Psalm 30
A reminder: I’ve prepared these psalms for our liturgy, trying to be as accurate in my translation as possible. The alternation between plain text and bold is for responsive reading. I invite feedback on the translation!
A Psalm.
A song for the dedication of the house.
By David.I will lift you up, Yahweh, for you have drawn me up
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
Yahweh, my God, I cried to you
And you healed me.
Yahweh, you brought up my soul from Sheol;
You kept me alive from among those going down to the pit.Psalm to Yahweh, you his loyal people,
And give thanks to his holy memorial-name,
Because there is a moment in his anger,
Lifetimes in his favor.
In the evening weeping lodges,
But in the morning, rejoicing.Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
Yahweh, in your favor,
You established strength for my mountain!
You hid your face;
I was dismayed.
To you, Yahweh, I called,
And to my Lord I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my blood,
In my going down to the grave?
Will dust praise you?
Will it declare your trustworthiness?
Hear, Yahweh, and be gracious to me!
Yahweh, be my helper!”
You turned my mourning into dancing for me;
You loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
In order that glory may psalm to you and not be silent.
Yahweh, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
A few comments about this psalm:
(1) It’s not clear when David wrote this psalm. It speaks of him being secure, then humbled, then restored, so it may have been written for a (re)dedication of his house after Absalom’ revolt, as James Jordan suggests.
(2) The “holy memorial-name” (in the eighth line) is the name Yahweh (Ex. 3:15).
(3) The second last line speaks of “glory” making music, which may refer to David’s own “glory,” the sounds of music and singing which he makes as he rejoices.