Psalm 120-138
International Standard Version
A Song of Ascents[a]
A Prayer for Deliverance
120 I cried to the Lord in my distress,
and he responded to me.
2 “Lord, deliver me[b] from lips that lie
and tongues that deceive.”
3 What will be given to you,
and what will be done to you,
you treacherous tongue?
4 Like a[c] sharp arrow from a warrior,
along with fiery coals from juniper trees!
5 How terrible for me,
that I am an alien in Meshech,
that I reside among the tents of Kedar!
6 I have resided too long
with those who hate peace.
7 I am in favor of peace;
but when I speak,
they are in favor of war.
A Song of Ascents
The Guardian of God’s People
121 I lift up my eyes toward the mountains—
from where will my help come?
2 My help is from the Lord,
maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will never let[d] your foot slip,
nor[e] will[f] your guardian become drowsy.
4 Look! The one who is guarding Israel
never sleeps and does not take naps.
5 The Lord is your guardian;
the Lord is your shade at your right side.
6 The sun will not ravage you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will guard you from all evil,
preserving[g] your life.
8 The Lord will guard your goings and comings,[h]
from this time on and forever.
A Davidic Song of Ascents
Up to Jerusalem
122 I rejoiced when they kept on asking me,
“Let us go to the Lord’s Temple.”
2 Our feet are standing
inside your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem stands built up,
a city knitted together.
4 To it the tribes ascend—
the tribes of the Lord—
as decreed to Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For thrones are established there for judgment,
thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for peace for Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be at peace![i]
7 May peace be within your ramparts,
and[j] prosperity[k] within your fortresses.”
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will now say, “May there be peace within you.”
9 For the sake of the Temple of the Lord our God,
I will seek your welfare.
A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Relief
123 To you, who sit enthroned in heaven,
I lift up my eyes.
2 Consider this: as the eyes of a servant focus
on what his master provides,[l]
and as the eyes of a female servant focus[m]
on what her mistress provides,[n]
so our eyes focus on the Lord our God,
until he has mercy on us.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our lives overflow
with scorn from those who live at ease,
with contempt from those who are proud.
A Davidic Song of Ascents
God is for Us
124 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel now say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men came against us,
3 then they would have devoured us alive,
when their anger burned against us.
4 Then the flood waters would have overwhelmed us,
the torrent would have flooded over us;
5 the swollen waters would have swept us away.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who did not give us as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s trap.
The trap has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
A Song of Ascents
God is Secure
125 Those who are trusting in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, which cannot be overthrown.
They remain forever.
2 Just as mountains encircle Jerusalem,
so the Lord encircles his people,
from now to eternity.
3 For evil’s scepter will not rest
on the land that has been allotted to the righteous,
and so the righteous will not direct themselves[o] to do wrong.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in heart.[p]
5 But for those who choose their own devious paths,
the Lord will lead them away,
along with those who practice evil.
Peace be upon Israel.
A Song of Ascents
The Exiles Restored
126 When the Lord brought back Zion’s exiles,[q]
we were like dreamers.[r]
2 Then our mouths were filled with laughter,
and our tongues formed joyful shouts.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The great things that the Lord has done for us
gladden us.
4 Restore our exiles,[s] Lord,
like the streams of the Negev.[t]
5 Those who weep while they plant
will sing for joy while they harvest.
6 The one who goes out weeping,[u]
carrying a bag of seeds,
will surely return with a joyful song,
bearing sheaves from his harvest.[v]
A Solomonic Song of Ascents
God’s Blessing in the Family
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor uselessly.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
its security forces keep watch uselessly.
2 It is useless to get up early
and to stay up late,[w]
eating the food of exhausting labor—
truly he gives sleep to those he loves.
3 Children[x] are a gift[y] from the Lord;
a productive womb, the Lord’s[z] reward.
4 As arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so also are children[aa] born during one’s[ab] youth.
5 How blessed[ac] is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He[ad] will not be ashamed
as they confront their enemies at the city gate.
A Song of Ascents
The Blessings of Fearing God
128 How blessed[ae] are all who fear the Lord
as they follow in his ways.
2 You will eat from the work of your hands;
you will be happy, and it will go well for you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children[af] like olive shoots surrounding your table.
4 See how the man will be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
and may you observe the prosperity of Jerusalem
every day that you live!
6 And may you see your children’s children!
Peace be on Israel!
A Song of Ascents
God Defeats Israel’s Enemies
129 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,”
let Israel repeat it,
2 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,
yet they haven’t defeated me.
3 Wicked people[ag] plowed over my back,
creating long-lasting wounds.”[ah]
4 The Lord is righteous—
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Zion
be turned away and be ashamed.
6 May they become like a tuft of grass on a roof top,
that withers before it takes root—
7 not enough to fill one’s hand
or to bundle in one’s arms.
