Psalms 84

1 Lord, you who are the Commander of the armies of angels, your temple is very beautiful!

For the music director. A psalm of the descendants of Korah. On the gittith. How wonderful is the place where you live, Lord Almighty!

2 I [SYN] would like to be there; Yahweh, I desire that very much [DOU]. With all of my inner being I sing joyfully to you, the all-powerful God.

I long, I ache, to be in the courts of the Lord. My mind and my body sing for joy to the living God.

3 Even sparrows and swallows have built nests [near your temple, where you protect them] [DOU]; they take care of their young babies near the altars [where people offer sacrifices to] you, who are the commander of the armies of heaven, and my king and my God.

Even a sparrow finds a home there, and a swallow builds a nest for herself where she can raise her chicks near to your altars, Lord Almighty, my king and my God.

4 (Happy are/You are pleased with) those who (live/continually worship) in your temple, constantly singing to praise you.

How happy are those who live in your house—they are always praising you! (Selah)

5 Happy are those who [know that] you are the one who causes them to be strong, those who strongly desire to (make the trip/go) to Zion [Hill].

How happy are those whose strength is in you, those who are determined to make a pilgrimage.

6 While they travel through the [dry] Baca Valley, [you cause] it to become a place where there are springs of water, where the rains (in the autumn/before the cold season) fill the valley with pools of water.

As they walk through the Valley of Tears it becomes a spring of water; autumn rains cover it with pools.

7 [As a result, those who travel through there] become stronger/refreshed [knowing that] they will appear in your presence (on Zion [Hill]/in Jerusalem).

They go from strength to strength, and each one will appear before God in Jerusalem.

8 Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, listen to my prayer; God, who [is worshiped by us (descendants of] Jacob/Israeli people), hear [IDM] what I am saying!

Lord God Almighty, please hear my prayer; please listen, God of Jacob. (Selah)

9 God, be kind to [IDM] our king, the one who protects us [MTY], the one whom you have chosen [MTY] [to rule us].

Please God, look at our defender, look at the face of your anointed one.

10 [For me], spending one day in your temple is better than spending 1,000 days somewhere else; [standing] at the entrance to your temple, [ready to go inside], is better than living in the tents/homes where wicked [people live].

One day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else. I'd rather stand as a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live comfortably in the homes of the wicked.

11 Yahweh our God is [like] the sun [that shines on us] and [like] a shield [that protects us] [MET]; he is kind to [us] and honors [us]. Yahweh does not refuse to give any good thing/blessing to those who do what is right.

For the Lord God is our sun and shield, and he gives us grace and honor. The Lord doesn't hold back anything good from those who do right.

12 Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, (happy are/you are pleased with) those who trust in you!

Lord Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you.