הַלְלוּיָהּ הַלְלִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת ה'

Halleluya. Praise the Lord, my soul.

אֲהַלְלָה ה' בְּחַיָּי אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי

I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God as long as I am alive.

אַל תִּבְטְחוּ בִנְדִיבִים בְּבֶן אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְשׁוּעָה

Do not trust in princes. It is important to keep in mind that no one, no matter how rich, powerful, generous, or kind, is entirely in control of his fate. Individuals invariably depend on others, and many factors are beyond human control. Even if the person has the best intentions, he is not completely reliable, for one can never truly trust in man, in whom there is no salvation. Humans can never be a stable, permanent source of security.

תֵּצֵא רוּחוֹ יָשֻׁב לְאַדְמָתוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָבְדוּ עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָיו

For when a person dies, his spirit departs and he returns to the earth; on that day, his plans cease to be. His thoughts and plans for the future are buried with him. This holds true for everyone, even for those who, while still alive, are true to their word.

אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁאֵל יַעֲקֹב בְּעֶזְרוֹ שִׂבְרוֹ עַל ה' אֱלֹהָיו

In contrast, happy is he whose help is from the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who is both everlasting and omnipotent, as the following verse elaborates:

עֹשֶׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם הַשֹּׁמֵר אֱמֶת לְעוֹלָם

It is He who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that is in them, who guards truth forever. God’s truth, and His promises, are unassailable.

עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט לָעֲשׁוּקִים נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לָרְעֵבִים; ה' מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים;

Moreover, God not only created the world, but continues to watch over it, performing justice for the ones who are oppressed and abused and who have no one else to rely upon, and also giving bread to the hungry. The Lord releases the imprisoned.

ה' פֹּקֵחַ עִוְרִים; ה' זֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים; ה' אֹהֵב צַדִּיקִים ;

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord straightens those who are bent over. The Lord loves the righteous and protects them even when they have no human protector.

ה' שֹׁמֵר אֶת גֵּרִים יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה יְעוֹדֵד ודֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים יְעַוֵּת

The Lord protects proselytes, who have no family or tribe to lean on for support. He heartens the orphan and the widow, who are similarly helpless, and by contrast, He twists the path of the wicked, thwarting them in their ways.

יִמְלֹךְ ה' לְעוֹלָם; אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן לְדֹר וָדֹר הַלְלוּיָהּ

In light of all the above, it is proper to praise God and pray: May the Lord reign forever; may your God, Zion, rule for all generations. Halleluya.