Psalms 34
1 א I will bless Adonai at all times. His tehilah ·praise song· will always be in my mouth.
I will always thank Yahweh; I will constantly praise him [MTY].
2 בּ My soul shall boast in Adonai. The humble shall sh'ma ·hear obey· it, and be glad.
I will boast about what Yahweh [has done]. All those who are oppressed/discouraged should hear me and rejoice.
3 גּ Oh magnify Adonai with me. Let us exalt his name together.
Join with me in telling others that Yahweh is great! You and I should together proclaim how glorious he is!
4 דּ I sought Adonai, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
I prayed to Yahweh, and he (answered my prayer/did what I asked him to do); he rescued me from [all those who caused me] to be afraid.
5 ה They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
Those who trust [IDM] that he [will help them] will be joyful; (they will never be disappointed/he will always do for them the things that he promises) [LIT].
6 ז This poor man cried, and Adonai sh'ma ·heard obeyed· him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
I was miserable/helpless, but I called out to Yahweh, and he heard me. He rescued me from all my troubles.
7 ח Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
An angel from Yahweh guards those who revere him, and the angel rescues them.
8 ט Oh taste and see that Adonai is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Find out for yourself, and you will experience that Yahweh is good to you! He is very pleased with those who ask him to protect them.
9 י Oh fear Adonai, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him.
All you who belong to him, revere him! Those who do that will always have the things that they need [LIT].
10 כּ The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Adonai shall not lack any good thing.
Lions [are usually] very strong, [but sometimes] even young lions are hungry and become weak, but those who trust in Yahweh will (have everything/not lack any good thing) [LIT] [that they need].
11 ל Come, you children, sh'ma ·hear obey· unto me. I will teach you the fear of Adonai.
You (who are my students/whom I teach), come and listen to me, and I will teach you how to revere Yahweh.
12 מ Who of you takes pleasure in living? Who 'ahav ·affectionately loves· a long life to see good things?
If [RHQ] any of you wants to enjoy life and have a good long life,
13 נ [If you do], keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from deceiving talk;
do not say anything that is evil! Do not tell lies!
14 ס turn from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and fervently pursue it!
Turn away from doing evil, and do what is good! Always try hard to enable people to live peacefully [with each other.]
15 ע For Adonai’s eyes are toward the upright. His ears listen to their prayers.
Yahweh [MTY] carefully watches over those who [act] righteously; he always responds [MTY] to them when they call [to him for help].
16 פּ But Adonai’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth.
But Yahweh [SYN] (is opposed to/turns away from) those who do what is evil. [And after they die], people will forget them completely.
17 צ The upright cry, and Adonai sh'ma ·hears obeys·, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
Yahweh hears righteous people when they call out to him; he rescues them from all their troubles.
18 ק Adonai is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
Yahweh is always ready to help those who are discouraged; he rescues those who have nothing good to hope for.
19 ר Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Adonai delivers him out of them all.
Righteous people may have many troubles, but Yahweh rescues them from all those troubles.
20 שׁ He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
Yahweh protects them from being harmed; [when their enemies attack them], they will not break any bones of those righteous people.
21 תּ Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the upright shall be condemned guilty.
Wicked people will be killed by their own evil deeds (OR, by [people doing to them] the same evil things [that the wicked do to others]) [PRS], and Yahweh will punish those who oppose righteous people.
22 Adonai redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned guilty.
Yahweh will save those who serve him. He will (not condemn/forgive) [LIT] those who trust in him.
