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.


A Song of degrees. Out of the depths have I cried to thee, O LORD.

Lord, hear my voice: let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall 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/wbt/psalms/chapter-33/20">Psalms 33:20</a>. Read more songs of ascent on the <a href="/bible/wbt/psalms">Psalms overview</a>, or move ahead to the quiet humility of <a href="/bible/wbt/psalms/chapter-131">Psalms 131</a>.