Aramaic Targum to Psalms
- 1.1
Happy the man who has not walked in the council of the wicked, or stood in the paths of sinners, or taken a seat in the band of mockers.
- 1.2
Instead his pleasure is in the law of the Lord, and in his Torah he meditates day and night.
- 1.3
And he will be like a living tree planted by streams of water, whose fruit ripens in due course, and its leaves do not fall, and all its branches that grow ripen and flourish.
- 1.4
Not so the wicked; instead, they are like the chaff that the storm-wind will drive.
- 1.5
Therefore the wicked will not be acquitted in the great day, nor sinners in the band of the righteous,
- 1.6
Because the path of the righteous is manifest in the Lord’s presence, but the paths of the wicked will perish.
- 2.1
Why are the nations disturbed, and murmuring vanity?
- 2.2
The kings of the earth arise and the rulers will join together to rebel in the Lord’s presence, and to strive against His Anointed.
- 2.3
They say, “Let us break their bonds, and let us throw off their chains from us.”
- 2.4
The One Who sits in Heaven will laugh; the word of the Lord will mock at them.
- 2.5
Then He will speak to them in His strength, and in His wrath He will frighten them.
- 2.6
"And I have anointed My king, and appointed him over My Sanctuary."
- 2.7
I will tell of the covenant of the Lord. He said: “You are as dear to Me as a son to a father, pure as if this day I had created you.”
- 2.8
"Ask Me and I will give the spoils of nations as your inheritance, the rulers of the ends of the earth as your holding."
- 2.9
"You will shatter them as with a rod of iron, like a potter’s vessel you will break them."
- 2.10
And now, O kings, grow wise; accept discipline, O princes of the earth.
- 2.11
Worship in the presence of the Lord with fear, and pray with trembling.
- 2.12
Accept instruction lest He be angry, and you lose your way; for His wrath will tarry a little. Happy all who trust in His Word!
- 3.1
A psalm of David, when he fled from the presence of Absalom his son.
- 3.2
Lord, how many are my oppressors, many who arise against me!
- 3.3
Many say to my soul, “There is no redemption for him in God forever.”
- 3.4
But you, Lord, are a shield over me, my glory and the one who raises my head.
- 3.5
I pray, my voice in the presence of the Lord; He will accept my prayer from the Mount of His Holy Temple forever.
- 3.6
I lay down, and I slept; I awoke, because the Lord sustains me.
- 3.7
I will not be afraid of the myriads of people who have gathered against me all around.
- 3.8
Arise, O Lord, redeem me, O my God; for you have struck all my enemies on their cheek, you have broken the teeth of the wicked.
- 3.9
Redemption is from the presence of the Lord; your blessings are to your people forever.
- 4.1
For praise, with melodies: A hymn of David
- 4.2
At the time of my prayer, accept it from me, O God of my righteousness; at the time of distress, you relieved me; pity me and accept my prayer.
- 4.3
Sons of men, why is my glory for humiliation? You will love vanity; you will seek falsehood forever.
- 4.4
And they will know, for the Lord has separated the righteous man for Himself; the Lord will accept the prayer of David when he calls to Him.
- 4.5
Tremble for Him, and do not sin; utter your petition with your mouth and your request in your heart; and pray upon your beds and remember the days of death forever.
- 4.6
Subdue your impulses and it will be reckoned to you as a righteous sacrifice; and hope in the Lord.
- 4.7
Many say, “Who will show us good?” Lift on us the light of your countenance, O Lord
- 4.8
You have placed joy in my heart when their grain and their wine has increased.
- 4.9
In peace I both lay down and sleep, because you alone are the Lord; in security you will make me dwell.
- 15.1
A hymn of David. O LORD, who is worthy to dwell in your tabernacle, who is worthy59deserves to abide on the mountain of your sanctuary?
- 15.2
One who walks in integrity, and does righteous deeds, and speaks truth in his heart.
- 15.3
He does not slander with his tongue, he causes no harm to his fellow, and he bears no shame60disgrace against his neighbor.
- 15.4
Who despises the contemptible to his face, but honors those who fear the LORD; who will swear to do harm to himself and does not change.61reverse
- 15.5
He has not given his money at interest; he has not accepted a bribe against the innocent; one who does these things will never be moved.62shaken
- 24.1
Of David, a praise. Adonai's is — behold — the earth and it creatures, the land and those that dwell on it,
- 24.2
on account that he spaced its foundation on the seas, and on the rivers established it.
- 24.3
Who will ascend to the mountain of the Holy Temple of Adonai, and who will stand in the place of holinesses?
- 24.4
The pure of hand and clear of thought, who never swear on falsehood and forfeit their lives, nor vow to deceptiveness.
- 24.5
He will recieve blessing from before Adonai, and righteousness from the God who saves him.
