Psalm 120

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Rescue from the Treacherous.

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

120 ^(A)I cried to the Lord in my trouble,
And He answered me.
²Rescue my soul, Lord, from ^(B)lying lips,
From a ^(C)deceitful tongue.
³What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you,
You ^(D)deceitful tongue?
⁴^(E)Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With the burning ^(F)coals of the broom tree!

⁵Woe to me, for I reside in ^(G)Meshech,
For I have settled among the ^(H)tents of ^(I)Kedar!
⁶Too long has my soul had its dwelling
With those who ^(J)hate peace.
⁷I ^(K)am for peace, but when I speak,
They are ^(L)for war.

Footnotes

Psalm 120 Title Ex 34:24; 1 Kin 12:27

Psalm 121

New American Standard Bible

The Lord, the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will ^(A)raise my eyes to ^(B)the mountains;
From where will my help come?
²My ^(C)help comes from the Lord,
Who ^(D)made heaven and earth.
³He will not ^(E)allow your foot to slip;
He who ^(F)watches over you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your ^[a]^(G)protector;
The Lord is your ^(H)shade on your right hand.
⁶The ^(I)sun will not ^[b]beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
⁷The Lord will ^[c]^(J)protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
⁸The Lord will ^[d]^(K)guard your going out and your coming in
^(L)From this time and forever.

Footnotes

Psalm 121:5 Or keeper
Psalm 121:6 Lit strike you
Psalm 121:7 Or keep
Psalm 121:8 Or keep

Psalm 123

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for the Lord’s Help.

A Song of Ascents.

123 To You I have ^(A)raised my eyes,
You who ^(B)are enthroned in the heavens!
²Behold, 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.

³^(E)Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us,
For we have had much more than enough of ^(F)contempt.
⁴Our 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.

Psalm 125

New American Standard Bible

The Lord Surrounds His People.

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion, which ^(A)cannot be moved but ^(B)remains forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So ^(C)the Lord surrounds His people
^(D)From this time and forever.
³For the ^(E)scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the ^[a]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous ^(F)will not extend their hands to do wrong.

⁴^(G)Do good, Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are ^(H)upright in their hearts.
⁵But as for those who ^(I)turn aside to their ^(J)crooked ways,
The Lord will lead them away with those who ^(K)practice injustice.
^(L)Peace be upon Israel.

Footnotes

Psalm 125:3 Lit lot

Psalm 126

New American Standard Bible

Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity.

A Song of Ascents.

126 When the Lord ^(A)brought back ^[a]the captives of Zion,
We were ^(B)like those who dream.
²Then our ^(C)mouth was filled with laughter
And our ^(D)tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has ^(E)done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us;
We are ^(F)joyful.

⁴Restore our fortunes, Lord,
As the ^[b]^(G)streams in the ^[c]South.
⁵Those who sow in ^(H)tears shall harvest with ^(I)joyful shouting.
⁶One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.