Psalms 12

Psalms 12:1

An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalms 107 to 150

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Psalms 126 Psalms For Climbing; Psalms 120-134 Jesus said, “We will go up to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). The Story of Psalms 120-134 These 15 psalms are called “Songs of Ascent” in many Bibles. “Ascent” means “going up”. This translation calls it “climbing”. But what are we climbing? Bible students give us 4 answers:

        One line in the psalm “climbs” on the line in front of it. This means that it repeats the line. Read the start of Psalm 124 for an example.

        There were 15 steps from where the women stood to where the men stood outside the *temple. The *temple was God’s house in Jerusalem. As the men climbed the steps, they sang one psalm on each step. This is why most of the psalms for climbing are short.

        Jerusalem was on the top of a hill called “Zion”. The *Jews often went to Jerusalem to worship God at the *temple. “Worship” means “Tell God how *wonderful that he is. And tell him that you love him”. The *Jews sang these psalms for climbing as they went up to Jerusalem.

        Hezekiah was a king of the *Jews. He was so ill that he thought he would soon die. He prayed for a longer life. God made the clock “climb” back 10 degrees. This was about an hour. It was a sign that Hezekiah would live another 15 years. Hezekiah made a book of 15 psalms, 10 of them new, the other 5 by David and Solomon. The story is in Isaiah chapter 38.

We do not know which of these is the true answer. It may be something else! Perhaps answers 3 and 4 are the true answers.

Who wrote the psalms for climbing? Some are by David, and one or two are by Solomon. Solomon was David’s son. The other psalms for climbing may be by Hezekiah or one of his friends like Isaiah; or by Ezra or Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah were leaders of the *Jews 500 years after Solomon built the *temple, or 250 years after Hezekiah was king. This was when the *Jews made the Book of Psalms. The psalms for climbing were part of this Book of Psalms. Psalms 126      (This is) a psalm for climbing.

v1      An army was attacking Zion.      When the *LORD turned them away,        we were like people that were dreaming!

v2      Then we laughed a lot.      And we shouted because we were so happy!      And (people in) other countries said (to each other),      “The *LORD has done something *wonderful for them!”

v3      The *LORD has done something *wonderful for us        and we are very, very happy.

v4      The *LORD will give back again what we have lost.      It will be like water coming into a dry place where there is a lot of sand.

v5      People that are crying will go out and plant seeds.      (Later) they will sing as they pick the fruits.

v6      Someone will go out crying, but with a basket of seeds.      He will come home laughing, with a lot of food.

© 1999-2002, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words).

December 2002

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