Psalm 129

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of Ascents.

1  "Greatlyt have they afflicted me from my youth"—
let Israel now say—
2  "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3  The plowers plowed upon my back;
they made long their furrows."
4  The Lord is righteous;
he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5  May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward!
6  Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,
7  with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8  nor do those who pass by say,
"The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the Lord!"

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

1 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,”
let Israel say.

2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not defeated me.

3 The plowers plowed my back;
they made their furrows long.

4 The Lord is just;
he cut the ropes of the wicked.”

5 May all who hate Zion
be humiliated and turned back!

6 May they be like the grass on the rooftops
which withers before one can even pull it up,

7 which cannot fill the reaper’s hand,
or the lap of the one who gathers the grain!

8 Those who pass by will not say,
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”