Psalm 30, once used to inaugurate the Holy Temple, is used today to inaugurate our daily prayers, for the synagogue is a "Holy Temple in miniature" and our prayers take the place of the sacrifices. It is both a prayer for success and a declaration of thanksgiving.
מִזְמוֹר A Psalm,
שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּת הַבַּֽיִת a song for the inauguration of the Temple,
לְדָוִד: by David.1Solomon built the Temple. Why, then, is its inauguration attributed to David? Rashi explains: David composed the song which would be sung at the inauguration later, in Solomon's days.
אֲרוֹמִמְךָ יְהֹוָה I will exalt You, Adonoy,
כִּי דִלִּיתָֽנִי for You have upheld me,2Radak writes that the Hebrew word דליתני is an expression used to describe either a down-trodden or an uplifted state. The downtrodden state of the Jewish people is actually part of their uplifting says the Sfas Emes, as it is said, “when I was brought low, He delivered me” (Psalms 116:6). “My downtrodden state was the cause of my salvation,” proclaims David, just as when one lowers a bucket (דלי) into a well in order to bring up the water.
וְלֹא־שִׂמַּֽחְתָּ אֹיְ֒בַי לִי: and not let my foes rejoice over me.
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי Adonoy, my God,
שִׁוַּעְתִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי: I cried out to You, and You healed me.
יְהֹוָה הֶעֱלִֽיתָ Adonoy, You have raised
מִן־שְׁאוֹל נַפְשִׁי my soul from the lower world.
חִיִּיתַֽנִי You have kept me alive,
מִיָּרְ֒דִי־בוֹר: lest I descend to the Pit.
זַמְּ֒רוּ לַיהוָֹה חֲסִידָיו Sing to Adonoy, [you,] His pious ones,
וְהוֹדוּ לְזֵֽכֶר קָדְשׁוֹ: and give thanks to His holy Name.3The literal translation of זכר קודשו is His ׳holy remembrance,’ but it refers to His Name; for the titles we bestow upon Him are our means of remembering Him.— Radak
כִּי רֶֽגַע בְּאַפּוֹ For His anger lasts only a moment,4A moment is a measure of time. God's anger is limited to time (be it long or short) but God's favor is unlimited.—Sfas Emes
חַיִּים בִּרְצוֹנוֹ but there is [long] life, in His conciliation.
בָּעֶֽרֶב יָלִין בֶּֽכִי In the evening, one retires weeping,
וְלַבֹּֽקֶר רִנָּה: but in the morning there is [a cry of] joy!
וַאֲנִי אָמַֽרְתִּי בְשַׁלְוִי I said, in my serenity,
בַּל־אֶמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם: I would never be moved.
יְהֹוָה בִּרְצוֹנְ֒ךָ [But,] Adonoy, it was Your will [alone]
הֶעֱמַֽדְתָּה לְהַרְרִי that established my mountain
עֹז as a stronghold.
הִסְתַּֽרְתָּ פָנֶֽיךָ When You concealed Your Presence,
הָיִֽיתִי נִבְהָל: I was terrified.
אֵלֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא To You, Adonoy, I called,
וְאֶל־אֲדֹנָי אֶתְחַנָּן: and my Master I beseeched.
מַה־בֶּֽצַע What gain is there
בְּדָמִי in [the shedding of] my blood?
בְּרִדְתִּי אֶל שָֽׁחַת In my going down to destruction?
הֲיוֹדְ֒ךָ עָפָר Will the dust acknowledge You?
הֲיַגִּיד אֲמִתֶּֽךָ: Will it proclaim Your truth?
שְׁמַע יְהֹוָה וְחָנֵּֽנִי Hear [me] Adonoy, and be gracious to me,
יְהֹוָה הֱיֵה־עֹזֵר לִי: Adonoy, be a help to me.
הָפַֽכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי You have turned my mourning into dancing,
פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי You have loosened my sackcloth
וַתְּ֒אַזְּ֒רֵֽנִי שִׂמְחָה: and supported me with joy.
לְמַֽעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד In order that my soul5The literal translation of כבוד is glory. Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz explained that the soul is called כבוד because its only function is to give glory to God. might sing to You
וְלֹא יִדֹּם and not be stilled,
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי לְעוֹלָם אוֹדֶֽךָּ: Adonoy, my God, forever will I thank You.
יְהוָֹה מֶֽלֶךְ, יְהוָֹה מָלָֽךְ, Adonoy is King, Adonoy was King
יְהוָֹה יִמְלֹךְ, לְעֹלָם וָעֶד: Adonoy will be King forever and ever.
יְהוָֹה מֶֽלֶךְ, יְהוָֹה מָלָֽךְ, Adonoy is King, Adonoy was King
יְהוָֹה יִמְלֹךְ, לְעֹלָם וָעֶד: Adonoy will be King forever and ever.
וְהָיָה יְהוָֹה לְמֶֽלֶךְ And Adonoy will be King
עַל־כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ, over the whole earth;
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְהוָֹה אֶחָד, on that day Adonoy will be One
וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד: and His Name One.
הֽוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, Deliver us Adonoy, our God,
וְקַבְּ֒צֵֽנוּ מִן־הַגּוֹיִם and gather us from among the nations,
לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם קָדְשֶֽׁךָ, to give thanks to Your holy Name—
לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּֽחַ בִּתְהִלָּתֶֽךָ: to be extolled in Your praise.
בָּרוּךְ יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, Blessed is Adonoy, God of Israel
מִן־הָֽעוֹלָם וְעַד הָֽעוֹלָם, from the world till the next world
וְאָמַר כָּל־הָעָם אָמֵן, הַֽלְ֒לוּיָהּ: and all the people said: "Amen, Praise God."
כֹּל הַנְּ֒שָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ, Let every soul praise God.
הַֽלְ֒לוּיָהּ: Praise God.
לַמְנַצֵּֽחַ To the Chief Musician:
בִּנְגִינֹת מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר: a Psalm with instrumental music, a song.
אֱלֹהִים יְחָנֵּֽנוּ וִיבָרְ֒כֵֽנוּ [May] God favor us and bless us,
יָאֵר פָּנָיו [may He] cause His countenance to shine
אִתָּֽנוּ סֶֽלָה: among us Selah;
לָדַֽעַת בָּאָֽרֶץ דַּרְכֶּֽךָ [So] that Your way become known on earth,
בְּכָל־גּוֹיִם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ: [and] Your deliverance among all nations.
יוֹדֽוּךָ עַמִּים אֱלֹהִים Peoples will thank You, God,
יוֹדֽוּךָ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם: all the peoples will thank You.
יִשְׂמְחוּ וִירַנְּ֒נוּ לְאֻמִּים Nations will rejoice and sing
כִּי־תִשְׁפֹּט עַמִּים מִישֹׁר when You judge the peoples justly,
וּלְאֻמִּים בָּאָֽרֶץ תַּנְחֵם סֶֽלָה: and lead the nations upon the earth Selah.
יוֹדֽוּךָ עַמִּים אֱלֹהִים Peoples will thank You, God,
יוֹדוּךָ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם: all the peoples will thank You.
אֶֽרֶץ נָתְ֒נָה יְבוּלָהּ The earth will have yielded its produce;
יְבָרְ֒כֵֽנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ: God, our God, will have blessed us.
יְבָֽרְ֒כֵֽנוּ אֱלֹהִים God will bless us,
וְיִירְ֒אוּ אוֹתוֹ and they will fear Him—
כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ: all [men even from] the ends of the earth.