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Psalm chapter 125

English Standard Version

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. 3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. 4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! 5But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!
New International Version

1A song of ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
3The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. 4 Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.
5But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.
New American Standard Bible

1Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time and forever. 3For the scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not extend their hands to do wrong. 4Do good, Lord, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts. 5But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord will lead them away with those who practice injustice. Peace be upon Israel.
Christian Standard Bible

1A song of ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.
2The mountains surround Jerusalem and the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. 3The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice. 4Do what is good, Lord, to the good, to those whose hearts are upright. 5But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord will banish them with the evildoers. Peace be with Israel.
New Living Translation

1Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. 2Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. 3The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. 4O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you.
5But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!
King James Version

1A Song of degrees. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
2As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
3For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
4Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
5As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
New King James Version

1{A Song of Ascents.} Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. 3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity. 4Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts. 5As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!

What does Psalm chapter 125 mean?

Israelites were required to attend three annual festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16). Those traveling to Jerusalem for the feasts came to use a set of psalms to mark the journey (Psalm 120—134). Some of these may have been inspired by Israel's experiences with hostile, oppressive foreign nations. This psalm encourages Israel to trust in God rather than to despair or follow the pagan wickedness of an ungodly culture.

The psalm begins with a declaration that trusting God makes a person as immovable as a mountain. Zion was a rocky stronghold captured by David which became the city of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1). Following the Lord's will always leads the believer to the right path (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sincere trust in God means knowing that He can overcome any enemy, so we only need to rely on Him (2 Kings 6:15–17).

Protection and assurance have both spiritual and physical dimensions. "The scepter of wickedness" can refer to the pagan governments which surrounded Israel. Or it may mean the overwhelming influence of evil in the world (Matthew 4:8–9; 2 Corinthians 4:4). God allowed Israel to suffer many earthly hardships (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). Yet he preserved the nation and brought them back to their homeland (Ezra 2:1). God does not protect His people from every possible instance of harm (John 16:33), but nothing can prevent the eternal victory (1 Corinthians 15:57; Revelation 21:4) we have in Christ. The physical lands of Israel, as well, will someday be permanently freed (Revelation 20:4) from ungodly rule (Psalm 125:1–3).

To close the song, the psalmist prays that the Lord would bless those who obey Him and honor His will. This does not mean those who are morally perfect (Romans 3:23). It refers to those who recognize God's authority and seek to obey, even if they sometimes stumble. When that happens, He is ready and willing to forgive (1 John 1:8–10; Hebrews 4:16). However, anyone who leaves the path of God's will and follows the wicked world can expect consequences (Proverbs 3:5–8; 8:35–36; 14:12; 1 Timothy 5:6). At the very least, this means the natural earthly outcomes of sin. At worst, it is evidence that those persons are not truly believers, at all (Matthew 7:13–14, 21). The final call in this psalm is for peace (Psalm 122:6) on behalf of the people and lands of Israel (Psalm 125:4–5).
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