1 “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”

let Israel say;

2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,

but they have not gained the victory over me.

3 Plowmen have plowed my back

and made their furrows long.

4 But the Lord is righteous;

he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

5 May all who hate Zion

be turned back in shame.

6 May they be like grass on the roof,

which withers before it can grow;

7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,

nor one who gathers fill his arms.

8 May those who pass by not say to them,

“The blessing of the Lord be on you;

we bless you in the name of the Lord.”

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth,

May Israel now say:

2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth:

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back:

They made long their furrows.

4 The Lord is righteous:

He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them all be confounded and turned back

That hate Zion.

6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops,

Which withereth afore it groweth up:

7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand;

Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

8 Neither do they which go by say,

The blessing of the Lord be upon you:

We bless you in the name of the Lord.

1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.

Let all Israel repeat this:

2 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,

but they have never defeated me.

3 My back is covered with cuts,

as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

4 But the Lord is good;

he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.

5 May all who hate Jerusalem

be turned back in shameful defeat.

6 May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop,

turning yellow when only half grown,

7 ignored by the harvester,

despised by the binder.

8 And may those who pass by

refuse to give them this blessing:

“The Lord bless you;

we bless you in the Lord’s name.”

1 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,”

Let Israel now say—

2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back;

They made their furrows long.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

5 Let all those who hate Zion

Be put to shame and turned back.

6 Let them be as the grass on the housetops,

Which withers before it grows up,

7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,

Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.

8 Neither let those who pass by them say,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;

We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

1 They have treated me badly all my life.

(Let Israel repeat this.)

2 They have treated me badly all my life,

but they have not defeated me.

3 Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back,

making long wounds.

4 But the Lord does what is right;

he has set me free from those wicked people.

5 Let those who hate Jerusalem

be turned back in shame.

6 Let them be like the grass on the roof

that dries up before it has grown.

7 There is not enough of it to fill a hand

or to make into a bundle to fill one’s arms.

8 Let those who pass by them not say,

“May the Lord bless you.

We bless you by the power of the Lord.”

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up,

Let Israel now say,

2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up:

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back;

They made long their furrows.

4 Jehovah is righteous:

He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them be put to shame and turned backward,

All they that hate Zion.

6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops,

Which withereth before it groweth up;

7 Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand,

Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

8 Neither do they that go by say,

The blessing of Jehovah be upon you;

We bless you in the name of Jehovah.

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth—oh let Israel say— 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they made long their furrows. 4 Jehovah is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

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

1 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me …” 

(Israel should repeat this.) 

2 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me, 

but they have never overpowered me. 

3 They have plowed my back ⸤like farmers plow fields⸥. 

They made long slashes ⸤like furrows⸥.” 

4 The Lord is righteous. 

He has cut me loose 

from the ropes that wicked people tied around me. 

5 Put to shame all those who hate Zion. 

Force them to retreat. 

6 Make them be like grass on a roof, 

like grass that dries up before it produces a stalk. 

7 It will never fill the barns of those who harvest 

or the arms of those who gather bundles. 

8 Those who pass by will never say ⸤to them⸥, 

“May you be blessed by the Lord” 

or “We bless you in the name of the Lord.” 

1 Since my youth they have often attacked me—

let Israel say—

2 Since my youth they have often attacked me,

but they have not prevailed against me.

3 Plowmen plowed over my back;

they made their furrows long.

4 The Lord is righteous;

He has cut the ropes of the wicked.

5 Let all who hate Zion

be driven back in disgrace.

6 Let them be like grass on the rooftops,

which withers before it grows up

7 and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper

or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.

8 Then none who pass by will say,

“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.”

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.

1 “Often have they attacked me from my youth”

—let Israel now say—

2 “often have they attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back;

they made their furrows long.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the cords of the wicked.

5 May all who hate Zion

be put to shame and turned backward.

6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops

that withers before it grows up,

7 with which reapers do not fill their hands

or binders of sheaves their arms,

8 while those who pass by do not say,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!

We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

1 “Too often they have attacked me from my youth.”

Let Israel say,

2 “Too often they have attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 On my back plowmen have plowed.

They have made their furrows long.”

4 Yahweh is righteous.

He has cut the ropes of the wicked.

5 Let all be put to shame and repulsed

who hate Zion.

6 Let them be like grass on the housetops,

that withers before it grows up,

7 with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

8 so that passersby do not say,

“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”

1 Here is what Israel should say.

Many times my enemies have beaten me down ever since I was a young nation.

2 Many times my enemies have beaten me down ever since I was a young nation,

but they haven’t won the battle.

3 They have made deep wounds in my back.

It looks like a field a farmer has plowed.

4 The Lord does what is right.

Sinners had tied me up with ropes. But the Lord has set me free.

5 May all those who hate Zion

be driven back in shame.

6 May they be like grass that grows on the roof of a house.

It dries up before it can grow.

7 There isn’t enough of it to fill a person’s hand.

There isn’t enough to tie up and carry away.

8 May no one who passes by say to those who hate Zion,

“May the blessing of the Lord be on you.

We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

1 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,”

Let Israel now say,

2 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up;

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 “The plowers plowed upon my back;

They lengthened their furrows.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

5 May all who hate Zion

Be put to shame and turned backward;

6 Let them be like grass upon the housetops,

Which withers before it grows up;

7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,

Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

8 Nor do those who pass by say,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;

We bless you in the name of the Lord.”