149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing!
Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp!
149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he exalts the oppressed by delivering them. 1
149:5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication! 2
Let them shout for joy upon their beds! 3
149:6 May they praise God
while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand, 4
149:7 in order to take 5 revenge on the nations,
and punish foreigners.
149:8 They bind 6 their kings in chains,
and their nobles in iron shackles,
149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies 7 have been sentenced. 8
All his loyal followers will be vindicated. 9
Praise the Lord!
1 tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”
2 tn Heb “in glory.” Here “glory” probably refers to the “honor” that belongs to the
3 tn The significance of the reference to “beds” is unclear. Perhaps the point is that they should rejoice at all times, even when falling asleep or awaking.
4 tn Heb “[May] praises of God [be] in their throat, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”
5 tn Heb “to do.”
6 tn Heb “to bind.”
7 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the enemies of the people of God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “to do against them judgment [that] is written.”
9 tn Heb “it is honor for all his godly ones.” The judgment of the oppressive kings will bring vindication and honor to God’s people (see vv. 4-5).