Psalm 129
Young's Literal Translation
129 A Song of the Ascents. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:
2 Often they distressed me from my youth, Yet they have not prevailed over me.
3 Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.
4 Jehovah [is] righteous, He hath cut asunder cords of the wicked.
5 Confounded and turn backward do all hating Zion.
6 They are as grass of the roofs, That before it was drawn out withereth,
7 That hath not filled the hand of a reaper, And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.
8 And the passers by have not said, `The blessing of Jehovah [is] on you, We blessed you in the Name of Jehovah!'
Psalm 129
International Standard Version
A Song of Ascents
God Defeats Israel’s Enemies
129 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,”
let Israel repeat it,
2 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,
yet they haven’t defeated me.
3 Wicked people[a] plowed over my back,
creating long-lasting wounds.”[b]
4 The Lord is righteous—
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Zion
be turned away and be ashamed.
6 May they become like a tuft of grass on a roof top,
that withers before it takes root—
7 not enough to fill one’s hand
or to bundle in one’s arms.
8 And may those who pass by never tell them,
“May the Lord’s blessing be upon you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 129:3 So LXX DSS 11QPsa; MT reads The ploughman
- Psalm 129:3 Or long furrows; LXX reads back; they prolonged their lawlessness
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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
