PDF Psalms 1-15

psa/002/001.md

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetry]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])
 
-# Why are the nations in turmoil, and why do the peoples make plots that will fail?
+# Why are the nations in turmoil, and why do the peoples devise vain plans?
 
-These questions are used to show surprise that the people are doing things that are so wrong and foolish. Alternate translation: "The nations are in turmoil and the peoples are making plots that will fail." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])
+These questions are used to show surprise that the people are doing things that are so wrong and foolish. Alternate translation: "The nations are in turmoil and the peoples are devising vain plans." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])
 
 # are the nations in turmoil
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ This probably means that the nations were making a noisy and angry commotion.
 
 This represents either the leaders or the people of the nations. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy]])
 
-# plots that will fail
+# vain plans
 
 These are probably plots against God and his people.
 

psa/002/006.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # I myself
 
-Yahweh is emphasizing that he, and not someone else, has anointed his king.
+Yahweh is emphasizing that he, and not someone else, has set his king in place.
 
-# anointed my king
+# set my king in place
 
 "appointed my king to rule"
 

psa/002/010.md

@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
-# So now, you kings, be warned; be corrected, you rulers of the earth
-
-These two phrases have similar meanings. Alternate translation: "So now, you kings and rulers of the earth, be warned and corrected" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])
-
-# be warned
-
-This can be stated with an active form. Alternate translation: "listen to this warning" or "be wise" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])
-
 # be corrected
 
 This can be stated with an active form. Alternate translation: "listen to this correction" or "take this correction" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])
 
+# judges of the earth
+
+"powerful people who govern the nations on earth"

psa/004/002.md

@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ David uses this question to rebuke his enemies. Alternate translation: "You peop
 
 Shaming him instead of honoring him is spoken of as making his honor become shame. Alternate translation: "shame me instead of honoring me" or "bring me shame when you should be honoring me"
 
-# How long will you love that which is worthless and seek after lies?
+# How long will you love what is worthless and seek after lies?
 
 David uses this question to rebuke his enemies. Alternate translation: "You continue to love things that are worthless and seek after lies." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])
 
-# love that which is worthless ... seek after lies
+# love what is worthless ... seek after lies
 
 These two phrases are very similar in meaning. The lies are worthless. Alternate translation: "love worthless lies" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])
 

psa/005/001.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetr
 
 "This song should be accompanied by people who play wind instruments."
 
-# Listen to my call to you
+# Give ear to my words
 
 This is a call for help. Alternate translation: "Listen to me as I call to you for help" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])
 

psa/005/006.md

@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-# Yahweh despises violent and deceitful men
+# Yahweh abhors
 
-Since David is speaking to God in this psalm, this sentence can be stated with the word "you." Alternate translation: "Yahweh, you despise violent and deceitful men" or "Yahweh, you hate men who do violent acts and deceive others" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person]])
+Since David is speaking to God in this psalm, this sentence can be stated with the word "you." Alternate translation: "Yahweh, you abhor" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person]])
+
+#  the man of bloodshed and deceit
+
+The phrase "the man" here refers to any person. Alternate translation: "anyone who kills or deceives others" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-genericnoun]])
 

psa/006/006.md

@@ -2,15 +2,15 @@
 
 His groaning represents the pain or distress that he feels. Alternate translation: "I am very tired because of my pain" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy]])
 
-# I drench my bed with tears; I wash my couch away with my tears
-
-These two sentences express the same meaning. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])
-
 # I drench my bed with tears
 
-"I make my bed wet with my tears" or "My bed is very wet because of my tears"
+This is an exaggeration. Alternate translation: "I make my bed wet with my tears" or "I cry in my bed" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole]])
 
-# I wash my couch away with my tears
+# bed ... couch
 
-"I make my couch wet with my tears"
+Possible meanings are 1) these are two words for the same thing or 2) the "couch" is the main cushion on the bed or 3) the "bed" is where he sleeps at night and the "couch" is another item of furniture.
+
+# I dissolve my couch with my tears
+
+This is an exaggeration. "My couch is very wet because of my tears" or "I cry hard when I am on my couch" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole]])
 

psa/007/007.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-# The countries are assembled
+# The peoples are assembled
 
-Here the word "countries" represents all of the armies that have gathered to attack. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])
+Here the word "peoples" represents all of the armies that have gathered to attack. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])
 
 # take once more your rightful place over them
 

psa/008/003.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# your heavens, which your fingers have made
+# your heavens, the work of your fingers
 
-God's fingers represent him. Alternate translation: "the heavens which you have made" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])
+God's fingers represent him. Alternate translation: "the heavens, which you have made" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche]])
 

psa/009/013.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# see how I am oppressed by those who hate me
+# see my affliction by those who hate me
 
