Psalm 126 remembers the joy of the exiles coming home: “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion, we became like men comforted… The Lord hath done great things for us: we are become joyful.” It ends with a promise for every season of sorrow: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 125. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 126 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion, we became like men comforted.
Then was our mouth filled with gladness; and our tongue with joy. Then shall they say among the Gentiles: The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us: we are become joyful.
Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as a stream in the south.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Going they went and wept, casting their seeds.
But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves.
Psalm 126 or Psalm 125?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 125 is Psalm 126 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins In convertendo Dominus captivitatem Sion. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Like a dream: the return from Babylon seemed too good to be true.
- Laughter and joy: “Then was our mouth filled with gladness; and our tongue with joy.”
- Witness to the nations: “The Lord hath done great things for them.”
- Prayer for renewal: “Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as a stream in the south,” like dry riverbeds filling with rain.
- Sowing in tears, reaping in joy: suffering offered to God bears a harvest. Mary echoes it: “he that is mighty hath done great things to me” (Luke 1:49).
How the Church uses Psalm 126
- At Mass on the Second Sunday of Advent (Year C), the Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year C) and the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B): “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” See Advent.
- One of the Songs of Ascents, sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem.
- In grief and hardship, as a prayer of hope.
A prayer with Psalm 126
Written for this page:
Lord, you have done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes like streams in the desert.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy;
turn my sorrows into a harvest of hope. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Where is “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy”?
Psalm 126:5 (125:5 in the Douay-Rheims: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy”).
What is Psalm 126 about?
The joy of the Jewish exiles returning from Babylon, and hope that God will turn sorrow into joy again.
More psalms and prayers
- Psalm 137 (By the rivers of Babylon)
- Psalm 85
- Psalm 122
- Advent
- Psalms of thanksgiving
- How many psalms are there?
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 125 (126); Luke 1:49, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.