120 1-2 I’m in trouble. I cry to God,
    desperate for an answer:
“Deliver me from the liars, God!
    They smile so sweetly but lie through their teeth.”

3-4 Do you know what’s next, can you see what’s coming,
    all you bold-faced liars?
Pointed arrows and burning coals
    will be your reward.

5-7 I’m doomed to live in Meshech,
    cursed with a home in Kedar,
My whole life lived camping
    among quarreling neighbors.
I’m all for peace, but the minute
    I tell them so, they go to war!
121 1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.
122 1-2 When they said, “Let’s go to the house of God,”
    my heart leaped for joy.
And now we’re here, O Jerusalem,
    inside Jerusalem’s walls!

3-5 Jerusalem, well-built city,
    built as a place for worship!
The city to which the tribes ascend,
    all God’s tribes go up to worship,
To give thanks to the name of God
    this is what it means to be Israel.
Thrones for righteous judgment
    are set there, famous David-thrones.

6-9 Pray for Jerusalem’s peace!
    Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
Friendly insiders, get along!
    Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
For the sake of my family and friends,
    I say it again: live in peace!
For the sake of the house of our God, God,
    I’ll do my very best for you.
123 1-4 I look to you, heaven-dwelling God,
    look up to you for help.
Like servants, alert to their master’s commands,
    like a maiden attending her lady,
We’re watching and waiting, holding our breath,
    awaiting your word of mercy.
Mercy, God, mercy!
    We’ve been kicked around long enough,
Kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men,
    kicked when we’re down by arrogant brutes.
124 1-5 If God hadn’t been for us
    —all together now, Israel, sing out!—
If God hadn’t been for us
    when everyone went against us,
We would have been swallowed alive
    by their violent anger,
Swept away by the flood of rage,
    drowned in the torrent;
We would have lost our lives
    in the wild, raging water.

Oh, blessed be God!
    He didn’t go off and leave us.
He didn’t abandon us defenseless,
    helpless as a rabbit in a pack of snarling dogs.

We’ve flown free from their fangs,
    free of their traps, free as a bird.
Their grip is broken;
    we’re free as a bird in flight.

God’s strong name is our help,
    the same God who made heaven and earth.
125 1-5 Those who trust in God
    are like Zion Mountain:
Nothing can move it, a rock-solid mountain
    you can always depend on.
Mountains encircle Jerusalem,
    and God encircles his people—
    always has and always will.
The fist of the wicked
    will never violate
What is due the righteous,
    provoking wrongful violence.
Be good to your good people, God,
    to those whose hearts are right!
God will round up the backsliders,
    corral them with the incorrigibles.
Peace over Israel!
126 1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,
    when God returned Zion’s exiles.
We laughed, we sang,
    we couldn’t believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of the nations—
    God was wonderful to them!”
God was wonderful to us;
    we are one happy people.

4-6 And now, God, do it again—
    bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
    will shout “Yes!” at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
    will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.
127 1-2 If God doesn’t build the house,
    the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
    the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
    and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys
    giving rest to those he loves?

3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?
    the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows
    are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
    with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you;
    you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.
128 1-2 All you who fear God, how blessed you are!
    how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!
You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming.
    Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!

3-4 Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes,
    your household lush as a vineyard,
The children around your table
    as fresh and promising as young olive shoots.
Stand in awe of God’s Yes.
    Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!

5-6 Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem
    every day of your life.
And enjoy your grandchildren.
    Peace to Israel!
129 1-4 “They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young”
    —this is how Israel tells it—
“They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young,
    but they never could keep me down.
Their plowmen plowed long furrows
    up and down my back;
But God wouldn’t put up with it,
    he sticks with us.
Then God ripped the harnesses
    of the evil plowmen to shreds.”

