127 A Song of the Ascents, by Solomon. If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked.

² Vain for you who are rising early, Who delay sitting, eating the bread of griefs, So He giveth to His beloved one sleep.

³ Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah [are] sons, A reward [is] the fruit of the womb.

⁴ As arrows in the hand of a mighty one, So [are] the sons of the young men.

⁵ O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!

128 A Song of the Ascents. O the happiness of every one fearing Jehovah, Who is walking in His ways.

² The labour of thy hands thou surely eatest, Happy [art] thou, and good [is] to thee.

³ Thy wife [is] as a fruitful vine in the sides of thy house, Thy sons as olive plants around thy table.

⁴ Lo, surely thus is the man blessed who is fearing Jehovah.

⁵ Jehovah doth bless thee out of Zion, Look, then, on the good of Jerusalem, All the days of thy life,

⁶ And see the sons of thy sons! Peace on Israel!

129 A Song of the Ascents. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:

² Often they distressed me from my youth, Yet they have not prevailed over me.

³ Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.

⁴ Jehovah [is] righteous, He hath cut asunder cords of the wicked.

⁵ Confounded and turn backward do all hating Zion.

⁶ They are as grass of the roofs, That before it was drawn out withereth,

⁷ That hath not filled the hand of a reaper, And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.

⁸ And the passers by have not said, `The blessing of Jehovah [is] on you, We blessed you in the Name of Jehovah!'