Psalm 126:1–127:5

¹When Yahweh ^1areturned ²the captive ones of Zion,

We were ^blike those who dream.

²Then our ^amouth was filled with laughter

And our ^btongue with shouts of joy;

Then they said among the nations,

“Yahweh has ^cdone great things for them.”

³Yahweh has done great things for us;

We are ^aglad.

⁴Restore our captivity, O Yahweh,

As the ^1astreams in the Negev.

⁵Those who sow in ^atears shall reap with ^bshouts of joy.

⁶He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,

Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves with him.

PSALM 127

Unless Yahweh Builds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

¹Unless Yahweh ^abuilds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless Yahweh ^bwatches the city,

The watchman keeps awake in vain.

²It is in vain that you rise up early,

That you sit out late,

O you who ^aeat the bread of ¹painful labors;

For in this manner, He gives ^bsleep to His ^cbeloved.

³Behold, ^achildren are ¹an inheritance of Yahweh,

The ^bfruit of the womb is a reward.

⁴Like arrows in the hand of a ^awarrior,

So are the children of one’s youth.

⁵How ^ablessed is the man who fills his quiver with them;

^bThey will not be ashamed

When they ^cspeak with enemies ^din the gate.