1  When the Lord srestored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who tdream.

2  Then our umouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

v“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3  The Lord has done great things for us;

we are glad.

4  Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like streams in the Negeb!

5  wThose who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

6  He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

127 A Song of mAscents. Of Solomon.

1  Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord xwatches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

2  It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious ytoil;

for he gives to his zbeloved asleep.

3  Behold, bchildren are a heritage from the Lord,

cthe fruit of the womb a reward.

4  Like arrows in the hand of da warrior

are the children1 of one’s youth.

5  Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies ein the gate.2

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

128 A Song of mAscents.

1  fBlessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

who gwalks in his ways!

2  You hshall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

3  Your wife will be like ia fruitful vine

within your house;

your children will be like jolive shoots

around your table.

4  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

who fears the Lord.

5  kThe Lord bless you lfrom Zion!

May you see mthe prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life!

6  May you see your nchildren’s children!

oPeace be upon Israel!

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

129 A Song of mAscents.

1  “Greatly1 have they pafflicted me qfrom my youth”—

rlet Israel now say—

2  “Greatly have they pafflicted me qfrom my youth,

syet they have not prevailed against me.

3  tThe plowers plowed uupon my back;

they made long their furrows.”

4  The Lord is righteous;

he has cut vthe cords of the wicked.

5  May all who hate Zion

be wput to shame and turned backward!

6  Let them be like xthe grass on the housetops,

which ywithers before it grows up,

7  with which the reaper does not fill his hand

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

8  nor do those who pass by say,

a“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!

We bbless you in the name of the Lord!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

130 A Song of mAscents.

1  Out of cthe depths I cry to you, O Lord!

2  O Lord, hear my voice!

dLet your ears be attentive

to ethe voice of my pleas for mercy!

3  If you, O Lord, should fmark iniquities,

O Lord, who could gstand?

4  But with you there is hforgiveness,

ithat you may be feared.

5  I jwait for the Lord, kmy soul waits,

and lin his word I hope;

6  my soul mwaits for the Lord

more than nwatchmen for othe morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

7  O Israel, phope in the Lord!

For qwith the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with him is plentiful redemption.

8  And he will rredeem Israel

from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

131 A Song of mAscents. Of David.

1  O Lord, my heart is not slifted up;

my eyes are not traised too high;

I do not uoccupy myself with things

too great and vtoo marvelous for me.

2  But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned wchild with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3  xO Israel, hope in the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore.

The Lord Has Chosen Zion

132 A Song of mAscents.

1  Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor,

all ythe hardships he endured,

2  how he swore to the Lord

and zvowed to athe Mighty One of Jacob,

3  “I will not enter my house

or get into my bed,

4  I will not bgive sleep to my eyes

or slumber to my eyelids,

5  until I cfind a place for the Lord,

a dwelling place for athe Mighty One of Jacob.”

6  Behold, we heard of it in dEphrathah;

we found it in ethe fields of Jaar.

7  “Let us go to his dwelling place;

let us fworship at his gfootstool!”

8  hArise, O Lord, and go to your iresting place,

you and the ark of your jmight.

9  Let your kpriests be lclothed with righteousness,

and let your msaints shout for joy.

10  For the sake of your servant David,

ndo not turn away the face of oyour anointed one.

11  pThe Lord swore to David a sure oath

qfrom which he will not turn back:

r“One of the sons of your body1

I will set on your throne.

12  If your sons keep my covenant

and my testimonies that I shall teach them,

their sons also forever

shall ssit on your throne.”

13  For the Lord has tchosen Zion;

he has udesired it for his dwelling place:

14  “This is my vresting place forever;

here I will wdwell, for I have desired it.

15  I will abundantly xbless her provisions;

I will ysatisfy her poor with bread.

16  Her zpriests I will clothe with salvation,

and her zsaints will shout for joy.

17  There I will make aa horn to sprout for David;

I have prepared ba lamp for cmy anointed.

18  His enemies I will dclothe with shame,

but on him his crown will shine.”