5-8 Oh, let all those who hate Zion
    grovel in humiliation;
Let them be like grass in shallow ground
    that withers before the harvest,
Before the farmhands can gather it in,
    the harvesters get in the crop,
Before the neighbors have a chance to call out,
    “Congratulations on your wonderful crop!
    We bless you in God’s name!”
130 1-2 Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom!
    Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears!
    Listen to my cries for mercy.

3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
    who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
    and that’s why you’re worshiped.

5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—
    and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,
    waiting and watching till morning,
    waiting and watching till morning.

7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God
    with God’s arrival comes love,
    with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.
No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel,
    buy back Israel from captivity to sin.
131 God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,
    I don’t want to be king of the mountain.
I haven’t meddled where I have no business
    or fantasized grandiose plans.

I’ve kept my feet on the ground,
    I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.
Like a baby content in its mother’s arms,
    my soul is a baby content.

Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope.
    Hope now; hope always!
132 1-5 O God, remember David,
    remember all his troubles!
And remember how he promised God,
    made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob,
“I’m not going home,
    and I’m not going to bed,
I’m not going to sleep,
    not even take time to rest,
Until I find a home for God,
    a house for the Strong God of Jacob.”

6-7 Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah,
    learned all about it at Jaar Meadows?
We shouted, “Let’s go to the shrine dedication!
    Let’s worship at God’s own footstool!”

8-10 Up, God, enjoy your new place of quiet repose,
    you and your mighty covenant ark;
Get your priests all dressed up in justice;
    prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer:
“Honor your servant David;
    don’t disdain your anointed one.”

11-18 God gave David his word,
    he won’t back out on this promise:
“One of your sons
    I will set on your throne;
If your sons stay true to my Covenant
    and learn to live the way I teach them,
Their sons will continue the line—
    always a son to sit on your throne.
Yes—I, God, chose Zion,
    the place I wanted for my shrine;
This will always be my home;
    this is what I want, and I’m here for good.
I’ll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here,
    and give supper to those who arrive hungry;
I’ll dress my priests in salvation clothes;
    the holy people will sing their hearts out!
Oh, I’ll make the place radiant for David!
    I’ll fill it with light for my anointed!
I’ll dress his enemies in dirty rags,
    but I’ll make his crown sparkle with splendor.”
133 1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful,
    when brothers and sisters get along!
It’s like costly anointing oil
    flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard,
    flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon
    flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing,
    ordains eternal life.
134 1-3 Come, bless God,
    all you servants of God!
You priests of God, posted to the nightwatch
    in God’s shrine,
Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place,
    and bless God.
In turn, may God of Zion bless you—
    God who made heaven and earth!

Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
    and he answers me.
Save me, Lord,
    from lying lips(C)
    and from deceitful tongues.(D)

What will he do to you,
    and what more besides,
    you deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,(E)
    with burning coals of the broom bush.

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
    that I live among the tents of Kedar!(F)
Too long have I lived
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
    but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.(H)

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches(I) over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over(J) you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun(K) will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm(L)
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.(M)

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love(N) you be secure.
May there be peace(O) within your walls
    and security within your citadels.(P)
For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.(Q)

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(R) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(S) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(T)
if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
the flood(U) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(V) would have swept over us,
the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;(W)
the snare has been broken,(X)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(Y) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(Z) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(AA)
    which cannot be shaken(AB) but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(AC)
    so the Lord surrounds(AD) his people
    both now and forevermore.

The scepter(AE) of the wicked will not remain(AF)
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.(AG)

Lord, do good(AH) to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.(AI)
But those who turn(AJ) to crooked ways(AK)
    the Lord will banish(AL) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(AM)

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

When the Lord restored(AN) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.[b]
Our mouths were filled with laughter,(AO)
    our tongues with songs of joy.(AP)
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things(AQ) for them.”
The Lord has done great things(AR) for us,
    and we are filled with joy.(AS)

