Psalm 129
New King James Version
Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies
A Song of Ascents.
129 “Many a time they have (A)afflicted[a] me from (B)my youth,”
(C)Let Israel now say—
2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all those who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.
6 Let them be as the (D)grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,
7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his [b]arms.
8 Neither let those who pass by them say,
(E)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 129:1 persecuted
- Psalm 129:7 armsful, lit. bosom
Psalm 129
English Standard Version
They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
A Song of (A)Ascents.
129 “Greatly[a] have they (B)afflicted me (C)from my youth”—
(D)let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they (E)afflicted me (F)from my youth,
(G)yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 (H)The plowers plowed (I)upon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
he has cut (J)the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
be (K)put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like (L)the grass on the housetops,
which (M)withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
(N)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We (O)bless you in the name of the Lord!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2
Psalm 129
1599 Geneva Bible
129 1 He admonisheth the Church to rejoice though it be afflicted. 4 For by the righteous Lord it shall be delivered. 6 And the enemies for all their glorious show, shall suddenly be destroyed.
A song of degrees.
1 They have oftentimes afflicted me from my youth (may [a]Israel now say)
2 They have oftentimes afflicted me from my youth: but they could not prevail against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back, and made long furrows.
4 But the [b]righteous Lord hath cut the cords of the wicked.
5 They that hate Zion, shall be all ashamed and turned backward.
6 [c]They shall be as the grass on the house tops, which withereth afore it cometh forth.
7 Whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither the gleaner his lap:
8 [d]Neither they which go by, say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you, or, We bless you in the Name of the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 129:1 The Church now afflicted ought to remember how her condition hath ever been such from the beginning to be molested most grievously by the wicked: yet in time it hath ever been delivered.
- Psalm 129:4 Because God is righteous, he cannot but plague his adversary, and deliver his, as oxen out of the plough.
- Psalm 129:6 The enemies that lift themselves most high, and as it were approach near to the Sun, are consumed with the heat of God’s wrath, because they are not grounded in godly humility.
- Psalm 129:8 That is, the wicked shall perish, and none shall pass for them.
Psalm 129
King James Version
129 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
4 The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
