1If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked.2Vain for you who are rising early, Who delay sitting, eating the bread of griefs, So He giveth to His beloved one sleep.3Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah are sons, A reward is the fruit of the womb.4As arrows in the hand of a mighty one, So are the sons of the young men.5O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!

A Song of the Ascents.1O the happiness of every one fearing Jehovah, Who is walking in His ways.2The labour of thy hands thou surely eatest, Happy art thou, and good is to thee.3Thy wife is as a fruitful vine in the sides of thy house, Thy sons as olive plants around thy table.4Lo, surely thus is the man blessed who is fearing Jehovah.5Jehovah doth bless thee out of Zion, Look, then, on the good of Jerusalem, All the days of thy life,6And see the sons of thy sons! Peace on Israel!

A Song of the Ascents.1Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:2Often they distressed me from my youth, Yet they have not prevailed over me.3Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.4Jehovah is righteous, He hath cut asunder cords of the wicked.5Confounded and turn backward do all hating Zion.6They are as grass of the roofs, That before it was drawn out withereth,7That hath not filled the hand of a reaper, And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.8And the passers by have not said, `The blessing of Jehovah is on you, We blessed you in the Name of Jehovah!'