The Old Hymns (Psalms) Book 4

Book 4


90 [1-4] A Prayer of Moses, the Preacher of God. My God, You’ve been our resting place in all generations. Before the mountains were created, or before You had formed the earth and the universe, even from eternity, You are God. You turn us over to destruction; and say, “Repent, you children of humanity.” For a thousand years in Your sight is only as yesterday when it’s over and only as a watch in the night.

[5-10] You carry us away like in a flood; we’re just as if we’re asleep: in the morning we’re like grass which grows up in the night. In the morning it does well, and grows up; in the evening it’s cut down, and withers. For we’re consumed by Your anger, and by Your anger we’re troubled. You’ve exposed our sins; our secret sins are made clear in the light of Your face. For all our days are destroyed by Your anger: we spend our years as a storytale. We may live to be seventy years old; and if we’re strong, maybe eighty years, yet even in our strength, is nothing but pain and sorrow; for it soon passes, and our souls soar away.

[11-17] Who knows the power of Your anger? Even those who respect You greatly fear Your anger. So teach us that our days are numbered, so that we can apply our hearts to know wisdom. Oh Yahweh, how long before You return to us? May You change Your mind when it concerns Your people. Oh comfort us with Your mercy soon, so that we can be glad and celebrate all our days. As many days as You’ve allowed us to be abused, and as many years as we have seen evil, make us happy. Let Your people see Your creations, and let Your glory appear to their children. And let the loveliness of Yahweh our God be reflected in our look, and may You inspire the creations of our hands in us; yes, You inspire the creations of our hands.

91 [1-6] The One who inhabits the secret place of the Most High will be in the shade of the Spirit of the Almighty. I’ll say of Yahweh, “God is my safe haven and my fortress, my God; in whom I’ll trust.” Surely God will save You from the trap of the hunter, and from the dreadful pestilence. God will protect You, and in the Spirit of God You’ll trust: the truth of God will be Your defense and weapon. You won’t be afraid of terror by night, or of weapons that shoot by day, or for the pests that crawl about in darkness; or for any destruction that ruins at noon.

[7-16] A thousand will fall at Your side, and ten thousand on Your other side; but it won’t come near You. With Your eyes only, You’ll watch and see the punishment of the sinful, because You’ve made Yahweh, the Most High, who is my safe haven, Your resting place; No evil will befall You, nor will any deadly illness come near where You are, for the angels of God will have charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways. They’ll bear You up in their hands, if You should stump Your foot on a stone. You’ll stomp on the lion and the snake: the young lion and the dragon You’ll trample under foot. And God said, “Because You’ve set Your love on Me, I’ll save You: I’ll bring You to heaven, because You’ve known My Name. You’ll call on Me, and I’ll answer: I’ll be with You in trouble; I’ll save You, and bring You honor. With eternal life I’ll satisfy You, and show You My salvation.”

92 [1-5] A Hymn or Song for the Holy day. It’s a good thing to give thanks to Yahweh, and to sing praises to Your Name, oh Most High, on a stringed instrument, on the lyre, and on the harp with a solemn sound, showing Your graciousness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night. For You, oh Yahweh, have made me glad through Your actions: I’ll triumph in what You do. Oh Yahweh, how great are Your acts! Your thoughts are very deep.

[6-9] A defiant person doesn’t know; nor does a stupid person understand this. When the sinful grow like grass, and when all those who practice sin do well; it’s they who are destroyed forever: But You, oh Yahweh, are Most High forever. See, Your enemies, oh Yahweh, Your enemies will die; all those who practice sin will be scattered.

[10-15] But You’ll lift up my strength like the horn of a unicorn and anoint me with fresh oil. My eye will see what I asked of my enemies, and my ears will hear what I wanted of the sinful that rise up against me. Godly people will do well like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that are rooted in the House of God of Yahweh will do well in God’s house. They’ll still have children in their old age; They’re healthy and do well to show that Yahweh is Good: God is my rock, in whom there’s no evil.

