Psalms 126

A harvest psalm of joy after captivity turned to laughter.

Psalms 126 - Sowing in Tears, Reaping in Joy

Psalm 126 recalls a moment so joyful it felt unreal, "we were like them that dream," as the Lord reversed Zion's captivity and filled the people's mouths with laughter and singing. This short psalm sits between Psalms 125's picture of settled trust and a fresh plea for continued restoration.


The `title of the hundrid and sixe and twentithe `salm. The song of greces of Salomon. `No but the Lord bilde the hous; thei that bilden it han trauelid in veyn. No but the Lord kepith the citee; he wakith in veyn that kepith it.

It is veyn to you to rise bifore the liyt; rise ye after that ye han sete, that eten the breed of sorewe. Whanne he schal yyue sleep to his loued; lo!

the eritage of the Lord `is sones, the mede is the fruyt of wombe.

As arowis ben in the hond of the miyti; so the sones of hem that ben schakun out.

Blessid is the man, that hath fillid his desier of tho; he schal not be schent, whanne he schal speke to hise enemyes in the yate.

Its closing image, sowing in tears but reaping in joy, gives <a href="/bible/wycliffe/psalms/chapter-126/5">Psalms 126:5</a> its lasting resonance and anticipates the New Testament encouragement of <a href="/bible/wycliffe/galatians/chapter-6/9">Galatians 6:9</a> not to grow weary in doing good. Read next in <a href="/bible/wycliffe/psalms/chapter-127">Psalms 127</a>, which turns from harvest to household.