To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, a Poem.

For the conductor, a psalm of David, a song.

Praise awaits Thee, O God, in Żiyyon: and to Thee shall the vow be performed.

To You, silence is praise [(for Your praises are endless)], O G d, [who dwells] in Zion, and to You [(who saves the vowers in time of affliction)] a vow will be paid.

O Thou that hearest prayer, to Thee shall all flesh come.

[Because] You hearken to prayer, all flesh will come to [pray to] You.

Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.

To set [all of my] transgressions [before You in prayer] is beyond me. [The only "basis" for praying to You is that] You will grant atonement for our offenses.

Happy is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach to Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we will be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, Thy holy temple.

Happy is he whom You choose to draw near to dwell in Your courts. He will be sated in the good of Your house, in the holiness of Your sanctuary [(where Your shechinah reposes)].

By terrible things in righteousness wilt Thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the farthest sea.

In Your righteousness You will answer us with awesome deeds [(against the idolators)], O G d of our salvation, the Trust of all [who inhabit] the ends of the earth [(from one end to another)] and of [those on] the distant seas.

Who by his strength places the mountains in position; who is girded with power:

He prepares [rain for] the mountains in His great strength [viz. 147:8]. He is girded with might.

who stills the noise of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.

He subdues the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the roar of the nations [(who rise against us)].

They also who dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Thy signs: Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

The dwellers in the ends of the earth fear [You because of] Your signs. [The luminaries] that go out in the morning and the evening cause [them] to sing [to You (the blessings on the luminaries)].

Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou providest corn for them, for so Thou hast prepared it.

[(In bestowing Your beneficence)] You give thought to the earth, to water it. Much do You enrich it [with] the stream of G d, which is full of water. You make ready their corn, for thus [(by watering, etc.)] do You prepare it.

Watering her furrows abundantly, settling her ridges: Thou makest it soft with showers: Thou blessest its growth.

To sate her [(the land's)] furrows, to give pleasure to her troops [i.e., mankind], You soften it with showers and bless its growth.

Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness.

You crown [with rain] the year [on which You would bestow] Your good, and Your paths [i.e., the heavens] drip fatness.

The pastures of the wilderness drop moisture: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

They [(the heavens)] drip upon the habitations of the desert, and the hills are girded with joy.

The meadows are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

The [rain-drenched] meadows are covered with flocks [(that graze there)], and the valleys are wrapped in corn. They [(men)] shout for joy, and they sing [(from an abundance of blessing)].