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Psalm 129
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 129
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 129[a]
Against Israel’s Enemies
1 A song of ascents.
I
Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,
let Israel say now.(A)
2 Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,(B)
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 Upon my back the plowers plowed,
as they traced their long furrows.(C)
4 But the just Lord cut me free
from the ropes of the wicked.[b]
II
5 May they recoil in disgrace,
all who hate Zion.
6 May they be like grass on the rooftops[c]
withered in early growth,(D)
7 Never to fill the reaper’s hands,
nor the arms of the binders of sheaves,
8 And with none passing by to call out:
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you![d]
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”(E)
Footnotes
- Psalm 129 A Psalm giving thanks for God’s many rescues of Israel over the long course of their history (Ps 129:1–4); the people pray that their oppressors never know the joy of harvest (Ps 129:5–8).
- 129:4 The ropes of the wicked: usually understood as the rope for yoking animals to the plow. If it is severed, the plowing (cf. Ps 129:3) comes to a halt.
- 129:6 Like grass on the rooftops: after the spring rains, grass would sprout from the coat of mud with which the flat roofs of simple houses were covered, but when the dry summer began there was no moisture in the thin roof-covering to sustain the grass.
- 129:8 The blessing of the Lord be upon you: harvesters greeted one another with such blessings, cf. Ru 2:4.
Psalm 129
New International Version
Psalm 129
New International Version
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
1 “They have greatly oppressed(A) me from my youth,”(B)
let Israel say;(C)
2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory(D) over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the Lord is righteous;(E)
he has cut me free(F) from the cords of the wicked.”(G)
5 May all who hate Zion(H)
be turned back in shame.(I)
6 May they be like grass on the roof,(J)
which withers(K) before it can grow;
7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(L)
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
8 May those who pass by not say to them,
“The blessing of the Lord be on you;
we bless you(M) in the name of the Lord.”
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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