the The Texts of Psalms 120-130
Psalm 120
The enemies of peace
To Yahweh when I am in trouble
I call and he answers me.
Yahweh, save me from lying lips
and a treacherous tongue!
What will he repay you, what more,
treacherous tongue?
War-arrows made sharp
over red-hot charcoal.
How wretched I am, living in Meshech,
dwelling in the tents of Kedar!
Too long have I lived
among people who hate peace.
When I speak of peace
they are all for war!
Psalm 121
The guardian of Israel
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
where is my help to come from?
My help comes from Yahweh
who made heaven and earth.
May he save your foot from stumbling;
may he, your guardian, not fall asleep!
You see -- he neither sleeps nor slumbers,
the guardian of Israel.
Yahweh is your guardian, your shade,
Yahweh, at your right hand.
By day the sun will not strike you,
nor the moon by night.
Yahweh guards you from all harm
Yahweh guards your life,
henceforth and for ever.
Psalm 122
Hail, Jerusalem
I rejoiced that they said to me,
'Let us go to the house of Yahweh.'
At last our feet are standing
at your gates, Jerusalem!
Jerusalem, built as a city,
in one united whole,
there the tribes go up,
the tribes of Yahweh,
a sign for Israel to give thanks
to the name of Yahweh.
For there are set the thrones of judgement,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
prosperity for your homes!
Peace within your walls,
prosperity in your palaces!
For love of my brothers and my friends
I will say, 'Peace upon you!'
For love of the house of Yahweh our God
I will pray for your well-being.
Psalm 123
Prayer in distress
I lift up my eyes to you
who are enthroned in heaven.
Just as the eyes of slaves
are on their masters' hand,
or the eyes of a slave-girl
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on Yahweh our God,
for him to take pity on us.
Have pity on us, Yahweh, have pity,
for we have had our full share of scorn,
more than our share
of jeers from the complacent.
Psalm 124
The Saviour of Israel
If Yahweh had not been on our side
-- let Israel repeat it-
if Yahweh had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
in the heat of their anger.
Then water was washing us away,
a torrent running right over us;
running right over us
then were turbulent waters.
Blessed be Yahweh for not letting us fall
a prey to their teeth!
We escaped like a bird
from the fowlers' net.
The net was broken
and we escaped;
our help is in the name of Yahweh,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
God protects his faithful
Whoever trusts in Yahweh is like Mount Zion:
unshakeable, it stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains encircle her:
so Yahweh encircles his people,
henceforth and for ever.
The sceptre of the wicked will not come to rest
over the heritage of the upright;
or the upright might set
their own hands to evil.
Do good, Yahweh, to those who are good,
to the sincere at heart.
But the crooked, the twisted, turn them away,
Yahweh, with evil-doers.
Peace to Israel!
Psalm 126
Song of the returning exiles
When Yahweh brought back Zion's captives
we lived in a dream;
then our mouths filled with laughter,
and our lips with song.
Then the nations kept saying, 'What great deeds
Yahweh has done for them!'
Yes, Yahweh did great deeds for us,
and we were overjoyed.
Bring back, Yahweh, our people from captivity
like torrents in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
sing as they reap.
He went off, went off weeping,
carrying the seed.
He comes back, comes back singin
bringing in his sheaves.
Psalm 127
Trust in Providence
If Yahweh does not build a house
in vain do its builders toil.
If Yahweh does not guard a city
in vain does its guard keep watch.
In vain you get up earlier,
and put off going to bed,
sweating to make a living,
since it is he who provides for his beloved as they sleep.
Children are a birthright from Yahweh,
they are a reward from him.
Like arrows in a warrior's hand
are the children you father when young.
How blessed are those
who has filled his quiver with them;
in dispute with their enemies at the city gate
they will not be worsted.
Psalm 128
Blessing on the faithful
How blessed are all who fear Yahweh,
who walk in his ways!
Your own labours will yield you a living,
happy and prosperous will you be.
Your wife a fruitful vine
in the inner places of your house.
Your children round your table
like shoots of an olive tree.
Such are the blessings that fall
on those who fear Yahweh.
May Yahweh bless you from Zion!
May you see Jerusalem prosper
all the days of your life,
and live to see your children's children!
Peace to Israel!
Psalm 129
Against Zion’s enemies
Often as people have attacked me since I was young
-- let Israel repeat it-
often as people have attacked me since I was young,
they have never overcome me.
On my back ploughmen have set to work,
making long furrows,
but Yahweh the upright has shattered
the yoke of the wicked.
Let all who hate Zion
be thrown back in confusion,
let them be like grass on a roof,
dried up before it is cut,
never to fill the reaper's arm
nor the binder's lap.
And no passer-by will say,
'The blessing of Yahweh be on you!
'We bless you in the name of Yahweh.'
Psalm 130
Out of the depths
From the depths I call to you, Yahweh:
Lord, hear my cry.
Listen attentively
to the sound of my pleading!
If you kept a record of our sins,
Lord, who could stand their ground?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
I rely, my whole being relies,
Yahweh, on your promise.
My whole being hopes in the Lord,
more than watchmen for daybreak;
more than watchmen for daybreak
let Israel hope in Yahweh.
For with Yahweh is faithful love,
with him generous ransom;
and he will ransom Israel
from all its sins.
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