עַ תְּפִלָּ֑ה עָ֝דֶ֗יךָ כָּל־בָּשָׂ֥ר יָבֹֽאוּ׃

3Heb 4

Sins overwhelmed me, but you atoned for our transgressions.

דִּבְרֵ֣י עֲ֭וֺנֹת גָּ֣בְרוּ מֶ֑נִּי פְּ֝שָׁעֵ֗ינוּ אַתָּ֥ה תְכַפְּרֵֽם׃

4Heb 5

Blessed is the one whom you choose and cause to come near, that he may live in your courts. We will be filled with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ תִּֽבְחַ֣ר וּתְקָרֵב֮ יִשְׁכֹּ֪ן חֲצֵ֫רֶ֥יךָ נִ֭שְׂבְּעָה בְּט֣וּב בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ הֵיכָלֶֽךָ׃

5Heb 6

By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, God of our salvation. You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth, of those who are far away on the sea.

נ֤וֹרָא֨וֹת ׀ בְּצֶ֣דֶק תַּ֭עֲנֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ מִבְטָ֥ח כָּל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ וְיָ֣ם רְחֹקִֽים׃

6Heb 7

By your power, you form the mountains, having armed yourself with strength.

מֵכִ֣ין הָרִ֣ים בְּכֹח֑וֹ נֶ֝אְזָ֗ר בִּגְבוּרָֽה׃

7Heb 8

You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.

מַשְׁבִּ֤יחַ ׀ שְׁא֣וֹן יַ֭מִּים שְׁא֥וֹן גַּלֵּיהֶ֗ם וַהֲמ֥וֹן לְאֻמִּֽים׃

8Heb 9

They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid at your wonders. You call the morning’s dawn and the evening with songs of joy.

וַיִּ֤ירְא֨וּ ׀ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י קְ֭צָוֺת מֵאוֹתֹתֶ֑יךָ מ֤וֹצָֽאֵי־בֹ֖קֶר וָעֶ֣רֶב תַּרְנִֽין׃

9Heb 10

You visit the earth, and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it.

פָּקַ֥דְתָּ הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ וַתְּשֹׁ֪קְקֶ֡הָ רַבַּ֬ת תַּעְשְׁרֶ֗נָּה פֶּ֣לֶג אֱ֭לֹהִים מָ֣לֵא מָ֑יִם תָּכִ֥ין דְּ֝גָנָ֗ם כִּי־כֵ֥ן תְּכִינֶֽהָ׃

10Heb 11

You drench its furrows. You level its ridges. You soften it with showers. You bless it with a crop.

תְּלָמֶ֣יהָ רַ֭וֵּה נַחֵ֣ת גְּדוּדֶ֑יהָ בִּרְבִיבִ֥ים תְּ֝מֹגְגֶ֗נָּה צִמְחָ֥הּ תְּבָרֵֽךְ׃

11Heb 12

You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance.

עִ֭טַּרְתָּ שְׁנַ֣ת טוֹבָתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מַעְגָּלֶ֗יךָ יִרְעֲפ֥וּן דָּֽשֶׁן׃

12Heb 13

The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness.

יִ֭רְעֲפוּ נְא֣וֹת מִדְבָּ֑ר וְ֝גִ֗יל גְּבָע֥וֹת תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה׃

13Heb 14

The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys also are clothed with grain. They shout for joy! They also sing.

לָבְשׁ֬וּ כָרִ֨ים ׀ הַצֹּ֗אן וַעֲמָקִ֥ים יַֽעַטְפוּ־בָ֑ר יִ֝תְרוֹעֲע֗וּ אַף־יָשִֽׁירוּ׃

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.

To You

silence is praise

O God

in Zion

To You

vows are paid

To You

O God

we praise

You hear prayer

to You all flesh comes

Words of sin

rise against me

Our transgressions

You cover

You atone

You forgive

Blessed the one

You choose

Blessed the one

You bring near

You bring near

to dwell with You

You answer us

in righteousness

O God

our salvation

You are our hope

You are our hope

Hope of all

the ends of the earth

You set the mountains

by Your strength

You are clothed

with power

You still the roaring

of the seas

The waves

and the nations

Ah ———

All who dwell

stand in awe

Morning light

evening fades

They sing for joy

before You

You answer us

in righteousness

O God

our salvation

You are our hope

You are our hope

Hope of all

the ends of the earth

You visit the earth

You water it

You enrich it

abundantly

The river of God

is full

Full

full

You crown the year

with Your goodness

Your paths

overflow

Overflow

overflow

The fields are filled

with flocks

The valleys covered

with grain

They shout for joy

they sing

They sing

they sing

They sing

before You

They sing

before 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