1 The song of degrees. Israel say now; Oft they have fought against me from my youth. (\+em A song for steps of ascending\+em*. Let Israel say now; they have often fought against me from my youth.)
2 Oft they [have] fought against me from my youth; and soothly they might not to me (Yea, they have often fought against me from my youth; but truly they could never overcome me.)
3 Sinners forged on my back; they made long their wickedness. (The sinners scourged my back; they made their furrows deep and long in me.)
4 The Lord is just, (he) shall beat (together) the nolls of sinners; (But the Lord is just, and he shall free me from the bonds of the wicked;)
5 all that hate Zion be they shamed, and turned aback. (let all who hate Zion be put to shame, and be turned, \+em or driven\+em*, back.)
6 Be they made as the hay of housetops; that dried up, before that it be drawn up. (Be they made like the grass on the rooftops; it dried up, before that it could be pulled up.)
7 Of which hay he that shall reap, shall not fill his hand; and he that shall gather handfuls, shall not fill his bosom. (Of which grass he who shall reap, shall not get a handful; and he who shall gather handfuls, \+em shall not get\+em* an armful.)
8 And they that passed forth said not, The blessing of the Lord be on you; we blessed you in the name of the Lord. (And so they who pass by, shall never say, The blessing of the Lord \+em be\+em* upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.)