Psalm 130 (World English Bible)
1 Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh.
2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.
3 If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word.
6 My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning; more than watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in Yahweh, for with Yahweh there is loving kindness. With him is abundant redemption.
8 He will redeem Israel from all their sins.
What Psalm 130 means
"Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh." This is the deepest point of the climb, and it comes near the top. "If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared."
Then comes the waiting: "My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning." The repetition is the waiting itself. The night is long, but morning is certain.
The psalm ends with hope: "Israel, hope in Yahweh, for with Yahweh there is loving kindness. With him is abundant redemption."
Where it fits in the Songs of Ascent
Forgiveness opens the way into God's presence. The last line, "Israel, hope in Yahweh," is repeated in Psalm 131:3. Martin Luther turned this psalm into the hymn known in English as "Out of the Depths I Cry to You."
A question to sit with
What are you waiting for, the way a night watchman waits for morning?
A prayer you can pray
Lord, out of the depths I cry to You. Thank You that You do not keep a record of my sins, and that with You there is forgiveness. I will wait for You more than watchmen wait for the morning. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (public domain).
