Psalm 120-134
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Rescue from the Treacherous.
A Song of [a]Ascents.
120 (A)I cried to the Lord in my trouble,
And He answered me.
2 Rescue my soul, Lord, from (B)lying lips,
From a (C)deceitful tongue.
3 What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you,
You (D)deceitful tongue?
4 (E)Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With the burning (F)coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe to me, for I reside in (G)Meshech,
For I have settled among the (H)tents of (I)Kedar!
6 Too long has my soul had its dwelling
With those who (J)hate peace.
7 I (K)am for peace, but when I speak,
They are (L)for war.
The Lord, the Keeper of Israel.
A Song of Ascents.
121 I will (M)raise my eyes to (N)the mountains;
From where will my help come?
2 My (O)help comes from the Lord,
Who (P)made heaven and earth.
3 He will not (Q)allow your foot to slip;
He who (R)watches over you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your [b](S)protector;
The Lord is your (T)shade on your right hand.
6 The (U)sun will not [c]beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will [d](V)protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will [e](W)guard your going out and your coming in
(X)From this time and forever.
Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
122 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let’s (Y)go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
Within your (Z)gates, Jerusalem,
3 Jerusalem, that has been (AA)built
As a city that is (AB)firmly joined together;
4 To which the tribes (AC)go up, the tribes of [f]the Lord—
[g]An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For (AD)thrones were set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the (AE)peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who (AF)love you.
7 May peace be within your (AG)walls,
And prosperity within your (AH)palaces.”
8 For the sake of my (AI)brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “(AJ)May peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will (AK)seek your good.
Prayer for the Lord’s Help.
A Song of Ascents.
123 To You I have (AL)raised my eyes,
You who (AM)are enthroned in the heavens!
2 Behold, as the eyes of (AN)servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress,
So our (AO)eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious to us.
3 (AP)Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us,
For we have had much more than enough of (AQ)contempt.
4 Our soul has had much more than enough
Of the (AR)scoffing of (AS)those who are at ease,
And with the (AT)contempt of the proud.
Praise for Rescue from Enemies.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
124 “(AU)Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”
(AV)Let Israel say,
2 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side
When people rose up against us,
3 Then they would have (AW)swallowed us alive,
When their (AX)anger was kindled against us;
4 Then the (AY)waters would have flooded over us,
The stream would have [h]swept over our souls;
5 Then the (AZ)raging waters would have [i]swept over our souls.”
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us [j]to be (BA)torn by their teeth.
7 Our souls have (BB)escaped (BC)like a bird from the trapper’s (BD)snare;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
8 Our (BE)help is in the name of the Lord,
Who (BF)made heaven and earth.
The Lord Surrounds His People.
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion, which (BG)cannot be moved but (BH)remains forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So (BI)the Lord surrounds His people
(BJ)From this time and forever.
3 For the (BK)scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the [k]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous (BL)will not extend their hands to do wrong.
4 (BM)Do good, Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are (BN)upright in their hearts.
5 But as for those who (BO)turn aside to their (BP)crooked ways,
The Lord will lead them away with those who (BQ)practice injustice.
(BR)Peace be upon Israel.
Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity.
A Song of Ascents.
126 When the Lord (BS)brought back [l]the captives of Zion,
We were (BT)like those who dream.
2 Then our (BU)mouth was filled with laughter
And our (BV)tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has (BW)done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
We are (BX)joyful.
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
As the [m](BY)streams in the [n]South.
5 Those who sow in (BZ)tears shall harvest with (CA)joyful shouting.
6 One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Prosperity Comes from the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord (CB)builds a house,
They who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord (CC)guards a city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is futile for you to rise up early,
To [o]stay up late,
To (CD)eat the bread of painful labor;
This is how He gives to His (CE)beloved (CF)sleep.
3 Behold, (CG)children are a [p]gift of the Lord,
The (CH)fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a (CI)warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 (CJ)Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
(CK)They will not be ashamed
When they (CL)speak with their enemies (CM)in the gate.
Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.
A Song of Ascents.
128 (CN)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who (CO)walks in His ways.
2 When you (CP)eat the (CQ)fruit of the labor of your hands,
You will be happy and (CR)it will go well for you.
3 Your wife will be like a (CS)fruitful vine
[q]Within your house,
Your children like (CT)olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for so shall a man
Who fears the Lord be blessed.
5 (CU)The Lord bless you (CV)from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your (CW)children’s children.
(CX)Peace be upon Israel!
Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.
A Song of Ascents.
129 “[r]Many times they have (CY)attacked me from my (CZ)youth up,”
(DA)Let Israel say,
2 “[s]Many times they have attacked me from my youth up;
Yet they have (DB)not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
4 The Lord (DC)is righteous;
He has cut up the (DD)ropes of the wicked.
