A Ma῾alot Poem of David. I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord:

A song of ascents, of David. I rejoiced when they said of me: Let us go to the house of the L rd [for the festival]. [I heard men saying: "Would that this old one (David) died and his son Solomon reigned and built the Temple so that we could go up to it for the festival" — and I rejoiced! (at the idea of the building of the Temple)].

when our feet stood within thy gates, O Yerushalayim;

Our feet would stand [in battle in all places] for the sake of [the Torah study that took place in] your gates, Jerusalem.

O Yerushalayim, built as a city that is compact together:

Jerusalem the built [i.e., When my son Solomon builds the Temple within Jerusalem, it will be] like the city [Shiloh (the Temple in its midst)] with which it is joined together [in Scripture, viz. (Deuteronomy 12:9): "to the rest [Shiloh] and to the inheritance [Jerusalem]," containing (as Shiloh did) Shechinah, sanctuary, ark and altar.]

there the tribes used to go up, the tribes of the Lord, an appointed practice for Yisra᾽el, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

For there [in Shiloh] the tribes [(which came from Egypt)] went up [to establish the sanctuary — the tribes of Kah ["Yod" - "Heh" - the L rd (the two letters being affixed to the names of the tribes [at the beginning and the end, viz. Numbers 26])], testimony to Israel [as to their descent from the patriarchs, (the idolators having slurred them as the offspring of Egyptian men)] — to give thanks to the name of the L rd.

For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

[Jerusalem was like Shiloh,] for there [(in Jerusalem, too, the Shechinah will repose, and)] there will be set seats for judgment [(of the nations) and] seats [i.e., thrones] for the [kingdom of the] house of David.

Pray for the peace of Yerushalayim: they who love thee shall prosper:

Ask peace for Jerusalem [and say to her:] "Let your lovers enjoy tranquility,

peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

[and let] there be peace on your ramparts, tranquility in your palaces."

For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

For the sake of [Israel,] my brothers and my friends, I [King David] shall pray for peace within you.

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

For the sake of the house of the L rd our G d I shall seek good for you.