Psalm 126

New King James Version

A Joyful Return to Zion

A Song of Ascents.

126 When ^(A)the Lord brought back ^[a]the captivity of Zion,
^(B)We were like those who dream.
²Then ^(C)our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the ^[b]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^(D)Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
⁶He who continually goes ^[c]forth weeping,
Bearing ^[d]seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again ^[e]with ^(E)rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

Footnotes

Psalm 126:1 Those of the captivity
Psalm 126:2 Gentiles
Psalm 126:6 to and fro
Psalm 126:6 Lit. a bag of seed for sowing
Psalm 126:6 with shouts of joy

Isaiah 54:1-3

New King James Version

A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

54 “Sing, O ^(A)barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
²“Enlarge^(B) the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
³For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will ^(C)inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.