Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of Ascents.

128 (A)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who (B)walks in His ways.
When you (C)eat the (D)fruit of the labor of your hands,
You will be happy and (E)it will go well for you.
Your wife will be like a (F)fruitful vine
[a]Within your house,
Your children like (G)olive plants
Around your table.
Behold, for so shall a man
Who fears the Lord be blessed.

(H)The Lord bless you (I)from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Indeed, may you see your (J)children’s children.
(K)Peace be upon Israel!

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

129 [b]Many times they have (L)attacked me from my (M)youth up,”
(N)Let Israel say,
[c]Many times they have attacked me from my youth up;
Yet they have (O)not prevailed against me.
The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
The Lord (P)is righteous;
He has cut up the (Q)ropes of the wicked.

May all who (R)hate Zion
Be (S)put to shame and turned backward;
May they be like (T)grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it [d]grows up;
With which the harvester does not fill his [e]hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his [f](U)arms;
Nor do those who pass by say,
“The (V)blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 128:3 Lit In the innermost parts of
  2. Psalm 129:1 Lit Much
  3. Psalm 129:2 Lit Much
  4. Psalm 129:6 Lit draws out
  5. Psalm 129:7 Lit palm
  6. Psalm 129:7 Lit the fold of his robe

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(A)
    who walk in obedience to him.(B)
You will eat the fruit of your labor;(C)
    blessings and prosperity(D) will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(E)
    within your house;
your children(F) will be like olive shoots(G)
    around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing(H)
    for the man who fears the Lord.(I)

May the Lord bless you from Zion;(J)
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(K)
    all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—(L)
    peace be on Israel.(M)

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed(N) me from my youth,”(O)
    let Israel say;(P)
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
    but they have not gained the victory(Q) over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
    and made their furrows long.
But the Lord is righteous;(R)
    he has cut me free(S) from the cords of the wicked.”(T)

May all who hate Zion(U)
    be turned back in shame.(V)
May they be like grass on the roof,(W)
    which withers(X) before it can grow;
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(Y)
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you(Z) in the name of the Lord.”