א שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, לִשְׁלֹמֹה:
אִם-יְהוָה, לֹא-יִבְנֶה בַיִת— שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ;
אִם-יְהוָה לֹא-יִשְׁמָר-עִיר, שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר. |
1 A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. {N}
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it; {N}
except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. |
ב שָׁוְא לָכֶם מַשְׁכִּימֵי קוּם, מְאַחֲרֵי-שֶׁבֶת—
אֹכְלֵי, לֶחֶם הָעֲצָבִים;
כֵּן יִתֵּן לִידִידוֹ שֵׁנָא. |
2 It is vain for you that ye rise early, and sit up late, {N}
ye that eat the bread of toil; {N}
so He giveth unto His beloved in sleep. |
| ג הִנֵּה נַחֲלַת יְהוָה בָּנִים: שָׂכָר, פְּרִי הַבָּטֶן. |
3 Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward. |
| ד כְּחִצִּים בְּיַד-גִּבּוֹר— כֵּן, בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים. |
4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of one’s youth. |
ה אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר— אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת-אַשְׁפָּתוֹ, מֵהֶם:
לֹא-יֵבֹשׁוּ— כִּי-יְדַבְּרוּ אֶת-אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר. |
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; {N}
they shall not be put to shame, when they speak with their enemies in the gate. {P} |
