1  Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord ^xwatches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

2  It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious ^ytoil;

for he gives to his ^zbeloved ^asleep.

3  Behold, ^bchildren are a heritage from the Lord,

^cthe fruit of the womb a reward.

4  Like arrows in the hand of ^da warrior

are the children¹ of one’s youth.

5  Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies ^ein the gate.²

1  O Lord, ^ohow many are my foes!

Many are ^prising against me;

2  many are saying of my soul,

^q“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah¹

3  But you, O Lord, are ^ra shield ^sabout me,

my glory, and ^tthe lifter of my head.

4  I ^ucried aloud to the Lord,

and he ^vanswered me from his ^wholy hill. Selah

5  I ^xlay down and slept;

I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

6  I ^ywill not be afraid of many thousands of people

who have ^zset themselves against me all around.

7  ^aArise, O Lord!

Save me, O my God!

For you ^bstrike all my enemies on the cheek;

you ^cbreak the teeth of the wicked.

8  ^dSalvation belongs to the Lord;

your blessing be on your people! Selah

1  Answer me when I call, O God of my ^frighteousness!

You have ^ggiven me relief when I was in distress.

Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

2  O men,² how long shall my honor be turned into shame?

How long will you love vain words and seek after ^hlies? Selah

3  But know that the Lord has ⁱset apart ^jthe godly for himself;

the Lord hears when I call to him.

4  ^kBe angry,³ and do not sin;

^lponder in your own hearts ^mon your beds, and be silent. Selah

5  Offer ⁿright sacrifices,

and put your ^otrust in the Lord.

6  There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?

^pLift up ^qthe light of your face upon us, O Lord!”

7  You have put ^rmore joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8  In peace I will both ^slie down and sleep;

for you alone, O Lord, make me ^tdwell in safety.

1  Give ear to my words, O Lord;

consider my ^ugroaning.

2  Give attention to the sound of my cry,

my ^vKing and my God,

for ^wto you do I pray.

3  O Lord, in ^xthe morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you⁴ and ^ywatch.

4  For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil may not dwell with you.

5  The ^zboastful shall not ^astand before your eyes;

you ^bhate all evildoers.

6  You destroy those who speak ^clies;

the Lord abhors ^dthe bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7  But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house.

I will ^ebow down ^ftoward your ^gholy temple

in the fear of you.

8  ^hLead me, O Lord, in your righteousness

because of my enemies;

ⁱmake your way straight before me.

9  For there is no truth in their mouth;

their inmost self is ^jdestruction;

^ktheir throat is ^lan open grave;

they ^mflatter with their tongue.

10  ⁿMake them bear their guilt, O God;

let them ^ofall by their own counsels;

because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,

for they have rebelled against you.

11  But let all who ^ptake refuge in you ^qrejoice;

let them ever sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may ^rexult in you.

12  For you ^sbless the righteous, O Lord;

you ^tcover him with favor as with ^ua shield.

13  As ^ra father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion ^pto those who fear him.

13  For you ^eformed my inward parts;

you ^fknitted me together in my mother’s womb.

14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.¹

^gWonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

15  ^hMy frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in ⁱthe depths of the earth.

16  Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your ^jbook were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.