Psalm 123 (Lectionary Translation)

1 To you I lift up my eyes,
to you enthroned in the heavens.

2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3 So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
until he show us his mercy…

“WHEN I WAS YOUR SLAVE…”

Here, in the United States, as I write these words, we face a serious reckoning, for generations of slavery and racist violence that have deeply marred the soul of our nation. For those of us raised in faith, it is an added shock to realize to what extent our biblical heritage was co-opted to support this bigotry, in the name of religion. White slave owners then, and white supremacists today, have never hesitated to point to the Bible to justify their views. “Just look at Psalm 123,” they can say. “Slaves should obey their owners, and even love them. The Bible says so, and it must be God’s will.” This theological lie has surprising tenacity, and we find it still rooted in many translations of scripture.

What is our responsibility, as readers of the Bible, when we find passages that glorify or normalize racial injustice? Should we turn a blind eye?

Perhaps we can march in the streets for freedom, or raise our voices for justice in the public square. Perhaps, also, we can look carefully at our scriptures, and devote our understanding to rendering them anew. Whenever we can return to the original texts, we find there a remarkable freedom. The ancient words respond when we re-work them with a transformed heart and mind, aiming at truth. When Jesus defined his vocation by quoting from Isaiah, he intentionally chose the words “liberty for the captives,” and not “the day of vengeance” (Lk. 4:18-19; cp. Isa. 61:1-2).

My rooted rendering of Psalm 123 might appear strange to you. If it does, I hope that you will not turn away, but will allow it to speak to you. Perhaps together we can forge a new reading of our scriptures, one that finally says “Yes!” to freedom, and “No!” to slavery, to hatred, and to all abuse of power in heaven’s name.

Psalm 123

A Song for Rising Up!

When I was your slave,
I brought you my eyes, as a gift,
there where you sat, on your glittering heights.

The eyes of a slave,
gripped in the fist of his owner.

The eyes of a handmaid,
placed on the palm of her mistress.

All we knew was the wonder of power, the awe of strength –
so, yes, we willingly gave you our eyes.

And then!

Then came the nameless yearning:
holy yearning for all of us, yearning to become:
becoming whole, becoming free.

Then, with a cry, our shame was gone,
our souls filled full with freedom,
and our stuttering lips were calm.

Our eyes are now our own,
so, laughing, we open them wide,
no longer blinded by shame
in the nightmare enslavement of pride.

[RENDERED FROM THE HEBREW BY HENRY RALPH CARSE - COPYRIGHT HENRY RALPH CARSE]