Plea for Relief from Bitter Foes

A Song of Ascents.

120 In (A)my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me.
Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips
And from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
Sharp arrows of the [a]warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!

Woe is me, that I dwell in (B)Meshech,
(C)That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
My soul has dwelt too long
With one who hates peace.
I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 120:4 mighty one

120 I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me.

My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

May he not suffer thy foot to be moved: neither let him slumber that keepeth thee.

Behold he shall neither slumber nor sleep, that keepeth Israel.

The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy protection upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not burn thee by day: nor the moon by night.

The Lord keepeth thee from all evil: may the Lord keep thy soul.

May the Lord keep thy coming in and thy going out; from henceforth now and for ever.

Deliver Me, O Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

120 In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
Deliver me, O Lord,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you,
    (B)and what more shall be done to you,
    you deceitful tongue?
(C)A warrior's (D)sharp arrows,
    with glowing (E)coals of the broom tree!

Woe to me, that I sojourn in (F)Meshech,
    that I dwell among (G)the tents of (H)Kedar!
Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
(I)I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

Psalm 120

A Cry for Truth and Peace

A song of ascents.

In my distress I called to the Lord,
and He answered me.(A)
Lord, deliver me from lying lips
and a deceitful tongue.”(B)

What will He give you,
and what will He do to you,
you deceitful tongue?(C)
A warrior’s sharp arrows
with burning charcoal![a](D)

What misery that I have stayed in Meshech,[b](E)
that I have lived among the tents of Kedar![c](F)
I have lived too long
with those who hate peace.(G)
I am for peace; but when I speak,
they are for war.(H)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 120:4 Lit with coals of the broom bush
  2. Psalm 120:5 = a people far to the north of Palestine
  3. Psalm 120:5 = a nomadic people of the desert to the southeast