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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”

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