A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

VERSE STUDY • KJV

Psalm 127:2

KJVBSBWEBASVYLT
[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.

WEB World English Bible

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.

ASV American Standard Version

It is vain for you to rise up early, To take rest late, To eat the bread of toil; For so he giveth unto his beloved sleep.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

Vain for you who are rising early, Who delay sitting, eating the bread of griefs, So He giveth to His beloved one sleep.

Surrounding context — Psalm 127

1 A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain.

2 [It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward.

4 As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the youth.

5 Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Read the whole chapter → · About Psalm →

Topics connected to this verse

Original-language word links

These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.

Cross-references

Ecclesiastes 5:12The sleep of a labouring man [is] sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.Psalm 4:8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.Job 11:18And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig [about thee, and] thou shalt take thy rest in safety.Psalm 3:5I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.Jeremiah 31:26Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.Ecclesiastes 2:20-23Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.Ezekiel 34:25And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.Proverbs 31:15-18She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.Psalm 39:5-6Behold, thou hast made my days [as] an handbreadth; and mine age [is] as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state [is] altogether vanity. Selah.Ecclesiastes 6:7All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.Ecclesiastes 4:8There is one [alone], and [there is] not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet [is there] no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither [saith he], For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This [is] also vanity, yea, it [is] a sore travail.Psalm 60:5That thy beloved may be delivered; save [with] thy right hand, and hear me.Ecclesiastes 2:1-11I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also [is] vanity.Acts 12:5-6Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.Genesis 3:17-19And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;