1 Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions:
2 How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
5 Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.
10 For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.
13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
<html><b>A song of ascents. Remember, O Lord, onto David all his affliction</b> The affliction of his soul, how he worked and toiled to find a place for You.</html>
<html><b>Until I find a place</b> Until it will be known where the place of His sanctuary will be. (I found this.)</html>
<html><b>we heard it</b> The tidings. <b>in Ephrath</b> In the most esteemed and superior place, like (I Sam. 1:1): “the son of Toku, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite,” an important person, a palace dweller. Another explanation: <b>We heard it in Ephrath</b> In the Book of Joshua (ch. 15), who came from Ephraim. In all the boundaries he says, “And the border went up…and the border circled,” but here he says, “And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnon… Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is [therefore] found to be higher than all the lands, and it is fit for the Temple, as it is said (Deut. 17:8): “and you shall arise and ascend to the place, etc.” This teaches [us] that the Temple is higher than the whole land of Israel. So it is expounded upon in tractate Zevahim (54b). <b>we found it in the fields of the forest</b> In the boundary of Benjamin, who was likened to a beast of the forest, as it is said (Gen. 49:27): “Benjamin is a devouring wolf.”</html>
<html><b>Let us come</b> there to His Tabernacles.</html>
<html><b>turn not away the face of Your anointed</b> Solomon, when he comes to place the Ark therein.</html>
<html><b>and this, My testimony, which I shall teach them</b> This which I shall teach them.</html>
<html><b>its provision</b> its food.</html>
<html><b>will shine</b> Heb. יציץ, which shine, like (Ezek. 1:7): “and they sparkled (ונצצים) like the color of burnished copper.”</html>