They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of (A)Ascents.

129 “Greatly[a] have they (B)afflicted me (C)from my youth”—
    (D)let Israel now say—
“Greatly have they (E)afflicted me (F)from my youth,
    (G)yet they have not prevailed against me.
(H)The plowers plowed (I)upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
The Lord is righteous;
    he has cut (J)the cords of the wicked.
May all who hate Zion
    be (K)put to shame and turned backward!
Let them be like (L)the grass on the housetops,
    which (M)withers before it grows up,
with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
nor do those who pass by say,
    (N)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
    We (O)bless you in the name of the Lord!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of (P)Ascents.

130 Out of (Q)the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
    O Lord, hear my voice!
(R)Let your ears be attentive
    to (S)the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should (T)mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could (U)stand?
But with you there is (V)forgiveness,
    (W)that you may be feared.

I (X)wait for the Lord, (Y)my soul waits,
    and (Z)in his word I hope;
my soul (AA)waits for the Lord
    more than (AB)watchmen for (AC)the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, (AD)hope in the Lord!
    For (AE)with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will (AF)redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of (AG)Ascents. Of David.

131 O Lord, my heart is not (AH)lifted up;
    my eyes are not (AI)raised too high;
I do not (AJ)occupy myself with things
    too great and (AK)too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned (AL)child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

(AM)O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.

The Lord Has Chosen Zion

A Song of (AN)Ascents.

132 Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
    all (AO)the hardships he endured,
how he swore to the Lord
    and (AP)vowed to (AQ)the Mighty One of Jacob,
“I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
I will not (AR)give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
until I (AS)find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling place for (AT)the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in (AU)Ephrathah;
    we found it in (AV)the fields of Jaar.
“Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us (AW)worship at his (AX)footstool!”

(AY)Arise, O Lord, and go to your (AZ)resting place,
    you and the ark of your (BA)might.
Let your (BB)priests be (BC)clothed with righteousness,
    and let your (BD)saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
    (BE)do not turn away the face of (BF)your anointed one.

11 (BG)The Lord swore to David a sure oath
    (BH)from which he will not turn back:
(BI)“One of the sons of your body[b]
    I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
    shall (BJ)sit on your throne.”

13 For the Lord has (BK)chosen Zion;
    he has (BL)desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my (BM)resting place forever;
    here I will (BN)dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly (BO)bless her provisions;
    I will (BP)satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her (BQ)priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her (BR)saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make (BS)a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared (BT)a lamp for (BU)my anointed.
18 His enemies I will (BV)clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.”

When Brothers Dwell in Unity

A Song of (BW)Ascents. Of David.

133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when (BX)brothers dwell in unity![c]
It is like the precious (BY)oil on (BZ)the head,
    running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on (CA)the collar of his robes!
It is like (CB)the dew of (CC)Hermon,
    which falls on (CD)the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord (CE)has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore.

Come, Bless the Lord

A Song of (CF)Ascents.

134 Come, bless the Lord, all you (CG)servants of the Lord,
    who (CH)stand (CI)by night in the house of the Lord!
(CJ)Lift up your hands to (CK)the holy place
    and bless the Lord!

May the Lord (CL)bless you (CM)from Zion,
    he who (CN)made heaven and earth!

Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever

135 (CO)Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O (CP)servants of the Lord,
who (CQ)stand in the house of the Lord,
    in (CR)the courts of the house of our God!
Praise the Lord, for (CS)the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, (CT)for it is pleasant![d]
For the Lord has (CU)chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his (CV)own possession.

For I know that (CW)the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
(CX)Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
(CY)He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who (CZ)makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his (DA)storehouses.

He it was who (DB)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent (DC)signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 (DD)who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11 (DE)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and (DF)Og, king of Bashan,
    and (DG)all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and (DH)gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.

13 (DI)Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    (DJ)your renown,[e] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 (DK)For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and (DL)have compassion on his servants.

15 (DM)The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.

19 (DN)O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord (DO)from Zion,
    he who (DP)dwells in Jerusalem!
(DQ)Praise the Lord!

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

136 (DR)Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    (DS)for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to (DT)the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to (DU)the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone (DV)does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who (DW)by understanding (DX)made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who (DY)spread out the earth (DZ)above the waters,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who (EA)made the great lights,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

10 to him who (EB)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and (EC)brought Israel out from among them,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with (ED)a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who (EE)divided the Red Sea in two,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 (EF)and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but (EG)overthrew[f] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who (EH)led his people through the wilderness,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

17 to him (EI)who struck down great kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his (EJ)servant,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who (EK)remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and (EL)rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who (EM)gives food to all flesh,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to (EN)the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

137 By the waters of Babylon,
    there we sat down and wept,
    when we remembered Zion.
On the willows[g] there
    we hung up our lyres.
For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

(EO)How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    (EP)let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my (EQ)tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!

Remember, O Lord, against the (ER)Edomites
    (ES)the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, (ET)“Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!”
O daughter of Babylon, (EU)doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who (EV)repays you
    with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and (EW)dashes them against the rock!

Give Thanks to the Lord

Of David.

138 (EX)I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before (EY)the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down (EZ)toward your (FA)holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.[h]
On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.[i]

(FB)All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
and they shall sing of (FC)the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
(FD)For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

(FE)Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you (FF)preserve my life;
you (FG)stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your (FH)right hand delivers me.
The Lord will (FI)fulfill his purpose for me;
    (FJ)your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake (FK)the work of your hands.

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you have (FL)searched me and known me!
You (FM)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you (FN)discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, (FO)you know it altogether.
You (FP)hem me in, behind and before,
    and (FQ)lay your hand upon me.
(FR)Such knowledge is (FS)too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

(FT)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where (FU)shall I flee from your presence?
(FV)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    (FW)If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall (FX)lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (FY)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 (FZ)even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you (GA)formed my inward parts;
    you (GB)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[j]
(GC)Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 (GD)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in (GE)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (GF)book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your (GG)thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 (GH)If I would count them, they are more than (GI)the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would (GJ)slay the wicked, O God!
    O (GK)men of blood, (GL)depart from me!
20 They (GM)speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies (GN)take your name in vain.[k]
21 (GO)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not (GP)loathe those who (GQ)rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    (GR)Try me and know my thoughts![l]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and (GS)lead me in (GT)the way everlasting![m]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2
  2. Psalm 132:11 Hebrew of your fruit of the womb
  3. Psalm 133:1 Or dwell together
  4. Psalm 135:3 Or for he is beautiful
  5. Psalm 135:13 Or remembrance
  6. Psalm 136:15 Hebrew shook off
  7. Psalm 137:2 Or poplars
  8. Psalm 138:2 Or you have exalted your word above all your name
  9. Psalm 138:3 Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength
  10. Psalm 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart
  11. Psalm 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name
  12. Psalm 139:23 Or cares
  13. Psalm 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)

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