93 [1-5] Yahweh reigns and is decorated with majesty; Yahweh is decorated with strength, which You restrain: the world is settled also, so that it can’t be moved out of place. Your reign is settled from everlasting: You are Eternal. The floods have risen up, oh Yahweh, the waters are roaring; the ocean waves rise up. Yahweh in heaven is stronger than the sound of many rushing waters, yes, than the strongest waves of the sea. Your words are very certain: holiness makes Your house beautiful forever, oh Yahweh.

94 [1-7] Oh Yahweh, God, revenge belongs to You; oh God, revenge belongs to You, show Yourself. Lift up Yourself, judge of the earth: repay those who think they are better than others with their punishment. Yahweh, how long will the sinful, how long will the sinful triumph? How long will they talk and speak harsh things; and all those who practice sin brag about themselves? They destroy Israel, oh Yahweh, and trouble Your heritage. They destroy the single parent and the foreigner, and murder the survivors’ children. Yet they say, “Yahweh won’t see it, nor will the God of Israel care about it.”

[8-13] Understand, you defiant among the people, and you stupid ones; When will you get smart? Won’t the One that created the ear hear it? Won’t the One that formed the eye see it? Won’t the One that punishes the ungodly correct them? Won’t the One that teaches people knowledge know it? Yahweh knows the thoughts of all people, that they’re nothing. Those people that You discipline are blessed, oh Yahweh. You teach them out of Your Word, so that You can give them rest from the days of trouble, until the grave for the sinful is dug.

[14-18] For You, Oh Yahweh won’t throw away Your people; neither will You give up on Your inheritance. But judgment will return to goodness, and all goodhearted people will follow it. Who will rise up for me against the evil ones; or who will stand up for me against the sinful ones? Unless Yahweh had been my help, my soul had almost lived in silence. When I said, “My foot is slipping;” Your mercy, oh Yahweh, held me up.

[19-23] In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Your comforts thrill my soul. Shall the reign of sin, which supports its trouble by law, have friendship with You? They gather themselves together against the souls of godly people, condemning innocent blood. But Yahweh is my defense; and my God is the foundation of my safe haven. God will bring on them the consequences of their own sin, and will destroy them in their own evil; yes, Yahweh our God will destroy them.

95 [1-7] Oh come, let’s sing to Yahweh: Let’s sing joyfully to the Rock who saves us. Let’s come into God’s presence with thanksgiving, making a joyful sound with hymns. For Yahweh is a great God, and Savior above all great ones. The deep places of the earth are in Your hands: the strength of the hills is Yours also. The sea is Yours, You made it, and Your hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let’s worship and bow down: Let’s kneel before Yahweh our maker. For You are our God; and we’re the animals of Your pasture, and the lambs are cradled in Your arms.

[8-11]Today, if you’ll hear the voice of God, who says: “Don’t be hardhearted, as the days I was provoked and tempted in the countryside: As when Your parents tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My miracles. I was grieved forty long years with this generation, and said, “These people are wrong in their hearts, and they don’t know my ways:” To whom I swore in my anger that they wouldn’t enter into my restfulness.

96 [1-6] Oh sing to Yahweh a new song: sing to Yahweh, all you people of the earth. Sing to Yahweh, bless God’s Name; Teach of God’s salvation everyday. Tell the glory of God among the ungodly, the wonders of God among all people. For Yahweh is great, and to be greatly praised: God is to be respected above all great ones, because worshiping any of the great ones of the nations is idolatry, but Yahweh made the heavens. Honor and majesty are God’s; strength and loveliness are in the House of Yahweh God.

[7-13] People of every race give to Yahweh, yes, give to Yahweh glory and strength. Give to Yahweh the glory due to the Name of God: bring an offering, and come into the house of God. Oh worship Yahweh in the loveliness of holiness: all you people of the earth respect God. Tell the ungodly that Yahweh reigns, so that the world will be settled and that it won’t be moved out of place; and God will judge the people rightly. Let the heavens celebrate, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and everything in it. Let the fields be joyful, and everything in them: then all the trees of the woods will celebrate before Yahweh, as well: for God comes, for God comes to judge the earth and will rightly judge the world and the people with truth.

