Psalm 121 (KJV): Full Text, Meaning & Prayer
Read Psalm 121 in the King James Version, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills," with its meaning verse by verse and a short prayer for God's keeping.
Psalm 121 (King James Version)
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Psalm 121:1-8, King James Version. The KJV heading reads "A Song of degrees."
A Prayer Based on Psalm 121
Lord, I lift my eyes to You, because I cannot find my help anywhere else.
You made heaven and earth, and nothing in my life is too small or too heavy for You. Steady my feet when the ground feels uncertain. Keep watch over me while I sleep, and over the people I love who are far from me tonight.
Be my shade in the heat of the day, and my light in the dark. Guard me from evil, and guard my soul above all.
Be with me when I leave my home and when I return to it, in every journey and every ordinary errand, today and always. Amen.
Short Version
I lift my eyes to You, Lord, for my help comes from You. Keep my steps steady, guard my going out and my coming in, and preserve my soul. Amen.
What Psalm 121 Means
Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents, a group of psalms (120 to 134) that the heading in the KJV calls "songs of degrees." The meaning of the title is not certain. A common view is that pilgrims sang these psalms on the way up to Jerusalem. The psalm is anonymous. Because the Greek and Latin Bibles number the Psalms differently, Catholic Bibles based on that tradition may call it Psalm 120.
Verses 1-2: the question and the answer. The traveler looks at the hills and asks where help will come from. The answer is immediate: not from the hills, but from the LORD who made heaven and earth. The one who made the mountains is greater than them.
Verses 3-4: the keeper who does not sleep. A foot that slips on a rough road is the picture of danger. God is described as a guardian who never grows tired and never dozes. The repeated word "keeper" runs through the whole psalm.
Verses 5-6: shade by day, safety by night. The LORD is "thy shade upon thy right hand," close at hand as a shelter from the heat. Day and night, sun and moon, together mean that no hour is left unguarded.
Verses 7-8: preserved in all things. The psalm ends with a wide promise: God preserves from evil and keeps your soul, in every going out and coming in, from now and forever. It does not promise a life without trouble. It promises that God is with us through it.
When to pray it: before a journey, at the start of a hard day, when someone you love is traveling or unwell, or at night when worry keeps you awake. It takes under a minute to read aloud, and many people simply repeat verse 2 as a quiet prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Psalm 121?
The psalm is anonymous. Its KJV heading calls it "A Song of degrees," and some commentators have suggested David, but this is not established.
What does "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills" mean?
It is a traveler's gesture. The psalmist looks toward the hills and asks where help comes from, then answers that it comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth, not from the hills themselves.
What is a Song of Ascents or Song of Degrees?
It is the title of Psalms 120 to 134. Its exact meaning is uncertain. A common explanation is that pilgrims sang them while going up to Jerusalem for the festivals.
What is Psalm 121 good for praying about?
Protection and trust: travel, sleepless nights, worry about loved ones, and the start of an uncertain day. Its theme is that God keeps watch and never sleeps.
Is Psalm 121 also Psalm 120?
In the numbering of the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 120. Most English Bibles, including the KJV, number it Psalm 121.
Last updated 2026-10-10