8 And may those who pass by never tell them,
“May the Lord’s blessing be upon you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy
130 I cry to you from the depths, Lord,
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears pay attention
to what I ask of you![ai]
3 Lord,[aj] if you were to record iniquities,
Lord, who could remain standing?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits,
and I will hope in his word.
6 My soul looks to the Lord
more than watchmen look for the morning—
more, indeed, than[ak] watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is gracious love,
along with abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
A Davidic Song of Ascents
Hope in the Lord
131 Lord, my heart is not arrogant,
nor do I look haughty.
I do not aspire[al] to great things,
nor concern myself with things beyond my ability.
2 Instead, I have composed and quieted myself
like a weaned child with its mother;
I am like a weaned child.
3 Place your hope in the Lord, Israel,
both now and forever.
A Song of Ascents
The Lord Lives in Zion
132 Lord, remember in David’s favor
all of his troubles;
2 how he swore an oath to the Lord,
vowing to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter[am] my house,
or lie down on[an] my bed,
4 or let myself go to sleep[ao]
or even take a nap,[ap]
5 until I locate a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 We heard about it[aq] in Ephrata;[ar]
we found it in the fields of Jaar.[as]
7 Let’s go to his dwelling place
and worship at his footstool.
8 Arise, Lord,
and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your strength.
9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness
and may your godly ones shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The Lord made an oath to David
from which he will not retreat:
“One of your sons
I will set in place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my statutes that I will teach them,
then their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,
desiring it as his dwelling place.
14 “This is my resting place forever.
Here I will live,
because I desire to do so.
15 I will bless its provisions abundantly;
I will satiate its poor with food.[at]
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation
and its godly ones will shout for joy.
17 There I will create a power base[au] for David—
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with disgrace,
but on him his crown will shine.”
A Davidic Song of Ascents
The Significance of Unity
133 Look how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil on the head,
descending to the beard—
even to Aaron’s beard—
and flowing down to the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
falling on Zion’s mountains.
For there the Lord commanded his blessing—
life everlasting.
A Song of Ascents
Praise to the Creator
134 Now bless the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord
who serve[av] nightly in the Lord’s Temple.
2 Lift up your hands to the Holy Place
and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord who fashions heaven and earth
bless you from Zion.
Praising God for His Graciousness
135 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord,
2 you who are standing in the Lord’s Temple,
in the courtyards of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord,
because the Lord is good;
Sing to his name,
for he is gracious.
4 It is Jacob whom the Lord chose for himself—
Israel as his personal possession.
5 Indeed, I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord[aw] surpasses all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all its[ax] deep regions.
7 He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth,
fashioning lightning for the rain,
bringing the wind from his storehouses.
8 It was the Lord[ay] who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
9 He sent signs and wonders among you, Egypt,
before[az] Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations,
killing many kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
and every kingdom of Canaan—
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.
13 Your name, Lord, exists forever,
and your reputation, Lord, throughout the ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people,
and he will show compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
worked by[ba] the hands of human beings.
16 Mouths are attributed to them,
but they cannot speak;
sight is attributed to them,
but they cannot see;
17 ears are attributed to them,
but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who craft them—
and all[bb] who trust in them—
will become like them.
19 House of Israel, bless the Lord!
House of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who lives in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
God’s Gracious Love
136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
4 To the one who alone does great and wondrous things,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
5 to the one who by wisdom made the heavens,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
6 to the one who spread out the earth over the waters,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
8 the sun to illumine[bc] the day,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
9 and the moon and stars to illumine[bd] the night,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
10 to the one who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
12 with a strong hand and an active[be] arm,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
13 To the one who split the Reed[bf] Sea in two
for his gracious love is everlasting—
14 and made Israel pass through the middle of it,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
15 and cast Pharaoh and his armies into the Reed[bg] Sea,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
16 To the one who led his people into the wilderness,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
17 to the one who struck down great kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
18 and killed famous kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
19 including Sihon king of the Amorites,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
20 and Og king of Bashan,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
22 to Israel his servant as a possession,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
23 He it is who remembered us in our lowly circumstances,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
24 and rescued us from our enemies,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
25 He gives food to all creatures,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the God of Heaven,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
Remembering Jerusalem
137 There we sat down and cried—
by the rivers of Babylon—
as we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung our harps,
3 for it was there that our captors
asked us for songs
and our torturers demanded joy from us,
“Sing us one of the songs about Zion!”
4 How are we to sing the song of the Lord
on foreign soil?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand cease to function.[bh]
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I don’t remember you,
if I don’t consider Jerusalem
to be more important than my highest joy.
7 Remember the day of Jerusalem’s fall,[bi] Lord,
because of[bj] the Edomites,
who kept saying, “Tear it down!
Tear it right down to its foundations!”
8 Daughter of Babylon! You devastator!
How blessed will be the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us.
9 How blessed will be the one who seizes your young children
and pulverizes them against the cliff!
