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Psalms · Bible in Basic English

Psalm 127 Bible in Basic English

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About BBE
  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew (not verified)
  • NT: Critical text (not verified)
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Simplified language
  • 1965
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (1)
BBE Bible in Basic English
RV1909 Reina-Valera 1909
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 A Song of the going up. Of Solomon. If the Lord is not helping the builders, then the building of a house is to no purpose: if the Lord does not keep the town, the watchman keeps his watch for nothing.
1 Cántico gradual: para Salomón. SI Jehová no edificare la casa, en vano trabajan los que la edifican: si Jehová no guardare la ciudad, en vano vela la guarda.
1 A Song of Ascents. By Solomon. Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.
2 It is of no use for you to get up early, and to go late to your rest, with the bread of sorrow for your food; for the Lord gives to his loved ones in sleep.
2 Por demás os es el madrugar á levantaros, el veniros tarde á reposar, el comer pan de dolores: pues que á su amado dará [Dios] el sueño.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
3 See, sons are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the body is his reward.
3 He aquí, heredad de Jehová son los hijos: cosa de estima el fruto del vientre.
3 Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a man of war, are the children of the young.
4 Como saetas en mano del valiente, así son los hijos [habidos] en la juventud.
4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.
5 Happy is the man who has a good store of them; he will not be put to shame, but his cause will be supported by them against his haters.
5 Bienaventurado el hombre que hinchió su aljaba de ellos: no será avergonzado cuando hablare con los enemigos en la puerta.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Cross references (5)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Proverbs 16:9; 1 Corinthians 3:7; Proverbs 21:30–31; 1 Corinthians 3:9–15; Psalm 33:16–18
  2. 2 Ecclesiastes 5:12; Psalm 4:8; Job 11:18; Psalm 3:5; Jeremiah 31:26
  3. 3 Psalm 128:3–4; Deuteronomy 28:4; 1 Samuel 1:27; Genesis 48:4; Genesis 33:5
  4. 4 Proverbs 17:6; Proverbs 31:28; Jeremiah 50:9; Psalm 120:4
  5. 5 Proverbs 27:11; Job 42:12–16; Job 5:4; Genesis 50:23

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Commentary Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm CXXVI)

    How man had come into captivity, let us ask the Apostle Paul....For he saith: "For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." Behold whence we became captives; because we were sold under sin. Who sold us? We ourselves, who consented to the seducer. We could sell ourselves; we could not redeem ourselves.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)

  2. Quotes verse 127:1 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XVII, Chapters 12–13)

    … ear of Thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house." For this house is built both by us through living well, and by God through helping us to live well; for "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." And when the final dedication of this house shall take place, then what God here …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  3. Quotes verse 127:1 Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament (Sermon LV)

    "Except the Lord keep the city, he that keepeth it waketh but in vain." And what "city"?

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)

  4. Quotes verse 127:1 Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John (Chapter VIII — 48-59)

    For "He that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth;" and, "Except the Lord keep the city, they wake in vain who keep it." He then is our Keeper who is our Creator.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)