127 The Lord must build your house.
If not, the work of the builders is useless.
The Lord must keep the city safe.
If not, the city guards are useless.
2 It will not help you to work all day for food, and never stop.
God gives food to the people that he loves.
Even while they sleep, God takes care of them.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord .
He blesses us with descendants.
4 If you have sons while you are a young man,
they are like a soldier's arrows.
5 If a man has many sons,
God has blessed him. [ b ]
When his enemies speak against him at the city gate,
they will not win. [ c ]
127 If it is not the Lord who builds a house,
the builders are wasting their time.
If it is not the Lord who watches over the city,
the guards are wasting their time.
2 It is a waste of time to get up early and stay up late,
trying to make a living.
The Lord provides for those he loves,
even while they are sleeping.
3 Children are a gift [ a ] from the Lord ,
a reward from a mother’s womb.
4 A young man’s sons
are like the arrows in a soldier’s hand.
5 The man who fills his quiver with sons
will be very blessed.
He will never be defeated
when he opposes his enemy at the city gates. [ b ]
127 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord : and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
127 Unless the Lord ( A ) builds a house,
They who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord ( B ) guards a city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is futile for you to rise up early,
To [ a ] stay up late,
To ( C ) eat the bread of painful labor;
This is how He gives to His ( D ) beloved ( E ) sleep.
3 Behold, ( F ) children are a [ b ] gift of the Lord ,
The ( G ) fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a ( H ) warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 ( I ) Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
( J ) They will not be ashamed
When they ( K ) speak with their enemies ( L ) in the gate.
1 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.
2 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 )
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord ,
offspring a reward ( F ) from him.
4 Like arrows ( G ) in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 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 )
