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Psalm 124

A pilgrimage song. Of David.

124 If the Lord hadn’t been for us—
    let Israel now repeat!—
    if the Lord hadn’t been for us,
        when those people attacked us
then they would have swallowed us up whole
        with their rage burning against us!
Then the waters would have drowned us;
    the torrent would have come over our necks;[a]
    then the raging waters would have come over our necks!

Bless the Lord
    because he didn’t hand us over
    like food for our enemies’ teeth!
We escaped like a bird from the hunters’ trap;
    the trap was broken so we escaped!

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    the maker of heaven and earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 124:4 Or soul; also in 124:5, 7

The Lord the Defense of His People

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

124 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our (A)side,”
(B)Let Israel now say—
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
Then they would have (C)swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have [a]gone over our soul;
Then the swollen waters
Would have [b]gone over our soul.”

Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
(D)Our soul has escaped (E)as a bird from the snare of the [c]fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
(F)Our help is in the name of the Lord,
(G)Who made heaven and earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 124:4 swept over
  2. Psalm 124:5 swept over
  3. Psalm 124:7 Persons who catch birds in a trap or snare