Psalm 125-129
New King James Version
The Lord the Strength of His People
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
3 For (A)the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as turn aside to their (B)crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
(C)Peace be upon Israel!
A Joyful Return to Zion
A Song of Ascents.
126 When (D)the Lord brought back [a]the captivity of Zion,
(E)We were like those who dream.
2 Then (F)our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the [b]nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.
5 (G)Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6 He who continually goes [c]forth weeping,
Bearing [d]seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again [e]with (H)rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
Laboring and Prospering with the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless (I)the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To (J)eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
3 Behold, (K)children are a heritage from the Lord,
(L)The fruit of the womb is a (M)reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 (N)Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
(O)They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Blessings of Those Who Fear the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
128 Blessed (P)is every one who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 (Q)When you eat the [f]labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be (R)well with you.
3 Your wife shall be (S)like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your (T)children (U)like olive plants
All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
5 (V)The Lord bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you (W)see your children’s children.
(X)Peace be upon Israel!
Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies
A Song of Ascents.
129 “Many a time they have (Y)afflicted[g] me from (Z)my youth,”
(AA)Let Israel now say—
2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all those who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.
6 Let them be as the (AB)grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,
7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his [h]arms.
8 Neither let those who pass by them say,
(AC)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 126:1 Those of the captivity
- Psalm 126:2 Gentiles
- Psalm 126:6 to and fro
- Psalm 126:6 Lit. a bag of seed for sowing
- Psalm 126:6 with shouts of joy
- Psalm 128:2 Fruit of the labor
- Psalm 129:1 persecuted
- Psalm 129:7 armsful, lit. bosom
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.