לַמְנַצֵּחַ לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר

For the chief musician, a psalm by the sons of Korah.

רָצִיתָ ה'אַרְצֶךָ שַׁבְתָּ שְׁבִית יַעֲקֹב

Lord, You showed favor to Your land. You turned Your attention toward the land with favor and love. You returned Jacob to it from captivity.

נָשָׂאתָ עֲוֹן עַמֶּךָ כִּסִּיתָ כָל חַטָּאתָם סֶלָה

You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all of their sins, Selah. That is, You have completely forgiven them (see 32:1), to the extent that their sins are no longer known. A person who truly repents is called kesui ḥata’a, someone whose sins have been completely “covered over.”

אָסַפְתָּ כָל עֶבְרָתֶךָ הֱשִׁיבוֹתָ מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ

You gathered in, that is, You have taken away, all of Your fury; You turned away from Your fierce anger.

שׁוּבֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ וְהָפֵר כַּעַסְךָ עִמָּנוּ

The following are verses of entreaty: Return to us, God of our salvation, and revoke Your anger against us.

הַלְעוֹלָם תֶּאֱנַף בָּנוּ תִּמְשֹׁךְ אַפְּךָ לְדֹר וָדֹר

Will You be enraged with us forever? Will You draw out Your wrath for generations?

הֲלֹא אַתָּה תָּשׁוּב תְּחַיֵּנוּ וְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂמְחוּ בָךְ

Surely You will once again revive us, so Your people might rejoice in You.

הַרְאֵנוּ ה' חַסְדֶּךָ וְיֶשְׁעֲךָ תִּתֶּן לָנוּ

Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.

אֶשְׁמְעָה מַה יְדַבֵּר הָאֵל ה' כִּי יְדַבֵּר שָׁלוֹם אֶל עַמּוֹ וְאֶל חֲסִידָיו וְאַל יָשׁוּבוּ לְכִסְלָה

I will hear what the Almighty Lord has to say about my plea. The psalmist reveals God’s response: For He will speak peace to His people and to His devoted ones, but on one condition: If they do not return to folly, sinful behavior, which is in essence a form of foolishness.

אַךְ קָרוֹב לִירֵאָיו יִשְׁעוֹ לִשְׁכֹּן כָּבוֹד בְּאַרְצֵנוּ

Indeed, His salvation is near for those who fear Him, and we will once again witness His revelation so that glory may dwell in our land.

חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם נָשָׁקוּ

Kindness and truth have met; justice and peace have touched. All these qualities come together when God’s revelation is realized.

אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח וְצֶדֶק מִשָּׁמַיִם נִשְׁקָף

At that time, truth will spring up from the earth as righteousness looks down from heaven and will be sensed by those on earth as well.

גַּם ה' יִתֵּן הַטּוֹב וְאַרְצֵנוּ תִּתֵּן יְבוּלָהּ

Indeed, the Lord will bestow what is good to everyone, and our land will yield its produce.

צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ וְיָשֵׂם לְדֶרֶךְ פְּעָמָיו

Justice will go before Him as it sets its footsteps on the path. Metaphorically speaking, justice will be witnessed and felt by all as if it is setting out on a path, and the glory of God follows.