The living, the living — he gives you thanks. Near death I was, because of my sins; but you saved me, O Lord.
Introduction
The Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa / 11Q5) is the largest of the psalms manuscripts from Qumran Cave 11, containing 41 canonical psalms in a different order from the Masoretic text, plus seven non-canonical compositions not found in any Bible. These unique texts are the treasures of the scroll: Psalm 151 (David's call from behind the flock), Psalm 154 and 155 (known previously only in Syriac), a Hymn to the Creator, an Apostrophe to Zion, a Plea for Deliverance, and a remarkable prose passage cataloguing David's 4,050 compositions. The canonical psalms are not translated here, as they are already widely available. This translation presents only the non-canonical material, working directly from the Hebrew transcription of Garcia Martinez and Tigchelaar.
Psalm 154
Unite your souls with the good and with the perfect, to glorify the Most High. Join together to make known his salvation, and do not be slow to make known his strength and his glory to all the simple.
For wisdom has been given to make known the glory of the Lord, and to recount his many deeds she has been made known to man — to make known his strength to the simple, to instruct in his greatness those lacking in understanding, those who are far from her gates, those who are cast out.
For the Most High is the Lord of Jacob, and his glory is upon all his works.
And the one who glorifies the Most High is accepted like one who brings an offering, like one who offers rams and calves, like one who fattens the altar with many burnt offerings — like sweet-smelling incense from the hand of the righteous.
From the gates of the righteous her voice is heard, and from the assembly of the devout, her song. When they eat to fullness she is spoken, and when they drink in union together — their meditation is on the Torah of the Most High, their words are to make known his strength.
How far from the wicked is her word! From all the arrogant, to know her!
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the good; he increases his mercy upon those who glorify him. From the time of evil he delivers their soul.
Bless the Lord, who redeems the humble from the hand of strangers, who delivers the perfect from the hand of the wicked, who raises a horn from Jacob and a judge [...]
Plea for Deliverance
For a worm cannot give you thanks, nor can a maggot recount your kindness. The living, the living — he gives you thanks! All those whose feet stumble give you thanks when you make known your kindness to them, and your righteousness you teach them.
For in your hand is the soul of every living being. The breath of all flesh — you have given it.
Deal with us, O Lord, according to your goodness, according to the abundance of your compassion and the abundance of your righteous deeds. The Lord has heard the voice of those who love his name, and has not withheld his kindness from them.
Blessed be the Lord, who performs righteous deeds, who crowns his devout ones with kindness and compassion.
My soul cried out to praise your name, to give thanks with shouts of joy for your kindnesses, to proclaim your faithfulness — for your praise there is no end.
Near death I was, because of my sins. My iniquities had sold me to Sheol. But you saved me, O Lord, according to the abundance of your compassion and the abundance of your righteous deeds.
I too have loved your name, and in your shelter I have found refuge. When I remember your strength, my heart is fortified, and upon your kindnesses I lean.
Forgive, O Lord, my sin, and cleanse me from my iniquity. Grant me a spirit of faithfulness and knowledge — let me not stumble in transgression. Let not Satan rule over me, nor an unclean spirit; let neither pain nor evil desire take possession of my bones.
For you, O Lord, are my praise, and in you I hope all day. Let my brothers rejoice with me, and the house of my father, who are astonished by your grace.
[...] Forever I shall rejoice in you.
Sirach 51:13–19
When I was still young, before I went astray, I sought her. She came to me in her beauty, and until the end I shall pursue her.
Even as the blossom falls when the grapes ripen, they gladden the heart. My foot trod on a level path, for from my youth I have known her. I bent my ear but a little, and found much instruction.
She became a nurse to me — to my teacher I give my glory. I determined to enjoy, I was zealous for good, and I shall not turn back. I burned within my soul for her, and I did not turn my face away. I stirred my soul for her, and on her heights I was not at rest.
My hand opened [...] her nakedness I gazed upon. I cleansed my hand [...]
Apostrophe to Zion
I remember you, O Zion, for a blessing; with all my strength I have loved you. May your memory be blessed forever.
Great is your hope, O Zion — peace and the expectation of your salvation will come. Generation after generation shall dwell in you, and generations of the devout shall be your splendour — those who long for the day of your salvation, who rejoice in the abundance of your glory.
The abundance of your glory they shall suckle, and in your splendid squares they shall frolic. The kindnesses of your prophets you shall remember, and in the deeds of your devout ones you shall glory.
Purge violence from your midst! Falsehood and wickedness — let them be cut off from you.
