Psalm 127-131

English Standard Version

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of ^(A)Ascents. Of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord ^(B)watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious ^(C)toil;
    for he gives to his ^(D)beloved ^(E)sleep.

³Behold, ^(F)children are a heritage from the Lord,
    ^(G)the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of ^(H)a warrior
    are the children^[a] of one's youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies ^(I)in the gate.^[b]

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

A Song of ^(J)Ascents.

128 ^(K)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who ^(L)walks in his ways!
²You ^(M)shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³Your wife will be like ^(N)a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like ^(O)olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the Lord.

⁵^(P)The Lord bless you ^(Q)from Zion!
    May you see ^(R)the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life!
⁶May you see your ^(S)children's children!
    ^(T)Peace be upon Israel!

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of ^(U)Ascents.

129 “Greatly^[c] have they ^(V)afflicted me ^(W)from my youth”—
    ^(X)let Israel now say—
²“Greatly have they ^(Y)afflicted me ^(Z)from my youth,
    ^(AA)yet they have not prevailed against me.
³^(AB)The plowers plowed ^(AC)upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
⁴The Lord is righteous;
    he has cut ^(AD)the cords of the wicked.
⁵May all who hate Zion
    be ^(AE)put to shame and turned backward!
⁶Let them be like ^(AF)the grass on the housetops,
    which ^(AG)withers before it grows up,
⁷with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
⁸nor do those who pass by say,
    ^(AH)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
    We ^(AI)bless you in the name of the Lord!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of ^(AJ)Ascents.

130 Out of ^(AK)the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
² O Lord, hear my voice!
^(AL)Let your ears be attentive
to ^(AM)the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³If you, O Lord, should ^(AN)mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could ^(AO)stand?
⁴But with you there is ^(AP)forgiveness,
^(AQ)that you may be feared.

⁵I ^(AR)wait for the Lord, ^(AS)my soul waits,
    and ^(AT)in his word I hope;
⁶my soul ^(AU)waits for the Lord
    more than ^(AV)watchmen for ^(AW)the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷O Israel, ^(AX)hope in the Lord!
    For ^(AY)with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
⁸And he will ^(AZ)redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of ^(BA)Ascents. Of David.

131 O Lord, my heart is not ^(BB)lifted up;
    my eyes are not ^(BC)raised too high;
I do not ^(BD)occupy myself with things
    too great and ^(BE)too marvelous for me.
²But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned ^(BF)child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³^(BG)O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

Footnotes

Psalm 127:4 Or sons
Psalm 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate
Psalm 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2