Tehilim
Tehilim for a Yoledet
Chapters for prayer before, during, and after childbirth. Three core chapters in full.
Three core chapters
20 before labor. 100 (thanksgiving) after a healthy birth. 121 for safety on the way to the hospital.
The three chapters, in full
Tehilim
Chapter 20
- 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
- 2 יַֽעַנְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה יְ֝שַׂגֶּבְךָ֗ שֵׁ֤ם ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֬י יַעֲקֹֽב׃
- 3 יִשְׁלַֽח־עֶזְרְךָ֥ מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּ֝מִצִּיּ֗וֹן יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ׃
- 4 יִזְכֹּ֥ר כָּל־מִנְחֹתֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלָתְךָ֖ יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃
- 5 יִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ כִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־עֲצָתְךָ֥ יְמַלֵּֽא׃
- 6 נְרַנְּנָ֤ה ׀ בִּ֘ישׁ֤וּעָתֶ֗ךָ וּבְשֵֽׁם־אֱלֹהֵ֥ינוּ נִדְגֹּ֑ל יְמַלֵּ֥א יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
- 7 עַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י הוֹשִׁ֥יעַ ׀ יְהוָ֗ה מְשִׁ֫יח֥וֹ יַ֭עֲנֵהוּ מִשְּׁמֵ֣י קָדְשׁ֑וֹ בִּ֝גְבֻר֗וֹת יֵ֣שַׁע יְמִינֽוֹ׃
- 8 אֵ֣לֶּה בָ֭רֶכֶב וְאֵ֣לֶּה בַסּוּסִ֑ים וַאֲנַ֓חְנוּ ׀ בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ נַזְכִּֽיר׃
- 9 הֵ֭מָּה כָּרְע֣וּ וְנָפָ֑לוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ קַּ֝֗מְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד׃
- 10 יְהוָ֥ה הוֹשִׁ֑יעָה הַ֝מֶּ֗לֶךְ יַעֲנֵ֥נוּ בְיוֹם־קָרְאֵֽנוּ׃
English translation
- 1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.
- 2 The LORD answer thee in the day of trouble; The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high;
- 3 Send forth thy help from the sanctuary, And support thee out of Zion;
- 4 Receive the memorial of all thy meal-offerings, And accept the fat of thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah
- 5 Grant thee according to thine own heart, And fulfil all thy counsel.
- 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 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 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will make mention of the name of the LORD our God.
- 9 They are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen, and stand upright.
- 10 Save, LORD; Let the King answer us in the day that we call.
Tehilim
Chapter 100
- 1 מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
- 2 עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃
- 3 דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים הֽוּא־עָ֭שָׂנוּ ולא [וְל֣וֹ] אֲנַ֑חְנוּ עַ֝מּ֗וֹ וְצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֽוֹ׃
- 4 בֹּ֤אוּ שְׁעָרָ֨יו ׀ בְּתוֹדָ֗ה חֲצֵרֹתָ֥יו בִּתְהִלָּ֑ה הֽוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ בָּרֲכ֥וּ שְׁמֽוֹ׃
- 5 כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְ֭הֹוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְעַד־דֹּ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֱמוּנָתֽוֹ׃
English translation
- 1 A Psalm of thanksgiving. Shout unto the LORD, all the earth.
- 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
- 3 Know ye that the LORD He is God; It is He that hath made us, and we are His, His people, and the flock of His pasture.
- 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise; Give thanks unto Him, and bless His name.
- 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy endureth for ever; And His faithfulness unto all generations.
Tehilim
Chapter 121
- 1 שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃
- 2 עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃
- 3 אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹֽׁמְרֶֽךָ׃
- 4 הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
- 5 יְהוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
- 6 יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃
- 7 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
- 8 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִשְׁמָר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵֽ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
English translation
- 1 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: From whence shall my help come?
- 2 My help cometh from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
- 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
- 4 Behold, He that keepeth Israel Doth neither slumber nor sleep.
- 5 The LORD is thy keeper; The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
- 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
- 7 The LORD shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.
- 8 The LORD shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, From this time forth and for ever.
The full list: 12 chapters
Includes the full Hallel (113-118), said in some customs after a healthy birth.
- 20 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.… 10 v.
- 100 A Psalm of thanksgiving. Shout unto the LORD,… 5 v.
- 102 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he fainteth,… 29 v.
- 113 He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt… 9 v.
- 114 When Israel came forth out of Egypt, The… 8 v.
- 115 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,… 18 v.
- 116 I love that the LORD should hear Mmy… 19 v.
- 117 O praise the LORD, all ye nations; Laud… 2 v.
- 118 'O give thanks unto the LORD, for He… 29 v.
- 121 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up… 8 v.
- 128 A Song of Ascents. Happy is every one… 6 v.
- 142 Maschil of David, when he was in the… 8 v.
Frequently asked questions
When during pregnancy do you start saying these?
Common practice: from week 36 of pregnancy, or once labor starts. Many also say them throughout a difficult pregnancy or a pregnancy at risk, from week 12 onward, on a local rabbi's recommendation.
Can the husband say them for his wife?
Yes, very strong custom. The husband says Tehilim in shul or in the waiting room. In Chassidic communities the practice is for the entire minyan to say Tehilim together with the husband on the night before or day of the expected birth.
What do you say after the birth?
Right after a healthy birth: chapter 100 ("Mizmor LeTodah") as an expression of thanksgiving. Within seven days: Birkat HaGomel in shul during an aliyah. Once the woman is able to come to davening (typically 3-7 days after birth).
For pregnancy after loss or high-risk pregnancy?
There's a later (19th-century, segulot literature) custom of adding chapters 113-118 (full Hallel) throughout the pregnancy. The principle is prayer, not amulet. For high-risk pregnancies, consult your rabbi about the right local minhag.
A hospital that doesn't allow a siddur, can I use the app?
Yes. Otot works in airplane mode (in a ward without internet) and has a dedicated dark mode (so as not to disturb other women in labor). The night mode dims the screen for use beside a yoledet's bed.
Related
Sources: Sefer Maavar Yabok (chapters on the yoledet state), traditional yoledet siddur appendices. Hebrew text via Sefaria from the Westminster Leningrad Codex.