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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 Song of Ascents. By Solomon.

127 Unless Yahweh builds the house,
    they who build it labor in vain.
Unless Yahweh watches over the city,
    the watchman guards it in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
    to stay up late,
    eating the bread of toil,
    for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh.
    The fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
    so are the children of youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
    They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.