Psalm 123-125

New International Version

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

¹I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned^(A) 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^(B) 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^(C)—
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^(D) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent^(E) 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;^(F)
the snare has been broken,^(G)
    and we have escaped.
⁸Our help is in the name^(H) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven^(I) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

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

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

⁴Lord, do good^(Q) to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.^(R)
⁵But those who turn^(S) to crooked ways^(T)
the Lord will banish^(U) with the evildoers.