126 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

² Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

³ The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

⁴ Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.

⁵ They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

⁶ He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

127 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

² It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

³ Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

⁴ As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

⁵ Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

128 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

² For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

³ Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

⁴ Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

⁵ The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

⁶ Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

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.

130 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

² Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

⁶ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

⁷ Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

⁸ And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

131 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

² Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

³ Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

132 Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions:

² How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

³ Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

⁴ I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

⁵ Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

⁶ Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.

⁷ We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

⁸ Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

⁹ Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

¹⁰ For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.

¹¹ The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

¹² If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

¹³ For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

¹⁴ This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

¹⁵ I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶ I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷ There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

¹⁸ His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

² It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

³ As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

134 Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.

² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

³ The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

135 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.

² Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

³ Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

⁴ For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

⁵ For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

⁶ Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

⁷ He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

⁸ Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

⁹ Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

¹⁰ Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:

¹² And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.

¹³ Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

¹⁴ For the Lord will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

¹⁶ They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

¹⁷ They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

¹⁸ They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

¹⁹ Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron:

²⁰ Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

136 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁵ To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁶ To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁷ To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁸ The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁰ To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹² With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹³ To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁶ To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁷ To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁸ And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²¹ And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²² Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²³ Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²⁴ And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²⁶ O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

² We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

⁸ O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

⁹ Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

138 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

² I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

³ In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

⁵ Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

⁸ The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.