123 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 123

A Song of [a]Ascents.

Unto You do I lift up my eyes, O You Who are enthroned in heaven.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy and loving-kindness for us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on and loving-kindness for us, for we are exceedingly satiated with contempt.

Our life is exceedingly filled with the scorning and scoffing of those who are at ease and with the contempt of the proud (irresponsible tyrants who disregard God’s law).

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 123:1 See Psalm 120 title footnote.

A Prayer for Mercy

A song for going up to worship.

123 Lord, I look upward to you,
    you who live in heaven.
Slaves depend on their masters,
    and a female servant depends on her mistress.
In the same way, we depend on the Lord our God;
    we wait for him to show us mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord. Have mercy on us,
    because we have been insulted.
We have suffered many insults from lazy people
    and much cruelty from the proud.