In this moving Shir HaMa'alos, Klal Yisrael looks back at our long history of suffering and declares with gratitude that despite all those who have oppressed us from our very youth, they have never been able to destroy us. Hashem in His righteousness has always cut the ropes of the wicked, saving us from their deep plowing upon our backs. Dovid HaMelech mispallel that all the enemies of Tzion should be utterly shamed and wither away like grass on a rooftop, leaving no blessing or trace behind.
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת רַבַּת צְרָרוּנִי מִנְּעוּרַי יֹאמַר־נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
רַבַּת צְרָרוּנִי מִנְּעוּרָי גַּם לֹא־יָכְלוּ לִי׃
עַל־גַּבִּי חָרְשׁוּ חֹרְשִׁים הֶאֱרִיכוּ למענותם [לְמַעֲנִיתָם׃]
יְהוָה צַדִּיק קִצֵּץ עֲבוֹת רְשָׁעִים׃
יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר כֹּל שֹׂנְאֵי צִיּוֹן׃
יִהְיוּ כַּחֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַת שָׁלַף יָבֵשׁ׃
שֶׁלֹּא מִלֵּא כַפּוֹ קוֹצֵר וְחִצְנוֹ מְעַמֵּר׃
וְלֹא אָמְרוּ הָעֹבְרִים בִּרְכַּת־יְהוָה אֲלֵיכֶם בֵּרַכְנוּ אֶתְכֶם בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה׃