Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed(A) me from my youth,”(B)
    let Israel say;(C)

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Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(A)

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God’s Love for Israel

11 “When Israel was a child,(A) I loved(B) him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.(C)

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“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(A)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(B)
    through a land not sown.

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12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,(A)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.

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Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds(A) the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches(B) over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.

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Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

When the Lord restored(A) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 126:1 Or Lord brought back the captives to
  2. Psalm 126:1 Or those restored to health

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

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Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
    and he answers me.

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12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.(A) 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor(B) in brick(C) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.(D)

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who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead,(A) the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah,(B) Benjamin and Ephraim;(C) Israel was in great distress. 10 Then the Israelites cried(D) out to the Lord, “We have sinned(E) against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”(F)

11 The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians,(G) the Amorites,(H) the Ammonites,(I) the Philistines,(J) 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites(K) and the Maonites[a](L) oppressed you(M) and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands?

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 10:12 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts Midianites

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(A)
    which cannot be shaken(B) but endures forever.

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15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them(A) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.(B)

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“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;(A) let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.(B) They are lazy;(C) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’(D) Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

10 Then the slave drivers(E) and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced(F) at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,(G) demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!(H) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work.(I) You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.”

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22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile,(A) but let every girl live.”(B)

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They became prostitutes in Egypt,(A) engaging in prostitution(B) from their youth.(C) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(D)

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After affliction and harsh labor,
    Judah has gone into exile.(A)
She dwells among the nations;
    she finds no resting place.(B)
All who pursue her have overtaken her(C)
    in the midst of her distress.

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21 I warned you when you felt secure,(A)
    but you said, ‘I will not listen!’
This has been your way from your youth;(B)
    you have not obeyed(C) me.

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Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(A) in heaven.

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Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

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15 From my youth(A) I have suffered(B) and been close to death;
    I have borne your terrors(C) and am in despair.(D)

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The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold(A) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim(B) king of Aram Naharaim,[a](C) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:8 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia

15 There I will give her back her vineyards,
    and will make the Valley of Achor[a](A) a door of hope.
There she will respond[b](B) as in the days of her youth,(C)
    as in the day she came up out of Egypt.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 2:15 Achor means trouble.
  2. Hosea 2:15 Or sing

19 Not a blacksmith(A) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!(B)

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Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(A)
    who walk in obedience to him.(B)

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