Chapter 127
Children Are a Heritage from the LORD
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A song of ascents. Of Solomon. 1Unless… the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless… the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
𐤔𐤉𐤓 𐤄𐤌𐤏𐤋𐤅𐤕 𐤋𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤄 𐤀𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤉𐤁𐤍𐤄 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤁𐤅𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤏𐤌𐤋𐤅 𐤁𐤅 𐤔𐤅𐤀 𐤀𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤓 𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤔𐤅𐤌𐤓 𐤔𐤒𐤃 𐤔𐤅𐤀
שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּֽעֲל֗וֹת לִשְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה אִם־ לֹא־ יְהוָ֤ה׀ יִבְנֶ֬ה בַ֗יִת בוֹנָ֣יו עָמְל֣וּ בּ֑וֹ שָׁ֤וְא׀ אִם־ לֹֽא־ יְהוָ֥ה יִשְׁמָר־ עִ֝֗יר שׁוֹמֵֽר׃ שָׁקַ֬ד שָׁ֤וְא׀ šîr ham·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ liš·lō·mōh ’im- lō- Yah·weh yiḇ·neh ḇa·yiṯ ḇō·w·nāw ‘ā·mə·lū bōw šāw ’im- lō- Yah·weh yiš·mār- ‘îr šō·w·mêr šā·qaḏ šāw — WLC · 1
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In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat— for He gives sleep to His beloved.
𐤔𐤅𐤀 𐤋𐤊𐤌 𐤒𐤅𐤌 𐤌𐤔𐤊𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤌𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉 𐤄𐤏𐤑𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤇𐤌 𐤀𐤊𐤋𐤉 𐤊𐤍 𐤉𐤕𐤍 𐤔𐤍𐤀 𐤋𐤉𐤃𐤉𐤃𐤅
שָׁ֤וְא לָכֶ֨ם׀ ק֡וּם מַשְׁכִּ֪ימֵי שֶׁ֗בֶת מְאַֽחֲרֵי־ הָעֲצָבִ֑ים לֶ֣חֶם אֹ֭כְלֵי כֵּ֤ן יִתֵּ֖ן שֵׁנָֽא׃ לִֽידִיד֣וֹ šāw lā·ḵem qūm maš·kî·mê še·ḇeṯ mə·’a·ḥă·rê- hā·‘ă·ṣā·ḇîm le·ḥem ’ō·ḵə·lê kên yit·tên šê·nā lî·ḏî·ḏōw — WLC · 2
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Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, [and] the fruit of the womb [is His] reward.
𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤍𐤄 𐤍𐤇𐤋𐤕 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤐𐤓𐤉 𐤄𐤁𐤈𐤍 𐤔𐤊𐤓
בָּנִ֑ים הִנֵּ֤ה נַחֲלַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה פְּרִ֣י הַבָּֽטֶן׃ שָׂ֝כָ֗ר bā·nîm hin·nêh na·ḥă·laṯ Yah·weh pə·rî hab·bā·ṭen śā·k̲ār — WLC · 3
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Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so [are] children [born in] one’s youth.
𐤊𐤇𐤑𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤉𐤃 𐤂𐤁𐤅𐤓 𐤊𐤍 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤍𐤏𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤌
כְּחִצִּ֥ים בְּיַד־ גִּבּ֑וֹר כֵּ֝֗ן בְּנֵ֣י הַנְּעוּרִֽים׃ kə·ḥiṣ·ṣîm bə·yaḏ- gib·bō·wr kên bə·nê han·nə·‘ū·rîm — WLC · 4
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Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
𐤀𐤔𐤓𐤉 𐤄𐤂𐤁𐤓 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤀𐤔𐤐𐤕𐤅 𐤌𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤕 𐤌𐤄𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤁𐤔𐤅 𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤀𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤔𐤏𐤓
אַשְׁרֵ֤י הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַשְׁפָּת֗וֹ מִלֵּ֥א אֶת־ מֵ֫הֶ֥ם לֹֽא־ יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ כִּֽי־ יְדַבְּר֖וּ אֶת־ אוֹיְבִ֣ים בַּשָּֽׁעַר׃ ’aš·rê hag·ge·ḇer ’ă·šer ’aš·pā·ṯōw mil·lê ’eṯ- mê·hem lō- yê·ḇō·šū kî- yə·ḏab·bə·rū ’eṯ- ’ō·wy·ḇîm baš·šā·‘ar — WLC · 5