A Song Composed for the Dedication of King David's Palace
I extol you, Jehovah, for you have raised me up,
And have not let my enemies gloat over me.
Jehovah, my god, I called to you and you healed me.
You, Jehovah, have brought me up from the gates of Hell
And have spared me from falling into the abyss.
Sing the praises of Jehovah,
All you, his faithful votaries!
And give your thanks to Jehovah
In remembrance of his holiness!
His wrath is but of the moment;
His grace will endure a lifetime.
There may be weeping throughout the night,
But in the morning, there is joy.
When I was rich and riding high,
I boasted, “Nothing can take me down!”
On a mountain fortress I stood,
When you, Jehovah, favored me,
But when you hid your face from me,
I became troubled and afraid.
I cried out to you, O Jehovah.
I pleaded to you for mercy.
Is there profit in the spilling of my blood?
What gain to you if I go to the grave?
Can the dust of my rotting corpse praise you,
Or give testimony of your faithfulness?
Hear me, O Jehovah, give me your pity
And be a help to me, O Jehovah.
"
You have turned my mourning into a happy dance;
Stripping away my sackcloth and robing me with joy,
That my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
O Jehovah my god, to you
Will I give my thanks -- forever.
