Psalms of Ascent

What are the Psalms of Ascent?

The Psalms of Ascent, also called the Songs of Ascents, are Psalms 120 to 134: fifteen psalms that each open with the title “A Song of Ascents.” They are traditionally understood as songs sung by Israelite pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. They are short, vivid and easy to learn, which makes them a natural place to start memorizing the Psalms.

12 verses from the Psalms of Ascent

1. Psalm 120:1

   In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.

2. Psalm 121:1–2

   ¹I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? ²My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3. Psalm 121:7–8

   ⁷The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. ⁸The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.

4. Psalm 122:1

   I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

5. Psalm 124:8

   Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

6. Psalm 125:1

   Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever.

7. Psalm 126:3

   The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

8. Psalm 126:5–6

   ⁵Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. ⁶He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.

9. Psalm 127:1

   Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.

10. Psalm 128:1

    Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways!

11. Psalm 130:5

    I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.

12. Psalm 133:1

    Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain. In Verse16 you can learn these verses in the translation you read — KJV, ESV, NIV, NKJV, NLT and dozens more.

How to memorize Psalms of Ascent

Add Psalms of Ascent to Verse16 and all 12 verses arrive in the translation you read. Learn one or two at a time: read each verse, fill in the blanks, recall it from first letters, then type or say it from memory. Verse16’s FSRS scheduler brings every verse back just before you would forget it, so the verses you know fade into the background while the tricky ones return sooner. Share the collection with your small group or family and memorize it together.

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