Psalm 135 (Tehillim 135) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 135
A psalm opening and closing with Hallelujah, calling the servants of Hashem to praise Him for choosing Ya’akov, for His works in creation and against Mitzrayim and Kena’an, unlike the idols of the nations.
135:1Hallelujah! Praise the name of Hashem; praise Him, O you servants of Hashem.
אהַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀ הַֽ֭לְלוּ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה הַֽ֝לְלוּ עַבְדֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
135:2You that stand in the house of Hashem, in the courts of the house of our God,
בשֶׁ֣֭עֹֽמְדִים בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה בְּ֝חַצְר֗וֹת בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
135:3Hallelujah; for Hashem is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant.
גהַֽ֭לְלוּ־יָהּ כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֑ה זַמְּר֥וּ לִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹ כִּ֣י נָעִֽים׃
135:4For Yah has chosen Ya’akov (Jacob) unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure.
דכִּֽי־יַעֲקֹ֗ב בָּחַ֣ר ל֣וֹ יָ֑הּ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל לִסְגֻלָּתֽוֹ׃
135:5For I know that Hashem is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
הכִּ֤י אֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי כִּי־גָד֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה וַ֝אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מִכָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
135:6Whatsoever Hashem pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
וכֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־חָפֵ֥ץ יְהוָ֗ה עָ֫שָׂ֥ה בַּשָּׁמַ֥יִם וּבָאָ֑רֶץ בַּ֝יַּמִּ֗ים וְכָל־תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃
135:7He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
זמַֽעֲלֶ֣ה נְשִׂאִים֮ מִקְצֵ֪ה הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ בְּרָקִ֣ים לַמָּטָ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה מֽוֹצֵא־ר֝וּחַ מֵאֽוֹצְרוֹתָֽיו׃
135:8Who struck the firstborn of Mitzrayim (Egypt), both of man and beast.
חשֶֽׁ֭הִכָּה בְּכוֹרֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם מֵ֝אָדָ֗ם עַד־בְּהֵמָֽה׃
135:9Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of you, O Mitzrayim, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.
טשָׁלַ֤ח ׀ אֹת֣וֹת וּ֭מֹפְתִים בְּתוֹכֵ֣כִי מִצְרָ֑יִם בְּ֝פַרְעֹ֗ה וּבְכָל־עֲבָדָֽיו׃
135:10Who struck great nations, and slew mighty kings;
ישֶֽׁ֭הִכָּה גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֑ים וְ֝הָרַ֗ג מְלָכִ֥ים עֲצוּמִֽים׃
135:11Sichon (Sihon) king of the Emori (Amorites), and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Kena’an (Canaan):
יאלְסִיח֤וֹן ׀ מֶ֤לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֗י וּ֭לְעוֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן וּ֝לְכֹ֗ל מַמְלְכ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
135:12And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel His people.
יבוְנָתַ֣ן אַרְצָ֣ם נַחֲלָ֑ה נַ֝חֲלָ֗ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עַמּֽוֹ׃
135:13Your name, O Hashem, endures for ever; and Your memorial, O Hashem, throughout all generations.
יגיְ֭הוָה שִׁמְךָ֣ לְעוֹלָ֑ם יְ֝הוָ֗ה זִכְרְךָ֥ לְדֹר־וָדֹֽר׃
135:14For Hashem will judge His people, and He will repent Himself concerning His servants.
ידכִּֽי־יָדִ֣ין יְהוָ֣ה עַמּ֑וֹ וְעַל־עֲ֝בָדָ֗יו יִתְנֶחָֽם׃
135:15The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
טועֲצַבֵּ֣י הַ֭גּוֹיִם כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֑ב מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָֽם׃
135:16They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
טזפֶּֽה־לָ֭הֶם וְלֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ עֵינַ֥יִם לָ֝הֶ֗ם וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֽוּ׃
135:17They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
יזאָזְנַ֣יִם לָ֭הֶם וְלֹ֣א יַאֲזִ֑ינוּ אַ֝֗ף אֵין־יֶשׁ־ר֥וּחַ בְּפִיהֶֽם׃
135:18They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusts in them.
יחכְּ֭מוֹהֶם יִהְי֣וּ עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם כֹּ֭ל אֲשֶׁר־בֹּטֵ֣חַ בָּהֶֽם׃
135:19Bless Hashem, O house of Israel: bless Hashem, O house of Aharon (Aaron):
יטבֵּ֣ית יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בָּרֲכ֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה בֵּ֥ית אַ֝הֲרֹ֗ן בָּרֲכ֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
135:20Bless Hashem, O house of Levi: you that fear Hashem, bless Hashem.
כבֵּ֣ית הַ֭לֵּוִי בָּרֲכ֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה יִֽרְאֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה בָּרֲכ֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
135:21Blessed be Hashem out of Tziyon (Zion), which dwells at Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). Hallelujah!
כאבָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ מִצִּיּ֗וֹן שֹׁ֘כֵ֤ן יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
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Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.