Psalms 120

The first of the Songs of Ascent, sung by pilgrims traveling up to Jerusalem. The Psalmist begins with a lament over deceitful companions and the trouble of living among hostile neighbors (Meshech and Kedar). The Psalmist cries out to the Lord in his distress, asking to be delivered from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. The Psalmist concludes by expressing his deep desire for peace, even though his surroundings are filled with people who are constantly ready for war.