120

A Song of Ascents.

1In my distress, I cried to Yahweh.

He answered me.

2Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips,

from a deceitful tongue.

3What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you,

you deceitful tongue?

4Sharp arrows of the mighty,

with coals of juniper.

5Woe is me, that I live in Meshech,

that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

6My soul has had her dwelling too long

with him who hates peace.

7I am for peace,

but when I speak, they are for war.

121

A Song of Ascents.

1I will lift up my eyes to the hills.

Where does my help come from?

2My help comes from Yahweh,

who made heaven and earth.

3He will not allow your foot to be moved.

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5Yahweh is your keeper.

Yahweh is your shade on your right hand.

6The sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7Yahweh will keep you from all evil.

He will keep your soul.

8Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in,

from this time forward, and forever more.

122

A Song of Ascents. By David.

1I was glad when they said to me,

“Let’s go to Yahweh’s house!”

2Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem!

3Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together,

4where the tribes go up, even Yah’s tribes,

according to an ordinance for Israel,

to give thanks to Yahweh’s name.

5For there are set thrones for judgment,

the thrones of David’s house.

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Those who love you will prosper.

7Peace be within your walls,

and prosperity within your palaces.

8For my brothers’ and companions’ sakes,

I will now say, “Peace be within you.”

9For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God,

I will seek your good.

123

A Song of Ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to you,

you who sit in the heavens.

2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to Yahweh, our God,

until he has mercy on us.

3Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us,

for we have endured much contempt.

4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease,

with the contempt of the proud.

124

A Song of Ascents. By David.

1If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side,

let Israel now say,

2if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side,

when men rose up against us,

3then they would have swallowed us up alive,

when their wrath was kindled against us,

4then the waters would have overwhelmed us,

the stream would have gone over our soul.

5Then the proud waters would have gone over our soul.

6Blessed be Yahweh,

who has not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare.

The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

8Our help is in Yahweh’s name,

who made heaven and earth.

125

A Song of Ascents.

1Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion,

which can’t be moved, but remains forever.

2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so Yahweh surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.

3For the scepter of wickedness won’t remain over the allotment of the righteous,

so that the righteous won’t use their hands to do evil.

4Do good, Yahweh, to those who are good,

to those who are upright in their hearts.

5But as for those who turn away to their crooked ways,

Yahweh will lead them away with the workers of iniquity.

Peace be on Israel.

126

A Song of Ascents.

1When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion,

we were like those who dream.

2Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with singing.

Then they said among the nations,

“Yahweh has done great things for them.”

3Yahweh has done great things for us,

and we are glad.

4Restore our fortunes again, Yahweh,

like the streams in the Negev.

5Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

6He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing,

will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

127

A Song of Ascents. By Solomon.

1Unless Yahweh builds the house,

they who build it labor in vain.

Unless Yahweh watches over the city,

the watchman guards it in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise up early,

to stay up late,

eating the bread of toil,

for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

3Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh.

The fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,

so are the children of youth.

5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.

They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

128

A Song of Ascents.

1Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh,

who walks in his ways.

2For you will eat the labor of your hands.

You will be happy, and it will be well with you.

3Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house,

your children like olive shoots around your table.

4Behold, this is how the man who fears Yahweh is blessed.

5May Yahweh bless you out of Zion,

and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

6Yes, may you see your children’s children.

Peace be upon Israel.

129

A Song of Ascents.

1Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up.

Let Israel now say:

2many times they have afflicted me from my youth up,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3The plowers plowed on my back.

They made their furrows long.

4Yahweh is righteous.

He has cut apart the cords of the wicked.

5Let them be disappointed and turned backward,

all those who hate Zion.

6Let them be as the grass on the housetops,

which withers before it grows up,

7with which the reaper doesn’t fill his hand,

nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.

8Neither do those who go by say,

“The blessing of Yahweh be on you.

We bless you in Yahweh’s name.”

130

A Song of Ascents.

1Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh.

2Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.

3If you, Yah, kept a record of sins,

Lord, who could stand?

4But there is forgiveness with you,

therefore you are feared.

5I wait for Yahweh.

My soul waits.

I hope in his word.

6My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

7Israel, hope in Yahweh,

for there is loving kindness with Yahweh.

Abundant redemption is with him.

8He will redeem Israel from all their sins.

131

A Song of Ascents. By David.

1Yahweh, my heart isn’t arrogant, nor my eyes lofty;

nor do I concern myself with great matters,

or things too wonderful for me.

2Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with his mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3Israel, hope in Yahweh,

from this time forward and forever more.

132

A Song of Ascents.

1Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,

2how he swore to Yahweh,

and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3“Surely I will not come into the structure of my house,

nor go up into my bed;

4I will not give sleep to my eyes,

or slumber to my eyelids,

5until I find out a place for Yahweh,

a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah.

We found it in the field of Jaar.

7“We will go into his dwelling place.

We will worship at his footstool.”

8Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place,

you, and the ark of your strength.

9Let your priests be clothed with righteousness.

Let your saints shout for joy!

10For your servant David’s sake,

don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.

11Yahweh has sworn to David in truth.

He will not turn from it:

“I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.

12If your children will keep my covenant,

my testimony that I will teach them,

their children also will sit on your throne forever more.”

13For Yahweh has chosen Zion.

He has desired it for his habitation.

14“This is my resting place forever.

I will live here, for I have desired it.

15I will abundantly bless her provision.

I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16I will also clothe her priests with salvation.

Her saints will shout aloud for joy.

17I will make the horn of David to bud there.

I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.

18I will clothe his enemies with shame,

but on himself, his crown will shine.”

133

A Song of Ascents. By David.

1See how good and how pleasant it is

for brothers to live together in unity!

2It is like the precious oil on the head,

that ran down on the beard,

even Aaron’s beard,

that came down on the edge of his robes,

3like the dew of Hermon,

that comes down on the hills of Zion;

for there Yahweh gives the blessing,

even life forever more.

134

A Song of Ascents.

1Look! Praise Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh,

who stand by night in Yahweh’s house!

2Lift up your hands in the sanctuary.

Praise Yahweh!

3May Yahweh bless you from Zion,

even he who made heaven and earth.

135

1Praise Yah!

Praise Yahweh’s name!

Praise him, you servants of Yahweh,

2you who stand in Yahweh’s house,

in the courts of our God’s house.

3Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good.

Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.

4For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself,

Israel for his own possession.

5For I know that Yahweh is great,

that our Lord is above all gods.

6Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done,

in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

7He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightnings with the rain.

He brings the wind out of his treasuries.

8He struck the firstborn of Egypt,

both of man and animal.

9He sent signs and wonders into the middle of you, Egypt,

on Pharaoh, and on all his servants.

10He struck many nations,

and killed mighty kings—

11Sihon king of the Amorites,

Og king of Bashan,

and all the kingdoms of Canaan—

12and gave their land for a heritage,

a heritage to Israel, his people.

13Your name, Yahweh, endures forever;

your renown, Yahweh, throughout all generations.

14For Yahweh will judge his people

and have compassion on his servants.

15The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

the work of men’s hands.

16They have mouths, but they can’t speak.

They have eyes, but they can’t see.

17They have ears, but they can’t hear,

neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18Those who make them will be like them,

yes, everyone who trusts in them.

19House of Israel, praise Yahweh!

House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!

20House of Levi, praise Yahweh!

You who fear Yahweh, praise Yahweh!

21Blessed be Yahweh from Zion,

who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise Yah!