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Psalm 125[a]

Israel’s Protector

A song of ascents.

Those trusting in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    unshakable, forever enduring.(A)
As mountains surround Jerusalem,
    the Lord surrounds his people
    both now and forever.(B)

The scepter of the wicked will not prevail
    in the land allotted to the just,[b]
Lest the just themselves
    turn their hands to evil.

Do good, Lord, to the good,
    to those who are upright of heart.(C)
But those who turn aside to crooked ways
    may the Lord send down with the evildoers.(D)
Peace upon Israel!(E)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 125 In response to exilic anxieties about the ancient promises of restoration, the Psalm expresses confidence that God will surround the people as the mountains surround Zion (Ps 125:1–2). The just will not be contaminated by the wicked (Ps 125:3). May God judge between the two groups (Ps 125:4–5).
  2. 125:3 The land allotted to the just: lit., “the lot of the righteous.” The promised land was divided among the tribes of Israel by lot (Nm 26:55; Jos 18). The righteous are the members of the people who are obedient to God. If the domination of the wicked were to continue in the land, even the just would be infected by their evil attitudes.