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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. I

Psalm IX (9)

Cantillated — Judicial Progression

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 9 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. Set to “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm by David.

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַלְמ֥וּת לַבֵּ֗ן מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1Heb 2

I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works.

אוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לִבִּ֑י אֲ֝סַפְּרָ֗ה כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

2Heb 3

I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה בָ֑ךְ אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֣ עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

3Heb 4

When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in your presence.

בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י אָח֑וֹר יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃

4Heb 5

For you have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously.

כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י וְדִינִ֑י יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ לְ֝כִסֵּ֗א שׁוֹפֵ֥ט צֶֽדֶק׃

5Heb 6

You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

גָּעַ֣רְתָּ ג֭וֹיִם אִבַּ֣דְתָּ רָשָׁ֑ע שְׁמָ֥ם מָ֝חִ֗יתָ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃

6Heb 7

The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished.

הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ תַּ֥מּוּ חֳרָב֗וֹת לָ֫נֶ֥צַח וְעָרִ֥ים נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ אָבַ֖ד זִכְרָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃

7Heb 8

But Yahweh reigns forever. He has prepared his throne for judgment.

וַֽ֭יהוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם יֵשֵׁ֑ב כּוֹנֵ֖ן לַמִּשְׁפָּ֣ט כִּסְאֽוֹ׃

8Heb 9

He will judge the world in righteousness. He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness.

וְה֗וּא יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק יָדִ֥ין לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

9Heb 10

Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.

וִ֘יהִ֤י יְהוָ֣ה מִשְׂגָּ֣ב לַדָּ֑ךְ מִ֝שְׂגָּ֗ב לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃

10Heb 11

Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you.

וְיִבְטְח֣וּ בְ֭ךָ יוֹדְעֵ֣י שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י לֹֽא־עָזַ֖בְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ יְהוָֽה׃

11Heb 12

Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done.

זַמְּר֗וּ לַ֭יהוָה יֹשֵׁ֣ב צִיּ֑וֹן הַגִּ֥ידוּ בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו׃

12Heb 13

For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted.

כִּֽי־דֹרֵ֣שׁ דָּ֭מִים אוֹתָ֣ם זָכָ֑ר לֹֽא־שָׁ֝כַ֗ח צַעֲקַ֥ת עניים׃

13Heb 14

Have mercy on me, Yahweh. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death,

חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי יְהוָ֗ה רְאֵ֣ה עָ֭נְיִי מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃

14Heb 15

that I may show all of your praise. I will rejoice in your salvation in the gates of the daughter of Zion.

לְמַ֥עַן אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה כָּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֥י בַת־צִיּ֑וֹן אָ֝גִ֗ילָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃

15Heb 16

The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

טָבְע֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם בְּשַׁ֣חַת עָשׂ֑וּ בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ טָ֝מָ֗נוּ נִלְכְּדָ֥ה רַגְלָֽם׃

16Heb 17

Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.

נ֤וֹדַ֨ע ׀ יְהוָה֮ מִשְׁפָּ֪ט עָ֫שָׂ֥ה בְּפֹ֣עַל כַּ֭פָּיו נוֹקֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֑ע הִגָּי֥וֹן סֶֽלָה׃

17Heb 18

The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God.

יָשׁ֣וּבוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה כָּל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם שְׁכֵחֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃

18Heb 19

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

כִּ֤י לֹ֣א לָ֭נֶצַח יִשָּׁכַ֣ח אֶבְי֑וֹן תִּקְוַ֥ת ענוים תֹּאבַ֥ד לָעַֽד׃

19Heb 20

Arise, Yahweh! Don’t let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight.

קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אַל־יָעֹ֣ז אֱנ֑וֹשׁ יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

20Heb 21

Put them in fear, Yahweh. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.

שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ מוֹרָ֗ה לָ֫הֶ֥ם יֵדְע֥וּ גוֹיִ֑ם אֱנ֖וֹשׁ הֵ֣מָּה סֶּֽלָה׃

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.

I will give thanks to the Lord

with all my heart

I will tell

all Your wonders

I will rejoice

I will be glad in You

I will sing

to Your name

O Most High

When my enemies turn back

they fall

they perish

before You

You upheld my cause

You judged in righteousness

You sat on the throne

You judged in truth

You reign forever

You reign forever

You judge the world

in righteousness

You reign forever

You reign forever

You judge the nations

in truth

You rebuked the nations

You destroyed the wicked

You erased their name

forever

The enemy is gone

their cities ruined

Even their memory

is gone

But the Lord

remains forever

He has set His throne

for judgment

He judges the world

in righteousness

He rules the peoples

with justice

The Lord is a refuge

for the oppressed

A refuge

in times of trouble

Those who know Your name

trust in You

You do not forsake

those who seek You

Sing to the Lord

who dwells in Zion

Declare His works

among the nations

He remembers blood

He does not forget

The cry

of the afflicted

Be gracious to me

O Lord

See my affliction

from those who hate me

You lift me

from the gates of death

I will declare

Your praise

I will rejoice

in Your salvation

I will declare

Your praise

I will rejoice

in Your salvation

The nations fall

into their own pit

Their trap

catches their own feet

The Lord is known

by His justice

The wicked fall

by their own hands

The wicked return

to the grave

The nations

who forget God

But the needy

are not forgotten

Their hope

will not perish

Arise O Lord

Arise O Lord

Let not man prevail

Arise O Lord

Arise O Lord

Judge the nations

Put them in fear

O Lord

Let the nations know

They are only men

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