Psalm 84[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place,(A)
    Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns,(B) even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.(C)
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(D)
    Lord Almighty,(E) my King(F) and my God.(G)
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[c]

Blessed are those whose strength(H) is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(I)
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;(J)
    the autumn(K) rains also cover it with pools.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
  2. Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  4. Psalm 84:6 Or blessings

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the music director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your (A)dwelling places,
Lord of armies!
My (B)soul longed and even yearned for the courtyards of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the (C)living God.
The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may put her young:
Your (D)altars, Lord of armies,
(E)My King and my God.
(F)Blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are (G)ever praising You. Selah

Blessed is the person whose (H)strength is in You,
In [b]whose heart are the (I)roads to Zion!
Passing through the Valley of [c]Baca they make it a [d]spring;
The (J)early rain also covers it with blessings.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 84 Title Or according to
  2. Psalm 84:5 Lit their
  3. Psalm 84:6 Prob. Weeping; or Balsam-shrubs
  4. Psalm 84:6 Or place of springs

84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
    I’ve always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
    where I could sing for joy to God-alive!

3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
    sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
    singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
    How blessed they are to live and sing there!

5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
    whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
    discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
    at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!

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Psalm 84

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.[a]

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
    to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
    I will shout joyfully to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
at a place near your altar,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
What joy for those who can live in your house,
    always singing your praises. Interlude

What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
    who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,[b]
    it will become a place of refreshing springs.
    The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

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Footnotes

  1. 84:Title Hebrew according to the gittith.
  2. 84:6 Or Valley of Poplars; Hebrew reads valley of Baca.

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to (A)The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of (B)the Sons of Korah.

84 How (C)lovely is your (D)dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
My soul (E)longs, yes, (F)faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to (G)the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    (H)my King and my God.
(I)Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever (J)singing your praise! Selah

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    (K)in whose heart are the highways to Zion.[b]
As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    (L)the early rain also covers it with (M)pools.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 84:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 84:5 Hebrew lacks to Zion