1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless ^athe Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. ‡

2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To ^aeat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep. ‡

3 Behold, ^achildren are a heritage from the Lord,
^bThe fruit of the womb is a ^creward. ‡

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.