为国家求福

可拉后裔的诗,交给乐长。

85 耶和华啊,你赐福了你的土地,
使雅各的子孙重返家园。
你赦免了你子民的罪过,
遮盖了他们所有的过犯。(细拉)
你收回自己的怒气,
不发烈怒。
拯救我们的上帝啊,
求你复兴我们,
止息你对我们的怒气。
你要向我们永远发怒吗?
你的怒气要延续到万代吗?
你不再复兴我们,
使你的子民靠你欢喜吗?
耶和华啊,求你向我们施慈爱,拯救我们。
我要听耶和华上帝所说的话,
因为祂应许赐平安给祂忠心的子民。
但我们不可再犯罪。
祂拯救敬畏祂的人,
好让祂的荣耀常驻在我们的地上。
10 慈爱和忠信同行,
公义与平安相亲。
11 忠信从地而生,
公义从天而现。
12 耶和华赐下祝福,
我们的土地就出产丰富。
13 公义要行在祂面前,为祂开路。

A Prayer for the Nation

For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].

85 Lord, you ·have been kind to [delight in] your land;
    you ·brought back [restored the fortunes of; C perhaps at the end of the exile] the people of Jacob [C another name for Israel].
You forgave the guilt of the people
    and covered all their sins. ·Selah [Interlude]
You ·stopped [drew back from] all your anger;
    you turned back from your ·strong [burning] anger.

God our Savior, ·bring us back again [restore us again].
    Stop being angry with us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you ·stay angry [draw out your anger against us] from now on?
Won’t you give us life again?
    Your people would rejoice in you.
Lord, show us your ·love [loyalty],
    and ·save us [L give to us your salvation/victory].

I will listen to what God the Lord says.
    He has ·ordered [spoken; promised] ·peace [prosperity] for ·those who worship him [L his people, his saints/loyal ones].
    Don’t let them go back to foolishness.
·God will soon save those who respect him [L His salvation/victory is near to those who fear him; Prov. 1:7],
    and his glory will ·be seen [L dwell] in our land.
10 ·Love [Loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness] ·belong to God’s people [L meet];
    ·goodness [righteousness] and ·peace [prosperity] ·will be theirs [L kiss].
11 ·On earth people will be loyal to God [Faithfulness sprouts/blooms from the earth/land],
    and ·God’s goodness [righteousness] will ·shine [look] down from heaven.
12 The Lord will give his ·goodness [or good gifts],
    and the land will give its crops.
13 ·Goodness [Righteousness] will go before ·God [L him]
    and prepare the way for ·him [L his steps].

85 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Mizmor.) Hashem, Thou hast been favorable unto Thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Ya’akov.

(3) Thou hast forgiven the avon (iniquity) of Amecha (Thy people); Thou hast covered all their chattat (sin). Selah.

(4) Thou hast withdrawn all Thy wrath; Thou hast turned from Thine charon af.

(5) Turn us, O Elohei Yisheinu (G-d of our salvation), and put away Thine ka’as (anger) toward us.

(6) Wilt Thou be angry with us l’olam? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger l’dor vador?

(7) Wilt Thou not revive us again; that Amecha (Thy people) may rejoice in Thee?

(8) Show us chasdecha (Thy chesed, kindness, steadfast love), Hashem, and grant us Thy salvation.

(9) I will hear what HaEl Hashem will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His Chasidim; but let them not turn again to folly.

(10) Surely His salvation is karov (near) them that fear Him; that kavod may dwell in Artzeinu (our land).

10 (11) Chesed and emes will meet together; tzedek and shalom will kiss each other.

11 (12) Emes shall titzmach (sprout forth [T.N. Tzemach—Branch, Sprout—is the code name for Moshiach and the coming Tzemach’s Namesake in Zecharyah 6:11-12 is Yehoshua, Yeshua—see Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; 6:11-12. Go to Jer 23:5 and look at all the references. These are among the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it is here that the saving Name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu is prophetically communicated for salvation; the word Tzemach means “Moshiach” and it is the code word par excellence for Moshiach in the post-Exilic references in the minor prophets; this veiled reference to Moshiach was necessary in the situation of the Return under Persian rule when talk of a coming king was a delicate matter.]) out of ha’aretz; and tzedek shall look down from Shomayim.

12 (13) Yes, Hashem shall give that which is tov; and Artzeinu (our land) shall yield her yevul (increase, produce).

13 (14) Tzedek shall go before Him; and shall set us in the Derech of His steps.