TORAH

FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES

NEVI'IM

PROPHETS

KETUVIM

WRITINGS

Chapter 72

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Of Shlomo. O Hashem, endow the king with Your judgments, the king's son with Your righteousness;

li-sh'-LO-mo e-lo-HEEM mish-PA-te-KHA l'-ME-lekh TEN v'-tzid-ka-TE-kha l'-ben ME-lekh

אלִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ תֵּ֑ן וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ לְבֶן־מֶֽלֶךְ׃

2that he may judge Your people rightly, Your lowly ones, justly.

ya-DIN a-ME-kha b'-tze-DEK va-a-nee-YE-kha b'-mish-PAT

ביָדִ֣ין עַמְּךָ֣ בְצֶ֑דֶק וַעֲנִיֶּ֥יךָ בְמִשְׁפָּֽט׃

3Let the mountains produce well-being for the people, the hills, the reward of justice.

YIS-u ha-REEM sha-LOM la-AM u-ge-VA-ot bitz-da-KA

גיִשְׂא֤וּ הָרִ֓ים שָׁ֘ל֥וֹם לָעָ֑ם וּ֝גְבָע֗וֹת בִּצְדָקָֽה׃

4Let him Champion the lowly among the people, deliver the needy folk, and crush those who wrong them.

YISH-pot a-NEE-yay-AM yo-SHEE-a liv-NAY ev-YON vi-da-KAY o-SHEK

דיִשְׁפֹּ֤ט ׀ עֲֽנִיֵּי־עָ֗ם י֭וֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶבְי֑וֹן וִ֖ידַכֵּ֣א עוֹשֵֽׁק׃

5Let them fear You as long as the sun shines, while the moon lasts, generations on end.

yi-RA-u-KHA im SHA-mesh v'-lif-NEI ya-RAY-aKH dor do-REEM

היִירָא֥וּךָ עִם־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְלִפְנֵ֥י יָ֝רֵ֗חַ דּ֣וֹר דּוֹרִֽים׃

6Let him be like rain that falls on a mown field, like a downpour of rain on the ground,

ye-RED k'-ma-TAR al-GEZ, kir-vi-VIM zar-ZIF a-RETZ

ויֵ֭רֵד כְּמָטָ֣ר עַל־גֵּ֑ז כִּ֝רְבִיבִ֗ים זַרְזִ֥יף אָֽרֶץ׃

7that the righteous may flourish in his time, and well-being abound, till the moon is no more.

yif-RAKH b'-ya-MAV tza-DEEK, v'-ROV sha-LOM ad b'-LEE ya-RAY-akh

זיִֽפְרַח־בְּיָמָ֥יו צַדִּ֑יק וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם עַד־בְּלִ֥י יָרֵֽחַ׃

8Let him rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.

v'-ye-REDD mi-YAM ad-YAM u-mi-NA-har ad-af-SAY a-RETZ

חוְ֭יֵרְדְּ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֑ם וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

9Let desert-dwellers kneel before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

l'-fa-NAV yikh-r'-U tzi-YIM v'-o-y'-va-YAV a-FAR y'-la-KHE-khu

טלְ֭פָנָיו יִכְרְע֣וּ צִיִּ֑ים וְ֝אֹיְבָ֗יו עָפָ֥ר יְלַחֵֽכוּ׃

10Let kings of Tarshish and the islands pay tribute, kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

mal-KHAY tar-SHEESH v'-i-YEEM min-KHA ya-SHI-vu mal-KHAY sh'-VA u-s'-VA esh-KAR yak-REE-vu

ימַלְכֵ֬י תַרְשִׁ֣ישׁ וְ֭אִיִּים מִנְחָ֣ה יָשִׁ֑יבוּ מַלְכֵ֥י שְׁבָ֥א וּ֝סְבָ֗א אֶשְׁכָּ֥ר יַקְרִֽיבוּ׃

11Let all kings bow to him, and all nations serve him.

v'-yish-ta-cha-VU-lo kol-m'-la-KHEEM, kol-go-YIM ya-a-v'-DU-hu

יאוְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֥וֹ כׇל־מְלָכִ֑ים כׇּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יַעַבְדֽוּהוּ׃

12For he saves the needy who cry out, the lowly who have no helper.

ki-ya-TZIL ev-YON m'-sha-VE-a v'-a-NEE v'-AYN-o-ZER lo

יבכִּֽי־יַ֭צִּיל אֶבְי֣וֹן מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝עָנִ֗י וְֽאֵין־עֹזֵ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

