1271 Unless e the Lord builds the house , They labor in vain who build it; Unless e the Lord guards the city , The watchman keeps awake in vain . 2 It is vain for you to rise up early , To retire late , To eat the bread of painful labors ; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep . 3 Behold , children are a gift of the Lord , The fruit of the womb is a reward . 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior , So are the children of one's youth . 5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate .
