1 A song from Solomon for going up to the Temple. If it is not the Lord who builds a house, the builders are wasting their time. If it is not the Lord who watches over the city, the guards are wasting their time.
2 It is a waste of time to get up early and stay up late, trying to make a living. The Lord provides for those he loves, even while they are sleeping.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord, a reward from a mother's womb.
4 A young man's sons are like the arrows in a soldier's hand.
5 The man who fills his quiver with sons will be very blessed. He will never be defeated when he opposes his enemy at the city gates.