Psalm 120–126
1 I call on the Lordv in my distress,w
and he answers me.
from lying lipsx
and from deceitful tongues.y
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,z
with burning coals of the broom bush.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!a
among those who hate peace.
but when I speak, they are for war.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heavenb and earth.c
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watchesd over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches overe you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sunf will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harmg—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.h
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That 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.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who lovei you be secure.
7 May there be peacej within your walls
and security within your citadels.k”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.l
to you who sit enthronedm in heaven.
2 As 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 Lordn our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel sayo—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the floodp would have engulfed us,
the torrentq would have swept over us,
would have swept us away.
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
from the fowler’s snare;r
the snare has been broken,s
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the namet of the Lord,
the Maker of heavenu and earth.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,v
which cannot be shakenw but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,x
so the Lord surroundsy his people
both now and forevermore.
3 The scepterz of the wicked will not remaina
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.b
4 Lord, do goodc to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.d
5 But those who turne to crooked waysf
the Lord will banishg with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.h
1 When the Lord restoredi the fortunes ofa Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.b
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,j
our tongues with songs of joy.k
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great thingsl for them.”
3 The Lord has done great thingsm for us,
and we are filled with joy.n
4 Restore our fortunes,c o Lord,
like streams in the Negev.p
5 Those who sow with tearsq
will reapr with songs of joy.s
6 Those who go out weeping,t
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.