³ He holds you firmly in place;
He will not let you fall.
    He who keeps you will never take His eyes off you and never drift off to sleep.
⁴ What a relief! The One who watches over Israel
    never leaves for rest or sleep.

⁵ The Eternal keeps you safe,
    so close to Him that His shadow is a cooling shade to you.
⁶ Neither bright light of sun
    nor dim light of moon will harm you.

⁷ The Eternal will keep you safe
    from all of life’s evils,
⁸ From your first breath to the last breath you breathe,
    from this day and forever.

¹ I was so happy when my fellow pilgrims said,
    “Let’s go to the house of the Eternal!”
² We have made the journey, and now we are standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem! What a magnificent city!
    Buildings so close together, so compact.
⁴ God’s people belong here. Every tribe of the Eternal
    makes its way to Jerusalem—
Just as God decreed for Israel
    to come together and give thanks to the Eternal.
⁵ In Jerusalem, justice is the order of the day because there sit the judges
    and kings, the descendants of David.

⁶ Ask heaven to grant peace to Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you prosper.
⁷ O Jerusalem, may His peace fill this entire city!
    May this citadel be quiet and at ease!”
⁸ It’s because of people—my family, friends, and acquaintances—
    that I say, “May peace permeate you.”
⁹ And because the house of Eternal One, our God, is here, know this:
    I will always seek your good!