Psalm 121
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 121[a]
The Lord My Guardian
1 A song of ascents.
I raise my eyes toward the mountains.[b]
    From whence shall come my help?(A)
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the maker of heaven and earth.(B)
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;(C)
    or your guardian to sleep.
4 Behold, the guardian of Israel
    never slumbers nor sleeps.
5 [c]The Lord is your guardian;
    the Lord is your shade
    at your right hand.(D)
6 By day the sun will not strike you,
    nor the moon by night.(E)
7 The Lord will guard you from all evil;
    he will guard your soul.(F)
8 The Lord will guard your coming and going
    both now and forever.(G)
Footnotes
- Psalm 121 A blessing given to someone embarking on a dangerous journey whether a soldier going on a campaign or a pilgrim returning home from the Temple. People look anxiously at the wooded hills. Will God protect them on their journey (Ps 121:1)? The speaker declares that God is not confined to a place or a time (Ps 121:2), that every step is guarded (Ps 121:3–4); night and day (Ps 121:5–6) God watches over their every movement (Ps 121:7–8).
- 121:1 The mountains: possibly Mount Zion, the site of the Temple and hence of safety, but more probably mountains as a place of dangers, causing anxiety to the psalmist.
- 121:5–6 The image of shade, a symbol of protection, is apt: God as shade protects from the harmful effects that ancients believed were caused by the sun and moon.
Psalm 121
New International Version
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(A) and earth.(B)
3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches(C) over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psaltaren 121
Svenska 1917
121 En vallfartssång. Jag lyfter mina ögon upp till bergen: varifrån skall min hjälp komma?
2 Min hjälp kommer från HERREN, som har gjort himmel och jord.
3 Icke skall han låta din fot vackla, icke slumrar han som bevarar dig!
4 Nej, han som bevarar Israel, han slumrar icke, han sover icke.
5 HERREN är den som bevarar dig, HERREN är ditt skygd på din högra sida.
6 Solen skall icke skada dig om dagen, ej heller månen om natten.
7 HERREN skall bevara dig för allt ont, han skall bevara din själ.
8 HERREN skall bevara din utgång och din ingång, från nu och till evig tid.
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