Psalms 129

1 A song of ascents. ‘Sore have they vexed me from youth’ thus let Israel say

[I say that] my enemies have (afflicted/caused trouble for) me ever since I was young. [Now I ask you, my fellow] Israelis, to repeat those same words:

2 ‘Sore have they vexed me from youth, but they have not prevailed against me.

“Our enemies have afflicted us since our nation began, but they have not defeated us!

3 ‘The ploughers ploughed on my back, they made their furrows long.

[Our enemies struck us with whips] that cut into our backs [MET] like a [farmer uses a] plow to cut deep furrows into the ground.”

4 But the Lord, who is righteous, has cut the cords of the wicked.’

[But] Yahweh is righteous, and he has freed [me] from being a slave [MTY] of wicked [people].

5 Let all who are haters of Zion be put to shame and defeated.

I wish/hope that all those who hate Jerusalem/Israel will be ashamed because of being defeated.

6 May they be as the grass on the house-top, which withers before it shoots up;

I hope/wish that they will be [of no value], like grass that grows on the roofs of houses that dries up and does not grow tall;

7 which fills not the arms of the reaper, nor the lap of the binder of sheaves

[as a result] no one [cuts it and] puts it in bundles and carries it away.

8 whereof no one says as they pass, ‘The blessing of God be upon you.’ In the name of the Lord we bless you.

People who pass by [and see men harvesting grain usually greet them by saying to them], “We wish/hope that Yahweh will bless you!” But this will not happen [to those who hate Israel]. We, acting as Yahweh’s representatives, bless you [Israelis.]