In June 2009, I
was asked by my pastor to put music to Scripture, word for word,
specifically to the 15 Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120 to 134) From
the start of the first psalm I worked on (which was Psalm 130)
to the completion of the last one (Psalm 133), I have not ceased
to be amazed, for the Lord has given me melody after melody to
fit His Words. I believe this is because we, the church of Jesus
Christ, are entering into a season when these psalms will become
more and more relevant, as we look forward to our Lord’s return.
(Please
click here to read more on Songs of Ascents).
A special thanks to the following:
To Audrei and Anthea Foong, for
the beautiful violin in Psalms 126 & 133;
To Arianne Tiew, for the lead
vocals in Psalm 128; & the other lovely voices-Sandra Kee,
Alyssa Tiew, Lee Lizanne & Grace Lim;
To Grace Soon, my sister, for
lending her voice to make Psalms 132 & 134 sound more majestic;
To
Rich Moore, for making the
videos and helping with the mixing (you made the psalms sound so
much better!);
Thank you.
Tracks (Click on
title to view video and listen to song):
Esther's music is
available free for download, and instead accepts support through
offering.
(Please use the PayPal button below if you wish to give an
offering).
These free downloads (mp3s, chord charts and lead sheets) are
for personal use only. For commercial use or reproduction, you
need to contact Esther for permission.
1
In my distress I cried to the LORD,
And He heard me. 2 Deliver my soul, O LORD,
from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given to
you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue? 4 Sharp arrows of the
warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe is me, that I dwell
in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6 My soul has dwelt too
long
With one who hates peace. 7 I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.
1 I will lift up
my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help? 2 My help
comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not
allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who
keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is
your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall
not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall
preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall
preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
1
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.” 2 Our feet have
been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem is
built
As a city that is compact together, 4 Where the
tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5 For thrones
are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you. 7 Peace be
within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.” 8 For the sake
of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.” 9 Because of the
house of the LORD our God
I will seek your good.
1
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens. 2 Behold, as the
eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
3 Have mercy on
us, O LORD, have mercy on us!
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 4 Our soul is
exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.
1
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,”
Let Israel now say— 2 “If it had not
been the LORD who was on our side,
When men rose up against us, 3 Then they
would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us; 4 Then the
waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have gone over our soul; 5 Then the
swollen waters
Would have gone over our soul.”
6 Blessed be
the LORD,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul has
escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;[a]
The snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is
in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
1
Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides
forever. 2 As the
mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
3 For the
scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
4 Do good, O
LORD, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as
turn aside to their crooked ways,
The LORD shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
1
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth
was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has
done great things for us, And we are glad.
4 Bring back our
captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
5 Those who sow
in tears
Shall reap in joy. 6 He who
continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
1
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. 2It is
vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.
3 Behold,
children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in
the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is
the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
1
Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat
the labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be well
with you. 3 Your wife
shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table. 4 Behold, thus
shall the man be blessed
Who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless
you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life. 6 Yes, may you
see your children’s children.
1
“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,”
Let Israel now say— 2 “Many a time
they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers
plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.” 4 The LORD is
righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all those
who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back. 6 Let them be as
the grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up, 7 With which the
reaper does not fill his hand,
Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms. 8 Neither let
those who pass by them say,
“The blessing of the LORD be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the LORD!”
1
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; 2 Lord, hear my
voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
3 If You, LORD,
should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there
is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
5 I wait for the
LORD, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope. 6 My soul
waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope
in the LORD;
For with the LORD there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He shall
redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
1
LORD, remember David And all his afflictions; 2 How he swore
to the LORD, And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “Surely I will
not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not
give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a
place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we
heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the woods.[a] 7 Let us go into
His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool. 8 Arise, O LORD,
to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your
priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.
10 For Your
servant David’s sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.
11 The LORD has
sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
“I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. 12 If your sons
will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne
forevermore.”
13 For the LORD
has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14 “This is
My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will
abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will also
clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will
make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I
will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”
1
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2It is
like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments. 3It is
like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
1
Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD! 2 Lift up your
hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.
3 The LORD who
made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!
