Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

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)

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]

^1 [a]Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
    before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
    “I have no pleasure in them”;
² Before the sun is darkened
    and the light and the moon and the stars
    and the clouds return after the rain;
^3 [b]When the guardians of the house tremble,
    and the strong men are bent;
When the women who grind are idle because they are few,
    and those who look through the windows grow blind;
⁴ When the doors to the street are shut,
    and the sound of the mill is low;
When one rises at the call of a bird,
    and all the daughters of song are quiet;
⁵ When one is afraid of heights,
    and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
    and the locust grows sluggish
    and the caper berry is without effect,
Because mortals go to their lasting home,
    and mourners go about the streets;
^6 [c]Before the silver cord is snapped
    and the golden bowl is broken,
And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the pulley is broken at the well,
⁷ And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
    and the life breath returns to God who gave it.^[d](A)
8 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
    all things are vanity!^(B)