Psalm 120
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 120
A Cry for Truth and Peace
A song of ascents.
1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and He answered me.(A)
2 “Lord, deliver me from lying lips
and a deceitful tongue.”(B)
3 What will He give you,
and what will He do to you,
you deceitful tongue?(C)
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows
with burning charcoal
5 What misery that I have stayed in Meshech,[b](E)
that I have lived among the tents of Kedar
6 I have lived too long
with those who hate peace.(G)
7 I am for peace; but when I speak,
they are for war.(H)
Footnotes
- Psalm 120:4 Lit with coals of the broom bush
- Psalm 120:5 = a people far to the north of Palestine
- Psalm 120:5 = a nomadic people of the desert to the southeast
Psalm 120
Expanded Bible
A Prayer of Someone Far from Home
A psalm ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
120 When I was in ·trouble [distress], I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2 Lord, ·save [protect] me from ·liars [L false lips]
and from ·those who plan evil [L a deceptive tongue].
3 ·You who plan evil [L O deceptive tongue], what will ·God do [L he give] to you?
·How will he punish [L What will he add to] you?
4 ·He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a warrior
and with burning coals of wood [L The sharp arrows of a warrior and the burning coals of a broom tree; C the broom tree produces excellent charcoal].
5 ·How terrible it is for [L Woe to] me to ·live in the land of [L sojourn/wander in] Meshech [C by the Black Sea in Asia Minor; Gen. 10:2; Ezek. 38:2],
to ·live [dwell; reside] among the ·people [L tents] of Kedar [C in the Arabian desert; Is. 21:16–17; Jer. 2:10; 49:28; Ezek. 27:21].
6 I have ·lived [dwelt; resided] too long
with people who hate peace.
7 When I talk peace,
they want war.
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