1A Song of Ascents. “Greatly[1] have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say— (Ex 1:14; Jud 3:8; Jud 3:14; Jud 4:3; Jud 6:2; Jud 10:8; Ps 120:1; Ps 124:1; Isa 47:12; Jer 2:2; Jer 22:21; Ho 2:15)2“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. (Ps 129:1; 2Co 4:8)3The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” (Isa 50:6; Isa 51:23; Mic 3:12)4The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. (Ps 2:3)5May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! (Ps 35:4)6Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, (2Ki 19:26; Job 8:12; Ps 37:2; Isa 37:27)7with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms,8nor do those who pass by say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!” (Ru 2:4; Ps 118:26)
Psalm 129
New International Version
A song of ascents.
1‘They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,’ let Israel say;2‘they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.3Ploughmen have ploughed my back and made their furrows long.4But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.’5May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.6May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow;7a reaper cannot fill his hands with it, nor one who gathers fill his arms.8May those who pass by not say to them, ‘The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.’
Psalm 129
King James Version
1A Song of degrees. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:2Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.3The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.4The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.5Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.6Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:7Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.8Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
Psalm 129
New International Reader’s Version
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
1Here is what Israel should say. ‘My enemies have treated me badly ever since I was a young nation.2My enemies have treated me badly ever since I was a young nation. But they haven’t won the battle.3They have made deep wounds in my back. It looks like a field a farmer has ploughed.4The LORD does what is right. Sinners had tied me up with ropes. But the LORD has set me free.’5May all those who hate Zion be driven back in shame.6May they be like grass that grows on the roof of a house. It dries up before it can grow.7There isn’t enough of it to fill a person’s hand. There isn’t enough to tie up and carry away.8May no one who passes by say to those who hate Zion, ‘May the blessing of the LORD be on you. We bless you in the name of the LORD.’