Psalm 122-125

New International Version

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
²Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.

³Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
⁴That 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.
⁵There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love^(A) you be secure.
⁷May there be peace^(B) within your walls
    and security within your citadels.^(C)”
⁸For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.^(D)

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

¹I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned^(E) in heaven.
²As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord^(F) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

³Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
⁴We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say^(G)—
²if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
³they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
⁴the flood^(H) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent^(I) would have swept over us,
⁵the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

⁶Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
⁷We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;^(J)
the snare has been broken,^(K)
    and we have escaped.
⁸Our help is in the name^(L) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven^(M) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

¹Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,^(N)
    which cannot be shaken^(O) but endures forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,^(P)
    so the Lord surrounds^(Q) his people
    both now and forevermore.

³The scepter^(R) of the wicked will not remain^(S)
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.^(T)

⁴Lord, do good^(U) to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.^(V)
⁵But those who turn^(W) to crooked ways^(X)
the Lord will banish^(Y) with the evildoers.