Psalm 125-132

English Standard Version

The Lord Surrounds His People

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

125 Those who ^(B)trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which ^(C)cannot be moved, but abides forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so ^(D)the Lord surrounds his people,
    from this time forth and forevermore.
³For ^(E)the scepter of wickedness shall not ^(F)rest
    on ^(G)the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous ^(H)stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
⁴^(I)Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
    and to those who are ^(J)upright in their hearts!
⁵But those who ^(K)turn aside to their ^(L)crooked ways
    the Lord will lead away with ^(M)evildoers!
    ^(N)Peace be upon Israel!

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of ^(O)Ascents.

126 When the Lord ^(P)restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who ^(Q)dream.
²Then our ^(R)mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    ^(S)“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.

⁴Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
⁵^(T)Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
⁶He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of ^(U)Ascents. Of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord ^(V)watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious ^(W)toil;
    for he gives to his ^(X)beloved ^(Y)sleep.

³Behold, ^(Z)children are a heritage from the Lord,
    ^(AA)the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of ^(AB)a warrior
    are the children^[a] of one's youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies ^(AC)in the gate.^[b]

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

A Song of ^(AD)Ascents.

128 ^(AE)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who ^(AF)walks in his ways!
²You ^(AG)shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³Your wife will be like ^(AH)a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like ^(AI)olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the Lord.

⁵^(AJ)The Lord bless you ^(AK)from Zion!
    May you see ^(AL)the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life!
⁶May you see your ^(AM)children's children!
    ^(AN)Peace be upon Israel!

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of ^(AO)Ascents.

129 “Greatly^[c] have they ^(AP)afflicted me ^(AQ)from my youth”—
    ^(AR)let Israel now say—
²“Greatly have they ^(AS)afflicted me ^(AT)from my youth,
    ^(AU)yet they have not prevailed against me.
³^(AV)The plowers plowed ^(AW)upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
⁴The Lord is righteous;
    he has cut ^(AX)the cords of the wicked.
⁵May all who hate Zion
    be ^(AY)put to shame and turned backward!
⁶Let them be like ^(AZ)the grass on the housetops,
    which ^(BA)withers before it grows up,
⁷with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
⁸nor do those who pass by say,
    ^(BB)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
    We ^(BC)bless you in the name of the Lord!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of ^(BD)Ascents.

130 Out of ^(BE)the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
² O Lord, hear my voice!
^(BF)Let your ears be attentive
to ^(BG)the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³If you, O Lord, should ^(BH)mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could ^(BI)stand?
⁴But with you there is ^(BJ)forgiveness,
^(BK)that you may be feared.

⁵I ^(BL)wait for the Lord, ^(BM)my soul waits,
    and ^(BN)in his word I hope;
⁶my soul ^(BO)waits for the Lord
    more than ^(BP)watchmen for ^(BQ)the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷O Israel, ^(BR)hope in the Lord!
    For ^(BS)with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
⁸And he will ^(BT)redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of ^(BU)Ascents. Of David.

131 O Lord, my heart is not ^(BV)lifted up;
    my eyes are not ^(BW)raised too high;
I do not ^(BX)occupy myself with things
    too great and ^(BY)too marvelous for me.
²But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned ^(BZ)child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³^(CA)O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

The Lord Has Chosen Zion

A Song of ^(CB)Ascents.

132 Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
    all ^(CC)the hardships he endured,
²how he swore to the Lord
    and ^(CD)vowed to ^(CE)the Mighty One of Jacob,
³“I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
⁴I will not ^(CF)give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵until I ^(CG)find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling place for ^(CH)the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶Behold, we heard of it in ^(CI)Ephrathah;
we found it in ^(CJ)the fields of Jaar.
⁷“Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us ^(CK)worship at his ^(CL)footstool!”

⁸^(CM)Arise, O Lord, and go to your ^(CN)resting place,
    you and the ark of your ^(CO)might.
⁹Let your ^(CP)priests be ^(CQ)clothed with righteousness,
    and let your ^(CR)saints shout for joy.
¹⁰For the sake of your servant David,
    ^(CS)do not turn away the face of ^(CT)your anointed one.

¹¹^(CU)The Lord swore to David a sure oath
    ^(CV)from which he will not turn back:
^(CW)“One of the sons of your body^[d]
    I will set on your throne.
¹²If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
    shall ^(CX)sit on your throne.”

¹³For the Lord has ^(CY)chosen Zion;
    he has ^(CZ)desired it for his dwelling place:
¹⁴“This is my ^(DA)resting place forever;
    here I will ^(DB)dwell, for I have desired it.
¹⁵I will abundantly ^(DC)bless her provisions;
    I will ^(DD)satisfy her poor with bread.
¹⁶Her ^(DE)priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her ^(DF)saints will shout for joy.
¹⁷There I will make ^(DG)a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared ^(DH)a lamp for ^(DI)my anointed.
¹⁸His enemies I will ^(DJ)clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.”

Footnotes

Psalm 127:4 Or sons
Psalm 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate
Psalm 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2
Psalm 132:11 Hebrew of your fruit of the womb