The Lord the Defense of His People

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

124 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our (A)side,”
(B)Let Israel now say—
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
Then they would have (C)swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have [a]gone over our soul;
Then the swollen waters
Would have [b]gone over our soul.”

Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
(D)Our soul has escaped (E)as a bird from the snare of the [c]fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
(F)Our help is in the name of the Lord,
(G)Who made heaven and earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 124:4 swept over
  2. Psalm 124:5 swept over
  3. Psalm 124:7 Persons who catch birds in a trap or snare

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(A)
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(B) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(C) 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;(D)
the snare has been broken,(E)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(F) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.

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A man who (A)flatters his neighbor
Spreads a net for his feet.

By transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

The righteous (B)considers the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

Scoffers (C)set a city aflame,
But wise men turn away wrath.

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Those who flatter their neighbors
    are spreading nets for their feet.(A)

Evildoers are snared by their own sin,(B)
    but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

The righteous care about justice for the poor,(C)
    but the wicked have no such concern.

Mockers stir up a city,
    but the wise turn away anger.(D)

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