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(A song for worship.)

A Prayer for Protection

Since the time I was young,
    enemies have often attacked!
Let everyone in Israel say:
“Since the time I was young,
    enemies have often attacked!
But they have not defeated me,
though my back is like a field
    that has just been plowed.”

The Lord always does right,
    and he has set me free
from the ropes
    of those cruel people.
I pray that all who hate
    the city of Zion
will be made ashamed
    and forced to turn and run.
May they be like grass
    on the flat roof of a house,
grass that dries up
    as soon as it sprouts.
Don't let them be like wheat
    gathered in bundles.
And don't let anyone
who passes by say to them,
    “The Lord bless you!
I give you my blessing
    in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 129

A Song of [a]Ascents.

Many a time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up—let Israel now say—

Many a time and much have they afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me.

The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.

The Lord is [uncompromisingly] righteous; He has cut asunder the thick cords by which the wicked [enslaved us].

Let them all be put to shame and turned backward who hate Zion.

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up,

With which the mower fills not his hand, nor the binder of sheaves his bosom—

While those who go by do not say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 129:1 See Psalm 120 title footnote.

求上帝擊退仇敵

上聖殿朝聖之詩。

129 以色列要說:
我從小就深受仇敵的迫害,
我從小就深受仇敵的迫害,
但他們沒能勝過我。
他們鞭打我的背,
傷痕如同農夫耕出的長長犁溝。
耶和華是公義的,
祂砍斷了惡人捆綁我的繩索。
願所有憎惡錫安的人狼狽而逃。
願他們像房頂的草,
沒長起來就已枯萎,
割下來不滿一把,
紮起來不足一捆。
沒有一個路過的人說:
「願耶和華賜福給你們!
我們奉耶和華的名祝福你們。」

A Song of Ascents.

129 Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up.
    Let Israel now say:
many times they have afflicted me from my youth up,
    yet they have not prevailed against me.
The plowers plowed on my back.
    They made their furrows long.
Yahweh is righteous.
    He has cut apart the cords of the wicked.
Let them be disappointed and turned backward,
    all those who hate Zion.
Let them be as the grass on the housetops,
    which withers before it grows up,
with which the reaper doesn’t fill his hand,
    nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.
Neither do those who go by say,
    “The blessing of Yahweh be on you.
    We bless you in Yahweh’s name.”

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed(A) me from my youth,”(B)
    let Israel say;(C)
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
    but they have not gained the victory(D) over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
    and made their furrows long.
But the Lord is righteous;(E)
    he has cut me free(F) from the cords of the wicked.”(G)

May all who hate Zion(H)
    be turned back in shame.(I)
May they be like grass on the roof,(J)
    which withers(K) before it can grow;
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(L)
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you(M) in the name of the Lord.”