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Yahweh’s Lovingkindness Endures Forever

118 (A)Give thanks to Yahweh, for (B)He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.
Oh let (C)Israel say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
Oh let the (D)house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”
Oh let those (E)who [a]fear Yahweh say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”

From my (F)distress I called upon Yah;
Yah answered me and (G)set me in a large place.
Yahweh is (H)for me; I will (I)not fear;
(J)What can man do to me?
Yahweh is for me (K)among those who help me;
Therefore I will (L)look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is (M)better to take refuge in Yahweh
Than to trust in man.
It is (N)better to take refuge in Yahweh
Than to trust in nobles.

10 All nations (O)surrounded me;
In the name of Yahweh I will surely (P)cut them off.
11 They (Q)surrounded me, indeed, they surrounded me;
In the name of Yahweh I will surely cut them off.
12 They surrounded me (R)like bees;
They were extinguished as a (S)fire of thorns;
In the name of Yahweh I will surely cut them off.
13 You (T)pushed me down violently to make me fall,
But Yahweh (U)helped me.
14 (V)Yah is my strength and song,
And He has become (W)my salvation.

15 The sound of (X)joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The (Y)right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
16 The (Z)right hand of Yahweh is exalted;
The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
17 I (AA)will not die; indeed I will live,
And (AB)recount the works of Yah.
18 Yah has (AC)disciplined me severely,
But He has (AD)not given me over to death.

19 (AE)Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to Yah.
20 This is the gate of Yahweh;
The (AF)righteous will enter through it.
21 I shall give thanks to You, for You have (AG)answered me,
And You have (AH)become my salvation.

22 The (AI)stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
23 This is from Yahweh;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which Yahweh has made;
Let us (AJ)rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O Yahweh, (AK)save!
O Yahweh, (AL)succeed!
26 (AM)Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh;
We have (AN)blessed you from the house of Yahweh.
27 (AO)Yahweh is God, and He has given us (AP)light;
Bind the festival sacrifice with cords [b]to the (AQ)horns of the altar.
28 (AR)You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
You are my God, (AS)I exalt You.
29 (AT)Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness endures forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 118:4 Or reverence
  2. Psalm 118:27 Lit unto

Psalm 118

The Stone the Builders Rejected

Introduction

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let Israel say now: Yes, his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say now: Yes, his mercy endures forever.
Let those who fear the Lord say now: Yes, his mercy endures forever.

Trust During Distress

Under pressure I cried to the Lord.[a]
The Lord answered me.
He set me in a wide-open space.
The Lord is with me.
I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
The Lord, who is with me, is my helper,
so I will look in triumph on my enemies.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in people.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in human benefactors.[b]
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.[c]
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees,
but they were extinguished as quickly as a fire of thorns.
In the name of the Lord I cut them off.
13 You pushed me hard to make me fall,
but the Lord helped me.

The Messiah’s Joy in Victory

14 My strength and song is the Lord,
and he has become salvation for me.
15 Loud shouts of victory are heard in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord has done a mighty deed!
16 The right hand of the Lord is lifted high!
The right hand of the Lord has done a mighty deed!”
17 I will not die. No, I will live,
and I will proclaim the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not handed me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness.
I will enter them. I will give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate to the Lord.
The righteous enter it.
21 I will give you thanks,
because you answered me,
and you have become salvation for me.

The Joy in Victory of Messiah’s Followers

22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.[d]
23 This is from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O Lord, please save us now.[e]
O Lord, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
and he makes light shine on us.
Bind the festival with branches as far as the horns of the altar.[f]
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
You are my God, and I will exalt you.

Conclusion

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 118:5 Yah, the short form of the divine name, is used here, also in the next line, and in verses 14, 17, 18, 19.
  2. Psalm 118:9 The Hebrew word refers to rich people who have the willingness and the means to help the needy.
  3. Psalm 118:10 Or perhaps a rare homonym push them away
  4. Psalm 118:22 Literally the head of the corner. Other possible translations are the capstone or the keystone.
  5. Psalm 118:25 The Hebrew for please save us now is hosanna.
  6. Psalm 118:27 To avoid imposing a guess on the text, the translation retains a literal translation of this very difficult line. It seems to mean: It’s the festival! Decorate the route with boughs and march in a procession toward the horns of the altar. Many suggest it means: Decorate the festival sacrificial animal with boughs and tie it to the horns of the altar, but Israelite worshippers did not approach the altar. Only priests did that, and by then the sacrifice had been cut into pieces.