Psalm 129 (Tehillim 129) in Hebrew and English
Tenakh Study · Read the Psalms in Hebrew and English, one psalm per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.
Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 129
A Song of Ascents in which Israel, afflicted from its youth but not overcome, declares that righteous Hashem has cut the cords of the wicked, and asks that those who hate Tziyon wither like grass.
129:1A Song of Ascents. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
אשִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת רַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרַ֑י יֹֽאמַר־נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
129:2Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
ברַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרָ֑י גַּ֝ם לֹא־יָ֥כְלוּ לִֽי׃
129:3The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
געַל־גַּ֭בִּי חָרְשׁ֣וּ חֹרְשִׁ֑ים הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּ לְמַעֲנִיתָֽם (כתיב למענותם)׃
129:4Hashem is righteous: He has cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
דיְהוָ֥ה צַדִּ֑יק קִ֝צֵּ֗ץ עֲב֣וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃
129:5Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Tziyon (Zion).
היֵ֭בֹשׁוּ וְיִסֹּ֣גוּ אָח֑וֹר כֹּ֝֗ל שֹׂנְאֵ֥י צִיּֽוֹן׃
129:6Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers afore it grows up:
ויִ֭הְיוּ כַּחֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֑וֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת שָׁלַ֣ף יָבֵֽשׁ׃
129:7Wherewith the mower fills not his hand; nor he that binds sheaves his bosom.
זשֶׁלֹּ֤א מִלֵּ֖א כַפּ֥וֹ קוֹצֵ֗ר וְחִצְנ֥וֹ מְעַמֵּֽר׃
129:8Neither do they which go by say, “The blessing of Hashem be upon you: we bless you in the name of Hashem.”
חוְלֹ֤א אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀ הָעֹבְרִ֗ים בִּרְכַּֽת־יְהוָ֥ה אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בֵּרַ֥כְנוּ אֶ֝תְכֶ֗ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָֽה׃
How well do you know Psalm 129?
Read the psalm, then pick the best answer for each question. You will see right away if you got it right. When you have answered every question, you will see your score. To try again, press Start over.
Your answers and score are saved on this device only, so they will be here when you come back. Press Start over to clear them.
Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.