A song of ascents.
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
120:2 I said, “O Lord, rescue me
from those who lie with their lips
and those who deceive with their tongue.
120:3 How will he severely punish you,
you deceptive talker?
120:4 Here’s how! With the sharp arrows of warriors,
with arrowheads forged over the hot coals.
120:5 How miserable I am!
For I have lived temporarily in Meshech;
I have resided among the tents of Kedar.
120:6 For too long I have had to reside
with those who hate peace.
120:7 I am committed to peace,
but when I speak, they want to make war.
A song of ascents.
121:1 I look up toward the hills.
From where does my help come?
121:2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Creator of heaven and earth!
121:3 May he not allow your foot to slip!
May your protector not sleep!
121:4 Look! Israel’s protector
does not sleep or slumber!
121:5 The Lord is your protector;
the Lord is the shade at your right hand.
121:6 The sun will not harm you by day,
or the moon by night.
121:7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.
121:8 The Lord will protect you in all you do,
now and forevermore.
A song of ascents, by David.
122:1 I was glad because they said to me,
“We will go to the Lord’s temple.”
122:2 Our feet are standing
inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
122:3 Jerusalem is a city designed
to accommodate an assembly.
122:4 The tribes go up there,
the tribes of the Lord,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the Lord.
122:5 Indeed, the leaders sit there on thrones and make legal decisions,
on the thrones of the house of David.
122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love her prosper!
122:7 May there be peace inside your defenses,
and prosperity inside your fortresses!
122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors
I will say, “May there be peace in you!”
122:9 For the sake of the temple of the Lord our God
I will pray for you to prosper.
A song of ascents.
123:1 I look up toward you,
the one enthroned in heaven.
123:2 Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress,
so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
123:3 Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor!
For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some.
123:4 We have had our fill
of the taunts of the self-assured,
of the contempt of the proud.