Psalm

Victory Over the Enemies of Zion

A song of ascents.[a]

129 
“Too often[b] they have attacked me from my youth.”

Let Israel say,

“Too often[c] they have attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

On my back plowmen have plowed.

They have made their furrows[d] long.”

Yahweh is righteous.

He has cut the ropes[e] of the wicked.

Let all be put to shame and repulsed

who hate Zion.

Let them be like grass on the housetops,

that withers before it grows up,

with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,[f]

so that passersby do not say,

“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 129:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 129:1 Or “Greatly”
  3. Psalm 129:2 Or “Greatly”
  4. Psalm 129:3 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  5. Psalm 129:4 That is, the yoke and tackle on a beast of burden
  6. Psalm 129:7 Literally “bosom”