Psalm 124
New American Standard Bible
Praise for Rescue from Enemies.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
124 “(A)Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”
(B)Let Israel say,
2 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side
When people rose up against us,
3 Then they would have (C)swallowed us alive,
When their (D)anger was kindled against us;
4 Then the (E)waters would have flooded over us,
The stream would have [a]swept over our souls;
5 Then the (F)raging waters would have [b]swept over our souls.”
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us [c]to be (G)torn by their teeth.
7 Our souls have (H)escaped (I)like a bird from the trapper’s (J)snare;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
8 Our (K)help is in the name of the Lord,
Who (L)made heaven and earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 124:4 Or passed over
- Psalm 124:5 Or passed over
- Psalm 124:6 Lit as a prey to
Psalm 124
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 124
Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
—let Israel now say—(A)
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;(B)
4 then the flood would have swept us away;
the torrent would have gone over us;(C)
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.(D)
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the hunters;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.(E)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.(F)
Psalm 124
The Message
124 1-5 If God hadn’t been for us
—all together now, Israel, sing out!—
If God hadn’t been for us
when everyone went against us,
We would have been swallowed alive
by their violent anger,
Swept away by the flood of rage,
drowned in the torrent;
We would have lost our lives
in the wild, raging water.
6 Oh, blessed be God!
He didn’t go off and leave us.
He didn’t abandon us defenseless,
helpless as a rabbit in a pack of snarling dogs.
7 We’ve flown free from their fangs,
free of their traps, free as a bird.
Their grip is broken;
we’re free as a bird in flight.
8 God’s strong name is our help,
the same God who made heaven and earth.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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