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Psalm 124

Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
    —let Israel now say—(A)
if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
    when our enemies attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;(B)
then the flood would have swept us away;
    the torrent would have gone over us;(C)
then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.

Blessed be the Lord,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth.(D)
We have escaped like a bird
    from the snare of the hunters;
the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped.(E)

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.(F)

Psalm 125

The Security of God’s People

A Song of Ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved but abides forever.(G)
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people
    from this time on and forevermore.(H)
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.(I)
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good
    and to those who are upright in their hearts.(J)
But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways,
    the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
    Peace be upon Israel!(K)

Psalm 126

A Harvest of Joy

A Song of Ascents.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[a]
    we were like those who dream.(L)
Then our mouth was filled with laughter
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”(M)
The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we rejoiced.(N)

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like the watercourses in the Negeb.(O)
May those who sow in tears
    reap with shouts of joy.(P)
Those who go out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves.

Psalm 127

God’s Blessings in the Home

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
    the guard keeps watch in vain.(Q)
It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil,
    for he gives sleep to his beloved.[b](R)

Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.(S)
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has
    his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.(T)

Footnotes

  1. 126.1 Or brought back those who returned to Zion
  2. 127.2 Or for he provides for his beloved during sleep