Psalms 123; Psalms 124; Psalms 125

1 Lord, I look up to you, up to heaven, where you rule.

2 As a servant depends on his master, as a maid depends on her mistress, so we will keep looking to you, O Lord our God, until you have mercy on us.

3 Be merciful to us, Lord, be merciful; we have been treated with so much contempt.

4 We have been mocked too long by the rich and scorned by proud oppressors.

1 What if the Lord had not been on our side? Answer, O Israel!

2 "If the Lord had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us,

3 then they would have swallowed us alive in their furious anger against us;

4 then the flood would have carried us away, the water would have covered us,

5 the raging torrent would have drowned us."

6 Let us thank the Lord, who has not let our enemies destroy us.

7 We have escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap; the trap is broken, and we are free!

8 Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never be moved.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forever.

3 The wicked will not always rule over the land of the righteous; if they did, the righteous themselves might do evil.

4 Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who obey your commands.

5 But when you punish the wicked, punish also those who abandon your ways. Peace be with Israel!