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(A) you be secure.
May there be peace(B) within your walls
    and security within your citadels.(C)
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.(D)

Jerusalem the Site of God’s Presence

A song of ascents. Of David.[a]

122 I rejoiced in those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house[b] of Yahweh.”
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem—
Jerusalem that is built
as a city that is joined together,
where the tribes go up,
the tribes of Yah[c] as a testimony for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of Yahweh.
For there the thrones sit[d] for judgment,
thrones of David’s house.
Pray[e] for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be at ease.
May peace be within your walls,
security within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house[f] of Yahweh our God,
I will seek your good.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 122:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 122:1 Or “temple”
  3. Psalm 122:4 A shortened form of “Yahweh”
  4. Psalm 122:5 That is, rulers or judges on thrones
  5. Psalm 122:6 Hebrew “Ask”
  6. Psalm 122:9 Or “temple”