A song of ascents, by David.
124:1 “If the Lord had not been on our side” –
let Israel say this! –
124:2 if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men attacked us,
124:3 they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
124:4 The water would have overpowered us;
the current would have overwhelmed us.
124:5 The raging water
would have overwhelmed us.
124:6 The Lord deserves praise,
for he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
124:7 We escaped with our lives, like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord,
the Creator of heaven and earth.
A song of ascents.
125:1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion;
it cannot be upended and will endure forever.
125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
125:3 Indeed, the scepter of a wicked king will not settle
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly might
do what is wrong.
125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright!
125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path,
may the Lord remove them, along with those who behave wickedly!
May Israel experience peace!
A song of ascents.
126:1 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion,
we thought we were dreaming.
126:2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy.
At that time the nations said,
“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
126:3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
126:4 O Lord, restore our well-being,
just as the streams in the arid south are replenished.
126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest.
126:6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.
A song of ascents, by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house,
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city,
then the watchman stands guard in vain.
127:2 It is vain for you to rise early, come home late,
and work so hard for your food.
Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.
127:3 Yes, sons are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
127:4 Sons born during one’s youth
are like arrows in a warrior’s hand.
127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate.
A song of ascents.
128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers,
each one who keeps his commands!
128:2 You will eat what you worked so hard to grow.
You will be blessed and secure.
128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children will be like olive branches,
as they sit all around your table.
128:4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed in this way.
128:5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
that you might see Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life,
128:6 and that you might see your grandchildren.
May Israel experience peace!