Psalms 129

1 A song of ascents. ‘Sore have they vexed me from youth’ thus let Israel say

A Song of Ascents. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, let Israel now say;

2 ‘Sore have they vexed me from youth, but they have not prevailed against me.

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up: yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 ‘The ploughers ploughed on my back, they made their furrows long.

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

4 But the Lord, who is righteous, has cut the cords of the wicked.’

The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

5 Let all who are haters of Zion be put to shame and defeated.

Let them be ashamed and turned backward, all they that hate Zion.

6 May they be as the grass on the house-top, which withers before it shoots up;

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:

7 which fills not the arms of the reaper, nor the lap of the binder of sheaves

Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

8 whereof no one says as they pass, ‘The blessing of God be upon you.’ In the name of the Lord we bless you.

Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD.