Thursday, July 2, 2009

Happy — Μακάριοι — אשרי


Psalms for the 2nd Day
9 10 11 12 13 14

Psalm 11
The confidence of the virtuous

B’Adonáy chasíti, eych tom’rú l’nafshí, ‘Núdi harchèm tsippór…’

In Yahweh I take shelter.
How can you say to me,
‘Bird, fly back to your mountain:

‘see how the wicked are bending their bows
and fitting their arrows to the string,
ready to shoot the upright from the shadows.
When foundations fall to ruin,
what can the virtuous do?’
Yahweh is in His holy Temple,
Yahweh whose throne is in heaven;
His eyes look down at the world,
His searching gaze scans all mankind.

The virtuous and the wicked are under Yahweh’s scrutiny,
and His soul hates anyone who loves brutality.
He rains coals of fire and brimstone on the wicked,
He serves them a scorching wind to swallow down.
Yahweh is righteous, He loves virtue,
upright men will contemplate His face.

…ki tsaddík Adonáy, ts’dakót ahév, yashár yechezú fanéymo.

μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι …

‘How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are perecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are you when people abuse you,
and persecute you,
and speak all kinds of calumny against you
on My account.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
This is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Matthew 5:3-12 Jerusalem Bible

Psalm 14
The godless men

Amár navál b‘libbó, ‘Eyn Elohím…’

The fool says in his heart,
‘There is no God!’
Their deeds are corrupt and vile,
there is not one good man left.
Yahweh is looking down from heaven
at the sons of men,
to see if a single one is wise,
if a single one is seeking God.

All have turned aside,
all alike are tainted;
there is not one good man left,
not a single one.

Are they so ignorant, all these evil men
who swallow My people
as though they were eating bread,
and never invoke Yahweh?

They will be struck with fear,
fear without reason,
since God takes the side of the virtuous:
deride as you may the poor man’s hopes,
Yahweh is his shelter.

Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion?
When Yahweh brings His people home,
what joy for Jacob, what happiness for Israel!

…B’shuv Adonáy sh’vut ammó, yagél Ya’akóv, yismách Yisra’él!

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