Psalms 129

1 A SONG OF THE ASCENTS. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:

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

2 Often they distressed me from my youth, Yet they have not prevailed over me.

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

3 Plowers have plowed over my back, They have made their furrows long.

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

4 YHWH [is] righteous, He has cut apart cords of the wicked.

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

5 All hating Zion [are] confounded and turn backward.

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

6 They are as grass of the roofs, That withers before it was drawn out,

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

7 That has not filled the hand of a reaper, And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.

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

8 And the passers by have not said, “The blessing of YHWH [is] on you, We blessed you in the Name of YHWH!”

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