Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

123 A Song of mAscents.

1  To you I qlift up my eyes,

O you who are renthroned in the heavens!

2  Behold, as the eyes of servants

look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maidservant

to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the Lord our God,

till he has mercy upon us.

3  sHave mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,

for we have had more than enough of tcontempt.

4  Our soul has had more than enough

of uthe scorn of vthose who are at ease,

of the contempt of wthe proud.

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

124 A Song of mAscents. Of David.

1  xIf it had not been the Lord who was on our side—

ylet Israel now say—

2  if it had not been the Lord who was on our side

when people rose up against us,

3  then they would have zswallowed us up alive,

when their anger was kindled against us;

4  then athe flood would have bswept us away,

the torrent would have gone cover us;

5  then over us would have gone

the raging waters.

6  Blessed be the Lord,

who has not given us

as prey to their teeth!

7  We have escaped like a bird

from dthe snare of the fowlers;

the snare is broken,

and we have escaped!

8  eOur help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

The Lord Surrounds His People

125 A Song of mAscents.

1  Those who ftrust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which gcannot be moved, but abides forever.

2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so hthe Lord surrounds his people,

from this time forth and forevermore.

3  For ithe scepter of wickedness shall not jrest

on kthe land allotted to the righteous,

lest the righteous lstretch out

their hands to do wrong.

4  mDo good, O Lord, to those who are good,

and to those who are nupright in their hearts!

5  But those who oturn aside to their pcrooked ways

the Lord will lead away with qevildoers!

rPeace be upon Israel!