Thursday, December 25, 2008

Psalm 108

Many years ago at Halloween my wife and I went as preachers dressed in poster-boards. On the back of mine was 'Moab is my washpot' and on the front 'his undergarments were like sharp potsherds'. I do not know if the recitation of enemies round about Jerusalem is supposed to be a joke or not.

A song
A Psalm
of David
My heart is established O God
I will sing and I will psalm my glory for sure
Awake my lute and harp
I will awaken early
I will praise you among the people יְהוָה
and I will be a psalm to you among the nations

for great to the heavens is your loving-kindness
and to the clouds your truth
be risen to the heavens O God
and over all the earth your glory
so that your darling may be delivered
save by your right hand and answer me

God has spoken in his glory
I will rejoice
I will divide Shechem
and the valley of Succoth I will measure
Gilead is mine - Manasseh mine
and Ephraim the strength of my head
Judah my inscription
Moab my washpot
on Edom I toss my sandal
over Philistia I will triumph

who will bring me a fortified city?
who has led me even to Edom?
not God?
you have cast us off
will you not sally forth O God with our hosts?

Give us help from trouble
for empty is human salvation
In God we will have strength
and he will tread down our troubles

Note re salvation. I cannot render this as help since it is not the same word as in the immediately preceding colon. I must render it equivalent to whatever is used for save above, since this seems to provide the inclusio for the opening. Deliver, and deliverance would be a suitable pair also.

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