Psalms 33
1 Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright.
You righteous people should sing joyfully to Yahweh because that is what he deserves.
2 Give thanks to Yahweh with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.
Praise Yahweh as you play songs on the lyre/harp. Praise him as you play [other] instruments that have many strings.
3 Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!
Sing a new song to him; Play those instruments well, and shout joyfully as you play them!
4 For Yahweh’s word is right. All his work is done in faithfulness.
Yahweh always does what he says that he will do; we can trust that everything that he does is right.
5 He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loving kindness of Yahweh.
He loves everything that we do that is just and right. People all over the earth can know that Yahweh faithfully loves us.
6 By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made: all their army by the breath of his mouth.
Yahweh created everything in the sky by commanding it. By what he said [MTY] he created all the stars.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
He gathered all the water into one huge mass like [someone scoops liquid] into a container.
8 Let all the earth fear Yahweh. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Everyone on the earth should revere Yahweh [DOU].
9 For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.
When he spoke, the world (was created/started to exist). Everything started to exist as a result of him commanding it.
10 Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
Yahweh frustrates the things that the [pagan] nations decide to do. He prevents them from doing the [evil] things that they plan to do.
11 The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
But what Yahweh decides to do will last forever. What he plans to do will never be changed.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
Yahweh blesses those nations who choose him to be their God; He is pleased with those whom he has chosen to receive what he has promised.
13 Yahweh looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men.
Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees all us people;
14 From the place of his habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
from where he rules [MTY], he looks down on all the people who live on the earth.
15 he who fashions all of their hearts; and he considers all of their works.
He formed our inner beings, and he sees everything that we do.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
It is not because a king has a great army that he is able to win [battles], and it is not because a soldier is very strong that he is able to defeat [his enemy].
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power.
It is foolish to trust that because horses are very strong that they will able to win a battle and save their riders.
18 Behold, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness,
Do not forget that Yahweh watches over those who revere him, those who confidently expect him to faithfully love them.
19 to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine.
He saves them [SYN] from dying [before they should die] and preserves them when there is a famine.
20 Our soul has waited for Yahweh. He is our help and our shield.
We trust that Yahweh will help us; he protects us like a shield protects a soldier [MET].
21 For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
We rejoice because of what he [has done for us]; we trust in him because he [MTY] is holy.
22 Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you.
Yahweh, we pray that you will always faithfully love us while we confidently expect you [to do great things for us].
