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עברית

Tehilim

Tehilim for IDF Soldiers and the Safety of Israel

Traditional chapters for an individual soldier, for the entire nation, and for hostages and captives.

Three core chapters

If only three: 20 (Ya\'ancha Hashem b\'yom tzarah), 91 (Yoshev BeSeter Elyon), 121 (Esa einai).

Ch. 20 For the Leader. A Psalm of David. Ch. 91 O thou that dwellest in the covert of Ch. 121 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up

The three chapters, in full

Tehilim

Chapter 20

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  1. 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
  2. 2 יַֽעַנְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה יְ֝שַׂגֶּבְךָ֗ שֵׁ֤ם ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֬י יַעֲקֹֽב׃
  3. 3 יִשְׁלַֽח־עֶזְרְךָ֥ מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּ֝מִצִּיּ֗וֹן יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ׃
  4. 4 יִזְכֹּ֥ר כָּל־מִנְחֹתֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלָתְךָ֖ יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃
  5. 5 יִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ כִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־עֲצָתְךָ֥ יְמַלֵּֽא׃
  6. 6 נְרַנְּנָ֤ה ׀ בִּ֘ישׁ֤וּעָתֶ֗ךָ וּבְשֵֽׁם־אֱלֹהֵ֥ינוּ נִדְגֹּ֑ל יְמַלֵּ֥א יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
  7. 7 עַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י הוֹשִׁ֥יעַ ׀ יְהוָ֗ה מְשִׁ֫יח֥וֹ יַ֭עֲנֵהוּ מִשְּׁמֵ֣י קָדְשׁ֑וֹ בִּ֝גְבֻר֗וֹת יֵ֣שַׁע יְמִינֽוֹ׃
  8. 8 אֵ֣לֶּה בָ֭רֶכֶב וְאֵ֣לֶּה בַסּוּסִ֑ים וַאֲנַ֓חְנוּ ׀ בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ נַזְכִּֽיר׃
  9. 9 הֵ֭מָּה כָּרְע֣וּ וְנָפָ֑לוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ קַּ֝֗מְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד׃
  10. 10 יְהוָ֥ה הוֹשִׁ֑יעָה הַ֝מֶּ֗לֶךְ יַעֲנֵ֥נוּ בְיוֹם־קָרְאֵֽנוּ׃
English translation
  1. 1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.
  2. 2 The LORD answer thee in the day of trouble; The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high;
  3. 3 Send forth thy help from the sanctuary, And support thee out of Zion;
  4. 4 Receive the memorial of all thy meal-offerings, And accept the fat of thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah
  5. 5 Grant thee according to thine own heart, And fulfil all thy counsel.
  6. 6 We will shout for joy in thy victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our standards; The LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
  7. 7 Now know I that the LORD saveth His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the mighty acts of His saving right hand.
  8. 8 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will make mention of the name of the LORD our God.
  9. 9 They are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen, and stand upright.
  10. 10 Save, LORD; Let the King answer us in the day that we call.

Tehilim

Chapter 91

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  1. 1 יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃
  2. 2 אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃
  3. 3 כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃
  4. 4 בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃
  5. 5 לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃
  6. 6 מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃
  7. 7 יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃
  8. 8 רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃
  9. 9 כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃
  10. 10 לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃
  11. 11 כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃
  12. 12 עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃
  13. 13 עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃
  14. 14 כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃
  15. 15 יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃
  16. 16 אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃
English translation
  1. 1 O thou that dwellest in the covert of the Most High, And abidest in the shadow of the Almighty;
  2. 2 I will say of the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust,
  3. 3 That He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the noisome pestilence.
  4. 4 He will cover thee with His pinions, And under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler.
  5. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flieth by day;
  6. 6 Of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor of the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
  7. 7 A thousand may fall at Thy side, And ten thousand at Thy right hand; It shall not come nigh thee.
  8. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the recompense of the wicked.
  9. 9 For thou hast made the LORD who is my refuge, Even the Most High, thy habitation.
  10. 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.
  11. 11 For He will give His angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.
  12. 12 They shall bear thee upon their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
  13. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp; The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.
  14. 14 'Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
  15. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and bring him to honour.
  16. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, And make Him to behold My salvation.'

Tehilim

Chapter 121

Full chapter page →
  1. 1 שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃
  2. 2 עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃
  3. 3 אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹֽׁמְרֶֽךָ׃
  4. 4 הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
  5. 5 יְהוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
  6. 6 יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃
  7. 7 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
  8. 8 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵֽ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
English translation
  1. 1 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: From whence shall my help come?
  2. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
  3. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
  4. 4 Behold, He that keepeth Israel Doth neither slumber nor sleep.
  5. 5 The LORD is thy keeper; The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
  6. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
  7. 7 The LORD shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.
  8. 8 The LORD shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, From this time forth and for ever.

The full list: 16 chapters

Frequently asked questions

If I only have time for one chapter, which?

Chapter 20 ("Ya'ancha Hashem b'yom tzarah") is the traditional first choice for an individual soldier or a specific operation. Chapter 121 ("Esa einai el heharim") is the classic for personal protection on the road. Both together: under a minute, both rest on long-standing segulot.

Difference between praying for an individual vs. for the nation?

Chapters 20, 121, 130 fit a specific soldier (by name + mother's name). Chapters 83 ("Elokim al domi"), 22, 144 fit prayer for the entire Jewish people and the State of Israel. Many combine: a few personal chapters, then 83 at the end for the public prayer.

Tehilim for hostages and captives?

Yes, a strengthening minhag since October 2023. The classically associated chapter is 142 ("B'tza'aki el Hashem"), said by King David in the cave when pursued. Also 70 and 79.

Is there a closing prayer?

After saying Tehilim it's customary to say "Mi Sheberach for IDF soldiers" (in the Israeli Military Rabbinate siddur), and the prayer for peace of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Both are available in Otot under the chapter appendices.

Can a non-Jew say Tehilim for soldiers?

Yes, a documented and accepted practice. Tehilim are universal prayers, and gentiles who say them for the welfare of Israel fulfill their bracha (without saying the bracha of mitzvot).

Related

Sources: Israeli Military Rabbinate Tefilat HaChayalim, Sephardic siddur appendices, publications of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Hebrew text via Sefaria from the Westminster Leningrad Codex.

Daily, for the soldiers

Save the names you pray for, and Otot opens to the right chapters every time.

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