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 ascents. ‘Sore have they vexed me from youth’ thus let Israel say

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

which fills not the arms of the reaper, nor the lap of the binder of 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.

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