Psalm 127
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 127[a]
The Need of God’s Blessing
1 A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
I
Unless the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the Lord guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch.
2 It is vain for you to rise early
and put off your rest at night,
To eat bread earned by hard toil—
all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.(A)
II
3 Certainly sons are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb, a reward.(B)
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
He will never be shamed
for he will destroy his foes at the gate.[b]
Footnotes
- Psalm 127 The Psalm puts together two proverbs (Ps 127:1–2, 3–5) on God establishing “houses” or families. The prosperity of human groups is not the work of human beings but the gift of God.
- 127:5 At the gate: the reference is not to enemies besieging the walls of a city but to adversaries in litigation. Law courts functioned in the open area near the main city gate. The more adult sons a man had, the more forceful he would appear in disputes, cf. Prv 31:23.
Psalm 127
Good News Translation
In Praise of God's Goodness[a]
127 If the Lord does not build the house,
the work of the builders is useless;
if the Lord does not protect the city,
it does no good for the sentries to stand guard.
2 It is useless to work so hard for a living,
getting up early and going to bed late.
For the Lord provides for those he loves,
while they are asleep.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a real blessing.
4 The sons a man has when he is young
are like arrows in a soldier's hand.
5 Happy is the man who has many such arrows.
He will never be defeated
when he meets his enemies in the place of judgment.
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:1 HEBREW TITLE: By Solomon.
Psalm 127
New American Standard Bible
Prosperity Comes from the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:2 Lit sit late
- Psalm 127:3 Or heritage
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
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