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Psalm 120-135
New Living Translation
Psalm 120-135
New Living Translation
Psalm 120
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people.
3 O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
4 You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals.
5 How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
6 I am tired of living
among people who hate peace.
7 I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war!
Psalm 121
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Psalm 122
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 And now here we are,
standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is a well-built city;
its seamless walls cannot be breached.
4 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—
make their pilgrimage here.
They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,
as the law requires of Israel.
5 Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,
the thrones of the dynasty of David.
6 Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
May all who love this city prosper.
7 O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls
and prosperity in your palaces.
8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
“May you have peace.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 123
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
2 We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
4 We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.
Psalm 124
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.
1 What if the Lord had not been on our side?
Let all Israel repeat:
2 What if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us?
3 They would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger.
4 The waters would have engulfed us;
a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
5 Yes, the raging waters of their fury
would have overwhelmed our very lives.
6 Praise the Lord,
who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.
The trap is broken, and we are free!
8 Our help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;
they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,
for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
4 O Lord, do good to those who are good,
whose hearts are in tune with you.
5 But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord.
Take them away with those who do evil.
May Israel have peace!
Psalm 126
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,[a]
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
Psalm 127
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.
1 Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Psalm 128
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
as they sit around your table.
4 That is the Lord’s blessing
for those who fear him.
5 May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.
May Israel have peace!
Psalm 129
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.
Let all Israel repeat this:
2 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,
but they have never defeated me.
3 My back is covered with cuts,
as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.
4 But the Lord is good;
he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.
5 May all who hate Jerusalem[b]
be turned back in shameful defeat.
6 May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop,
turning yellow when only half grown,
7 ignored by the harvester,
despised by the binder.
8 And may those who pass by
refuse to give them this blessing:
“The Lord bless you;
we bless you in the Lord’s name.”
Psalm 130
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 From the depths of despair, O Lord,
I call for your help.
2 Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.
3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
4 But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you.
5 I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word.
6 I long for the Lord
more than sentries long for the dawn,
yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from every kind of sin.
Psalm 131
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
or too awesome for me to grasp.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—
now and always.
Psalm 132
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 Lord, remember David
and all that he suffered.
2 He made a solemn promise to the Lord.
He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,[c]
3 “I will not go home;
I will not let myself rest.
4 I will not let my eyes sleep
nor close my eyelids in slumber
5 until I find a place to build a house for the Lord,
a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”
6 We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah;
then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
7 Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord;
let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
8 Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place,
along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.
9 May your priests be clothed in godliness;
may your loyal servants sing for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject the king you have anointed.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David
with a promise he will never take back:
“I will place one of your descendants
on your throne.
12 If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant
and the laws that I teach them,
then your royal line
will continue forever and ever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem[d];
he has desired it for his home.
14 “This is my resting place forever,” he said.
“I will live here, for this is the home I desired.
15 I will bless this city and make it prosperous;
I will satisfy its poor with food.
16 I will clothe its priests with godliness;
its faithful servants will sing for joy.
17 Here I will increase the power of David;
my anointed one will be a light for my people.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but he will be a glorious king.”
Psalm 133
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.
1 How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head,
that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting.
Psalm 134
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary,
and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,
bless you from Jerusalem.[e]
Psalm 135
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Praise him, you who serve the Lord,
2 you who serve in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
celebrate his lovely name with music.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his own special treasure.
5 I know the greatness of the Lord—
that our Lord is greater than any other god.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him
throughout all heaven and earth,
and on the seas and in their depths.
7 He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth.
He sends the lightning with the rain
and releases the wind from his storehouses.
8 He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home,
both people and animals.
9 He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt
against Pharaoh and all his people.
10 He struck down great nations
and slaughtered mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
a special possession to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever;
your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.
14 For the Lord will give justice to his people
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear,
and mouths but cannot breathe.
18 And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.
19 O Israel, praise the Lord!
O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the Lord!
20 O Levites, praise the Lord!
All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!
21 The Lord be praised from Zion,
for he lives here in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 120-135
New International Version
Psalm 120-135
New International Version
Psalm 120
A song of ascents.
1 I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
and he answers me.
2 Save me, Lord,
from lying lips(C)
and from deceitful tongues.(D)
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,(E)
with burning coals of the broom bush.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!(F)
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.(H)
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches(I) over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over(J) you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun(K) will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm(L)—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.(M)
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 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.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love(N) you be secure.
7 May there be peace(O) within your walls
and security within your citadels.(P)”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.(Q)
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned(R) in heaven.
