Psalms 129

1 A Song of Ascents. Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say:

A Song of the going up. Great have been my troubles from the time when I was young (let Israel now say);

2 many times they have afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me.

Great have been my troubles from the time when I was young, but my troubles have not overcome me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long.

The ploughmen were ploughing on my back; long were the wounds they made.

4 The LORD is righteous. He has cut apart the cords of the wicked.

The Lord is true: the cords of the evil-doers are broken in two.

5 Let them be disappointed and turned backward, all those who hate Zion.

Let all the haters of Zion be shamed and turned back.

6 Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up,

Let them be like the grass on the house-tops, which is dry before it comes to full growth.

7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.

He who gets in the grain has no use for it; and they do not make bands of it for the grain-stems.

8 Neither do those who go by say, “The blessing of the LORD be on you. We bless you in the LORD’s name.”

And those who go by do not say, The blessing of the Lord be on you; we give you blessing in the name of the Lord.