Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
127 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Shlomo). Except Hashem build the bais, they that build it labor in vain; except Hashem is shomer over the city, the shomair (watchman) stands guard in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the lechem ha’atzavim (bread of toils); for so He giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Hinei, banim are nachalat Hashem; and the p’ri habeten is a zachar (reward).
4 As khitzim (arrows) are in the yad of a gibbor; so are bnei haneurim (children born in one’s youth).
5 Ashrei hagever that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the oyevim basha’ar (enemy at the gate).
2 I said in mine lev, Come now, I will test thee with simchah, therefore enjoy tov; and, hinei, this also is hevel.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad; and of simchah, What doeth it accomplish?
3 I searched in mine lev to draw my basar on with yayin, my mind guiding me with chochmah; and to lay hold on sichlut (folly), till I might see what was tov for bnei haAdam, which they should do under Shomayim all the few days of their life.
4 I undertook me great works; I built me batim (houses); I planted me kramim (vineyards);
5 I made me ganot (gardens) and parks, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them;
6 I made me reservoirs of mayim, to water therewith the forest of trees tzomeiach (sprouting up);
7 I bought me avadim and shfakhot, and had bnei bayit (avadim born in my bais); also I had great possessions of herds and tzon more than all that were in Yerushalayim before me;
8 I amassed for me also kesef and zahav, and the treasure of melachim and of the provinces; I acquired for me men singers and women singers, and the delights of bnei haAdam, musical instruments of all kinds.
9 So I was great, and excelled more than all that were before me in Yerushalayim; also my chochmah remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my lev from any simchah; for my lev rejoiced in all my amal (labor); and this was my chelek (portion) for all my amal.
11 Then I looked on kol ma’asim that my hands had wrought, and on the amal that I had labored to do; and, hinei, all was hevel and chasing after ruach, and there was no profit under the shemesh.
12 And I turned myself to consider chochmah, and holelot, and sichlut; for what can the adam do who cometh after HaMelech? Even that which hath been done already.
13 Then I saw that chochmah excelleth sichlut, as far as ohr excelleth choshech.
14 The chacham (wise man) hath eyes in his rosh; but the kesil (fool) walketh in choshech; but I myself perceived also that the same mikreh (fortune) happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my lev, As the mikreh befalls the kesil, so also will the same mikreh befall me; and wherein have I then been of more chochmah? Then I said in my lev, This also is hevel.
16 For no zichron (remembrance) of the chacham—-no less the kesil—remains l’olam; seeing that in hayamim haba’im (the days to come) all shall be forgotten. How can the chacham die just like the kesil?
17 Therefore I hated HaChayyim (Life); because the ma’aseh that is wrought under the shemesh is grievous unto me; for all is hevel and chasing after ruach.
18 Nashim (wives), make yourselves accountable to your ba’alim (husbands), as is proper in Adoneinu.
19 Ba’alim, have ahavah for your nashim and do not be bitter against them.
20 Yeladim, obey your horim (parents) in all things, for this is well pleasing in Adoneinu.
21 Avot, do not provoke your yeladim, lest they be disheartened.
22 Avadim (servants), each of you obey in all things your adon according to the basar, not with eye service as pleasers of Bnei Adam, but with tom lev, with yirat Shomayim.
23 Whatever you do, be po’alim (workers) who with their neshamah work facing Adoneinu and not Bnei Adam,
24 Having da’as that from Adoneinu you will receive the sachar of the nachalah (alloted inheritance, 1:12, TEHILLIM 16:5-6). Serve Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
25 For the one doing wrong will be repaid for his wrong, ki ein masso panim im Hashem (for there is no respect of persons with G-d, no partiality).
4 Adonim, treat your avadim in a manner that is yashar and even-handed, with the da’as that you also have an Adon in Shomayim. [Lv 25:43,53]
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