1 Unless Yahweh builds the house,

they who build it labor in vain.

Unless Yahweh watches over the city,

the watchman guards it in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early,

to stay up late,

eating the bread of toil,

for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

3 Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh.

The fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,

so are the children of youth.

5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.

They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

1 שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלֹות לִשְׁלֹמֹה אִם־יְהוָה ׀ לֹא־יִבְנֶה בַיִת שָׁוְא ׀ עָמְלוּ בֹונָיו בֹּו אִם־יְהוָה לֹא־יִשְׁמָר־עִיר שָׁוְא ׀ שָׁקַד שֹׁומֵר׃

2 שָׁוְא לָכֶם ׀ מַשְׁכִּימֵי קוּם מְאַחֲרֵי־שֶׁבֶת אֹכְלֵי לֶחֶם הָעֲצָבִים כֵּן יִתֵּן לִידִידֹו שֵׁנָא׃

3 הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְהוָה בָּנִים כָר פְּרִי הַבָּטֶן׃

4 כְּחִצִּים בְּיַד־גִּבֹּור כֵּן בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים׃

5 אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת־אַשְׁפָּתֹו מֵהֶם לֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ כִּי־יְדַבְּרוּ אֶת־אֹויְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר׃