Psalm 120–124

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

120A song of ascents.^a

¹In my distress I called to Yahweh,

and he answered me.

²“Deliver my life, O Yahweh, from lying lips,

from a deceitful tongue.”

³What shall be given to you,^b

and what more shall be done to you,

deceitful tongue?

⁴The sharpened arrows of a warrior,

with burning charcoals from broom trees.

⁵Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,

that I dwell among the tents of Kedar.

⁶Too long my soul has had its dwelling

near one who hates peace.

⁷I am for peace, but when I speak,

they are for war.

Trust in God’s Protection

121A song for the ascents.^a

¹I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

whence will my help come?

²My help is from Yahweh,

maker of heaven and earth.

³He will not allow your foot to be moved;

he who protects you will not slumber.

⁴Look, he will not slumber and he will not sleep—

he who protects Israel.

⁵Yahweh is your protector;

Yahweh is your shade at your right hand.

⁶The sun will not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

⁷Yahweh will protect you from all evil;^b

he will protect your life.

⁸Yahweh will protect your going out and your coming in

from now until forever.

Jerusalem the Site of God’s Presence

122A song of ascents. Of David.^a

¹I rejoiced in those who said to me,

“Let us go to the house^b of Yahweh.”

²Our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem—

³Jerusalem that is built

as a city that is joined together,

⁴where the tribes go up,

the tribes of Yah^c as a testimony for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of Yahweh.

⁵For there the thrones sit^d for judgment,

thrones of David’s house.

⁶Pray^e for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May those who love you be at ease.

⁷May peace be within your walls,

security within your palaces.”

⁸For the sake of my brothers and my friends,

I will say, “Peace be within you.”

⁹For the sake of the house^f of Yahweh our God,

I will seek your good.

Prayer for Yahweh’s Action in the Face of Scorn

123A song of ascents.^a

¹I lift up my eyes to you,

the one enthroned^b in the heavens.

²Behold, as the eyes of servants

look to the hand of their master,^c

as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to Yahweh our God,

until he is gracious to us.

³Be gracious to us, O Yahweh, be gracious to us,

for long enough we have had our fill of contempt.

⁴For long enough our soul has had its fill of

the derision of the self-confident,

the contempt of the arrogant.

Thanksgiving for Yahweh’s Help

124A song of ascents. Of David.^a

¹“If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side,”

do let Israel say,

²“If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side,

when men rose up against us,

³then they would have swallowed us alive,

when their anger was kindled against us.

⁴Then the waters would have flooded over us,

the torrent would have passed over our soul.

⁵Then over our soul would have passed

the raging waters.”

⁶Blessed be Yahweh,

who has not made^b us prey for their teeth.

⁷Our soul has escaped like a bird

from the snare of fowlers.

The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

⁸Our help is in the name of Yahweh,

maker of heaven and earth.