- 24.6
This is the generation that will seek him out, that seeks out the good countenance of Jacob forever.
- 24.7
Lift up, gates of the Holy Temple, your heads, and be lifted up, eternal entrances, and the Honored King will enter.
- 24.8
Who is he, that Honored King? Adonai, strong and powerful; Adonai, master of power who does war.
- 24.9
Lift up, gates of the Garden of Eden, your heads, and be lifted up, eternal entrances, and the Honored King will enter.
- 24.10
Who is he, that Honored King? Adonai Tsevaot is the Honored King eternally.
- 68.1
For praising, of David, praise and song.
- 68.2
Let God rise up and scatter His enemies, that His enemies flee before Him.
- 68.3
As smoke is struck, they will be struck, as wax melts before fire, the wicked will be lost from before God.
- 68.4
And the righteous will rejoice and celebrate before the LORD and rejoice in rejoicing.
- 68.5
Praise before God, praise His glorious Name, commend He who sits upon His throne of glory, in the clouds, Yah His name, and shout out before Him.
- 68.6
Father of orphans and judge of widows, God in the dwelling-house of His holy presence.
- 68.7
God who pairs up pairs, singles to couples as one, who brought out the house of Israel who were bound in Egypt, redeeming on account of the appropriate deeds of their fathers, but Pharaoh and his camp who refused to let them go dwelt in thirst.
- 68.8
God, when You went out in a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire before Your people, when You stepped in the wilderness wasteland forever, when You gave Torah to Your people,
- 68.9
the earth shook, even the heavens dripped dew before the LORD; that Sinai smoked like the smoke of a furnace before the LORD, God of Israel, was manifested upon it.
- 68.10
When the house of Israel heard the voice of Your power, their souls flew away; immediately You brought down upon them the dew of revival, and rain of favor You cast down, God, upon Your inheritance, and the assembly when exhausted, You upheld.
- 68.11
Your life You made to return upon it, establishing a camp of angels to do good to the poor of God.
- 68.12
The LORD gave words of Torah to His people, yea, Moses and Aaron were proclaiming the word of God to the great army of Israel.
- 68.13
Kingdoms with their armies were removed from their palaces, and the wise were removed from their knowledge, but the assembly of Israel divides the spoil from heaven.
- 68.14
Note 1Many texts add "Said Israel's God:" hereIf you are wickedNote 2Many texts add "kings" here lying down among the middens, the assembly of Israel which is likened to a dove flying among the clouds of glory, dividing the spoils of the Egyptians, refined silver and treasuries full of pure gold.Alternate TargumYou wicked kings, if you lie down in the theatre-houses, which are likened to middens, behold, the children of the assembly of Israel who are likened to the wings of a dove, are covered in Torah, which is likened to silver and its students, who are likened to the pinionsof a young dove in pure gold.
- 68.15
When she spread her hands over the sea in prayer, Shaddai lowered kingdoms, and on her account clouded over Gehinom like snow, delivering her from the shadow of death.Alternate TargumOn account of this, when the priests spread their hands and bless the people Israel, Shaddai agrees with them and kings are crushed before them, and on account of their merits their sins are made white as snow and Gehinnom is cooled for the wicked among their children who have taken chastisement and repented for their wicked deeds.
- 68.16
Mount Moriah, the place where the eternal forefathers worshiped before the LORD, was chosen for the building of the Temple; Mount Sinai for the giving of Torah, Mount Matnan, Mt. Tabor, and Carmel were disqualified; for them a humpnoteMatnan, also known as Butnin and Kutnan, is used to translate Bashan in every Targum. It refers to the area of Batanaea, the area northeast of the Kinneret. In this area was a very well-known city whose ruins are to this day a national park of Israel. This city was known as Gamla, it was one of the only cities in the north to fight against Vespasian, and it was built on a mountain that looks almost exactly like a camel's hump. There's a reason the city is named "the Camel" in Aramaic, and it's the shape of the hill it's based on. The Targum seems aware of the shape of this specific hill, and made a midrash about it to explain why the Mount of Bashan would be called the Mount of Humps! was made like Mount Matnan.Alternate TargumMount Moriah was chosen firstly in the worship of the eternal patriarchs before the LORD, and was chosen secondarily for building there the sanctuary-house; and Mount Sinai was pulled up from there and chosen thirdly for the Torah; Mount Buthnin was moved, taken far away; at Mount Tabor a miracle was performed for Barak and Deborah; at Mount Carmel miracles were performed for Elijah the prophet. And they were running, one against the other, and debating with each other. One said, “On me the Presence will dwell!” and the other would say, “On me the Presence will dwell!” And the Master of the Universe, who sharpens the proud and rebellious with the humble, struck them, and they were rendered inviable. A hump was made for them like Mount Buthnin.
