Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NABRE

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

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
Listen to Psalm 121
Close NASB

Psalm 121
New American Standard Bible

The Lord, the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will (A)raise my eyes to (B)the mountains;
From where will my help come?
2 My (C)help comes from the Lord,
Who (D)made heaven and earth.
3 He will not (E)allow your foot to slip;
He who (F)watches over you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your [a](G)protector;
The Lord is your (H)shade on your right hand.
6 The (I)sun will not [b]beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will [c](J)protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will [d](K)guard your going out and your coming in
(L)From this time and forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 121:5 Or keeper
  2. Psalm 121:6 Lit strike you
  3. Psalm 121:7 Or keep
  4. Psalm 121:8 Or keep
Next
Psalm 120
Psalm 122
Next
dropdown
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation