Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
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1 מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים |
Havu l’YHVH bnei elim
Acknowledge the Creator |
הָב֥וּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה כָּב֥וֹד וָעֹֽז׃ 2 הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה כְּב֣וֹד שְׁמ֑וֹ |
Havu l’YHVH kavod va’oz
Acknowledge the glory and power of creation, Havu l’YHVH kvod sh’mo, the honour of naming the Creator |
3 ק֥וֹל יְהוָ֗ה עַל־הַ֫מָּ֥יִם אֵֽל־הַכָּב֥וֹד הִרְעִ֑ים יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃ |
Kol YHVH al hamayim el hakavod hir’im The call of creation is in the waters YHVH al mayim rabim Even in the many fluids of our bodies. |
4 קוֹל־יְהוָ֥ה בַּכֹּ֑חַ ק֥וֹל יְ֝הוָ֗ה בֶּהָדָֽר׃ |
Kol YHVH bakoach, kol YHVH behadar Creation calls out in strength and in beauty |
5ק֣וֹל יְ֭הוָה שֹׁבֵ֣ר אֲרָזִ֑ים וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר יְ֝הוָ֗ה אֶת־אַרְזֵ֥י הַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃ |
Kol YHVH shover arazim
in the cedar clearcuts Vayishaber YHVH et arzei halvanon and in the virgin old growth. |
6 וַיַּרְקִידֵ֥ם כְּמוֹ־עֵ֑גֶל לְבָנ֥וֹן וְ֝שִׂרְיֹ֗ן כְּמ֣וֹ בֶן־רְאֵמִֽים׃ |
Vayarkidem k’mo egel l’vanon v’shiryon k’mo ven r’emim Our world rings with nesting murrelets and diving orcas |
7 קוֹל־יְהוָ֥ה חֹצֵ֗ב לַהֲב֥וֹת אֵֽשׁ׃ |
Kol YHVH chotzev lahavot esh
and the Creator calls to us in acid rain and global warming. |
8 ק֣וֹל יְ֭הוָה יָחִ֣יל מִדְבָּ֑ר יָחִ֥יל יְ֝הוָ֗ה מִדְבַּ֥ר קָדֵֽשׁ׃ 9 ק֤וֹל יְהוָ֨ה ׀ יְחוֹלֵ֣ל אַיָּלוֹת֮ וַֽיֶּחֱשֹׂ֪ף יְעָ֫ר֥וֹת וּבְהֵיכָל֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ אֹמֵ֥ר כָּבֽוֹד׃ |
Kol YHVH yachil midbar, yachil YHVH midbar kadesh, Kol YHVH y’cholel ayalot The fault lines shake. Vayechesof yarot In this temple, do we see creative glory? |
10 יְ֭הוָה לַמַּבּ֣וּל יָשָׁ֑ב וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יְ֝הוָ֗ה מֶ֣לֶךְ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ |
YHVH lamabul yashav
The Creator was there when the first Flood struck Vayeshev YHVH melech l’olam and the Creator will be there if new global disasters come. |
11 יְֽהוָ֗ה עֹ֭ז לְעַמּ֣וֹ יִתֵּ֑ן יְהוָ֓ה ׀ יְבָרֵ֖ךְ אֶת־עַמּ֣וֹ בַשָּׁלֽוֹם׃ |
YHVH oz l’amo yiten
The Creator will give humanity the strength YHVH yivarech et amo vashalom and bless us to use that strength for Shalom. |
Avi Dolgin’s translation of תהילים כט (Psalm 29) interweaves between the original Hebrew (הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים | havu l’YHVH b’nei eilim) and an English language interpretation. The interpretation, while faithful to the original, leans heavily on environmental concerns, especially as seen from a North American West Coast perspective. Avi Dolgin is a long-time resident of Vancouver, Canada and a member of Congregation Or Shalom.

“תהלים כט | Psalms 29, an interpretive translation by Avi Dolgin” is shared by the contributors with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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