Psalm 125

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Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

A Song of mAscents.

123  To you I qlift up my eyes,

O you who are renthroned in the heavens!

Behold, as the eyes of servants

look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maidservant

to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the Lord our God,

till he has mercy upon us.

sHave mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,

for we have had more than enough of tcontempt.

Our soul has had more than enough

of uthe scorn of vthose who are at ease,

of the contempt of wthe proud.

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

A Song of mAscents. Of David.

124  xIf it had not been the Lord who was on our side

ylet Israel now say

if it had not been the Lord who was on our side

when people rose up against us,

then they would have zswallowed us up alive,

when their anger was kindled against us;

then athe flood would have bswept us away,

the torrent would have gone cover us;

then over us would have gone

the raging waters.

Blessed be the Lord,

who has not given us

as prey to their teeth!

We have escaped like a bird

from dthe snare of the fowlers;

the snare is broken,

and we have escaped!

eOur help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

The Lord Surrounds His People

A Song of mAscents.

125  Those who ftrust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which gcannot be moved, but abides forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so hthe Lord surrounds his people,

from this time forth and forevermore.

For ithe scepter of wickedness shall not jrest

on kthe land allotted to the righteous,

lest the righteous lstretch out

their hands to do wrong.

mDo good, O Lord, to those who are good,

and to those who are nupright in their hearts!

But those who oturn aside to their pcrooked ways

the Lord will lead away with qevildoers!

rPeace be upon Israel!

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of mAscents.

126  When the Lord srestored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who tdream.

Then our umouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

vThe Lord has done great things for them.

The Lord has done great things for us;

we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like streams in the Negeb!

wThose who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of mAscents. Of Solomon.

127  Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord xwatches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious ytoil;

for he gives to his zbeloved asleep.

Behold, bchildren are a heritage from the Lord,

cthe fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of da warrior

are the children1 of one’s youth.

Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies ein the gate.2