A song to sing along the road up to Jerusalem

132 Yahweh, do not forget King David

and all the hardships/troubles he endured!

2 He made a solemn promise to you,

the mighty God whom our ancestor Jacob worshiped.

3 He said, “I will not go home,

I will not rest on my bed,

4 I will not sleep at all

5 until I build a place for Yahweh,

a home for the mighty God whom Jacob worshiped.”

6 In Bethlehem we heard news about the sacred chest.

We went and found it in the fields of Jearim city, and we took it to Jerusalem.

7 Later we said, “Let’s go to the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem;

let’s worship there in front of the throne where he sits.”

8 Yahweh, come to the place where you live eternally,

to the place where your sacred chest is,

to that place that shows that you are very powerful.

9 I want/desire that the righteous behavior of your priests will always be evident,

just like the beautiful robes that they wear [MET],

and that your people will always shout joyfully.

10 You chose David to serve you as king of Israel;

do not reject/abandon him!

11 Yahweh, you made a solemn promise to David,

a promise that you will not break.

You said, “I will cause your descendants to rule [MTY] as kings like you.

12 If they keep my agreement with them

and obey all the commands that I will give them,

the line of kings descended from you will never end.”

13 Yahweh has chosen Jerusalem;

he has wanted to make that city his home;

14 he said, “This is the city where I will live forever [DOU];

this is the place where I wanted to stay.

15 I will give to the people of Jerusalem all that they need;

I will give enough food even to satisfy the poor people there.

16 I will cause the priests to behave in a manner worthy of being ones whom I have saved;

that will be as evident as the beautiful robes that they wear [MET];

and all my people who live there will shout joyfully.

17 There in Jerusalem I will cause one of David’s descendants [MET] to become a great king;

he also will be my chosen king,

and he will be like a bright lamp [MET] that shines continually.

18 I will defeat his enemies and cause them to be very ashamed/disgraced;

but the crown that my king wears will always shine.”