In these two verses a prayer is offered for Jerusalem. The psalmist asks his readers to wish Jerusalem peace. The verb translated Pray for may be rendered “Ask for” (Bible en français courant, Bible de Jérusalem), “Wish” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “Say from your heart” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). In verse 6a peace translates the word shalom (see 29.11 and comments); New Jerusalem Bible translates “well-being”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “prosperity and peace.” The prayer itself is verses 6b, 7. Line b in verse 6 provides the content of the prayer mentioned in line a. In some languages it will be necessary to make clear that this is the relation between the two lines by saying, for example, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem by saying” or “Pray for the peace … and say….” Peace of Jerusalem may have to be recast as “Pray that God will give Jerusalem peace,” “… that the people of Jerusalem will live in peace,” or idiomatically sometimes, “… that the people of Jerusalem will sit down with cool hearts.”

In verse 6b prosper translates a verb which may be taken to mean “live in peace” (so New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); New International Version “be secure.” They … who love you translates the Masoretic text; one Hebrew manuscript has “your tents” for this phrase, which is followed by Bible de Jérusalem and New Jerusalem Bible; it seems better to stay with the Masoretic text (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project).

In verse 7 peace in line a is paralleled by security in line b, which translates a noun that is related to the verb used in verse 6b; so New Jerusalem Bible has “well-being … peace.” In verse 7b the word Revised Standard Version translates towers (that is, fortresses; New International Version “citadels”) may be translated “palaces” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible). See 48.13, where the two nouns are used together (Revised Standard Version “ramparts … citadels”). In many languages it is difficult to give a command to an abstract noun such as peace. Accordingly it is often necessary to say, for example, “May everyone in Jerusalem live peacefully.” Good News Translation‘s “safety in your palaces” may have to be shifted somewhat to say, for example, “and may those in the chief’s houses live in safety.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .