1201 A Song of Ascents. In my distress I cry to the Lord, that he may answer me: 2 "Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue." 3 What shall be given to you? And what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? 4 A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6 Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. 7 I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war!
1211 A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.
1221 A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" 2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3 Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together, 4 to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they prosper who love you! 7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers!" 8 For my brethren and companions' sake I will say, "Peace be within you!" 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
1231 A Song of Ascents. To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who art enthroned in the heavens! 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he have mercy upon us. 3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. 4 Too long our soul has been sated with the scorn of those who are at ease, the contempt of the proud.
1241 A 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, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! 7 We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
1251 A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides for ever. 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from this time forth and for evermore. 3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! 5 But those who turn aside upon their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be in Israel!
1261 A Song of Ascents. When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb! 5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! 6 He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
1271 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, sons are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
1281 A Song of Ascents. Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. 5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!
1291 A Song of Ascents. "Sorely have they afflicted me from my youth," let Israel now say-- 2 "Sorely 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 or the binder of sheaves his bosom, 8 while those who pass by do not say, "The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!"
1301 A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord! 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
1311 A Song of Ascents. Of David. O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother's breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
1321 A Song of Ascents. Remember, O Lord, in David's favor, all the hardships he endured; 2 how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 "I will not enter my house or get into my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 6 Lo, we heard of it in Eph'rathah, we found it in the fields of Ja'ar. 7 "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!" 8 Arise, O Lord, and go to thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy might. 9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy. 10 For thy servant David's sake do not turn away the face of thy anointed one.
11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. 12 If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies which I shall teach them, their sons also for ever shall sit upon your throne." 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation: 14 "This is my resting place for ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. 17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown will shed its luster."
