Scriptural Sources for “Mah Tovu”
מַה־טֹּ֥בוּ אֹהָלֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֑ב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
Your dwellings, O Israel!
(ח) וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל־הֵֽיכַל־קׇ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
(8) But I, through Your abundant love, enter Your house;
I bow down in awe at Your holy temple.
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה אָ֭הַבְתִּי מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מְק֗וֹם מִשְׁכַּ֥ן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃
O LORD, I love Your temple abode,
the dwelling-place of Your glory.
בֹּ֭אוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה נִ֝בְרְכָ֗ה לִֽפְנֵי־יְהֹוָ֥ה עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃
Come, let us bow down and kneel,
bend the knee before the LORD our maker,
וַאֲנִ֤י תְפִלָּֽתִי־לְךָ֨ ׀ יְהֹוָ֡ה עֵ֤ת רָצ֗וֹן אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּרׇב־חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝נֵ֗נִי בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת יִשְׁעֶֽךָ׃
As for me, may my prayer come to You, O LORD,
at a favorable moment;
O God, in Your abundant faithfulness,
answer me with Your sure deliverance.

And the lyrics adapted from scripture:

מַה־טֹּֽבוּ אֹהָלֶֽיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּ֒נֹתֶֽיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל: וַאֲנִי בְּרֹב חַסְדְּ֒ךָ אָבוֹא בֵיתֶֽךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשְׁ֒ךָ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ: יְהֹוָה אָהַֽבְתִּי מְעוֹן בֵּיתֶֽךָ וּמְקוֹם מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ: וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְאֶכְרָֽעָה אֶבְרְ֒כָה לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה עֹשִׂי: וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי־לְךָ יְהֹוָה עֵת רָצוֹן אֱלֹהִים בְּרָב־חַסְדֶּֽךָ עֲנֵֽנִי בֶּאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶֽךָ:
How good are your tents, Jacob: your dwelling places, Israel. As for me, through Your abundant kindness I will enter Your House; I will prostrate myself toward Your Holy Sanctuary in awe of You. Adonoy, I love the Dwelling, Your House, and the place where Your glory resides. I will prostrate myself, and bow, I will kneel before Adonoy, my Maker. May my prayer to You Adonoy be at a favorable time; God, in the abundance of Your kindness answer me with the truth of Your deliverance.