5 May all who (DE)hate Zion
Be (DF)put to shame and turned backward;
6 May they be like (DG)grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it [t]grows up;
7 With which the harvester does not fill his [u]hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his [v](DH)arms;
8 Nor do those who pass by say,
“The (DI)blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.
A Song of Ascents.
130 Out of the (DJ)depths I have cried to You, Lord.
2 Lord, (DK)hear my voice!
Let (DL)Your ears be attentive
To the (DM)sound of my pleadings.
3 If You, [w]Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds,
Lord, who could (DN)stand?
4 But there is (DO)forgiveness with You,
So that You may be [x](DP)revered.
5 I wait for the Lord, my (DQ)soul waits,
And I [y]wait (DR)for His word.
6 My soul waits in hope for the Lord
More than the watchmen (DS)for the morning;
Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, (DT)wait for the Lord;
For with the Lord there is (DU)mercy,
And with Him is (DV)abundant redemption.
8 And He will (DW)redeem Israel
From all his guilty deeds.
Childlike Trust in the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
131 Lord, my heart is not (DX)proud, nor my eyes (DY)arrogant;
Nor do I [z]involve myself in (DZ)great matters,
Or in things (EA)too [aa]difficult for me.
2 I have certainly (EB)soothed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned (EC)child resting [ab]against his mother,
My soul [ac]within me is like a weaned child.
3 Israel, (ED)wait for the Lord
(EE)From this time on and forever.
Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents.
132 Remember, Lord, in David’s behalf,
All (EF)his affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to (EG)the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I certainly will not [ad]enter (EH)my house,
Nor [ae]lie on my bed;
4 I will not (EI)give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a (EJ)place for the Lord,
[af]A dwelling place for (EK)the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard about it in (EL)Ephrathah,
We found it in the (EM)field of [ag]Jaar.
7 Let’s go into His [ah](EN)dwelling place;
Let’s (EO)worship at His (EP)footstool.
8 (EQ)Arise, Lord, to Your (ER)resting place,
You and the ark of Your (ES)strength.
9 May Your priests be (ET)clothed with righteousness,
And may Your (EU)godly ones sing for joy.
10 For the sake of Your servant David,
Do not turn away the face of Your (EV)anointed.
11 The Lord has (EW)sworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“I will set upon your throne one (EX)from the fruit of your body.
12 If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also will (EY)sit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has (EZ)chosen Zion;
He has (FA)desired it as His dwelling place.
14 “This is My (FB)resting place forever;
Here I will (FC)dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly (FD)bless her food;
I will (FE)satisfy her needy with bread.
16 I will also clothe her (FF)priests with salvation,
And her (FG)godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
17 I will make the (FH)horn of David spring forth there;
I have prepared a (FI)lamp for My anointed.
18 I will (FJ)clothe his enemies with shame,
But upon himself his (FK)crown will gleam.”
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (FL)brothers to live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious (FM)oil on the head,
Running down upon the beard,
As on Aaron’s beard,
The oil which ran down upon the (FN)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (FO)dew of (FP)Hermon
Coming down upon the (FQ)mountains of Zion;
For the Lord (FR)commanded the blessing there—(FS)life forever.
Greetings of Night Watchers.
A Song of Ascents.
134 Behold, (FT)bless the Lord, all you (FU)servants of the Lord,
Who [ai](FV)serve (FW)by night in the house of the Lord!
2 (FX)Lift up your hands to the (FY)sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord (FZ)bless you from Zion,
He who (GA)made heaven and earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 120 Title Ex 34:24; 1 Kin 12:27
- Psalm 121:5 Or keeper
- Psalm 121:6 Lit strike you
- Psalm 121:7 Or keep
- Psalm 121:8 Or keep
- Psalm 122:4 Heb Yah
- Psalm 122:4 Or A testimony
- Psalm 124:4 Or passed over
- Psalm 124:5 Or passed over
- Psalm 124:6 Lit as a prey to
- Psalm 125:3 Lit lot
- Psalm 126:1 Or those who returned to
- Psalm 126:4 Lit stream-beds
- Psalm 126:4 Heb Negev
- Psalm 127:2 Lit sit late
- Psalm 127:3 Or heritage
- Psalm 128:3 Lit In the innermost parts of
- Psalm 129:1 Lit Much
- Psalm 129:2 Lit Much
- Psalm 129:6 Lit draws out
- Psalm 129:7 Lit palm
- Psalm 129:7 Lit the fold of his robe
- Psalm 130:3 Heb Yah
- Psalm 130:4 Or feared
- Psalm 130:5 Or hope in
- Psalm 131:1 Lit go after, walk
- Psalm 131:1 Or marvelous
- Psalm 131:2 Or upon
- Psalm 131:2 Or upon
- Psalm 132:3 Lit come into the tabernacle of
- Psalm 132:3 Lit go up into the couch of
- Psalm 132:5 Lit Dwelling places
- Psalm 132:6 Or the wood
- Psalm 132:7 Lit dwelling places
- Psalm 134:1 Lit stand
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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