Psalm 127
New International Version
Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for
Psalm 127
Contemporary English Version
(A song by Solomon for worship.)
Only the Lord Can Bless a Home
1 Without the help of the Lord
it is useless to build a home
or to guard a city.
2 It is useless to get up early
and stay up late
in order to earn a living.
God takes care of his own,
even while they sleep.[a]
3 Children are a blessing
and a gift from the Lord.
4 Having a lot of children
to take care of you
in your old age
is like a warrior
with a lot of arrows.
5 The more you have,
the better off you will be,
because they will protect you
when your enemies
attack you in court.
Footnotes
- 127.2 God … sleep: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Psalm 127
English Standard Version
Unless the Lord Builds the House
A Song of (A)Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord (B)watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious (C)toil;
for he gives to his (D)beloved (E)sleep.
3 Behold, (F)children are a heritage from the Lord,
(G)the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of (H)a warrior
are the children[a] of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies (I)in the gate.[b]
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:4 Or sons
- Psalm 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate
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