Psalm 129

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion's Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

1 "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,"
Let Israel now say,

2 "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 "The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows."

4 The LORD is righteous;
He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

5 May all who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned backward;

6 Let them be like grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up;

7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

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.”