Your sons shall rejoice in your midst, and your beloved ones shall be joined to you. How they have hoped for your salvation! How your perfect ones have mourned for you!
Hope for you shall not perish, O Zion, and the expectation of you shall not be forgotten. Who has perished being righteous? Or who has been saved in his wickedness? A man is tested according to his way; each one is repaid according to his deeds.
All around you, your enemies are cut off, O Zion, and all who hate you are scattered. Your praise is a pleasing fragrance, O Zion, rising over all the world.
Many times I remember you for a blessing; with all my heart I bless you. May you attain everlasting righteousness, and may you receive the blessings of the glorious. Accept the vision spoken concerning you, and the dreams of prophets sought for you.
Be exalted and enlarged, O Zion! Praise the Most High, your redeemer!
May my soul rejoice in your glory.
Psalm 155
O Lord, I called to you — listen to me! I spread my hands toward your holy dwelling. Incline your ear and grant my request, and my plea do not withhold from me. Build up my soul, and do not tear it down; do not lay it bare before the wicked.
May the judge of truth turn away from me the recompense of evil.
O Lord, do not judge me by my sins, for no one living is righteous before you. Instruct me, O Lord, in your Torah, and teach me your judgments, so that many may hear of your deeds, and peoples may honour your glory.
Remember me and do not forget me, and do not lead me into things too hard for me. The sins of my youth — put far from me, and let my transgressions not be remembered against me.
Purify me, O Lord, from evil plague, and let it not return to me. Dry up its roots from me, and let its leaves not grow green in me.
Glory are you, O Lord — therefore my plea is fulfilled before you. To whom shall I cry out, that he would grant it to me? And the sons of men — what can their strength add?
From before you, O Lord, is my trust. I called "O Lord!" and he answered me, and he healed my broken heart. I slumbered and slept; I dreamed, and also [...] O Lord.
Hymn to the Creator
Great and holy is the Lord — the holiest of holy ones, from generation to generation.
Before him walks splendour, and after him the roar of many waters. Kindness and truth surround his face; truth and justice and righteousness are the foundation of his throne.
He separates light from darkness; the dawn he established with the knowledge of his heart. Then all his angels saw, and sang — for he showed them what they had not known: crowning the mountains with produce, good food for every living thing.
Blessed be the one who made the earth with his power, who established the world with his wisdom. With his understanding he stretched out the heavens, and brought out the wind from his storehouses; lightning for the rain he made, and raised up the clouds from the end of the earth.
David's Compositions
And David the son of Jesse was wise — a light like the light of the sun — and a scribe, and discerning, and perfect in all his ways before God and men. And the Lord gave him a discerning and enlightened spirit.
And he wrote psalms: three thousand six hundred.
And songs to sing before the altar over the perpetual offering of every day, for all the days of the year: three hundred and sixty-four.
And for the sabbath offerings: fifty-two songs.
And for the offerings of the beginnings of the months, and for all the days of the festivals, and for the Day of Atonement: thirty songs.
And all the songs which he spoke were four hundred and forty-six. And songs to play over the possessed: four.
And the total was four thousand and fifty.
All these he spoke through prophecy which was given to him from before the Most High.
Psalm 151A
A Hallelujah. Of David, son of Jesse.
I was the smallest among my brothers, and the youngest of my father's sons. And he made me shepherd of his flock, and ruler over his kids. My hands made a flute, and my fingers a lyre. And I set glory before the Lord.
I said within myself: the mountains do not witness for me, and the hills do not proclaim about me — the trees, my words; the flock, my deeds. For who can proclaim, and who can speak, and who can recount the deeds of the Lord?
Everything — God saw. Everything — he heard. And he listened.
He sent his prophet to anoint me — Samuel — to make me great. My brothers went out to meet him: beautiful of figure and beautiful of appearance, tall of stature, beautiful with their hair. The Lord God did not choose them.
But he sent and took me from behind the flock, and anointed me with holy oil, and made me prince of his people, and ruler over the sons of his covenant.
Psalm 151B
The beginning of David's might, after the prophet of God anointed him.
Then I saw a Philistine taunting from the ranks of the Philistines. I [...]
Colophon
Text: Psalms Scroll (11Q5 / 11QPsa) — non-canonical compositions
Source: Qumran Cave 11
Translation Method: Blind translation from Hebrew transcription (Garcia Martinez & Tigchelaar, Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997). No published English translations were consulted. Canonical psalms are omitted as they are widely available; only the unique non-canonical material is translated.
Translator: NTAC + Claude (Good Works Translation)
Scribe: Tulku Ezra, New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026
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