Thanksgiving to God
138 Lord,[bk] I thank[bl] you with all of my heart;
because you heard the words that I spoke,[bm]
I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.[bn]
2 I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple
and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth,
for you have done great things
to carry out your word
consistent with your name.
3 When[bo] I called out, you answered me;
you strengthened me.
4 Lord, all the kings of the earth will give you thanks,
for they have heard what you have spoken.[bp]
5 They will sing about the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord!
6 Though the Lord is highly exalted,
yet he pays attention to those who are lowly regarded,
but he is aware of the arrogant from afar.
7 Though I walk straight into trouble,
you preserve my life,
stretching out your hand
to fight the vehemence of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will complete what his purpose is for me.
Lord, your gracious love is eternal;
do not abandon your personal work in me.[bq]
Footnotes
- Psalm 120:1 Or Degrees; and so through Psalm 134
- Psalm 120:2 Lit. my soul
- Psalm 120:4 The Heb. lacks Like a
- Psalm 121:3 So MT; LXX reads Do not let
- Psalm 121:3 So LXX Syr Hieronymous DSS 11QPsa; the Heb. lacks nor
- Psalm 121:3 So MT; LXX reads nor let
- Psalm 121:7 Or guarding
- Psalm 121:8 Cf. Deut 28:6
- Psalm 122:6 Or you prosper
- Psalm 122:7 So LXX Syr DSS 11QPsa; the Heb. lacks and
- Psalm 122:7 Or peacefulness; LXX reads abundance
- Psalm 123:2 Lit. on the hand of his master
- Psalm 123:2 The Heb. lacks focus
- Psalm 123:2 Lit. on the hand of her mistress
- Psalm 125:3 Lit. will not set their hands
- Psalm 125:4 So LXX DSS 4QPse 11QPsa; MT reads in their hearts
- Psalm 126:1 Or fortunes
- Psalm 126:1 So MT; LXX DSS11QPsa read were restored
- Psalm 126:4 Or fortunes
- Psalm 126:4 I.e. southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- Psalm 126:6 So MT and DSS 11QPsa (corrected); LXX DSS 11QPsa (original) read out and weeps
- Psalm 126:6 The Heb. lacks harvest
- Psalm 127:2 Lit. delay sitting
- Psalm 127:3 Lit. Sons
- Psalm 127:3 Lit. heritage
- Psalm 127:3 The Heb. lacks Lord’s
- Psalm 127:4 Lit. sons
- Psalm 127:4 The Heb. lacks born during one’s
- Psalm 127:5 Or happy
- Psalm 127:5 Lit. They
- Psalm 128:1 Or happy
- Psalm 128:3 Lit. sons
- Psalm 129:3 So LXX DSS 11QPsa; MT reads The ploughman
- Psalm 129:3 Or long furrows; LXX reads back; they prolonged their lawlessness
- Psalm 130:2 Lit. to the voice of my supplications
- Psalm 130:3 Lit. Yah
- Psalm 130:6 The Heb. lacks more indeed, than
- Psalm 131:1 Lit. walk
- Psalm 132:3 Lit. enter the tent that is
- Psalm 132:3 Lit. on the couch that is
- Psalm 132:4 Lit. or give sleep to my eyes
- Psalm 132:4 Lit. or let my eyelids slumber
- Psalm 132:6 I.e. the Ark of the Covenant
- Psalm 132:6 I.e. the region of Bethlehem
- Psalm 132:6 Cf. 1Sam 7:1-2; 1Chr 16:5-6
- Psalm 132:15 Lit. bread
- Psalm 132:17 Lit. will cause a horn to sprout
- Psalm 134:1 Lit. stand
- Psalm 135:5 So MT LXX; DSS 11QPsa reads God
- Psalm 135:6 So DSS 11QPsa; MT LXX lack its
- Psalm 135:8 Lit. was he
- Psalm 135:9 Or among
- Psalm 135:15 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsk reads gold, products of
- Psalm 135:18 So LXX DSS 11QPsa; the lacks and
- Psalm 136:8 Lit. govern; cf. Gen 1:16
- Psalm 136:9 Lit. govern; cf. Gen 1:16
- Psalm 136:12 Lit. outstretched
- Psalm 136:13 So MT; LXX reads Red
- Psalm 136:15 So MT; LXX reads Red
- Psalm 137:5 Lit. remember
- Psalm 137:7 The Heb. lacks fall
- Psalm 137:7 Lit. against
- Psalm 138:1 So LXX DSS 11QPsa; MT and Aquilla lack Lord
- Psalm 138:1 So MT; LXX reads acknowledge
- Psalm 138:1 So LXX; MT DSS lack this line
- Psalm 138:1 Or the gods; LXX reads the angels
- Psalm 138:3 Lit. In the day
- Psalm 138:4 Lit. heard the words of your mouth
- Psalm 138:8 Lit. abandon the work of your hand
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