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Song (Psalm) 123

Note: This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public. Some things (like capitalisation of ‘him’ referring to Jesus or ‘father’ referring to God) in the RV haven’t been decided yet so we’re still testing both ways.

Note: The Readers’ Version on the left is a translation into contemporary English aimed at the person on the street who hasn’t necessarily been brought up with exposure to Biblical jargon and/or 500-year old English. It’s designed to be used alongside the Literal Version on the right which gives the English reader a window into what’s actually written in the original languages. (See the introduction for more details—we recommend that you read the introduction first if you’re wanting to fully understand the Literal Version.) By comparing the left and right columns, you should be able to easily get the message of the text, while at the same time keeping an eye on what it was actually translated from.

Note that greyed words in the RV are words that the translators consider were most probably in the mind of the writer, but as none of us can double-check with the original speakers or writers, the reader is free to disagree. They are clearly marked because we’ve tried to be as honest and transparent as possible.

The lighter coloured words in the LV are words which aren’t needed in the grammar of the original languages but are required or implied in English. You can read the Key to learn more about them. The underlines joining words in the LV show when one original language word needs to be translated into two or more English words. (Just hide them with the button if you don’t need that information and find it distracting.) Also, the majority of sentences in the LV don’t have the words put into a sensible English order yet. (This should be completed by the end of 2023.)

See also the FAQs and the Glossary.

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

123:1 Praying to see mercy

A Prayer for Mercy; Supplication for Mercy

A song for walking uphill to Yerushalem.

A song for the ascent to Jerusalem.; A song of ascents.; A Song of Ascents.; A song of the ascents

123 I ≈look up towards you—

you who ≈rule from your throne in the heavens.

2 ≈Just as servants look to their master for his favour,

and the maids look to their mistress,

so we look to our God Yahweh until he has mercy on us.

3 Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us,

because we’ve ≈been very humiliated by our enemies

4 ≈in fact we’ve had way more than enough scoffing from the arrogant

and contempt from the proud.

123The_song_of the_ascents\f + \fr 123:1 \ft Note: KJB: Ps.

123.

1\f* to_you I_have_lifted_up DOM eyes_of_my the_enthroned_of in/on/at/with_heavens.

2 Here as_eyes_of slaves which_are_to the_hand_of master_of_their as_eyes_of a_female_slave which_are_to the_hand_of mistress_of_her so eyes_of_our are_to YHWH god_of_our until he_gracious_us.

3 Gracious_us Oh_YHWH gracious_us if/because much we_have_been_surfeited contempt.

4 Much_of it_has_been_surfeited to_its soul_of_our the_scorn the_at_ease the_contempt of_proud.

\f + \fr 123:4 \ft OSHB note: We have abandoned or added a ketib/qere relative to BHS.

In doing this we agree with L against BHS.

\f*

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