123 A prayer of the faithful, which were afflicted either in Babylon or under Antiochus, by the wicked worldlings and contemners of God.

A song of degrees.

I lift up mine eyes to thee, that dwellest in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of [a]servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.

Have mercy unto us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have [b]suffered too much contempt.

Our soul is filled too full of the mocking of the wealthy, and of the despitefulness of the proud.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 123:2 He compareth the condition of the godly, to servants that are destitute of all help, assuring that when all other helps fail, God is ever at hand and like himself.
  2. Psalm 123:3 He declareth that when the faithful are so full, that they can no more endure the oppressions and scornings of the wicked, there is always help above, if with hungry desires they call for it.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(A) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(B) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.