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

A Song of Ascents[a]

A Prayer for Deliverance

120 I cried to the Lord in my distress,
    and he responded to me.
Lord, deliver me[b] from lips that lie
    and tongues that deceive.”

What will be given to you,
    and what will be done to you,
        you treacherous tongue?
Like a[c] sharp arrow from a warrior,
    along with fiery coals from juniper trees!

How terrible for me,
    that I am an alien in Meshech,
        that I reside among the tents of Kedar!
I have resided too long
    with those who hate peace.
I am in favor of peace;
    but when I speak,
        they are in favor of war.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 120:1 Or Degrees; and so through Psalm 134
  2. Psalm 120:2 Lit. my soul
  3. Psalm 120:4 The Heb. lacks Like a