UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE
Key verse: 127:1
NIV
Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Unless the Lord Builds the House
A Song of (A)Ascents. Of Solomon.127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord (B)watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious (C)toil;
for he gives to his (D)beloved (E)sleep.
3 Behold, (F)children are a heritage from the Lord,
(G)the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of (H)a warrior
are the children[a] of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies (I)in the gate.[b]
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Footnotes
- Psalm 127:4 Or sons
- Psalm 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord (B)watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious (C)toil;
for he gives to his (D)beloved (E)sleep.
3 Behold, (F)children are a heritage from the Lord,
(G)the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of (H)a warrior
are the children[a] of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies (I)in the gate.[b]
Footnotes
- Psalm 127:4 Or sons
- Psalm 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
First, unless the Lord... (1-2). Life is from the Lord. We live our lives for the Lord. Apart from him all of our labor is in vain. Many people seek to accumulate wealth or power in this world. But the legacy of the life apart from the Lord is perishable. It is a cursed life, toiling for food to eat but ending in death. There is no rest in such a life, for the end is to be laid in the dust of the ground. God is our creator. He builds his people into the house of God to reveal himself. When we yield ourselves to the Lord he uses us and blesses us with the assurance that this life is not in vain, but a precious building block of his eternal glory. Second, sons are a heritage from the Lord (3-5). Children are a gift from the Lord. They are truly a blessing, and they belong to him. They are a part of what God is building. When we live as stewards of God's life in them, we know that we are blessed. They will never be put to shame, for they belong to the Lord, a part of his house and his kingdom.
Prayer: Lord, make me a part of your house and your eternal kingdom. Use me as you will.
One Word: The Lord builds the house
