Prayer for the Lords Help.

A Song of Ascents.

123 To You I have (A)raised my eyes,
You who (B)are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of (C)servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress,
So our (D)eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious to us.

(E)Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us,
For we have had much more than enough of (F)contempt.
Our soul has had much more than enough
Of the (G)scoffing of (H)those who are at ease,
And with the (I)contempt of the proud.

Praise for Rescue from Enemies.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

124 (J)Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”
(K)Let Israel say,
“Had it not been the Lord who was on our side
When people rose up against us,
Then they would have (L)swallowed us alive,
When their (M)anger was kindled against us;
Then the (N)waters would have flooded over us,
The stream would have [a]swept over our souls;
Then the (O)raging waters would have [b]swept over our souls.”

Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us [c]to be (P)torn by their teeth.
Our souls have (Q)escaped (R)like a bird from the trapper’s (S)snare;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
Our (T)help is in the name of the Lord,
Who (U)made heaven and earth.

The Lord Surrounds His People.

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion, which (V)cannot be moved but (W)remains forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So (X)the Lord surrounds His people
(Y)From this time and forever.
For the (Z)scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the [d]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous (AA)will not extend their hands to do wrong.

(AB)Do good, Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are (AC)upright in their hearts.
But as for those who (AD)turn aside to their (AE)crooked ways,
The Lord will lead them away with those who (AF)practice injustice.
(AG)Peace be upon Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 124:4 Or passed over
  2. Psalm 124:5 Or passed over
  3. Psalm 124:6 Lit as a prey to
  4. Psalm 125:3 Lit lot

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(A) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(B) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(C)
if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
the flood(D) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(E) would have swept over us,
the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;(F)
the snare has been broken,(G)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(H) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(I) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(J)
    which cannot be shaken(K) but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(L)
    so the Lord surrounds(M) his people
    both now and forevermore.

The scepter(N) of the wicked will not remain(O)
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.(P)

Lord, do good(Q) to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.(R)
But those who turn(S) to crooked ways(T)
    the Lord will banish(U) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(V)