Psalms 130

A penitential psalm crying from the depths for mercy.

Psalms 130 - Out of the Depths I Cried

Psalm 130 begins with one of the Psalter's most quoted lines, "out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD," as the writer asks who could stand if God marked every iniquity. Its urgent tone contrasts with the harsher plea against enemies in Psalms 129.


Out of the depths, have I cried unto thee, O Yahweh.

O My Lord! hearken thou unto my voice,—Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications,

If, iniquities, thou shouldest mark, O Yah, O My Lord, who could stand?

But, with thee, is forgiveness, that thou mayest be revered.

I have waited for Yahweh, My soul hath waited for his word;

I have hoped, O my soul, for My Lord, more than they who watch for the morning, who watch for the morning.

Wait, O Israel, for Yahweh,—for, with Yahweh, is lovingkindness, and there aboundeth with him—redemption.

He, therefore, will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

The psalmist's patient hope, waiting "more than they that watch for the morning," closely parallels the confident trust of <a href="/bible/rotherham/psalms/chapter-33/20">Psalms 33:20</a>. Read more songs of ascent on the <a href="/bible/rotherham/psalms">Psalms overview</a>, or move ahead to the quiet humility of <a href="/bible/rotherham/psalms/chapter-131">Psalms 131</a>.