A song of ascents, ²  by Solomon. If the Lord does not build a house, ³  then those who build it work in vain. If the Lord does not guard a city, ⁴  then the watchman stands guard in vain.

The sleep of the laborer is pleasant – whether he eats little or much – but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

They will not work in vain, or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹  For the Lord will bless their children and their descendants. ² 

Before she goes into labor, she gives birth! Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!

I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre ¹ , because they did it for me, declares the sovereign Lord.

Stay ¹  in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, ²  for the worker deserves his pay. ³  Do not move around from house to house.

The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, ¹  but each will receive his reward according to his work.

So then, dear brothers and sisters, ¹  be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

by holding on to ¹  the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” ¹  and, “The worker deserves his pay.” ² 

Pharaoh was thinking, ¹  “The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor.”

Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers ¹  and 80,000 stonecutters ²  in the hills,

He handed the territory of nations over to them, and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, ¹ 

May the creditor seize ¹  all he owns! May strangers loot his property! ² 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! ¹ 

The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. ¹  They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites ²  living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.

I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; ¹  I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. ²  So all my accomplishments gave me joy; ³  this was my reward for all my effort. ⁴ 

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over ¹  the fruit of his labor ²  as an inheritance ³  to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice! ⁴ 

Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen this? Can a country ¹  be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!