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The Bible Psalms Psalm 126

Psalm 126

Ψαλμοί

Psalm 127 in the Hebrew numbering, which most Western Bibles follow.

1 ᾨδὴ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν. ΕΑΝ μὴ Κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον, εἰς μάτην ἐκοπίασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες· ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος φυλάξῃ πόλιν, εἰς μάτην ἠγρύπνησεν ὁ φυλάσσων.

(127) A Song of Degrees. Except the Lord build the house, they that build labour in vain: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watches in vain.

2 εἰς μάτην ὑμῖν ἐστι τὸ ὀρθρίζειν, ἐγείρεσθαι μετὰ τὸ καθῆσθαι, οἱ ἐσθίοντες ἄρτον ὀδύνης, ὅταν δῷ τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς αὐτοῦ ὕπνον.

It is vain for you to rise early: you⌃ rise up after resting, you⌃ that eat the bread of grief; while he gives sleep to his beloved.

3 ἰδοὺ ἡ κληρονομία Κυρίου υἱοί, ὁ μισθὸς τοῦ καρποῦ τῆς γαστρός.

Behold, the inheritance of the Lord, children, the reward of the fruit of the womb.

4 ὡσεὶ βέλη ἐν χειρὶ δυνατοῦ, οὕτως οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἐκτετιναγμένων.

As arrows in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of those who were outcasts.

5 μακάριος ὃς πληρώσει τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτοῦ ἐξ αὐτῶν· οὐ καταισχυνθήσονται, ὅταν λαλῶσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτῶν ἐν πύλαις.

Blessed is the man who shall satisfy his desire with them: they shall not be ashamed when they shall speak to their enemies in the gates.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.