Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds(A) the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches(B) over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food(C) to eat—
    for he grants sleep(D) to[a] those he loves.(E)

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward(F) from him.
Like arrows(G) in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.(H)
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents(I) in court.(J)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for

(A song by Solomon for worship.)

Only the Lord Can Bless a Home

Without the help of the Lord
it is useless to build a home
    or to guard a city.
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]

Children are a blessing
    and a gift from the Lord.
Having a lot of children
to take care of you
    in your old age
is like a warrior
    with a lot of arrows.
The more you have,
    the better off you will be,
because they will protect you
when your enemies
    attack you in court.

Footnotes

  1. 127.2 God … sleep: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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.
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.

Behold, (F)children are a heritage from the Lord,
    (G)the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of (H)a warrior
    are the children[a] of one's youth.
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

  1. Psalm 127:4 Or sons
  2. Psalm 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate