Psalm 127-129
New American Standard Bible
Prosperity Comes from the Lord.
A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord (A)builds a house,
They who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord (B)guards a city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is futile for you to rise up early,
To [a]stay up late,
To (C)eat the bread of painful labor;
This is how He gives to His (D)beloved (E)sleep.
3 Behold, (F)children are a [b]gift of the Lord,
The (G)fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a (H)warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 (I)Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
(J)They will not be ashamed
When they (K)speak with their enemies (L)in the gate.
Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.
A Song of Ascents.
128 (M)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who (N)walks in His ways.
2 When you (O)eat the (P)fruit of the labor of your hands,
You will be happy and (Q)it will go well for you.
3 Your wife will be like a (R)fruitful vine
[c]Within your house,
Your children like (S)olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for so shall a man
Who fears the Lord be blessed.
5 (T)The Lord bless you (U)from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your (V)children’s children.
(W)Peace be upon Israel!
Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.
A Song of Ascents.
129 “[d]Many times they have (X)attacked me from my (Y)youth up,”
(Z)Let Israel say,
2 “[e]Many times they have attacked me from my youth up;
Yet they have (AA)not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”
4 The Lord (AB)is righteous;
He has cut up the (AC)ropes of the wicked.
5 May all who (AD)hate Zion
Be (AE)put to shame and turned backward;
6 May they be like (AF)grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it [f]grows up;
7 With which the harvester does not fill his [g]hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his [h](AG)arms;
8 Nor do those who pass by say,
“The (AH)blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:2 Lit sit late
- Psalm 127:3 Or heritage
- Psalm 128:3 Lit In the innermost parts of
- Psalm 129:1 Lit Much
- Psalm 129:2 Lit Much
- Psalm 129:6 Lit draws out
- Psalm 129:7 Lit palm
- Psalm 129:7 Lit the fold of his robe
Psalm 127-129
New International Version
Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1 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.
2 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)
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward(F) from him.
4 Like arrows(G) in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 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)
Psalm 128
A song of ascents.
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(K)
who walk in obedience to him.(L)
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;(M)
blessings and prosperity(N) will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(O)
within your house;
your children(P) will be like olive shoots(Q)
around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing(R)
for the man who fears the Lord.(S)
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;(T)
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(U)
all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—(V)
peace be on Israel.(W)
Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
1 “They have greatly oppressed(X) me from my youth,”(Y)
let Israel say;(Z)
2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory(AA) over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the Lord is righteous;(AB)
he has cut me free(AC) from the cords of the wicked.”(AD)
5 May all who hate Zion(AE)
be turned back in shame.(AF)
6 May they be like grass on the roof,(AG)
which withers(AH) before it can grow;
7 a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(AI)
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
8 May those who pass by not say to them,
“The blessing of the Lord be on you;
we bless you(AJ) in the name of the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for
Psalm 127-129
King James Version
127 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
128 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.
2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.
129 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
4 The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.
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