Psalm 121:title–134:title

A Song of degrees.

I lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: whence shall my help come? My help cometh from Jehovah, who made the heavens and the earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Jehovah is thy keeper, Jehovah is thy shade upon thy right hand; The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. Jehovah will keep thee from all evil; he will keep thy soul. Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in, from henceforth and for evermore.

Psalm 122

A Song of degrees. Of David.

I rejoiced when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of Jehovah. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which art built as a city that is compact together, Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to give thanks unto the name of Jehovah. For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. ⁷Peace be within thy bulwarks, prosperity within thy palaces. ⁸For my brethren and companions’ sakes I will say, Peace be within thee! ⁹Because of the house of Jehovah our God I will seek thy good.

Psalm 123

A Song of degrees.

Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are directed to Jehovah our God, until he be gracious unto us. Be gracious unto us, O Jehovah, be gracious unto us; for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 124

A Song of degrees. Of David.

If it had not been Jehovah who was for us—oh let Israel say— If it had not been Jehovah who was for us, when men rose up against us, Then they had swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; Then the waters had overwhelmed us, a torrent had gone over our soul; Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

⁶Blessed be Jehovah, who gave us not up a prey to their teeth! ⁷Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we have escaped. ⁸Our help is in the name of Jehovah, the maker of heavens and earth.

Psalm 125

A Song of degrees.

They that confide in Jehovah are as mount Zion, which cannot be moved; it abideth for ever. Jerusalem! —mountains are round about her, and Jehovah is round about his people, from henceforth and for evermore. For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

⁴Do good, O Jehovah, unto the good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. ⁵But as for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, Jehovah will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 126

A Song of degrees.

When Jehovah turned the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing: then said they among the nations, Jehovah hath done great things for them. Jehovah hath done great things for us; and we are joyful.

⁴Turn our captivity, O Jehovah, as the streams in the south. ⁵They that sow in tears shall reap with rejoicing: ⁶He goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for scattering; he cometh again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves.

Psalm 127

A Song of degrees. Of Solomon.

Unless Jehovah build the house, in vain do its builders labour in it; unless Jehovah keep the city, the keeper watcheth in vain: It is vain for you to rise up early, to lie down late, to eat the bread of sorrows: so to his beloved one he giveth sleep. Lo, children are an inheritance from Jehovah, and the fruit of the womb a reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. Happy is the man that hath filled his quiver with them. They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate.

Psalm 128

A Song of degrees.

Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine in the inner part of thy house; thy children like olive-plants round about thy table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth Jehovah. Jehovah will bless thee out of Zion; and mayest thou see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life, And see thy children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 129

A Song of degrees.

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth—oh let Israel say— Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me. The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they made long their furrows. Jehovah is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

⁵Let them be ashamed and turned backward, all that hate Zion; ⁶Let them be as the grass upon the house-tops, which withereth before it is plucked up, ⁷Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom; ⁸Neither do the passers-by say, The blessing of Jehovah be upon you; we bless you in the name of Jehovah!

Psalm 130

A Song of degrees.

Out of the depths do I call upon thee, Jehovah. Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, Jah, shouldest mark iniquities, Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

⁵I wait for Jehovah; my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. ⁶My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the watchers wait for the morning, more than the watchers for the morning. ⁷Let Israel hope in Jehovah, because with Jehovah there is loving-kindness, and with him is plenteous redemption; ⁸And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm 131

A Song of degrees. Of David.

Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in great matters, and in things too wonderful for me. Surely I have restrained and composed my soul, like a weaned child with its mother: my soul within me is as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in Jehovah, from henceforth and for evermore.

Psalm 132

A Song of degrees.

Jehovah, remember for David all his affliction; How he swore unto Jehovah, vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob: I will not come into the tent of my house, I will not go up to the couch of my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob. … Behold, we heard of it at Ephratah, we found it in the fields of the wood. Let us go into his habitations, let us worship at his footstool. Arise, Jehovah, into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant David’s sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed.

¹¹Jehovah hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne; ¹²If thy children keep my covenant, and my testimonies which I will teach them, their children also for evermore shall sit upon thy throne. ¹³For Jehovah hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his dwelling: ¹⁴This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. ¹⁵I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy ones with bread; ¹⁶And I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. ¹⁷There will I cause the horn of David to bud forth; I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. ¹⁸His enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

Psalm 133

A Song of degrees. Of David.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, upon Aaron’s beard, that ran down to the hem of his garments; As the dew of Hermon that descendeth on the mountains of Zion; for there hath Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for evermore.

Psalm 134

A Song of degrees.