- 68.17
Said God: Why are you leaping, mountains? It is not My will to give the Torah upon proud scornful mountains! This Mount Sinai, which is humble; the word of the LORD desires to dwell upon it; even His presence in the heavens of heavens, the LORD will dwell forever.
- 68.18
The chariots of God are double myriads of burning fire, two thousand angels leading them, the presence of the LORD dwells upon them upon Mount Sinai in holiness.
- 68.19
You ascended to the firmament, Moses the prophet, You captured captives, You taught words of Torah, gave gifts to humans; even on the stubborn who convert and turn in repentance, the glorious Presence of the LORD God will dwell
- 68.20
Blessed be the LORD each and every day, who loads us up, adding commandments upon commandments; the mighty one who is our redeemer and helper forever.
- 68.21
The God is for us might and redemption from before the LORD, death and loss of breath via suffocation is incited against the wicked.
- 68.22
But God will shatter the heads of His enemies, making the hair fall out from the man who walks about in his guilt.
- 68.23
The righteous who died and have been eaten by wild beasts—said the LORD—from KutnanNoteThe same as Matnan. See note in verse 68:16 I will return; I will return the righteous who have drowned in the depths of the sea..
- 68.24
So that they will see the punishment of the wicked, dipping their feet in the blood of the slain; the tongue of the wild beast will become fat off the fat of their enemies, some of them sated.
- 68.25
The house of Israel saw the paths of Your presence by the sea, God, saying, "The paths of God, sovereign over all the earth in holiness!"
- 68.26
They rose and sang songs after Moses and Aaron who were making melody before them, among the righteous women who were with Miriam timbreling.
- 68.27
Among the assemblies, bless God, exalt the LORD fetuses in their mothers' bellies, seed of Israel!
- 68.28
Their Benjamin, youngest of the tribes, who of their camp first went into the sea, on account of which he received kingship, after which went down the nobles of Judah who the tribes stoned with stones, and they received rule after them; the nobles of Zebulun were their merchants, the the nobles of Naphtali were their warriors.
- 68.29
God commanded your strength; be strong, God, dwelling in Your Temple that You made for us!
- 68.30
From Your palace receive sacrifices, upon Jerusalem Your presence dwells; to You kings will give sacrifices.
- 68.31
Rebuke the camps of sinners, break them down like reeds, the assembly of the warriors that trust in calves, in the idols of the nations! His favor is for the people that willingly engage in the Torah, which is purer than silver. Scatter the nations that desire to wage battle!
- 68.32
Let the children of Ḥam, the UthmanitesnoteThe word Ḥusmanayya/Usmanayya is a hapax legomenon, otherwise unknown, and spelled differently in several manuscripts. The Uthmanites عُثْمَانيَّة were an early Islamic political movement which was particularly prominent in Egypt, and was eventually absorbed into mainline Sunni Islam. If they are the ones being referred to here, that might suggest a later date for Targum Psalms, with a terminus post quem of 656, the assassination of Caliph Uthman., come from Egypt to be converted; the children of Kush will run to spread their hands in prayer before God.
- 68.33
Kingdoms of the earth, praise before the LORD; praise the LORD forever.
- 68.34
To the One sitting on His throne in the heavens of heavens of yore; He by His word will give by His voice a voice of the spirit of prophecy to the prophets.
- 68.35
Grant glorious strength to God whose pride is upon Israel, and whose strength is in heaven.
- 68.36
Awesome is God from Your sanctuary-house, mighty one of Israel; He gives strength and migty to His people; bless God!
- 113.1
Hallelujah! Praise, servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD!
- 113.2
May the name of the LORD be praised from now and until forever!
- 113.3
From the sun's rise until its setting, praised be the name of the LORD!
- 113.4
Great over all peoples is the LORD; over the heavens His glory!
- 113.5
Who is like the LORD our God, whose dwelling is high to dwell,
- 113.6
Who lowers His eyes to see heaven and earth?
- 113.7
Raising the poor from the dust, from the midden lifting the needy,
- 113.8
to dwell with the princes, with the princes of his people.
- 113.9
Making the assembly of Israel which is likened unto a barren woman sitting and observing the men of her houseAlternate targumlike a weasel dwelling in the base of the house looking carefully for food from the people and going around Jerusalem dwell full of people, like a mother who is regarding children happy, hallelujah!
- 114.1
On Israel's leaving Egypt, the house of Jacob from barbarian nations,
- 114.2
the assembly of the house of Judah was taken for His holiness, Israel for His rule.
- 114.3
Some texts addWhen the word of the LORD was revealed upon the sea, The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned back,
- 114.4
Some texts addWhen the Torah was given to His people, the mountains sprung up like rams, the hills like lambs of the flock.
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