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Psalm 84
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Psalm 84[a]

Prayer of a Pilgrim to Jerusalem

1 For the leader; “upon the gittith.” A psalm of the Korahites.

I

2 How lovely your dwelling,
    O Lord of hosts!(A)
3 My soul yearns and pines
    for the courts of the Lord.(B)
My heart and flesh cry out
    for the living God.
4 [b]As the sparrow finds a home
    and the swallow a nest to settle her young,
My home is by your altars,
    Lord of hosts, my king and my God!(C)
5 Blessed are those who dwell in your house!
    They never cease to praise you.
Selah

II

6 Blessed the man who finds refuge in you,
    in their hearts are pilgrim roads.
7 As they pass through the Baca valley,[c]
    they find spring water to drink.
    The early rain covers it with blessings.
8 They will go from strength to strength[d]
    and see the God of gods on Zion.

III

9 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    listen, God of Jacob.
Selah
10 [e]O God, watch over our shield;
    look upon the face of your anointed.(D)

IV

11 Better one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere.
Better the threshold of the house of my God
    than a home in the tents of the wicked.
12 For a sun and shield is the Lord God,
    bestowing all grace and glory.
The Lord withholds no good thing
    from those who walk without reproach.
13 O Lord of hosts,
    blessed the man who trusts in you!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 84 Israelites celebrated three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem annually. The Psalm expresses the sentiments of the pilgrims eager to enjoy the divine presence.
  2. 84:4 The desire of a restless bird for a secure home is an image of the desire of a pilgrim for the secure house of God, cf. Ps 42:2–3, where the image for the desire of the pilgrim is the thirst of the deer for water.
  3. 84:7 Baca valley: Hebrew obscure; probably a valley on the way to Jerusalem.
  4. 84:8 Strength to strength: pass through outer and inner wall.
  5. 84:10 Our shield…your anointed: the king had a role in the liturgical celebration. For the king as shield, cf. Ps 89:19.
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Psalm 84
New International Version

Psalm 84[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,(A)
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns,(B) even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.(C)
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(D)
    Lord Almighty,(E) my King(F) and my God.(G)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[c]

5 Blessed are those whose strength(H) is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(I)
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;(J)
    the autumn(K) rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,(L)
    till each appears(M) before God in Zion.(N)

8 Hear my prayer,(O) Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[e](P) O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.(Q)

10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(R) in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(S) and shield;(T)
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(U)
    from those whose walk is blameless.

12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed(V) is the one who trusts in you.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
  2. Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  4. Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
  5. Psalm 84:9 Or sovereign
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

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