Psalm 120

A Prayer of One Far from Jerusalem

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

The Lord Watches over You

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 Prayer for Peace in Jerusalem

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 Prayer for Mercy

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

Praise for Escape from Enemies

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.

Psalm 125

The Lord Surrounds His People

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;

they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

2Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

3The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,

for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.

4O Lord, do good to those who are good,

whose hearts are in tune with you.

5But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord.

Take them away with those who do evil.

May Israel have peace!

Psalm 126

Joy at the Return from Exile

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,*126:1 Hebrew Zion.

it was like a dream!

2We were filled with laughter,

and we sang for joy.

And the other nations said,

“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”

3Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!

What joy!

4Restore our fortunes, Lord,

as streams renew the desert.

5Those who plant in tears

will harvest with shouts of joy.

6They weep as they go to plant their seed,

but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Psalm 127

Children Are a Gift from the Lord

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

1Unless the Lord builds a house,

the work of the builders is wasted.

Unless the Lord protects a city,

guarding it with sentries will do no good.

2It is useless for you to work so hard

from early morning until late at night,

anxiously working for food to eat;

for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3Children are a gift from the Lord;

they are a reward from him.

4Children born to a young man

are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.

5How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Psalm 128

Blessings for Those Who Fear the Lord

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1How joyful are those who fear the Lord—

all who follow his ways!

2You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

How joyful and prosperous you will be!

3Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,

flourishing within your home.

Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees

as they sit around your table.

4That is the Lord’s blessing

for those who fear him.

5May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.

May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.

6May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.

May Israel have peace!

Psalm 129

A Curse on Those Who Hate Jerusalem

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.

Let all Israel repeat this:

2From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,

but they have never defeated me.

3My back is covered with cuts,

as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

4But the Lord is good;

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

5May all who hate Jerusalem*129:5 Hebrew Zion.

be turned back in shameful defeat.

6May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop,

turning yellow when only half grown,

7ignored by the harvester,

despised by the binder.

8And may those who pass by

refuse to give them this blessing:

“The Lord bless you;

we bless you in the Lord’s name.”

Psalm 130

A Call for Help from the Depths of Despair

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1From the depths of despair, O Lord,

I call for your help.

2Hear my cry, O Lord.

Pay attention to my prayer.

3Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,

who, O Lord, could ever survive?

4But you offer forgiveness,

that we might learn to fear you.

5I am counting on the Lord;

yes, I am counting on him.

I have put my hope in his word.

6I long for the Lord

more than sentries long for the dawn,

yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

7O Israel, hope in the Lord;

for with the Lord there is unfailing love.

His redemption overflows.

8He himself will redeem Israel

from every kind of sin.

Psalm 131

I Have Calmed and Quieted Myself

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

1Lord, my heart is not proud;

my eyes are not haughty.

I don’t concern myself with matters too great

or too awesome for me to grasp.

2Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,

like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.

Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—

now and always.

Psalm 132

A Plea to Remember the Covenant with David

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1Lord, remember David

and all that he suffered.

2He made a solemn promise to the Lord.

He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,*132:2 Hebrew of Jacob; also in 132:5. See note on 44:4.

3“I will not go home;

I will not let myself rest.

4I will not let my eyes sleep

nor close my eyelids in slumber

5until I find a place to build a house for the Lord,

a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”

6We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah;

then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.

7Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord;

let us worship at the footstool of his throne.

8Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place,

along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.

9May your priests be clothed in godliness;

may your loyal servants sing for joy.

10For the sake of your servant David,

do not reject the king you have anointed.

11The Lord swore an oath to David

with a promise he will never take back:

“I will place one of your descendants

on your throne.

12If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant

and the laws that I teach them,

then your royal line

will continue forever and ever.”

13For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem*132:13 Hebrew Zion.;

he has desired it for his home.

14“This is my resting place forever,” he said.

“I will live here, for this is the home I desired.

15I will bless this city and make it prosperous;

I will satisfy its poor with food.

16I will clothe its priests with godliness;

its faithful servants will sing for joy.

17Here I will increase the power of David;

my anointed one will be a light for my people.

18I will clothe his enemies with shame,

but he will be a glorious king.”

Psalm 133

When Brothers Live Together in Harmony

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

1How wonderful and pleasant it is

when brothers live together in harmony!

2For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil

that was poured over Aaron’s head,

that ran down his beard

and onto the border of his robe.

3Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon

that falls on the mountains of Zion.

And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,

even life everlasting.

Psalm 134

Praise in the Lord’s Temple

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,

you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.

2Lift your hands toward the sanctuary,

and praise the Lord.

3May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,

bless you from Jerusalem.*134:3 Hebrew Zion.

Psalm 135

A Call to Praise the Lord from Zion

1Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord!

Praise him, you who serve the Lord,

2you who serve in the house of the Lord,

in the courts of the house of our God.

3Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;

celebrate his lovely name with music.

4For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,

Israel for his own special treasure.

5I know the greatness of the Lord—

that our Lord is greater than any other god.

6The Lord does whatever pleases him

throughout all heaven and earth,

and on the seas and in their depths.

7He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth.

He sends the lightning with the rain

and releases the wind from his storehouses.

8He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home,

both people and animals.

9He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt

against Pharaoh and all his people.

10He struck down great nations

and slaughtered mighty kings—

11Sihon king of the Amorites,

Og king of Bashan,

and all the kings of Canaan.

12He gave their land as an inheritance,

a special possession to his people Israel.

13Your name, O Lord, endures forever;

your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.

14For the Lord will give justice to his people

and have compassion on his servants.

15The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold,

shaped by human hands.

16They have mouths but cannot speak,

and eyes but cannot see.

17They have ears but cannot hear,

and mouths but cannot breathe.

18And those who make idols are just like them,

as are all who trust in them.

19O Israel, praise the Lord!

O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the Lord!

20O Levites, praise the Lord!

All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!

21The Lord be praised from Zion,

for he lives here in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!