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).

12 Remember now thy Bo’re (Creator) in the yamim of thy bechurot, while the yamei hara’ah come not, nor the shanim draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no chefetz (pleasure) in them;

² While the shemesh, or the ohr, or the yarei’ach, or the kokhavim, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;

³ In the yom when the shomrei habayit shall tremble, and the strong men shall stoop, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows grow dim,

⁴ And the delatayim (doors) shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding fades, and he shall arise at the sound of a tzipor (bird), and all their banot hashir (daughters of song) are brought low;

⁵ Also when they shall be afraid of height, and fears shall be in the derech, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper drags himself along, and desire shall fail; because haAdam goeth to his bais olam (eternal home), and the mourners go about the streets;

⁶ Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the bor (cistern).

⁷ Then shall the aphar return to ha’aretz as it was; and the ruach shall return unto HaElohim who gave it.

⁸ Hevel havalim, saith Kohelet; all is hevel.

¹³ Let us hear the sof (conclusion) of the whole matter; Fear HaElohim, and of His commandments be shomer mitzvot; for this is the whole duty of haAdam.

¹⁴ For HaElohim shall bring kol ma’aseh (every work) into mishpat (judgment), with every ne’lam (secret thing, concealed thing), whether it be tov (good), or whether it be rah (evil).

²² And Rebbe, Melech, HaMoshiach said to his talmidim, Therefore, I say to you: do not have a LEV ROGEZ (DEVARIM 28:65) for your Chayyim, about your okhel (food) or your basar (body), what you might put on.

²³ For the neshamah is more than okhel and the basar more than gartel (belt) and shtreimel (expensive hat). BERESHIS 47:18; TEHILLIM 16:9 10; IYOV 19:25 27, YESHAYAH 53:11

²⁴ Consider the ravens! They do not sow nor reap, they have no storeroom or asam (granary), yet Hashem feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the OPH HASHOMAYIM [IYOV 38:41; TEHILLIM 147:9]

²⁵ And can any of you by means of a LEV ROGEZ add one cubit to your span of Chayyim?

²⁶ If then you are not able to do even a small thing, why have a LEV ROGEZ about the rest?

²⁷ Consider the lilies! How they grow! A lily does not labor nor spin. But I say to you, not even Shlomo HaMelech in all his kavod was arrayed like one of these. [MELACHIM ALEF 10:4 7]

²⁸ And if Hashem so enrobes the grass of the field, which is here hayom (today) and thrown into the eish makhar (tomorrow), how much more will Hashem enrobe you, you ones of little bitachon.

²⁹ And don’t keep striving after okhel (food) and skikuy (drink), and don’t have a lev rogez (anxious heart).

³⁰ For all these things the Goyim of the Olam Hazeh strive after, but your Av [shbaShomayim] has daas (knowledge) that you need these things.

³¹ But seek the Malchut Hashem, and these things will be added to you as well.