Psalms 129

1 Great have been my troubles from the time when I was young (let Israel now say);

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth — oh let Israel say —

1A Song of the Ascents. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:

2Great have been my troubles from the time when I was young, but my troubles have not overcome me.

2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me.

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

3The ploughmen were ploughing on my back; long were the wounds they made.

3 The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they made long their furrows.

3Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.

4The Lord is true: the cords of the evil-doers are broken in two.

4 Jehovah is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

4Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> righteous, He hath cut asunder cords of the wicked.

5Let all the haters of Zion be shamed and turned back.

5 Let them be ashamed and turned backward, all that hate Zion;

5Confounded and turn backward do all hating Zion.

6Let them be like the grass on the house-tops, which is dry before it comes to full growth.

6 Let them be as the grass upon the house-tops, which withereth before it is plucked up,

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

7He who gets in the grain has no use for it; and they do not make bands of it for the grain-stems.

7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom;

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

8And those who go by do not say, The blessing of the Lord be on you; we give you blessing in the name of the Lord.

8 Neither do the passers-by say, The blessing of Jehovah be upon you; we bless you in the name of Jehovah!

8And the passers by have not said, `The blessing of Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> on you, We blessed you in the Name of Jehovah!'