Psalm 124-130

New King James Version

The Lord the Defense of His People

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

124 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our ^(A)side,”
^(B)Let Israel now say—
²“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
³Then they would have ^(C)swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
⁴Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have ^[a]gone over our soul;
⁵Then the swollen waters
Would have ^[b]gone over our soul.”

⁶Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
⁷^(D)Our soul has escaped ^(E)as a bird from the snare of the ^[c]fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
⁸^(F)Our help is in the name of the Lord,
^(G)Who made heaven and earth.

The Lord the Strength of His People

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.

³For ^(H)the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

⁴Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.

⁵As for such as turn aside to their ^(I)crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.

^(J)Peace be upon Israel!

A Joyful Return to Zion

A Song of Ascents.

126 When ^(K)the Lord brought back ^[d]the captivity of Zion,
^(L)We were like those who dream.
²Then ^(M)our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the ^[e]nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

⁴Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.

⁵^(N)Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
⁶He who continually goes ^[f]forth weeping,
Bearing ^[g]seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again ^[h]with ^(O)rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

Laboring and Prospering with the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless ^(P)the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To ^(Q)eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

³Behold, ^(R)children are a heritage from the Lord,
^(S)The fruit of the womb is a ^(T)reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵^(U)Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
^(V)They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Blessings of Those Who Fear the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

128 Blessed ^(W)is every one who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.

²^(X)When you eat the ^[i]labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be ^(Y)well with you.
³Your wife shall be ^(Z)like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your ^(AA)children ^(AB)like olive plants
All around your table.
⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.

⁵^(AC)The Lord bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.
⁶Yes, may you ^(AD)see your children’s children.

^(AE)Peace be upon Israel!

Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies

A Song of Ascents.

129 “Many a time they have ^(AF)afflicted^[j] me from ^(AG)my youth,”
^(AH)Let Israel now say—
²“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
³The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.”
⁴The Lord is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

⁵Let all those who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.
⁶Let them be as the ^(AI)grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,
⁷With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his ^[k]arms.
⁸Neither let those who pass by them say,
^(AJ)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

130 Out ^(AK)of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
²Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

³^(AL)If You, Lord, should ^[l]mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could ^(AM)stand?
⁴But there is ^(AN)forgiveness with You,
That ^(AO)You may be feared.

⁵^(AP)I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And ^(AQ)in His word I do hope.
⁶^(AR)My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

⁷^(AS)O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For ^(AT)with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
⁸And ^(AU)He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.