Approved/134/Expanded Paraphrase

Text (Hebrew)	Verse	Expanded Paraphrase
שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת הָעֹמְדִ֥ים בְּבֵית־יְ֝הוָ֗ה בַּלֵּילֽוֹת׃	1	The song of the ascents, written for pilgrims coming to Zion for a holy festival. The pilgrims, having just arrived at the Temple, say to the priests: Come on! Bless YHWH because he is worthy of blessing and because blessing YHWH is part of serving him, all servants of YHWH, you priests and Temple workers, whose job is to bless YHWH on behalf of all Israel –the ones who stand or serve in the house of YHWH by night especially when night vigils were held during holy festivals! In this way blessings will never cease, for somebody will always be blessing YHWH.
שְׂאֽוּ־יְדֵכֶ֥ם קֹ֑דֶשׁ וּ֝בָרֲכוּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃	2	Lift up your hands as the gesture of prayer to YHWH which he decreed at the dedication of the Temple toward the holy place also known as the Temple, you who are in the courtyard, just outside the Temple, and bless YHWH because he is our covenant God and worthy of blessing!
יְבָרֶכְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃	3	The covenant has obligations on both sides, which means blessing flows between them and the priests serve as intermediaries between the two so, in response to the blessing of the people to YHWH, the priests say to the pilgrims: May YHWH, the one with authority to bless, reciprocally bless you from Zion where his presence is located –the maker and ruler of heaven and earth, that is, the one responsible for both heaven and earth and therefore responsible for blessing flowing back and forth! In this way we of Israel, on earth, worship our God in heaven whose presence still dwells on Zion.