Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
And go round about the city.
2
They shall wander up and down for food,
3
And tarry all night if they be not satisfied.
4
But I will sing of thy strength;
5
Yea, I will sing aloud of thy lovingkindness in the morning:
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
Unless Jehovah build the house, in vain do its builders labour in it; unless Jehovah keep the city, the keeper watcheth in vain:
2
It is vain for you to rise up early, to lie down late, to eat the bread of sorrows: so to his beloved one he giveth sleep.
3
Lo, children are an inheritance from Jehovah, [and] the fruit of the womb a reward.
4
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.
5
Happy is the man that hath filled his quiver with them. They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
A Song of Degrees. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord; who walk in his ways.
2
Thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee.
3
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine on the sides of thy house: thy children as young olive-plants round about thy table.
4
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord.
5
May the Lord bless thee out of Sion; and mayest thou see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
6
And mayest thou see thy children's children. Peace be upon Israel.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Canticum graduum. Beati omnes, qui timent Dominum, qui ambulant in viis eius.
2
Labores manuum tuarum quia manducabis: beatus es, et bene tibi erit.
3
Uxor tua sicut vitis abundans, in lateribus domus tuæ. Filii tui sicut novellæ olivarum, in circuitu mensæ tuæ.
4
Ecce sic benedicetur homo, qui timet Dominum.
5
Benedicat tibi Dominus ex Sion: et videas bona Ierusalem omnibus diebus vitæ tuæ.
6
Et videas filios filiorum tuorum, pacem super Israel.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
A Song of Ascents. By Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.
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
Behold, children are a heritage of the LORD. The fruit of the womb is his reward.
4
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.
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.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
A Song of the Ascents, by Solomon. If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked.
2
Vain for you who are rising early, Who delay sitting, eating the bread of griefs, So He giveth to His beloved one sleep.
3
Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah <FI>are<Fi> sons, A reward <FI>is<Fi> the fruit of the womb.
4
As arrows in the hand of a mighty one, So <FI>are<Fi> the sons of the young men.
5
O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).