Psalm 129:title–8

A Song of Ascents.

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—

let Israel now say—

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

The plowers plowed upon my back;

they made long their furrows.”

The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the cords of the wicked.

May all who hate Zion

be put to shame and turned backward!

Let them be like the grass on the housetops,

which withers before it grows up,

with which the reaper does not fill his hand

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

nor do those who pass by say,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!

We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”

let Israel say;

“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,

but they have not gained the victory over me.

Plowmen have plowed my back

and made their furrows long.

But the Lord is righteous;

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

May all who hate Zion

be turned back in shame.

May they be like grass on the roof,

which withers before it can grow;

a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,

nor one who gathers fill his arms.

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.”

A song of ascents.

Since my youth they have often attacked me—

let Israel say—

since my youth they have often attacked me,

but they have not prevailed against me.

Plowmen plowed over my back;

they made their furrows long.

The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the ropes of the wicked.

Let all who hate Zion

be driven back in disgrace.

Let them be like grass on the rooftops,

which withers before it grows up

and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper

or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.

Then none who pass by will say,

“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.

We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.

Let all Israel repeat this:

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,

but they have never defeated me.

My back is covered with cuts,

as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

But the Lord is good;

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

May all who hate Jerusalem

be turned back in shameful defeat.

May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop,

turning yellow when only half grown,

ignored by the harvester,

despised by the binder.

And may those who pass by

refuse to give them this blessing:

“The Lord bless you;

we bless you in the Lord’s name.”

A song of ascents.

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

Let Israel say,

“Too often they have attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

On my back plowmen have plowed.

They have made their furrows long.”

Yahweh is righteous.

He has cut the ropes of the wicked.

Let all be put to shame and repulsed

who hate Zion.

Let them be like grass on the housetops,

that withers before it grows up,

with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

so that passersby do not say,

“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”

A Song of degrees.

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth,

May Israel now say:

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth:

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

The plowers plowed upon my back:

They made long their furrows.

The Lord is righteous:

He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

Let them all be confounded and turned back

That hate Zion.

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops,

Which withereth afore it groweth up:

Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand;

Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

Neither do they which go by say,

The blessing of the Lord be upon you:

We bless you in the name of the Lord.