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Prayers

Psalm 121

A short psalm of trust in God’s care, one of the Songs of Ascents. The Orthodox Church reads it over people about to travel by water.

Picture: Filippino Lippi, Tobias and the Angel, about 1475–80

The words of the prayer

Plain English

I lift up my eyes to the hills.Where will my help come from?My help comes from the LORD,Who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip.He Who watches over you will not slumber.Indeed, He Who watches over Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you.The LORD is your shade at your right hand.The sun will not strike you by day,nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil.He will keep your soul.The LORD will watch over your going out and your coming in,from this time on and for ever.

Traditional wording, 1611

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.My help cometh from the LORD, Which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Hebrew, with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

The King James text makes the end of verse 1 a statement. The Hebrew asks a question, as the translators’ own margin note gives it.

When it is said

At Vespers on Thursday evenings, the choir sings its first two verses.

Anyone can pray it before leaving home, or for someone who is on the road.

Where it comes from

No author known

A Song of Ascents

The psalm’s Hebrew heading is “A Song of Ascents”. It is one of 15 psalms known as the Songs of Ascents, which may have been sung by the Levites at the Temple in Jerusalem or by pilgrims on the road up to the city. The Greek Bible that the Orthodox Church reads numbers this psalm 120.

The Hebrew Bible, on Mechon Mamre; Wikipedia, Psalm 121

In the blessing for travellers

In the Orthodox blessing for people about to travel by water, this psalm is read after the opening prayers. Then the deacon prays for all who travel by sea or by land. He asks God to bring the traveller home again in health and safety, which is what the psalm’s last verse promises.

Isabel F. Hapgood, Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church, 1906, the Rite of Blessing Those Who Are About to Travel by Water

The Scripture in it

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:1-8 Quoted The whole psalm.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

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Berean Standard Bible