Psalms 129 YLT
Summary: A Song of Ascents reflecting on Israel's long history of suffering, opening with a repeated refrain: "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say" (v. 1-2), yet affirming that oppressors "have not prevailed against me." It uses the image of plowmen cutting furrows on the psalmist's back — "the plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows" (v. 3) — before God is credited with cutting the wicked free of their bonds. It closes wishing haters of Zion to be "as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up" (v. 6), unable to yield any harvest.
1A Song of the Ascents. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:
2Often they distressed me from my youth, Yet they have not prevailed over me.
3Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.
4Jehovah is righteous, He hath cut asunder cords of the wicked.
5Confounded and turn backward do all hating Zion.
6They are as grass of the roofs, That before it was drawn out withereth,
7That hath not filled the hand of a reaper, And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.
8And the passers by have not said, `The blessing of Jehovah is on you, We blessed you in the Name of Jehovah!'
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