A song of ascents, 2 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, 3
124:3 they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
124:4 The water would have overpowered us;
the current 4 would have overwhelmed 5 us. 6
124:5 The raging water
would have overwhelmed us. 7
124:6 The Lord deserves praise, 8
for 9 he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
124:7 We escaped with our lives, 10 like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord, 11
the Creator 12 of heaven and earth.
A song of ascents. 14
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, 15
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
125:3 Indeed, 16 the scepter of a wicked king 17 will not settle 18
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly might
do what is wrong. 19
125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright! 20
125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path, 21
may the Lord remove them, 22 along with those who behave wickedly! 23
May Israel experience peace! 24
A song of ascents. 26
126:1 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion, 27
we thought we were dreaming. 28
126:2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy. 29
At that time the nations said, 30
“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. 31
126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest. 32
126:6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag 33 of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain. 34
A song of ascents, 36 by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, 37
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city, 38
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. 39
Yes, 40 he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep. 41
127:3 Yes, 42 sons 43 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. 44
127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
They will not be put to shame 45 when they confront 46 enemies at the city gate.
A song of ascents. 48
128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers, 49
each one who keeps his commands! 50
128:2 You 51 will eat what you worked so hard to grow. 52
You will be blessed and secure. 53
128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine 54
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children 55 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. 56
128:5 May the Lord bless you 57 from Zion,
that you might see 58 Jerusalem 59 prosper
all the days of your life,
128:6 and that you might see 60 your grandchildren. 61
May Israel experience peace! 62