Psalms for the 20th Day (Hebrew)97 98 99 100 101 102 103
מִזְמוֹר, שִׁירוּ לַיהוָה שִׁיר חָדָשׁ-- כִּי-נִפְלָאוֹת עָשָׂה
הוֹשִׁיעָה-לּוֹ יְמִינוֹ, וּזְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ
הוֹדִיעַ יְהוָה, יְשׁוּעָתוֹ; לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם, גִּלָּה צִדְקָתוֹ
זָכַר חַסְדּוֹ, וֶאֱמוּנָתוֹ-- לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל
רָאוּ כָל-אַפְסֵי-אָרֶץ-- אֵת, יְשׁוּעַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ
הָרִיעוּ לַיהוָה, כָּל-הָאָרֶץ; פִּצְחוּ וְרַנְּנוּ וְזַמֵּרוּ
זַמְּרוּ לַיהוָה בְּכִנּוֹר; בְּכִנּוֹר, וְקוֹל זִמְרָה
בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת, וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר-- הָרִיעוּ, לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוָה
יִרְעַם הַיָּם, וּמְלֹאוֹ; תֵּבֵל, וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ
נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ-כָף; יַחַד, הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ
לִפְנֵי יְהוָה-- כִּי בָא, לִשְׁפֹּט הָאָרֶץ
יִשְׁפֹּט-תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק; וְעַמִּים, בְּמֵישָׁרִים
I really cannot help myself; I love the Hebrew psalms, more and more as I read them more and more. They express so much in so few words. They are truly a literary and spiritual masterpiece. As for their sounds, the cadence of words, the rhyme of thoughts, to read them aloud refreshes body and soul, and rejoices the spirit that God has put into man. They are truly the heart of the holy and divine scripture. Nothing can be added to them, nothing taken away. One approaches them in poverty, and departs from them rich. One arrives dead in sin, and takes leave alive. The blind man receives his sight. The cripple recovers the use of his limbs. Going away one is never empty-handed or hard-hearted. Though we sometimes approach offeringless, we come away laden with blessing.
Psalm 98 – Mizmór Tzádde Chet
Mizmór,
Shíru l’Adonáy shir chadásh, ki nifla’ót ‘asáh;
hoshí‘ah lo y’minó uz’róa‘ qod’shó.
Hodía‘ ’Adonáy y’shu‘ató,
l’eynéy hagoyím gilláh tzid’qató.
Zakhár chas’dó ve’emunató l’veyt Yisra’él,
ra’ú khol ’afséy ’áretz ét y’shu‘át ’Elohéynu.
Harí‘u l’Adonáy kol ha’áretz,
pitz’chú v’ran’nú v’zamméru.
Zamm’rú l’Adonáy b’khinnór,
b’khinnór v’qol zim’ráh.
bachatzítz’rot v’qol shofár,
harí‘u lifnéy hammélekh ’Adonáy.
Yir‘ám hayyám um’lo’ú,
tevél v’yosh’véy vahh.
N’harót yimcha’ú khaf,
yáchad harím y’rannénu.
Lifnéy ’Adonáy ki va lish’pót ha’áretz;
yish’pót tevél b’tzédeq, v‘ammím b’meysharím.
Sing Yahweh a new song
for He has performed marvels,
His own right hand, His holy arm,
gives Him the power to save.
Yahweh has displayed His power,
has revealed His righteousness to the nations,
mindful of His love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
The most distant parts of the earth have seen
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy!
Sing to Yahweh, sing to the music of harps,
and to the sound of many instruments;
to the sound of trumpet and horn
acclaim Yahweh the King!
Let the sea thunder and all that it holds,
and the world, with all who live in it;
let all the rivers clap their hands
and the mountains shout for joy,
at the presence of Yahweh, for He comes
to judge the earth,
to judge the world with righteousness
and the nations with strict justice.
Shíru l’Adonáy shir chadásh, ki nifla’ót ‘asáh;
hoshí‘ah lo y’minó uz’róa‘ qod’shó.
Hodía‘ ’Adonáy y’shu‘ató,
l’eynéy hagoyím gilláh tzid’qató.
Zakhár chas’dó ve’emunató l’veyt Yisra’él,
ra’ú khol ’afséy ’áretz ét y’shu‘át ’Elohéynu.
Harí‘u l’Adonáy kol ha’áretz,
pitz’chú v’ran’nú v’zamméru.
Zamm’rú l’Adonáy b’khinnór,
b’khinnór v’qol zim’ráh.
bachatzítz’rot v’qol shofár,
harí‘u lifnéy hammélekh ’Adonáy.
