Old/New Testament
126 The song of degrees. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion; we were made as comforted. (When the Lord returned the captives to Zion/When the Lord returned prosperity to Zion; we were made like in a dream.)
2 Then our mouth was filled with joy; and our tongue with full out joying. Then they shall say among heathen men; The Lord magnified to do with them. (Then our mouths were filled with joy; and ours tongues with rejoicing. And the heathen said to each other, The Lord hath done great things for them.)
3 The Lord magnified to do with us; we be made glad. (Yea, the Lord did great things for us; and we were glad.)
4 Lord, turn thou (again) our captivity; as a strand in the south. (Lord, return thou the captives/return thou our prosperity; like the streams return to the south.)
5 They that sow in tears; shall reap in full out joying. (Then they who sowed in tears; shall reap with rejoicing.)
6 They going, went, and wept; sending their seeds. But they coming, shall come with full out joying; bearing their handfuls (They going, went, and wept; sending out their seeds. But when they shall return, they shall come back rejoicing; carrying their harvest.)
127 The song of degrees of Solomon. No but the Lord build the house; they that built it have travailed in vain. No but the Lord keepeth the city; he waketh in vain that keepeth it./But if the Lord build the house; they that built it have travailed in vain. But (if) the Lord keepeth the city; he waketh in vain that keepeth it. (The song of degrees for Solomon. Unless the Lord build the house; those who have built it, have laboured in vain. Unless the Lord guardeth the city; he who standeth watch, guardeth in vain.)
2 It is vain to you to rise before the light; rise ye after ye have set, that eat the bread of sorrow. When he shall give sleep to his loved; (It is useless for you to rise before the light; and then to stay up late, only so that ye can eat the bread of sorrows. For he giveth to his beloved; even while they sleep.)
3 lo! the heritage of the Lord is sons, the meed is the fruit of womb. (Lo! sons and daughters be thy inheritance/be thy gift from the Lord; yea, the fruit of thy womb is his reward to you.)
4 As arrows be in the hand of the mighty; so the sons of them that be shaken out. (Like arrows be in the hand of the mighty; so be the sons and daughters that a man hath when he is young.)
5 Blessed is the man, that hath [full-]filled his desire of those; he shall not be shamed, when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate. (Happy is the man who hath filled his quiver full of them; he shall not be put to shame, or defeated, when he shall speak to his enemies in court.)
128 The song of degrees. Blessed be all men, that dread the Lord; that go in his ways. (Happy be all those, who fear the Lord/who revere the Lord; and who go in his ways.)
2 For thou shalt eat the travails of thine hands; thou art blessed, and it shall be well to thee. (For thou shalt eat the fruit of thy labour; thou shalt be happy, and it shall be well with thee.)
3 Thy wife shall be as a plenteous vine; in the sides of thine house. Thy sons as the new springs of olive trees; in the compass of thy board. (Thy wife shall be like a fruitful vine; by the side of thy house. And thy sons and thy daughters shall be like the new branches of olive trees; all around thy table.)
4 Lo! so a man shall be blessed; that dreadeth the Lord. (Lo! so shall the man be blessed; who feareth the Lord/who hath reverence for the Lord.)
5 The Lord bless thee from Zion; and see thou the goods of Jerusalem in all the days of thy life. (May the Lord bless thee from Zion; and may thou see the prosperity of Jerusalem/and may thou share in the prosperity of Jerusalem, all the days of thy life.)
6 And see thou the sons of thy sons; see thou peace on Israel. (And may thou see the sons of thy sons/the children of thy children. May peace be upon Israel.)
19 What therefore say I, that a thing that is offered to idols is any thing, or that the idol is any thing?
20 But those things that heathen men offer, they offer to devils, and not to God. But I will not, that ye be made fellows of fiends;
21 for ye be not able to drink the cup of the Lord [for ye may not drink the cup of the Lord], and the cup of fiends; ye be not able to be partners of the board of the Lord [ye may not be partners of the board of the Lord], and of the board of fiends.
22 Whether we have envy to the Lord? whether we be stronger than he?
23 All things be leaveful to me, but not all things be speedful. All things be leaveful to me, but not all things edify.
24 No man seek that thing that is his own, but that thing that is of another.
25 All thing that is sold in the butchery, eat ye, asking nothing for conscience.
26 The earth and the plenty of it, is the Lord's.
27 If any of heathen men call you to supper [Forsooth if any of unfaithful, or heathen men, calleth you to supper], and ye will go, all thing that is set to you, eat ye, asking nothing for conscience.
28 But if any man saith [If any man soothly say to you], This thing is offered to idols, do not ye eat, for him that showed [this thing], and for conscience;
29 and I say not, thy conscience, but of another [man's]. But whereto is my freedom deemed of another man's conscience [Soothly whereto is my liberty, or freedom, deemed of another man's conscience]?
30 Therefore if I take part with grace, what am I blasphemed, for that that I do thankings [for that that I do graces, or thankings]?
31 Therefore whether ye eat, or drink, or do any other thing, do ye all things to the glory of God.
32 Be ye without offence to Jews, and to heathen men, and to the church of God;
33 as [and] I by all things please to all men, not seeking that that is profitable to me [not seeking what is profitable to me], but that that is profitable to many men, that they be made safe.
2001 by Terence P. Noble