Restore our fortunes,[c](AT) Lord,
    like streams in the Negev.(AU)
Those who sow with tears(AV)
    will reap(AW) with songs of joy.(AX)
Those who go out weeping,(AY)
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds(AZ) the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches(BA) over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food(BB) to eat—
    for he grants sleep(BC) to[d] those he loves.(BD)

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward(BE) from him.
Like arrows(BF) in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.(BG)
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents(BH) in court.(BI)

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(BJ)
    who walk in obedience to him.(BK)
You will eat the fruit of your labor;(BL)
    blessings and prosperity(BM) will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(BN)
    within your house;
your children(BO) will be like olive shoots(BP)
    around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing(BQ)
    for the man who fears the Lord.(BR)

May the Lord bless you from Zion;(BS)
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(BT)
    all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—(BU)
    peace be on Israel.(BV)

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed(BW) me from my youth,”(BX)
    let Israel say;(BY)
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
    but they have not gained the victory(BZ) over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
    and made their furrows long.
But the Lord is righteous;(CA)
    he has cut me free(CB) from the cords of the wicked.”(CC)

May all who hate Zion(CD)
    be turned back in shame.(CE)
May they be like grass on the roof,(CF)
    which withers(CG) before it can grow;
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(CH)
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you(CI) in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

Out of the depths(CJ) I cry to you,(CK) Lord;
    Lord, hear my voice.(CL)
Let your ears be attentive(CM)
    to my cry for mercy.(CN)

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?(CO)
But with you there is forgiveness,(CP)
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.(CQ)

I wait for the Lord,(CR) my whole being waits,(CS)
    and in his word(CT) I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen(CU) wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.(CV)

Israel, put your hope(CW) in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love(CX)
    and with him is full redemption.(CY)
He himself will redeem(CZ) Israel
    from all their sins.(DA)

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

My heart is not proud,(DB) Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;(DC)
I do not concern myself with great matters(DD)
    or things too wonderful for me.(DE)
But I have calmed and quieted myself,(DF)
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.(DG)

Israel, put your hope(DH) in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.(DI)

Psalm 132(DJ)

A song of ascents.

Lord, remember David
    and all his self-denial.(DK)

He swore an oath to the Lord,
    he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:(DL)
“I will not enter my house(DM)
    or go to my bed,
I will allow no sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place(DN) for the Lord,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

We heard it in Ephrathah,(DO)
    we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[e](DP)
“Let us go to his dwelling place,(DQ)
    let us worship at his footstool,(DR) saying,
‘Arise, Lord,(DS) and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;(DT)
    may your faithful people(DU) sing for joy.’”

10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not reject your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David,(DV)
    a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants(DW)
    I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant(DX)
    and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
    on your throne(DY) for ever and ever.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,(DZ)
    he has desired it for his dwelling,(EA) saying,
14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever;(EB)
    here I will sit enthroned,(EC) for I have desired it.
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.(ED)
16 I will clothe her priests(EE) with salvation,
    and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.(EF)

17 “Here I will make a horn[f] grow(EG) for David
    and set up a lamp(EH) for my anointed one.(EI)
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,(EJ)
    but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”(EK)

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together(EL) in unity!(EM)

It is like precious oil poured on the head,(EN)
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew(EO) of Hermon(EP)
    were falling on Mount Zion.(EQ)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,(ER)
    even life forevermore.(ES)

Psalm 134

A song of ascents.

Praise the Lord, all you servants(ET) of the Lord
    who minister(EU) by night(EV) in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands(EW) in the sanctuary(EX)
    and praise the Lord.(EY)

May the Lord bless you from Zion,(EZ)
    he who is the Maker of heaven(FA) and earth.

Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 126:1 Or Lord brought back the captives to
  2. Psalm 126:1 Or those restored to health
  3. Psalm 126:4 Or Bring back our captives
  4. Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for
  5. Psalm 132:6 Or heard of it in Ephrathah, / we found it in the fields of Jearim. (See 1 Chron. 13:5,6) (And no quotation marks around verses 7-9)
  6. Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.