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A Prayer for Help

120 I cried to the Lord in my trouble, and He answered me. O Lord, save me from lying lips and a false tongue. What will be given to you and what more will be done to you, you false tongue? He will punish you with sharp arrows of the soldier, and with the hot fire of the broom tree.

It is bad for me, for I travel in Meshech and live among the tents of Kedar! I have lived too long with those who hate peace. I am for peace. But when I speak, they are for war.

The Lord—Our Helper

121 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not let your feet go out from under you. He Who watches over you will not sleep. Listen, He Who watches over Israel will not close his eyes or sleep.

The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your safe cover at your right hand. The sun will not hurt you during the day and the moon will not hurt you during the night. The Lord will keep you from all that is sinful. He will watch over your soul. The Lord will watch over your coming and going, now and forever.

A Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

122 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city where people come together. That is where the different families go, the families of the Lord. There they give thanks to the name of the Lord, by the Law that was given to Israel. For thrones were set there for telling who is guilty or not, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May all go well for those who love you. May there be peace within your walls. May all go well within your houses. I will now say, “May peace be within you,” for the good of my brothers and my friends. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will pray for your good.

A Prayer for the Lord’s Help

123 I lift up my eyes to You, O You Whose throne is in the heavens. See, the eyes of servants look to the hand of their owner. The eyes of a woman servant look to the hand of her owner. So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He shows us loving-kindness.

Show loving-kindness to us, O Lord. Show loving-kindness to us. For we have had our fill of hate. The proud have laughed at us too long. We have had more than enough of their hate.

God Watches Over His People

124 “If the Lord had not been on our side,” let Israel say, “If the Lord had not been on our side when men came against us, they would have eaten us up alive. Because their anger burned against us. The waters would have covered us. The river would have passed over our soul. The angry waters would have passed over our soul.”

Honor and thanks be to the Lord! He has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have become free like a bird out of a trap. The net is broken and now we are free. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

God’s People Are Safe

125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but stands forever. The Lord is around His people like the mountains are around Jerusalem, now and forever. For the sinful will not rule over the land of those who are right with God. So those who are right and good may not use their hands to do wrong.

O Lord, do good to those who are good, and to those who are right in their hearts. But the Lord will let all those who turn aside to their sinful ways go with those who are sinners. Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
    and he answers me.
Save me, Lord,
    from lying lips(C)
    and from deceitful tongues.(D)

What will he do to you,
    and what more besides,
    you deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,(E)
    with burning coals of the broom bush.

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
    that I live among the tents of Kedar!(F)
Too long have I lived
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
    but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.(H)

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches(I) over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over(J) you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun(K) will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm(L)
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.(M)

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.”
Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love(N) you be secure.
May there be peace(O) within your walls
    and security within your citadels.(P)
For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.(Q)

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(R) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(S) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(T)
if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
the flood(U) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(V) would have swept over us,
the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;(W)
the snare has been broken,(X)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(Y) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(Z) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(AA)
    which cannot be shaken(AB) but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(AC)
    so the Lord surrounds(AD) his people
    both now and forevermore.

The scepter(AE) of the wicked will not remain(AF)
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.(AG)

Lord, do good(AH) to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.(AI)
But those who turn(AJ) to crooked ways(AK)
    the Lord will banish(AL) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(AM)