Psalms 151-155

from W. Wright, Some Apocryphal Psalms in Syriac,Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, Vol. 9(1886-7) pp.257-258, 264-6

Psalm 151 - A Thanksgiving of David

1I was the smallest among my brothers, and youngest in my father’s house. I used to feed my father’s flock, and I found a lion and a wolf, and slew them and tore them. 2My hands made a harp, and my fingers fashioned a lyre.3 Who will show me my Lord? He, my Lord, has become my God. 4He sent His angel and took me away from my father’s flock, and anointed me with the oil of anointing. 5My brothers, the fair and the tall, in them the LORD was not pleased. 6And I went out to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols. 7But I drew his sword and cut off his head, and took away the disgrace from the children of Israel.

Psalm 152 - The Prayer of Hezekiah when enemies surrounded him

1 Glorify God with a loud voice; proclaim His glory in the assembly of many. 2Among the multitude of the upright, glorify His praise; and speak of His glory with the righteous. 3Join yourselves to the good and to the perfect, to glorify the Most High. 4Gather yourselves together to make His strength known; and do not be slow in showing His deliverance, [His strength] and His glory to all children. 5That the honor of the LORD may be known, wisdom has been given; and to tell of His works it has been made known to men: 6to make His strength known to children, and to make them that lack understanding to comprehend His glory; 7who are far from His wonders and distant from His gates: 8because the Lord of Jacob is exalted, and His glory is upon all His works. 9And in a man who glorifies the Most High, will He take pleasure; as in one who offers fine meal, and as in one who offers male goats and calves; 10and as in one who glorifies the altar with a multitude of burnt offerings; and as the smell of incense from the hands of the just. 11From your upright gates His voice will be heard, and from the voice of the upright, reproof. 12And in their eating will be satisfying in truth, and in their drinking, when they share together. 13Their dwelling is in the law of the Most High, and their speech is to make His strength known. 14How far from the wicked is speech of Him, and from all transgressors to know Him! 15The eye of the LORD takes pity on the good, and He will multiply mercy on them that glorify Him, and from the time of evil He will deliver their soul. 16Blessed is the LORD, who has delivered the wretched from the hand of the wicked; who raises up a horn out of Jacob and a judge of the nations out of Israel; 17that He may prolong His dwelling in Zion, and may adorn our age in Jerusalem.

Psalm 153 - When the People obtained permission from Cyrus to return home

1O LORD, I have cried to You; listen to me. 2I have lifted up my hands to Your holy dwelling-place; hear me. 3And grant me my request; do not withhold my prayer from me. 4Build up my soul, and do not destroy it; and do not lay it bare before the wicked. 5Turn them that compensate evil things away from me, O judge of truth. 6O LORD, do not judge me according to my sins, because no flesh is innocent before You. 7Make plain to me, O LORD, Your law, and teach me Your judgments; 8and many will hear of Your works, and the nations will praise Your honor. 9Remember me and do not forget me; and do not lead me into things that are too hard for me. 10Make the sins of my youth to pass from me, and do not let them remember my punishment against me. 11Cleanse me, O LORD, from the evil leprosy, and let it no more come to me. 12Dry up its roots in me, and do not let its leaves sprout within me. 13Great are You, O LORD; therefore my request will be fulfilled in front of You. 14To whom may I complain that he may give to me? And what can the strength of men add [to me]? 15From before You, O LORD, is my confidence; I cried to the LORD and He heard me, and healed the breaking of my heart. 16I slumbered and slept; I dreamed and was helped, and the LORD sustained me. 17They grievously pained my heart; I will return thanks because the LORD delivered me. 18Now I will rejoice in their shame; I have hoped in You, and I will not be ashamed. 19Give honor forever, even forever and ever. 20Deliver Israel Your elect, and them of the house of Jacob Your proved one.

Psalm 154 - Spoken by David when he was contending with the lion and the wolf which took a sheep from his flock

1O God, O God, come to my aid; help me and save me; deliver my soul from the slayer. 2Will I go down to Sheol by the mouth of the lion? or will the wolf confound me? 3Was it not enough for them that they lay in wait for my father’s flock, and tore a sheep of my father’s drove in pieces, but they were wishing also to destroy my soul? 4Have pity, O LORD, and save Your holy one from destruction; that he may rehearse Your glories in all his times, and may praise Your great name: 5when You have delivered him from the hands of the destroying lion and of the ravening wolf, and when You have rescued my captivity from the hands of the wild beasts. 6Quickly, O my Lord, send from before You a deliverer, and draw me out of the gaping pit, which imprisons me in its depths.

Psalm 155 - Spoken by David when returning thanks to God, who had delivered him from the lion and the wolf and he had slain both of them

1Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify Him, and bless His name: 2Who rescued the soul of His elect from the hands of death, and delivered His holy one from destruction: 3and saved me from the nets of Sheol, and my soul from the pit that cannot be fathomed. 4Because, before my deliverance could go out from before Him, I was well nearly tore in two pieces by two wild beasts. 5But He sent His angel, and shut up for me the gaping mouths, and rescued my life from destruction. 6My soul will glorify Him and exalt Him, because of all His kindnesses which He has done and will do for me.

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Psalm 151 (from Dead Sea Scrolls)

1I was smaller than my brothers and the youngest of the sons of my father, So he made me shepherd of his flock and ruler over his kids; 2My hands have made an instrument and my fingers a lyre; And (so) I have rendered glory to the LORD, I thought within my soul 3The mountains do not witness to him, nor do the hills proclaim; The trees have cherished my words and the flock my works. 4For who can proclaim and who can address and who can recount the deeds of the LORD? God has seen everything, he has heard, and he has paid attention. 5He sent his prophet to anoint me; Samuel to make me great; My brothers went out to meet him handsome of figure and appearance. 6Though they were tall of stature and handsome by their hair, The LORD God did not choose them 7But he sent and took me from behind the flock and anointed me with holy oil, And he made me leader of his people and ruler over the sons of his covenant. 

Psalm 151 - A Thanksgiving of David (alternate Syriac translation)

1I was the smallest among my brothers; and the youngest in my father’s house; and I also kept my father’s sheep. 2My hands made the harp; and my fingers joined the psaltery. 3And who is he who taught me? The LORD himself, he is my Master, and the hearer of all that call upon him. 4He sent his angel, and took me away from my father’s sheep; and anointed me with the oil of his mercy. 5My brothers were taller and more beautiful than I; nevertheless the LORD did not delight in them. 6I went out to meet the Philistine, and in the strength of the LORD I cast three stones at him. I struck him in the forehead, and knocked him down to the ground. 7Then I drew out his own sword from its sheath, cut off his head, and took away the disgrace from the children of Israel.

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Note: LORD in all capital letters represents Mar-Yah in the Aramaic. Mar-Yah is the equivalent to YHWH in Hebrew, which represents God’s personal name “Yahuwah,” as with the ending of the names of many prophets. I.E. “YirmeYahu, YeshaYahu, EliYahu…etc. The “ah” ending here has the same H sound as the first.

Y=eeH=ahW=u, or ooH=ah