Psalm 121-125

New Living Translation

¹ I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

³ He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

¹ I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
² And now here we are,
    standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
³ Jerusalem is a well-built city;
    its seamless walls cannot be breached.
⁴ All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—
    make their pilgrimage here.
They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,
    as the law requires of Israel.
⁵ Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,
    the thrones of the dynasty of David.

⁶ Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
    May all who love this city prosper.
⁷ O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls
    and prosperity in your palaces.
⁸ For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
    “May you have peace.”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

¹ I lift my eyes to you,
    O God, enthroned in heaven.
² We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
    just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
    as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
³ Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
    for we have had our fill of contempt.
⁴ We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
    and the contempt of the arrogant.

¹ What if the Lord had not been on our side?
    Let all Israel repeat:
² What if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us?
³ They would have swallowed us alive
    in their burning anger.
⁴ The waters would have engulfed us;
    a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
⁵ Yes, the raging waters of their fury
    would have overwhelmed our very lives.

⁶ Praise the Lord,
    who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
⁷ We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.
    The trap is broken, and we are free!
⁸ Our help is from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

¹ Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;
    they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
² Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
³ The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,
    for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
⁴ O Lord, do good to those who are good,
    whose hearts are in tune with you.
⁵ But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord.
    Take them away with those who do evil.

May Israel have peace!