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  1. Wed: 2 Kings 22-25
  2. Thu: Hebrews 10-11
  3. Fri: Hosea 8-10
Saturday · Week 34
The Books of Poetry & Wisdom

Psalms 120-127

Week 34 · about 6 min
  1. Sun: Numbers 7-10
  2. Mon: John 7-8
  3. Tue: Jeremiah 21-22

Psalms 120-134 are the Songs of Degrees, sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem.

Songs for the Road to Jerusalem

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV)

Each of these psalms is titled “A Song of degrees.” Pilgrims sang them on the climb to Jerusalem for the feasts. Psalm 120 starts far from home among people who love war. By Psalm 134 they’re in the temple at night, blessing God. In Psalm 121 the hills along the road had robbers and pagan shrines, so the singer looks past the hills to the one who made them, who “shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 126 promises, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 127 says, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”

Reflect: What are you building that you need to hand over to God?

Psalm 120

1A Song of the Ascents. Unto Jehovah in my distress I have called, And He answereth me.

2O Jehovah, deliver my soul from a lying lip, From a deceitful tongue!

3What doth He give to thee? And what doth He add to thee? O deceitful tongue!

4Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with broom-coals.

5Wo to me, for I have inhabited Mesech, I have dwelt with tents of Kedar.

6Too much hath my soul dwelt with him who is hating peace.

7I am peace, and when I speak they are for war!

Psalm 121

1A Song of the Ascents. I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, Whence doth my help come?

2My help is from Jehovah, maker of heaven and earth,

3He suffereth not thy foot to be moved, Thy preserver slumbereth not.

4Lo, He slumbereth not, nor sleepeth, He who is preserving Israel.

5Jehovah is thy preserver, Jehovah is thy shade on thy right hand,

6By day the sun doth not smite thee, Nor the moon by night.

7Jehovah preserveth thee from all evil, He doth preserve thy soul.

8Jehovah preserveth thy going out and thy coming in, From henceforth even unto the age!

Psalm 122

1A Song of the Ascents, by David. I have rejoiced in those saying to me, ‘To the house of Jehovah we go.'

2Our feet have been standing in thy gates, O Jerusalem!

3Jerusalem -- the builded one -- Is as a city that is joined to itself together.

4For thither have tribes gone up, Tribes of Jah, companies of Israel, To give thanks to the name of Jehovah.

5For there have sat thrones of judgment, Thrones of the house of David.

6Ask ye the peace of Jerusalem, At rest are those loving thee.

7Peace is in thy bulwark, rest in thy high places,

8For the sake of my brethren and my companions, Let me speak, I pray thee, ‘Peace be in thee.'

9For the sake of the house of Jehovah our God, I seek good for thee!

Psalm 123

1A Song of the Ascents. Unto Thee I have lifted up mine eyes, O dweller in the heavens.

2Lo, as eyes of men-servants Are unto the hand of their masters, As eyes of a maid-servant Are unto the hand of her mistress, So are our eyes unto Jehovah our God, Till that He doth favour us.

3Favour us, O Jehovah, favour us, For greatly have we been filled with contempt,

4Greatly hath our soul been filled With the scorning of the easy ones, With the contempt of the arrogant!

Psalm 124

1A Song of the Ascents, by David. Save for Jehovah -- who hath been for us, (Pray, let Israel say),

2Save for Jehovah -- who hath been for us, In the rising up of man against us,

3Then alive they had swallowed us up, In the burning of their anger against us,

4Then the waters had overflowed us, The stream passed over our soul,

5Then passed over our soul had the proud waters.

6Blessed is Jehovah who hath not given us, A prey to their teeth.

7Our soul as a bird hath escaped from a snare of fowlers, The snare was broken, and we have escaped.

8Our help is in the name of Jehovah, Maker of the heavens and earth!

Psalm 125

1A Song of the Ascents. Those trusting in Jehovah are as Mount Zion, It is not moved -- to the age it abideth.

2Jerusalem! mountains are round about her, And Jehovah is round about His people, From henceforth even unto the age.

3For the rod of wickedness resteth not On the lot of the righteous, That the righteous put not forth on iniquity their hands.

4Do good, O Jehovah, to the good, And to the upright in their hearts.

5As to those turning to their crooked ways, Jehovah causeth them to go with workers of iniquity. Peace on Israel!

Psalm 126

1A Song of the Ascents. In Jehovah's turning back to the captivity of Zion, We have been as dreamers.

2Then filled with laughter is our mouth, And our tongue with singing, Then do they say among nations, ‘Jehovah did great things with these.'

3Jehovah did great things with us, We have been joyful.

4Turn again, O Jehovah, to our captivity, As streams in the south.

5Those sowing in tears, with singing do reap,

6Whoso goeth on and weepeth, Bearing the basket of seed, Surely cometh in with singing, bearing his sheaves!

Psalm 127

1A Song of the Ascents, by Solomon. If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked.

2Vain for you who are rising early, Who delay sitting, eating the bread of griefs, So He giveth to His beloved one sleep.

3Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah are sons, A reward is the fruit of the womb.

4As arrows in the hand of a mighty one, So are the sons of the young men.

5O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT). Public domain.