97 [1-6] Yahweh reigns; let the people of the earth celebrate; let the masses of the islands be glad of it. Clouds and darkness are around You: goodness and judgment are the symbols of Your reign. A fire goes before You, and burns up Your enemies everywhere. Your lightning brightened the world: the people of earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Savior, at the presence of the Most High Savior of the whole earth. The heavens declare Your goodness, and everybody sees Your glory.

[7-12] Let all those that worship other things and brag to themselves of their idolatry be confused: worship Yahweh God, all you great ones. Jerusalem heard, and was glad; and the children of Judah celebrated because of Your judgments, oh Yahweh. For You, oh Yahweh, are high above the whole world: You are praised far above all great ones. You that love Yahweh, hate anything evil, for God saves the souls of the saints of God, delivering them out of the hand of the sinful. Light is allotted for godly people and gladness for goodhearted people. Celebrate in Yahweh, you who are good; and give thanks at the remembrance of God’s holiness.

98 [1-3] A Hymn. Oh sing to Yahweh a new song; for God has done awesome things: Your strong hand and holy arm have claimed You the victory. Yahweh, You’ve made known Your saving grace: You’ve openly shown Your goodness in the sight of the ungodly. You’ve remembered Your mercy and Your truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen how our God saves us.

[4-9] Make a joyful sound to Yahweh, all you people of the earth: make a loud sound and celebrate, singing praises. Sing to Yahweh with the harp; with the harp, and the song of a hymn. With the sound of trumpets and cornet make a joyful sound before Yahweh, the Savior. Let the sea roar and everything in it; the world, and all those who live in it. Let the floods slap its waves: let the hills be joyful together because of Yahweh; for God comes to judge the earth; God will judge the world and the people with goodness and with equality.

99 [1-5] Yahweh reigns; let the people tremble with the fear of the God who sits between the angelic creatures; let the earth be troubled. Yahweh is great in Jerusalem; and God is exalted above all the people. Let us praise Your great and awesome Name, Yahweh, because it’s holy. The ruler’s strength is to love good judgment; You set up equality, You carry out good judgment and goodness in Israel. We exalt You, oh Yahweh our God, and worship at the footstool of God; for You are holy.

[6-9] Moses and Aaron were among their priests, and Samuel was among those that call on Your Name; They called on Yahweh, and You answered them. You spoke to them in the cloudy pillar, and they kept Your words, and the laws that You gave them. You answered them, oh Yahweh our God: You were a God that forgave them, though You punished their evil behaviors. Exalt Yahweh our God, and worship at the holy hill; for Yahweh our God is holy.

100 [1-5] A Hymn of praise. Make a joyful sound to Yahweh, all you nations. Serve Yahweh with happiness: come before the presence of God with singing. Don’t you know that Yahweh is God? You are the One that has made us, and not we ourselves; we’re God’s people, and the animals of Your pasture. We enter Your House of God with thanksgiving, and into Your presence with praise. Be thankful to God, and bless the Name of God. Yahweh is good, whose mercy is everlasting, and whose truth will last to all generations.

101 [1-4] A Hymn of David. I’ll sing of mercy and judgment: to You, oh Yahweh, I’ll sing. I’ll behave myself wisely in a perfect way. Oh when will You come to me? I’ll walk in my house with a perfect heart. I’ll put no sinful thing before my eyes so that I won’t get addicted to it: I hate what those that turn aside from Your way do. I won’t have a sinful heart because I won’t keep company with a sinful person.

[5-8] I’ll take those who secretly lie about their neighbor from their place: I won’t allow those that have a proud look and an arrogant heart to come near me. My eyes will be on the faithful of the land so that they can stay with me: those that walk in a perfect way, they’ll be my people. Those that act dishonestly won’t stay in my house: those that tell lies won’t be in my sight long. Soon I’ll ruin all the sinful of the land; so that I can remove all the sinful from the city of Yahweh.

