Come Render Praise to ADONAI
I want to share my recent musical reworking of Psalm 95. It's meant to be a meditative call to worship that is built solidly on the message of this ancient psalm that moves from Hebrew to English and back to Hebrew. If you are learning the Hebrew language, singing it is a wonderful way to let the language sink in. If you connect with Psalms on a personal level, experiencing its words in the original can also be uplifting.
Psalm 95 says: Come, let us sing to the LORD; let us shout to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. With songs, let's raise our voices to Him. Let us shout to the Rock of our Salvation.
לְכוּ נְרַנְּנָה לַיהוה
נָרִיעָה לְצוּר יִשְׁעֵנוּ
לְכוּ נְרַנְּנָה לַיהוה
נְקַדְּמָה פָנָיו בְּתוֹדָה
לְכוּ נְרַנְּנָה לַיהוה
בִּזְמִרוֹת נָרִיעַ לוֹ
לְכוּ נְרַנְּנָה לַיהוה
נָרִיעָה לְצוּר יִשְׁעֵנוּ
Come render praise to ADONAI, in Rock of Salvation rejoice. Let us come sing to the LORD, hopeful hearts, lift up your voice. O, come and sing to the LORD, make melodies, grateful noise. A sweet psalm to ADONAI, in Rock of Salvation rejoice.
(Translation: For the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods. In whose hand are the depths of the earth and the mountains are His. The sea is His, for He made it and the dry land His hands have formed.)
כִּי אֵל גָּדוֹל יהוה
וּמֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִים
אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ מֶחְקְרֵי־אָרֶץ
וְתוֹעֲפוֹת הָרִים לוֹ
אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ הַיָּם וְהוּא עָשָׂהוּ
וְיַבֶּשֶׁת יָדָיו יָצָרוּ
For great is the LORD our God, above all gods, mighty King. Depths of the earth are in His hands, and the mountain tops are His. The sea belongs to Him alone, formed its depths by His command. In dry land too, His power shown, He is the One who shaped our land.
Come render praise to ADONAI, in Rock of Salvation rejoice. Let us come sing to the LORD, hopeful hearts, lift up your voice. O, come and sing to the LORD, make melodies, grateful noise. A sweet psalm to ADONAI, in Rock of Salvation rejoice.
Let us worship and humbly bow, ADONAI, our Maker be blessed. He is ours, and we are His now, a flock in the Shepherd's hand. If you hear His tender voice, do not harden your hearts today. In His gentle embrace rejoice, be the sheep who do not stray...
Hebrew-English Interlinear Psalms
For those who love Psalms, especially the way they sound in Hebrew, this handy volume presents them in an interlinear format. As it is with most poetry, sometimes translations are not so straightforward, and it's so easy to see the original words that stand behind the English text. This volume allows students of Hebrew to quickly build their biblical Hebrew vocabulary and, at the same time, immerse themselves in their favorite psalms. I have used it for both study and for devotional reading as well. And I can recommend it for those who would like to try the Psalms in their original language and grow in their comprehension of the biblical language as they read.