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A song of David for going up to the Temple.

124 What would have happened to us if the Lord had not been on our side?
    Tell us about it, Israel.
What would have happened to us if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us?
They would have swallowed us alive
    when they became angry with us.
Their armies would have been
    like a flood washing over us,
    like a river drowning us.
Those proud people would have been
    like water rising up to our mouth and drowning us.

Praise the Lord!
    He did not let our enemies tear us apart.

We escaped like a bird from the net of a hunter.
    The net broke, and we escaped!
Our help came from the Lord,
    the one who made heaven and earth!

A song for going up to the Temple.

125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
    They will never be shaken.
    They will continue forever.
Like the mountains that surround Jerusalem,
    the Lord surrounds and protects his people now and forever.
The wicked will not always control the land of those who do right.
    If they did, even those who do right might start doing wrong.

Lord, be good to those who are good,
    to those who have pure hearts.
But, Lord, when you punish those who do evil,
    also punish those who have stopped following your way.

Let Israel always enjoy peace!

A song for going up to the Temple.

126 It will be like a dream
    when the Lord comes back with the captives of Zion.[a]
We will laugh and sing happy songs!
    Then the other nations will say,
    “The Lord did a great thing for Zion!”
Yes, we will be happy
    because the Lord did a great thing for us.

So, Lord, bring back the good times,
    like a desert stream filled again with flowing water.
Then those who were sad when they planted
    will be happy when they gather the harvest!
Those who cried as they carried the seeds[b]
    will be happy when they bring in the crops!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 126:1 when … Zion Or “when the Lord restores Zion.” See “Zion” in the Word List.
  2. Psalm 126:6 carried the seeds Or “carried all their possessions.”

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(A)
if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
the flood(B) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(C) would have swept over us,
the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;(D)
the snare has been broken,(E)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(F) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(H)
    which cannot be shaken(I) but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(J)
    so the Lord surrounds(K) his people
    both now and forevermore.

The scepter(L) of the wicked will not remain(M)
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.(N)

Lord, do good(O) to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.(P)
But those who turn(Q) to crooked ways(R)
    the Lord will banish(S) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(T)

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

When the Lord restored(U) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.[b]
Our mouths were filled with laughter,(V)
    our tongues with songs of joy.(W)
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things(X) for them.”
The Lord has done great things(Y) for us,
    and we are filled with joy.(Z)

Restore our fortunes,[c](AA) Lord,
    like streams in the Negev.(AB)
Those who sow with tears(AC)
    will reap(AD) with songs of joy.(AE)
Those who go out weeping,(AF)
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 126:1 Or Lord brought back the captives to
  2. Psalm 126:1 Or those restored to health
  3. Psalm 126:4 Or Bring back our captives