102 [1] A Prayer of the abused, when they’re overwhelmed, and pour out their complaint before Yahweh. Listen to my prayer, oh Yahweh, hear my cry. Don’t hide Your face from me on the day when I’m in trouble; listen to me, answering me quickly on the day when I call. My days are gone like smoke, and my body is burned as a hearth. My heart is cut and withered like grass; so badly that I forget to eat my food. Because of the sound of my groaning my skin clings to my bones.

[6-11] I’m like a pelican of the countryside or like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone on the rooftop. My enemies accuse me all day; and those that are mad at me have sworn against me. For I’ve eaten ashes like food, and mixed my drink with tears, because of Your righteous anger and Your rage: for You’ve lifted me up, and thrown me back down. My days are like a shadow that fades; and I’m withered like grass.

[12-17] But You, oh Yahweh, will last forever; and all generations will remember You. You’ll awake, and have mercy on Jerusalem: for the time of grace is theirs, yes, the set time has come. For we take pleasure in its stones, and favor the dust of its streets, so the ungodly will respect the Name of Yahweh and all rulers on the earth Your glory. When You build up Jerusalem, You Yahweh, Oh God, will appear in Your glory. God will have favor on the prayer of the poor, not hating to hear their words.

[18-22] This will be written for the generation to come, and the people born in the future will praise Yahweh. For God has looked down from the height of the House of God; even from heaven Yahweh has seen the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to free those that have been sentenced to death, to declare the Name of Yahweh in Zion, and Your praise in Jerusalem, when the people and the nations are gathered together to minister to Yahweh.

[23-28] You weakened my strength in the way, God, and shortened my days. So I said, “Oh my God; don’t take me away in the midst of my life: Your years are throughout all generations. From time eternal You’ve laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the creation of Your own hands. They’ll all come to an end, but You’ll last: yes, all of them will grow old like clothing; You’ll change them as a garment, and they’ll be changed: But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of your people will last forever, and their children will be made known before You.”

103 [1-5] A Hymn of David. Bless Yahweh, oh my soul; I bless Your holy Name with all that’s in me. Bless Yahweh, oh my soul, and never forget all that God does for you: Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; Who bought back your life from destruction and graces you with love and tender mercies; Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's strength.

[6-12] Yahweh executes goodness and judgment for all that are kept down. You’ve made known the ways of God to Moses, Your acts to the children of Israel. Yahweh, You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and have more than enough compassion. You won’t always accuse: You won’t keep Your anger forever. God, You haven’t given us what we deserve for our sins; nor punished us according to our sins. Just as the heavens are high above the earth, so Your mercy toward those that respect You is great. As far as the east is from the west, God has taken our sins from us.

[13-22] Like parents pity their children, so You pity those that respect You, Yahweh. For God knows what we’re made of and remembers that we’re only dust. As for humans, their days are as grass: as flowers of the field, so they do well. The wind passes over them, and they’re gone; and their beauty won’t be seen in their place anymore. But the mercy of Yahweh is eternally on those that respect God; and the goodness of God is on their grandchildren; and on those who keep the Promise; and to those that remember to do the commandments. The reign of Yahweh is ready in the heavens; Your power rules over all things. Bless Yahweh, you strong angels, which do the commandments when you hear to the sound of God’s Word. Bless Yahweh, all you heavenly hosts; the ministers of God that do whatever God wants them to. Bless Yahweh, all creation everywhere: bless Yahweh, oh my soul.

104 [1-5] Bless Yahweh, oh my soul. Oh Yahweh my God, You are very great; You are decorated with honor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with clothes: You, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain: Who lays the shafts of Your chambers in the waters and makes the clouds Your vehicle, moving on the wings of the wind: Who makes the angels spirits; and Your ministers to shine like flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it wouldn’t ever be moved out of its place.

