Psalm 120–124

Psalm 120

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹I took my troubles to the Lord;

I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.

²Rescue me, O Lord, from liars

and from all deceitful people.

³O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?

How will he increase your punishment?

⁴You will be pierced with sharp arrows

and burned with glowing coals.

⁵How I suffer in far-off Meshech.

It pains me to live in distant Kedar.

⁶I am tired of living

among people who hate peace.

⁷I search for peace;

but when I speak of peace, they want war!

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

²My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth!

³He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

⁴Indeed, he who watches over Israel

never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵The Lord himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

⁶The sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon at night.

⁷The Lord keeps you from all harm

and watches over your life.

⁸The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,

both now and forever.

Psalm 122

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

¹I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

²And now here we are,

standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.

³Jerusalem is a well-built city;

its seamless walls cannot be breached.

⁴All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—

make their pilgrimage here.

They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,

as the law requires of Israel.

⁵Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,

the thrones of the dynasty of David.

⁶Pray for peace in Jerusalem.

May all who love this city prosper.

⁷O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls

and prosperity in your palaces.

⁸For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,

“May you have peace.”

⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

Psalm 123

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹I lift my eyes to you,

O God, enthroned in heaven.

²We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,

just as servants keep their eyes on their master,

as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

³Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,

for we have had our fill of contempt.

⁴We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud

and the contempt of the arrogant.

Psalm 124

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

¹What if the Lord had not been on our side?

Let all Israel repeat:

²What if the Lord had not been on our side

when people attacked us?

³They would have swallowed us alive

in their burning anger.

⁴The waters would have engulfed us;

a torrent would have overwhelmed us.

⁵Yes, the raging waters of their fury

would have overwhelmed our very lives.

⁶Praise the Lord,

who did not let their teeth tear us apart!

⁷We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.

The trap is broken, and we are free!

⁸Our help is from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.