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¹A Song of Ascents. In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me.

²Rescue my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, And from a deceitful tongue.

³What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, You deceitful tongue?—

⁴Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

⁵Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech, and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]!

⁶Too long my soul has had its dwelling With those who hate peace.

⁷I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.

¹A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]— From where shall my help come?

²My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

³He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly].

⁵The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

⁶The sun will not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.

⁷The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your life.

⁸The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] From this time forth and forever.

¹A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

²Our feet are standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem,

³Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is firmly joined together;

⁴To which the [twelve] tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD, [As was decreed as] an ordinance for Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

⁵For there the thrones of judgment were set, The thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you [holy city].

⁷"May peace be within your walls And prosperity within your palaces."

⁸For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you."

⁹For the sake of the house of the LORD our God [which is Jerusalem], I will seek your (the city's) good.

¹A Song of Ascents. Unto you I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

²Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, And as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious and favorable toward us.

³Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious and favorable toward us, For we are greatly filled with contempt.

⁴Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud [who disregard God's law].

¹A Song of Ascents. Of David. "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side," Let Israel now say,

²"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side When men rose up against us,

³Then they would have [quickly] swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;

⁴Then the waters would have engulfed us, The torrent would have swept over our soul;

⁵Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul."

⁶Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to be torn by their teeth.

⁷We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The trap is broken and we have escaped.

⁸Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

¹A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in and rely on the LORD [with confident expectation] Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever.

²As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.

³For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not reach out their hands to do wrong.

⁴Do good, O LORD, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts.

⁵But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways [in unresponsiveness to God], The LORD will lead them away with those who do evil. Peace be upon Israel.

¹A Song of Ascents. When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion (Jerusalem), We were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal].

²Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."

³The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad!

⁴Restore our captivity, O LORD, As the stream-beds in the South (the Negev) [are restored by torrents of rain].

⁵They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing.

⁶He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting], Will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

¹A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

²It is vain for you to rise early, To retire late, To eat the bread of anxious labors— For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep.

³Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the LORD, The fruit of the womb a reward.

⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

⁵How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.

¹A Song of Ascents. Blessed [happy and sheltered by God's favor] is everyone who fears the LORD [and worships Him with obedience], Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments.

²For you shall eat the fruit of [the labor of] your hands, You will be happy and blessed and it will be well with you.

³Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within the innermost part of your house; Your children will be like olive plants Around your table.

⁴Behold, for so shall the man be blessed and divinely favored Who fears the LORD [and worships Him with obedience].

⁵May the LORD bless you from Zion [His holy mountain], And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;

⁶Indeed, may you see your [family perpetuated in your] children's children. Peace be upon Israel!

¹A Song of Ascents. "Many times they have persecuted me (Israel) from my youth," Let Israel now say,

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

³"The [enemies, like] plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows [of suffering] long [in Israel]."

⁴The LORD is righteous; He has cut in two the [thick] cords of the wicked [which enslaved the people of Israel].

⁵May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward [in defeat].

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

⁷With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

⁸Nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD."

¹A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths [of distress] I have cried to You, O LORD.

²Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.

³If You, LORD, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly, O Lord, who could stand [before you in judgment and claim innocence]?

⁴But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared and worshiped [with submissive wonder].

⁵I wait [patiently] for the LORD, my soul [expectantly] waits, And in His word do I hope.

⁶My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; More than the watchmen for the morning.

⁷O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.

⁸And He will redeem Israel From all his sins.

¹A Song of Ascents. Of David. LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.

²Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent].

³O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.

¹A Song of Ascents. O LORD, remember on David's behalf All his hardship and affliction;

²How he swore to the LORD And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

³"I absolutely will not enter my house, Nor get into my bed—

⁴I certainly will not permit my eyes to sleep Nor my eyelids to slumber,

⁵Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob (Israel)."

⁶Behold, we heard of it at Ephrathah; We found it in the field of Jaar.

⁷Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool.

⁸Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark [the symbol] of Your strength.

⁹Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living), And let Your godly ones shout for joy.

¹⁰For the sake of Your servant David, Do not turn away the face of Your anointed.

¹¹The LORD swore to David A truth from which He will not turn back: "One of your descendants I will set upon your throne.

¹²"If your children will keep My covenant And My testimony which I will teach them, Their children also shall sit upon your throne forever."

¹³For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:

¹⁴"This is My resting place forever" [says the LORD]; "Here will I dwell, for I have desired it.

¹⁵"I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶"Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, And her godly ones will shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷"There I will make the horn (strength) of David grow; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises].

¹⁸"His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon himself shall his crown shine."

¹A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

²It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, Coming down on the beard, Even the beard of Aaron, Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body].

³It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon Coming down on the hills of Zion; For there the LORD has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.