13He cares about the poor and the needy; He brings the needy deliverance.

ya-KHOS al-DAL v'-ev-YON v'-naf-SHOt ev-YO-nim yo-SHI-a

יגיָ֭חֹס עַל־דַּ֣ל וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

14He redeems them from fraud and lawlessness; the shedding of their blood weighs heavily upon him.

mi-TOKH u-m'-KHA-mas yig-AL naf-SHAM v'-ye-KAR da-MAM b'-ay-NA-yav

ידמִתּ֣וֹךְ וּ֭מֵחָמָס יִגְאַ֣ל נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְיֵיקַ֖ר דָּמָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃

15So let him live, and receive gold of Sheba; let prayers for him be said always, blessings on him invoked at all times.

vi-KHI v'-yi-TEN-lo mi-z'-HAV she-VA v'-yi-ta-PEL ba-a-DO ta-MEED kol ha-YOM y'-va-re-KHE-nu

טווִיחִ֗י וְיִתֶּן־לוֹ֮ מִזְּהַ֢ב שְׁ֫בָ֥א וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל בַּעֲד֣וֹ תָמִ֑יד כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם יְבָרְכֶֽנְהוּ׃

16Let abundant grain be in the land, to the tops of the mountains; let his crops thrive like the forest of Lebanon; and let men sprout up in towns like country grass.

yi-HI pi-SAT bar b'-a-RETZ, b'-ROSH ha-RIYM yir-ASH ka-le-va-NON pi-RO, v'-ya-tzi-TZU may-EER k'-E-sev ha-a-RETZ

טזיְהִ֤י פִסַּת־בַּ֨ר ׀ בָּאָרֶץ֮ בְּרֹ֢אשׁ הָ֫רִ֥ים יִרְעַ֣שׁ כַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן פִּרְי֑וֹ וְיָצִ֥יצוּ מֵ֝עִ֗יר כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

17May his name be eternal; while the sun lasts, may his name endure; let men invoke his blessedness upon themselves; let all nations count him happy.

y'-HEE sh'-MO l'-o-LAM lif-NAY she-MESH (yi-NIN) [yi-NON] sh'-MO v'-yi-t'-ba-RE-khu VO kol go-YIM y'-a-sh'-RU-hu

יזיְהִ֤י שְׁמ֨וֹ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם לִפְנֵי־שֶׁמֶשׁ֮ (ינין) [יִנּ֢וֹן] שְׁ֫מ֥וֹ וְיִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ ב֑וֹ כׇּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃

18Blessed is Hashem, God of Yisrael, who alone does wondrous things;

ba-RUKH a-do-NAI e-lo-HIM e-lo-HEI yis-ra-AYL o-SEH nif-LA-OT l'-va-DO

יחבָּר֤וּךְ ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עֹשֵׂ֖ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת לְבַדּֽוֹ׃

19Blessed is His glorious name forever; His glory fills the whole world. Amen and Amen.

u-va-RUKH SHAYM k'-vo-DO l'-o-LAM v'-yi-ma-LAY kh'-vo-DO et kol ha-A-retz a-MAYN v'-a-MAYN

יטוּבָר֤וּךְ ׀ שֵׁ֥ם כְּבוֹד֗וֹ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם וְיִמָּלֵ֣א כְ֭בוֹדוֹ אֶת־כֹּ֥ל הָאָ֗רֶץ אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃

72:19 Amen, and Amen

Rabbi David Stavsky (1929-2004)

The word amen is used in the Bible to connote agreement, faithfulness and certainty. It is often translated as “so be it.” Amen is one of the most common examples of an English word that comes from biblical Hebrew. According to the movement of Edenics, which believes that English is a derivative of biblical Hebrew, the English word amenable, which means “willing to believe and submit,” is also a direct offshoot of the word Hebrew word amen. In Hebrew, amen (אמן) shares a root with the word emunah (אמונה), which means ‘faith’ or ‘trust’. The word emunah is used to describe eternal belief and great confidence in Hashem. The Talmud (Shabbat 119b) teaches that the three Hebrew letters of the word amen (א-מ-נ) also stand for אל מלך נאמן (el melech ne’eman), which means ‘God is a trustworthy king.’ 20th-century American Rabbi David Stavsky pointed out in his book of sermons that every time we say the word amen, we are not only affirming our agreement, but we are actually saying “I trust in you, God.”