[6-11] You covered it with the floods as with clothes: the waters stood above the mountain tops. At Your command it fled; at the voice of Your thunder it rushed away. It goes up by the mountains and goes down by the valleys to the place which You’ve made for it. You’ve set a boundary that it can’t pass over; that it won’t cover the earth again. God sends the creeks into the valleys, which flow among the hills. God gives drink to every beast of the field: even the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

[12-17] The birds of heaven which sing among the branches have their nests beside them. God waters the hills from the heavens: the earth is satisfied with everything Your creation provides. God, You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the people’s benefit, so that all of them can get food from the earth; And wine that makes the people’s hearts glad, and oil to make their faces shine, and food to strengthen their hearts. The trees of Yahweh, You, God, have planted; the cedars of Lebanon, where the birds make their nests, and the fir trees that are the home of the stork are all full of sap.

[18-23] The high hills are a safe haven for the wild goats; and the rocks for the rabbits. God, You appointed the moon for the seasons and the sun goes down at its proper time. You make darkness, and the night comes in which all the wild animals of the forest creep out. The young lions roar after their prey, and look for their meat from God. The sun rises, they gather together, and lay down in their dens. People go to their work and to their place of employment until the evening.

[24-30] Oh Yahweh, how many are Your creations! In wisdom You’ve made them all: the earth is full of Your treasures. So is this great and wide sea, in which are innumerable living things, both small and great. There go the ships and there’s leviathan, that great dinosaur of the sea that You’ve made to play in it. These all wait for You to give them their meat in due season. They gather whatever You give them: You open Your hand, and they’re all filled with good things. You hide Your face, and they’re troubled: You take away their breath, and they die, and return to the dust. You send Your spirit, they’re created, and You renew the face of the earth with them.

[31-35] Yahweh will be made known forever: You’ll celebrate in Your creation, oh Yahweh. God, You look on the earth, and it quakes: God, You touch the volcanoes, and they smoke. I’ll sing to Yahweh as long as I live: I’ll sing praises to my God as long as my spirit exists. My thoughts of You will be sweet: I’ll celebrate in Yahweh God. Let the sinful be removed from the earth, and let them be no more. Bless You, oh Yahweh, oh my soul. Praise Yahweh!

105 [1-6] Oh give thanks to Yahweh; calling on the Name of God and make known God’s acts among the people. Sing to God, sing hymns to God: talk of all the wondrous acts of God. Celebrate in the Holy Name: let the heart of them that look for Yahweh celebrate. Look for the strength of Yahweh: look for Yahweh’s face forever. Remember the awesome acts that God has done; the wonders, and the judgments of God’s mouth; Oh you children of Abraham, God’s subject, children of Jacob, God’s chosen.

[7-15] God is Yahweh, our God, who judges all the people of the earth. You’ve remembered Your Promise forever, the word which You told to a thousand generations, which You made with Abraham, and gave Your oath to Isaac; and confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting Promise, saying, “To You I’ll give the land of Canaan, the lot of Your inheritance,” when they were only a few people in number; yes, very few, and the ungodly were in it as well. When they went from one nation to another, from one people to another; God let no one do them wrong: yes, God corrected rulers for their sakes, saying, “Don’t touch my anointed, and do no harm to my preachers.”

[16-22] Moreover God called for a famine on the land, withering the whole stalk of grain. God sent someone before them, even Joseph that was sold for a slave, whose feet they hurt with shackles when he was bound in iron until the time that God’s Word came, the Word of Yahweh, to try Joseph. The ruler of the people sent word to let Joseph go free. The ruler then made Joseph the head manager of all their lands and substance; to imprison the rulers as he wanted and teach wisdom to the governors.

[23-29] Israel came into Egypt; and Jacob traveled to the land of Ham. God increased their people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. God turned the Egyptians’ hearts to hate their people, to deal deviously with their children. God sent Moses, God’s own minister; and Aaron who also had been chosen, who showed the signs of God among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. God sent darkness, and made it very dark; and they didn't rebel against the Word of God. God turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish.