2 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.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say(T)—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood(U) would have engulfed us,
the torrent(V) would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;(W)
the snare has been broken,(X)
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name(Y) of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven(Z) and earth.
Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(AA)
which cannot be shaken(AB) but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(AC)
so the Lord surrounds(AD) his people
both now and forevermore.
3 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)
4 Lord, do good(AH) to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.(AI)
5 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.
1 When the Lord restored(AN) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.[b]
2 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.”
3 The Lord has done great things(AR) for us,
and we are filled with joy.(AS)
4 Restore our fortunes,[c](AT) Lord,
like streams in the Negev.(AU)
5 Those who sow with tears(AV)
will reap(AW) with songs of joy.(AX)
6 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.
1 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.
2 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)
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward(BE) from him.
4 Like arrows(BF) in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 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.
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(BJ)
who walk in obedience to him.(BK)
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;(BL)
blessings and prosperity(BM) will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(BN)
within your house;
your children(BO) will be like olive shoots(BP)
around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing(BQ)
for the man who fears the Lord.(BR)
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;(BS)
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(BT)
all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—(BU)
peace be on Israel.(BV)
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
1 “They have greatly oppressed(BW) me from my youth,”(BX)
let Israel say;(BY)
2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory(BZ) over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the Lord is righteous;(CA)
he has cut me free(CB) from the cords of the wicked.”(CC)
5 May all who hate Zion(CD)
be turned back in shame.(CE)
6 May they be like grass on the roof,(CF)
which withers(CG) before it can grow;
7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(CH)
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
8 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.
1 Out of the depths(CJ) I cry to you,(CK) Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.(CL)
Let your ears be attentive(CM)
to my cry for mercy.(CN)
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?(CO)
4 But with you there is forgiveness,(CP)
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.(CQ)
5 I wait for the Lord,(CR) my whole being waits,(CS)
and in his word(CT) I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen(CU) wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.(CV)
7 Israel, put your hope(CW) in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love(CX)
and with him is full redemption.(CY)
8 He himself will redeem(CZ) Israel
from all their sins.(DA)
Psalm 131
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 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)
2 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)
Psalm 132(DJ)
A song of ascents.
1 Lord, remember David
and all his self-denial.(DK)
2 He swore an oath to the Lord,
he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:(DL)
3 “I will not enter my house(DM)
or go to my bed,
4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place(DN) for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 We heard it in Ephrathah,(DO)
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[e](DP)
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place,(DQ)
let us worship at his footstool,(DR) saying,
8 ‘Arise, Lord,(DS) and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 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.
2 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.
3 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.
1 Praise the Lord, all you servants(ET) of the Lord
who minister(EU) by night(EV) in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands(EW) in the sanctuary(EX)
and praise the Lord.(EY)
Psalm 135(FB)
1 Praise the Lord.[g]
Praise the name of the Lord;
praise him, you servants(FC) of the Lord,
2 you who minister in the house(FD) of the Lord,
in the courts(FE) of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;(FF)
sing praise to his name,(FG) for that is pleasant.(FH)
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob(FI) to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.(FJ)
5 I know that the Lord is great,(FK)
that our Lord is greater than all gods.(FL)
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him,(FM)
in the heavens and on the earth,(FN)
in the seas and all their depths.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain(FO)
and brings out the wind(FP) from his storehouses.(FQ)
8 He struck down the firstborn(FR) of Egypt,
the firstborn of people and animals.
9 He sent his signs(FS) and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.(FT)
10 He struck down many(FU) nations
and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon(FV) king of the Amorites,(FW)
Og king of Bashan,(FX)
and all the kings of Canaan(FY)—
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,(FZ)
an inheritance to his people Israel.
13 Your name, Lord, endures forever,(GA)
your renown,(GB) Lord, through all generations.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people(GC)
and have compassion on his servants.(GD)
15 The idols of the nations(GE) are silver and gold,
made by human hands.(GF)
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,(GG)
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath(GH) in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
19 All you Israelites, praise the Lord;(GI)
house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
20 house of Levi, praise the Lord;
you who fear him, praise the Lord.
21 Praise be to the Lord from Zion,(GJ)
to him who dwells in Jerusalem.(GK)
Praise the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 126:1 Or Lord brought back the captives to
- Psalm 126:1 Or those restored to health
- Psalm 126:4 Or Bring back our captives
- Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for
- 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)
- Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.
- Psalm 135:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verses 3 and 21
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.