Psalms 129

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

“A song of the degrees.” Many a time have they assailed me from my youth, so should Israel say;

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

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

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

Upon my back have ploughmen ploughed; they have drawn long their furrows:

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

[Yet] the Lord is righteous; he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

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

May all be put to shame and turned backward that hate Zion;

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

May they become like the grass of the roofs, which withereth before it is pulled up;

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

Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor his arm he that bindeth sheaves.

8 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.

Nor do they who pass by say, The blessing of the Lord be with you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.