Title A song of ascents.

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.”

Title A Song of Ascents.

1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—

let Israel now say—

2 “Greatly 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 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,

which withers 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,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!

We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Title A Song of degrees. 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.

Title A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

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.”

Title A song for going up to worship.

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.”

Title A Song of Ascents.

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.

Title A Song of degrees.

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!

Title A song for going up to worship. 

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.” 

Title A song of ascents.

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.

Title A Song of Ascents.

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!”

Title A song of ascents.

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.”

Title A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

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.”

Title A Song of Ascents.

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.”