Yir‘ám hayyám um’lo’ú,
tevél v’yosh’véy vahh.
N’harót yimcha’ú khaf,
yáchad harím y’rannénu.
Lifnéy ’Adonáy ki va lish’pót ha’áretz;
yish’pót tevél b’tzédeq, v‘ammím b’meysharím.
Sing Yahweh a new song
for He has performed marvels,
His own right hand, His holy arm,
gives Him the power to save.
Yahweh has displayed His power,
has revealed His righteousness to the nations,
mindful of His love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
The most distant parts of the earth have seen
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy!
Sing to Yahweh, sing to the music of harps,
and to the sound of many instruments;
to the sound of trumpet and horn
acclaim Yahweh the King!
Let the sea thunder and all that it holds,
and the world, with all who live in it;
let all the rivers clap their hands
and the mountains shout for joy,
at the presence of Yahweh, for He comes
to judge the earth,
to judge the world with righteousness
and the nations with strict justice.
5 comments:
I'm very much inclined to learning other languages, and Hebrew and Greek are first on the list - for obvious reasons. But I cannot justify time to be spent on this. :) I have little kids to take care of, so I have to be practical and set priorities.
I just went out to get lunch and the cashier person was a lady who had the prayer rope on her wrist. Turned out to be Greek Orthodox, and we had a lovely chat, exchanged some Greek and Russian words at the end. :) What is the typical greeting in Greek that I could say to her when I meet her next time? something that would make her smile/glad, as a brother to sister in Christ.
Kaliméra! is a typical Greek greeting, modern Greek of course. It means literally, 'Good day!' the equivalent of 'dobry dien' in Russian.
I was learning Hebrew from the age of about 12, when I went to the public library and got my first book, so I could transliterate the alphabet. I'm not sure how long ago I started learning Greek, but it wasn't until I joined the Greek Orthodox Church that I really became fluent at it, and that only took a couple of years. Fluent in the sense that I could sight read anything put in front of me. Comprehension varies, sometimes I understand all, sometimes only about 50%, but especially with scripture passages and hymns and prayers, all.
Hebrew is easier than Greek in its simplicity, but harder in its lack of cognates to English.
Just promise yourself to be learning Hebrew and Greek for the rest of your life, and the Lord will begin to make openings of time, place, and study partner, as He sees fit.
Of course, when I said, 'promise yourself' I really meant 'promise Him.' He is so faithful and so loving, He honors those who honor Him, and fully.
Start learning now, and read as much or as little, but out loud and in the presence of your family, your kids, as they are growing up, so they realise that it is a normal thing, and a blessed thing, to read and understand the scriptures in the original languages. Who knows? You may have a whole family of original languages bible people in your house!
I believe that is all very possible but... is it really important? necessary? I think it's not necessary in the long run, toward the ultimate Goal. And that's where my inability to justify it comes from. I see it as a simply desire for pleasure on my side, selfish. I may be mistaken, of course.
Sasha, not everyone is called to this. 'Is it really important? Is it really necessary?' These are questions we each ask for ourselves. What does Christ call you to do? Do it! You can appreciate what He calls others to do without trying to do the same. The mistake is to think everyone must do as I do, or that I must do as everyone else does. These are thoughts that hinder the soul in its pursuit of Christ.
As for pleasure, well, what is wrong with pleasure? Christ has not called us to suffering but to joy. The suffering comes of its own as we follow Christ, who is our joy.
If poverty and suffering were virtues, we would be commanded to spread them among each other, but of course, we see right away this cannot be so. Christ says, 'love one another,' not 'impoverish one another.'
You know well I am not a proponent of the prosperity gospel, 'God wants to bless you! This is YOUR day!' But I also want to encourage you in the good things, even if they do give you pleasure. As I said, suffering and self-denial are for their time, but they are not ends in themselves. If it gives you pleasure to read the Bible in any language, read it! If it doesn't give you pleasure, read it!
Our minds, though, were made to be filled by God with His unspeakable glories, giving us cause to rejoice with a certainty unbreakable by any calamity. For me, to read the scriptures aloud and hear the holy prophets', saints' and apostles' very own words, is a pleasure, yes, and also what strengthens me when I do have to suffer. Actually, I am suffering now but hardly ever notice, because those merciful words heal and pacify me. Glory to God!
I thank God for you, brother, and pray for you and your family, every day. A man of God is more a miracle than we realise, and living proof that God exists.
Sometimes it's joy - to read His Word, and sometimes it's tough. As for reading in other/original languages... I'm not sure if it's my CALL. I think I'll just have to pray and ask for guidance. :)
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