Psalm 151

Common English Bible

151A [Hebrew]

A hallelujah of David, Jesse’s son.

¹I was the smallest of my brothers,
the youngest of my father’s sons.
He made me shepherd of his flock,
ruler over their young.

²My hands made a flute,
my fingers a lyre.
Let me give glory to the Lord,
I thought to myself.

³The mountains
cannot witness to God;
the hills cannot proclaim him.
But the trees have cherished
my words,
the flocks my deeds.

⁴Who can proclaim,
who can announce,
who can declare the Lord’s deeds?
God has seen everything;
God has heard everything;
God has listened.

⁵God sent his prophet to anoint me;
Samuel to make me great.
My brothers went out to meet him,
handsome in form and appearance:

⁶Their stature tall,
    their hair beautiful,
    but the Lord God
    did not choose them.

⁷Instead, he sent and took me
from following the flock.
God anointed me with holy oil;
    God made me leader for his people,
    ruler over the children
    of his covenant.

151B [Hebrew and Syriac]^[a]

At the beginning of David’s power after the prophet of God anointed him.

¹I went out to attack the Philistine,
who cursed me by his idols.

²But after I uncovered his own sword,
        I cut off his head.
    So I removed the shame
    from the Israelites.^[b]

Psalm 151 [Greek]

This additional psalm is said to have been written by David when he fought Goliath in single combat.

¹I was small among my brothers,
and the youngest of my father’s sons.
I was shepherd of my father’s sheep.

²My hands made a musical instrument;
my fingers strung a lap harp.

³Who will tell my Lord?
The Lord himself, the Lord hears me.

⁴The Lord himself sent his messenger,
    and took me away
    from my father’s sheep.
    He put special oil on my forehead
    to anoint me.

⁵My brothers were good-looking and tall,
but the Lord didn’t take
special pleasure in them.

⁶I went out to meet the Philistine,
who cursed me by his idols.

⁷But I took his own sword out of its sheath
    and cut off his head.
    So I removed the shame
    from the Israelites.^[c]

Footnotes

Psalm 151 1:8 The Heb manuscript is damaged. The translation here follows the Syriac.
Psalm 151 1:9 Or children of Israel
Psalm 151 1:16 Or children of Israel