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Verse
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Psalm chapter 127

English Standard Version

1A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
New International Version

1A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
2In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. 4Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. 5Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
New American Standard Bible

1Unless the Lord builds a house, They who build it labor in vain; Unless the Lord guards a city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2It is futile for you to rise up early, To stay up late, To eat the bread of painful labor; This is how He gives to His beloved sleep. 3Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Christian Standard Bible

1Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.
2In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food-- yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves. 3Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one's youth. 5Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.
New Living Translation

1Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. 4Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. 5How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
King James Version

1{A Song of degrees for Solomon.} 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. 2It 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. 3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5Happy 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.

What does Psalm chapter 127 mean?

The psalmist here is Solomon. This is a "song of ascents," meaning it was used as pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem for one of the required feasts (Exodus 23:14–17).

The first part of this psalm notes the futility of working without considering godly truth. Without God's will, or His approval, or His wisdom, all human effort is ultimately pointless. That applies both to things we attempt to build and those things we have and try to keep. Jesus delivers a parallel message in Matthew 7:24–27. No matter how much stress, or effort, or loss of sleep a person suffers, they cannot overcome starting from godless foundations (Psalm 127:1–2).

The second part of Solomon's song celebrates the blessing of children. This is tied to the earlier theme of building according to godly wisdom. When someone has children in their youth, those offspring become part of their defense and support in their old age. In that sense, a person with many children is fortunate in the same way as a warrior is with a full quiver of arrows. Solomons' meaning is not that people are obligated to have as many children as possible. Rather, this is a celebration of the value each child brings and the blessing God implies when they are born (Psalm 127:3–5).
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