It is our obligation to praise

the Master of all,

to ascribe greatness

to the Creator

of the [world in the] beginning:

that He has not made us

like the nations of the lands,

and has not positioned us

like the families of the earth;

that He has not assigned

our portion like theirs,

nor our lot like that of all their multitudes.

For they prostrate themselves

to vanity and nothingness,

and pray to a god that cannot deliver.

But we bow, prostrate ourselves,

and offer thanks

before the Supreme King of kings,

the Holy One blessed is He,

Who spreads the heavens,

and establishes the earth,

and the seat of His glory is in heaven above,

and the abode of His invincible might

is in the loftiest heights.

He is our God, there is nothing else.

Our King is true,

all else is insignificant,

as it is written in His Torah:

“And You shall know this day

and take into your heart

that Adonoy is God

in the heavens above

and upon the earth below;

there is nothing else.”

We therefore put our hope in You,

Adonoy our God,

to soon behold the glory of Your might

in banishing idolatry from the earth,

and the false gods

will be utterly exterminated

to perfect the world

as the kingdom of Shadai.

And all mankind will invoke Your Name,

to turn back to You,

all the wicked of the earth.

They will realize and know,

all the inhabitants of the world,

that to You, every knee must bend,

every tongue must swear [allegiance to You].

Before You, Adonoy, our God,

they will bow and prostrate themselves,

and to the glory of Your Name give honor.

And they will all accept [upon themselves]

the yoke of Your kingdom,

and You will reign over them, soon,

forever and ever.

For the kingdom is Yours,

and to all eternity You will reign in glory,

as it is written in Your Torah:

“Adonoy will reign forever and ever.”

And it is said:

“And Adonoy will be King

over the whole earth;

on that day Adonoy will be One

and His Name One.”

Exalted and sanctified be His great Name

in the world which He created

according to His will;

and may He rule His Kingdom

in your lifetime and in your days,

and in the lifetime

of the entire House of Yisrael,

speedily and in the near future—

and say Amein.

May His great Name be blessed

forever and for all eternity.

Blessed and praised,

glorified, and exalted and uplifted,

honored and elevated and extolled

be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

far above

all the blessings and hymns,

praises and consolations

which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

May there be abundant peace from heaven

and life

for us and for all Yisrael,

—and say Amein.

He Who makes the peace

in His high heavens

may He, make peace

for us and or all Yisrael,

and say, Amein.

By Dovid:

Adonoy is my light and my salvation,

whom shall I fear?

Adonoy is the strength⁵¹ of my life,

footnotes: ⁵¹ Rav S.R. Hirsch’s translates, “Adonoy is the source of my life’s strength,” thus Dovid declares that Hashem is the fount from which his life derives its power to resist all foes.

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers approach me

to devour my flesh—

my tormentors and my foes

they stumble and fall.

If an army should encamp against me,

my heart would not fear;

if war were to rise against me

in this⁵² I trust.

footnotes: ⁵² Dovid says that he trusts in the declaration stated in the opening verse, “Adonoy is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”—Rashi, Radak

One thing I request of Adonoy,

[only] that shall I seek:

that I may dwell⁵³ in the House of Adonoy

footnotes: ⁵³ The literal translation of שִׁבְתִּי is “my sitting.” The Talmud states that “no man may ‘sit’ in the courtyard of the Temple except for the kings of the House of Dovid.—Maseches Soteh 40b

all the days of my life,

to behold the pleasantness of Adonoy,

and to meditate in His Sanctuary.

For He will hide me in His Tabernacle⁵⁴

footnotes: ⁵⁴ The Vilna Gaon comments that the commandment of Succos is implied in this verse and the next.

on the day of distress,

He will conceal me in the shelter of His Tent,

upon a rock He will lift me.

And now my head is raised high

above my enemies around me;⁵⁵

footnotes: ⁵⁵ Dovid declares, “Because I look up to Hashem in every aspect of my existence, I am so exalted that no enemy can harm me.—S.R. Hirsch

and I will offer in His Tent,

sacrifices [accompanied] with trumpets of joy;

I will sing and chant to Adonoy.

Adonoy, hear my voice⁵⁶ when I call;

footnotes: ⁵⁶ This verse alludes to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. “Hear my voice,” refers to Rosh Hashana when we sound the shofar. The word “my voice (sound)” refers to the “voice” of the shofar. “When I call” refers to Yom Kippur, about which Yeshaya (55:6) said, “call to Him when He is near.”—Siddur HaGra

be gracious to me and answer me.

Of You, my heart has said,

“Seek My Presence”;

Your Presence, Adonoy I will seek.

Conceal not Your Presence from me,

do not turn away Your servant in anger.

You have been my help;

neither cast me off nor abandon me,

God of my deliverance.

Altough my father and mother

abandon⁵⁷ me,

footnotes: ⁵⁷ Even if I were so depraved that my own mother and father would abandon me to my own devices, Hashem would still gather me up and believe in my ability to mend my ways.—S.R. Hirsch

Adonoy will gather me up.

Adonoy, teach me Your way,

and lead me in the path of uprightness,

because of my watchful foes.⁵⁸

footnotes: ⁵⁸ His enemies. Dovid asks for Divine help that he be saved even from the mere semblance of wrongdoing so that his foes should not be able to rejoice over his faults.—S.R. Hirsch

Do not deliver me

to the will of my tormentors,

for false witnesses have risen against me,

who breathe violence.

Had I not believed⁵⁹ that I would see

footnotes: ⁵⁹ “These false witnesses would have destroyed me had I not believed that I would see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living.”—Rashi, Radak

the goodness of Adonoy

in the land of living.⁶⁰

footnotes: ⁶⁰ There are various interpretations of the “Land of the living.” Some hold that it refers to the present world in which we live—Metsudas Tziyon; Ramban holds that it refers to the World-to- Come; and Malbim says that it refers to Eretz Yisroel.

Hope to Adonoy,

be strong and He will give you courage;

and hope to Adonoy.