A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. ¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain. ² It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. ³ Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward. ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth. ⁵ How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.