Beginning
120 1 The prayer of David being vexed by the false reports of Saul’s flatterers. 5 And therefore he lamenteth his long abode among those infidels, 7 Who were given to all kinds of wickedness and contention.
A song of [a]degrees.
1 I called unto the Lord in my [b]trouble, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What doth thy [c]deceitful tongue bring unto thee? or what doth it avail thee?
4 It is as the [d]sharp arrows of a mighty man, and as the coals of Juniper.
5 Woe is to me that I remain in [e]Meshech, and dwell in the tents of [f]Kedar.
6 My soul hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I seek [g]peace, and when I speak thereof, they are bent to war.
121 1 This Psalm teacheth that the faithful ought only to look for help at God, 7 who only doth maintain, preserve and prosper his Church.
A song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes [h]unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come.
2 Mine help cometh from the Lord, which hath made the [i]heaven and the earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to slip: for he that keepeth thee, will not [j]slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel, will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not [k]smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall keep thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy [l]going out, and thy coming in from henceforth and forever.
122 1 David rejoiceth in the name of the faithful, that God hath accomplished his promise and placed his Ark in Zion. 5 For the which he giveth thanks, 8 And prayeth for the prosperity of the Church.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 I (A)[m]rejoiced when they said to me, We will go into the house of the Lord.
2 Our [n]feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city, that is [o]compact together in itself:
4 Whereunto [p]the Tribes, even the Tribes of the Lord go up according to the testimony to Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord.
5 For there are thrones set for judgment, even the thrones of the house of [q]David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: let them prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy [r]walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my [s]brethren and neighbors’ sakes, I will wish thee now prosperity.
9 Because of the House of the Lord our God, I will procure thy wealth.
123 A prayer of the faithful, which were afflicted either in Babylon or under Antiochus, by the wicked worldlings and contemners of God.
A song of degrees.
1 I lift up mine eyes to thee, that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of [t]servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy unto us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have [u]suffered too much contempt.
4 Our soul is filled too full of the mocking of the wealthy, and of the despitefulness of the proud.
124 The people of God, escaping a great peril, do acknowledge themselves to be delivered, not by their own force, but by the power of God. 4 They declare the greatness of the peril. 6 And praise the Name of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 If the Lord had not been [v]on our side, (may Israel now say)
2 If the Lord had [not] been on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 They had then swallowed us up [w]quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.
4 Then the [x]waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then had the swelling waters gone over our soul.
6 Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the [y]snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth.
125 1 He describeth the assurance of the faithful in their afflictions. 4 And desireth their wealth, 5 And the destruction of the wicked.
A song of degrees.
1 They that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion, which cannot [z]be removed, but remaineth forever.
2 As the mountains are about Jerusalem: so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and forever.
3 For the [aa]rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hand unto wickedness.
4 Do well, O Lord, unto those that be good and true in their hearts.
5 [ab]But these that turn aside by their crooked ways, them shall the Lord lead with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
126 1 This Psalm was made after the return of the people from Babylon, and showeth that the means of their deliverance was wonderful after the seventy years of captivity forspoken by Jeremiah, in Jer. 25:12 and 29:10.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that [ac]dream.
2 Then was our mouth [ad]filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy: then said they among the [ae]heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.
4 O Lord, bring again our captivity, as the [af]rivers in the South.
5 They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
6 They went weeping, and carried [ag]precious seed: but they shall return with joy, and bring their sheaves.
127 1 He showeth that the whole estate of the world, both domestical and political, standeth by God’s mere providence and blessing, 3 And that to have children well nurtured, is an especial grace and gift of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of Solomon.
1 Except the Lord [ah]build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the [ai]city, the keeper watcheth in vain.
2 It is in vain for [aj]you to rise early, and to lie down late, and eat the bread [ak]of sorrow: but he will surely give [al]rest to his beloved.
3 Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb his reward.
4 As are the arrows in the hand of the strong man; so are the [am]children of youth.
5 Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them: for they [an]shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
128 He showeth that blessedness appertaineth not to all universally, but to them only that fear the Lord, and walk in his ways.
A song of degrees.
1 Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord, and walketh in his [ao]ways.
2 When thou eatest the labors of thine [ap]hands, thou shalt be blessed, and it shall be well with thee.
3 Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine on the sides of thine house, and thy [aq]children like the olive plants round about thy table.
4 Lo, surely thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord.
5 The Lord out of Zion shall [ar]bless thee, and thou shalt see the wealth of [as]Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.
129 1 He admonisheth the Church to rejoice though it be afflicted. 4 For by the righteous Lord it shall be delivered. 6 And the enemies for all their glorious show, shall suddenly be destroyed.
A song of degrees.
1 They have oftentimes afflicted me from my youth (may [at]Israel now say)
2 They have oftentimes afflicted me from my youth: but they could not prevail against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back, and made long furrows.
4 But the [au]righteous Lord hath cut the cords of the wicked.
5 They that hate Zion, shall be all ashamed and turned backward.
6 [av]They shall be as the grass on the house tops, which withereth afore it cometh forth.
7 Whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither the gleaner his lap:
8 [aw]Neither they which go by, say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you, or, We bless you in the Name of the Lord.
130 The people of God from their bottomless miseries do cry unto God, and are heard. 3 They confess their sins, and flee unto God’s mercies.
A song of degrees.
1 Out of the [ax]deep places have I called unto thee, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears attend to the voice of my prayers.
3 If thou, O Lord, straightly markest iniquities, O Lord, [ay]who shall stand?
4 But mercy is with thee, that thou [az]mayest be feared.
5 I have waited on the Lord: my soul hath waited, and I have trusted in his word.
6 My soul waiteth on the Lord more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning.
7 Let Israel wait on the Lord: for with the Lord is [ba]mercy, and with him is great redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
131 1 David charged with ambition and greedy desire to reign, protesteth his humility and modesty before God, and teacheth all men what they should do.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 Lord, [bb]mine heart is not haughty, neither are mine eyes lofty, neither have I walked in great [bc]matters and hid from me.
2 Surely I have behaved myself, like one weaned from his mother, and kept silence: I am in myself as one that is [bd]weaned.
3 Let Israel wait on the Lord from henceforth and forever.
132 1 The faithful grounding on God’s promise made unto David, desire that he would establish the same, both as touching his posterity, and the building of the Temple, to pray there as was forspoken, Deut. 12:5.
A song of degrees.
1 Lord, remember David with all his [be]affliction,
2 Who sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God, of Jacob, saying,
3 I [bf]will not enter into the Tabernacle of mine house, nor come upon my pallet or bed,
4 Nor suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber,
5 Until I find out a place for the [bg]Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of it in [bh]Ephrathah, and found it in the fields of the forest.
7 We will enter into his Tabernacles, and worship before his footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, to come into thy [bi]rest, thou, and the Ark of thy strength.
9 Let thy Priests be clothed with [bj]righteousness, and let thy Saints rejoice.
10 For thy [bk]servant David’s sake refuse not the face of thine Anointed.
11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and he will not shrink from it, saying, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
12 If thy sons keep my Covenant, and my testimonies, that I shall teach them, their sons also shall sit upon thy throne [bl]forever.
13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion, and loved to dwell in it, saying,
14 This is my rest forever: here will I dwell, for I have a [bm]delight therein.
15 I will surely bless her vittles, and will satisfy her poor with bread,
16 And will clothe her Priests with [bn]salvation, and her Saints shall shout for joy.
17 There will I make the [bo]horn of David to bud: for I have ordained a light for mine Anointed.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame, but on him his crown shall flourish.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.