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A Prayer for Protection and Prosperity

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.[a]

127 Unless Yahweh builds a house,
its builders labor at it in vain.
Unless Yahweh guards a city,
a guard watches in vain.
It is in vain for you who rise early and sit late,
eating the bread of anxious toil,
when thus he[b] provides[c] for his beloved in his sleep.[d]
Look, children[e] are the heritage[f] of Yahweh;
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children[g] of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.[h]
They shall not be put to shame
when they speak with enemies at the gate.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 127:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 127:2 That is, Yahweh
  3. Psalm 127:2 Hebrew “gives”
  4. Psalm 127:2 Or “so he gives sleep to his beloved”
  5. Psalm 127:3 Hebrew “sons”
  6. Psalm 127:3 That is, gift
  7. Psalm 127:4 Hebrew “sons”
  8. Psalm 127:5 Or “whose quiver he Yahweh fills with them”

A Solomonic Song of Ascents

God’s Blessing in the Family

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    its builders labor uselessly.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
    its security forces keep watch uselessly.
It is useless to get up early
    and to stay up late,[a]
eating the food of exhausting labor—
    truly he gives sleep to those he loves.

Children[b] are a gift[c] from the Lord;
    a productive womb, the Lord’s[d] reward.
As arrows in the hand of a warrior,
    so also are children[e] born during one’s[f] youth.
How blessed[g] is the man whose quiver is full of them!
    He[h] will not be ashamed
        as they confront their enemies at the city gate.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 127:2 Lit. delay sitting
  2. Psalm 127:3 Lit. Sons
  3. Psalm 127:3 Lit. heritage
  4. Psalm 127:3 The Heb. lacks Lord’s
  5. Psalm 127:4 Lit. sons
  6. Psalm 127:4 The Heb. lacks born during one’s
  7. Psalm 127:5 Or happy
  8. Psalm 127:5 Lit. They