[30-36] Their land was troubled with frogs in abundance, even in the chambers of their rulers. God spoke, and there came different sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. God gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. God struck their vines also and their fig trees; and broke the trees of their coasts. God spoke, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, so many they couldn’t be counted, which attacked all the herbs in their land, and ate all the produce of their ground. God struck also all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength.

[37-45] God brought them forward with silver and gold, and there was not one frail person among them. Egypt was glad when they left, because they feared them. God spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and God brought quails, and satisfied them with the food of heaven. God split open the rock, making water gush out and run in dry places like a river. You remembered Your holy promise, and Abraham, God’s subject. You brought forward Your people with joy, and Your chosen ones with gladness, giving them the lands of the ungodly, and they inherited the work of another people; so that they could learn Your words, and keep Your laws. Praise Yahweh!

106 [1-5] Praise Yahweh! Oh give thanks to Yahweh; for God is good: for Your mercy lasts forever. Who can tell of the mighty acts of Yahweh? Who can show all Your honor? Those that judge wisely are blessed; and those that practice good ways all the time are blessed as well. Remember me, oh Yahweh, with the grace that You give to Israel: oh visit me with Your saving grace, so that I can see the good of Your chosen ones, and celebrate in the gladness of Your nation, and triumph with Your inheritance.

[6-11] We’ve sinned along with our parents; we’ve sinned, doing evil. Our parents didn't understand Your wonders in Egypt; they didn't remember the greatness of Your mercies; but provoked You at the Red Sea. Yet, You saved them, God, for Your Name's sake, that You’ll make Your mighty power to be known. You divided the Red Sea also, and it was dried up and led them through the depths, as through the countryside. And You saved them from the hand of those that hated them, and bought them back from the hand of their enemies, which the waters overcame till there was none left.

[12-18] Then they believed Your Words and sang Your praise. But they soon forgot Your acts and didn’t wait for Your counsel, complaining excessively in the countryside, and tempting God in the desert. And You gave them their requests; but sent sadness into their soul. They were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the saints of Yahweh, also in the camp. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and buried the followers of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in the middle of them, burning up those sinful ones.

[19-23] They made a golden calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image, changing their glory into the likeness of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their savior, which had done great things in Egypt; wondrous acts in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea. So You said that You would destroy them, yet if Moses, Your chosen, hadn’t begged for mercy before You to turn away Your anger, You would have destroyed them all.

[24-31] Yes, they hated the promised land and didn’t believe Your Word; but complained in their homes and didn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh. So You lifted up Your hand against them, to overthrow them in the countryside: To overthrow their children also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. They joined themselves also to the false god, Baal-peor, and ate offerings made for the dead. So they provoked You to anger with their inventions, and a deadly illness came on them. Then Phinehas stood up with wise judgment, so the deadly illness was stopped. And that was counted to him for goodness for all generations forever.

[32-38] They angered You also at the waters of trouble, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes, because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unwise words. They didn’t destroy the nations, who Yahweh told them to wipe out: But intermixed with the ungodly, and learned their evil ways. They served other things, which were a trap to them. Yes, they sacrificed their own children to demons, shedding innocent blood, even the blood of their own children, so that they sacrificed to the false gods of Canaan, polluting the land with blood.

[39-42] So they were made filthy with their own acts, and went lustfully after their own inventions. Your anger, Yahweh, was kindled against Your people, so much that You hated Your own inheritance. And You gave them into the hand of the ungodly; and those that hated them had rule over them. Their enemies also kept them down, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

[43-48] Many times You saved them, oh God; but they provoked You with their words, and they were humbled for their sin. Yet, You regarded their misery, oh God, when You heard their cry, remembering Your Promise with them, and repented according to the greatness of Your mercies. You made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Save us, oh Yahweh, our God, and gather us from among the ungodly, to give thanks to Your holy Name, and to triumph in Your praise. May Yahweh be blessed, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting, and let all the people say, Amen. Praise Yahweh!