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Psalm 125-129
New King James Version
Psalm 125-129
New King James Version
The Lord the Strength of His People
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
3 For (A)the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as turn aside to their (B)crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
(C)Peace be upon Israel!
A Joyful Return to Zion
A Song of Ascents.
126 When (D)the Lord brought back [a]the captivity of Zion,
(E)We were like those who dream.
2 Then (F)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.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.
5 (G)Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6 He who continually goes [c]forth weeping,
Bearing [d]seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again [e]with (H)rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
Laboring and Prospering with the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless (I)the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To (J)eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
3 Behold, (K)children are a heritage from the Lord,
(L)The fruit of the womb is a (M)reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 (N)Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
(O)They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Blessings of Those Who Fear the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
128 Blessed (P)is every one who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 (Q)When you eat the [f]labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be (R)well with you.
3 Your wife shall be (S)like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your (T)children (U)like olive plants
All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
5 (V)The Lord bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you (W)see your children’s children.
(X)Peace be upon Israel!
Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies
A Song of Ascents.
129 “Many a time they have (Y)afflicted[g] me from (Z)my youth,”
(AA)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 (AB)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 [h]arms.
8 Neither let those who pass by them say,
(AC)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
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
- Psalm 128:2 Fruit of the labor
- Psalm 129:1 persecuted
- Psalm 129:7 armsful, lit. bosom
Psalm 125-129
New International Version
Psalm 125-129
New International Version
Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(A)
which cannot be shaken(B) but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(C)
so the Lord surrounds(D) his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter(E) of the wicked will not remain(F)
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.(G)
4 Lord, do good(H) to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.(I)
5 But those who turn(J) to crooked ways(K)
the Lord will banish(L) with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.(M)
Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored(N) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.[b]
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,(O)
our tongues with songs of joy.(P)
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things(Q) for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things(R) for us,
and we are filled with joy.(S)
4 Restore our fortunes,[c](T) Lord,
like streams in the Negev.(U)
5 Those who sow with tears(V)
will reap(W) with songs of joy.(X)
6 Those who go out weeping,(Y)
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(Z) the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches(AA) over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food(AB) to eat—
for he grants sleep(AC) to[d] those he loves.(AD)
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward(AE) from him.
4 Like arrows(AF) in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.(AG)
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents(AH) in court.(AI)
Psalm 128
A song of ascents.
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(AJ)
who walk in obedience to him.(AK)
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;(AL)
blessings and prosperity(AM) will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(AN)
within your house;
your children(AO) will be like olive shoots(AP)
around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing(AQ)
for the man who fears the Lord.(AR)
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;(AS)
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(AT)
all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—(AU)
peace be on Israel.(AV)
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
1 “They have greatly oppressed(AW) me from my youth,”(AX)
let Israel say;(AY)
2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory(AZ) over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the Lord is righteous;(BA)
he has cut me free(BB) from the cords of the wicked.”(BC)
5 May all who hate Zion(BD)
be turned back in shame.(BE)
6 May they be like grass on the roof,(BF)
which withers(BG) before it can grow;
7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(BH)
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(BI) in the name of 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
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. 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.