CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. V
Corpus Psalterium Vol. V cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. V

Psalm CXXIV (124)

Cantillated — Refrain Deliverance

Paul Whitehorn

0:003:56
DownloadHear all of Vol. V

Study the Word

Psalm 124 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

A Song of Ascents. By David.

1

If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, let Israel now say,

שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ יֹֽאמַר־נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2

if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us,

לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ בְּק֖וּם עָלֵ֣ינוּ אָדָֽם׃

3

then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us,

אֲ֭זַי חַיִּ֣ים בְּלָע֑וּנוּ בַּחֲר֖וֹת אַפָּ֣ם בָּֽנוּ׃

4

then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul.

אֲ֭זַי הַמַּ֣יִם שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ נַ֗֜חְלָה עָבַ֥ר עַל־נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃

5

Then the proud waters would have gone over our soul.

אֲ֭זַי עָבַ֣ר עַל־נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ הַ֝מַּ֗יִם הַזֵּֽידוֹנִֽים׃

6

Blessed be Yahweh, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth.

בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה שֶׁלֹּ֥א נְתָנָ֥נוּ טֶ֝֗רֶף לְשִׁנֵּיהֶֽם׃

7

Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

נַפְשֵׁ֗נוּ כְּצִפּ֥וֹר נִמְלְטָה֮ מִפַּ֪ח י֫וֹקְשִׁ֥ים הַפַּ֥ח נִשְׁבָּ֗ר וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ נִמְלָֽטְנוּ׃

8

Our help is in Yahweh’s name, who made heaven and earth.

עֶ֭זְרֵנוּ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

If the LORD

had not stood with us

now let Israel say it

If the LORD

had not stood with us

when men rose up

against us

then they would have swallowed us

swallowed us alive

when their anger burned

against us

then the waters

would have swept us away

the torrent

gone over our soul

then over our soul

would have gone

the raging waters

Blessed be the LORD

who did not hand us over

as prey

to their teeth

Our soul slipped free

like a bird

from the trapper's net

the snare is snapped

and we got away

If the LORD

had not stood with us

now let Israel say it

If the LORD

had not stood with us

when men rose up

against us

Our help

is in the LORD's own name

the One who made

the sky and the land

Blessed be the LORD

who did not hand us over

as prey

to their teeth

Our soul slipped free

like a bird

from the trapper's net

the snare is snapped

and we got away

Our help

is in the LORD's own name

the One who made

the sky and the land

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 125 psalms free.