 This can be expressed in active form. Alternate translation: "see how those who hate me oppress me" or "see how badly my enemies treat me" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])
 

psa/010/004.md

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-# The wicked man
+# The wicked
 
 This refers here to wicked people in general. Alternate translation: "the wicked person" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-genericnoun]])
 
-# has a raised face
+# in the haughtiness of his face
 
-A raised face represents pride or arrogance. Alternate translation: "has an arrogant attitude" or "is proud" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
+The word "face" here is a metonym for the person and how he thinks. Alternate translation: "has an arrogant attitude and" or "is proud and" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
 
-# he does not seek God
+# does not seek God
 
-Seeking God represents either 1) asking God for help or 2) thinking about God and obeying him. Alternate translation: "he does not ask God for help" or "he does not think about God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
+Seeking God represents either 1) asking God for help or 2) thinking about God and obeying him. Alternate translation: "does not ask God for help" or "does not think about God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
 

psa/010/011.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Refusing to pay attention to what people do is spoken of as forgetting. Alternat
 
 Refusing to pay attention to what someone does is spoken of as covering one's face. Alternate translation: "God refuses to see what is happening" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
 
-# he will not bother to look
+# he will never see it
 
-Paying attention to what someone does is spoken of as looking at it. Alternate translation: "he will not bother to pay attention" or "he will not care" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
+"he will never see what I am doing" or "he does not care what I am doing" or "he will never punish me for what I am doing"
 

psa/013/001.md

@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetr
 
 "This is for the director of music to use in worship."
 
-# How long, Yahweh, will you keep forgetting about me?
+# How long, Yahweh, will you forget me? Forever?
 
-This question is asked to get the reader's attention and to add emphasis. It can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "Yahweh, it seems that you have forgotten about me!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])
+The writer asks these question to get the reader's attention and to add emphasis. They can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "Yahweh, it seems that you have forgotten about me and will never remember me!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])
 
 # How long ... face from me?
 

psa/014/005.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 The word "they" refers to those who do evil things.
 
-# God is with the righteous assembly
+# God is with the righteous generation
 
 To say that "God is with" those who are righteous means that he helps them. This can be stated clearly in the translation. Alternate translation: "God helps those who act righteously" or "God helps those who do the right things" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])
 

psa/015/004.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# The worthless person is despised in his eyes, but he honors those who fear Yahweh
+# The abhorrent is despised in his eyes, but he honors those who fear Yahweh
 
 "Righteous people hate those who have rejected God, but they honor those who respect God"
 
-# The worthless person
+# The abhorrent
 
-"The wicked person" or "The person who has rejected Yahweh"
+This phrase refers to any person whom Yahweh abhors. Alternate translation: "The wicked person" or "The person who has rejected Yahweh" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-genericnoun]])
 

psa/016/006.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Here laying down measuring lines is a metonym for measuring land and giving it t
 
 These are ropes that people use to measure a plot of land and mark its boundaries.
 
-# surely a pleasing inheritance is mine
+# surely a beautiful inheritance is mine
 
 Here David speaks of Yahweh's blessings as if they were an inheritance that he has received. Alternate translation: "I am delighted with all the things that he has given me" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
 

psa/039/012.md

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-# Hear my prayer ... listen to me ... listen to my weeping
+# Do not be deaf to my tears
 
-These three phrases mean basically the same thing and show how strongly the writer wants God to respond to him. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])
+The phrase "deaf to" is a metaphor for "ignore." Possible meanings of the phrase "deaf to my tears" are 1) the word "tears" is a metonym for the writer's cries. Alternate translation: "Do not ignore my cries" or "Pay attention to my cries" Or 2) the word "tears" is a metonym for the writer himself. Alternate translation: "Do not ignore me" or "Pay attention to me" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
 
-# Do not be deaf to me
+# tears
 
-The writer speaks of Yahweh's lack of response to him as if Yahweh was deaf. Alternate translation: "Do not ignore me as if you could not hear me" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])
+The reader should understand that the writer is extremely sad.
 
 # I am like a foreigner with you, a refugee
 

psa/140/006.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# listen to my cries
+# give ear to my cries
 
 This is a call for help. Alternate translation: "listen to me as I call to you now for help" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy]])
 

psa/141/001.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetr
 
 The psalmist speaks as if Yahweh were a person who needed to come from another place to help him. What the psalmist wanted Yahweh to do can be stated clearly. Alternate translation: "come quickly to help me" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])
 
-# Listen to me when I call
+# Give ear to my voice when I call
 
 "Please hear me when I call" or "I beg you to hear me when I call"