A Ma῾alot Poem for Shelomo. Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labour in vain: unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

[(A psalm of David through the Holy Spirit relating to what is destined to transpire with Solomon his son — that on the day he built the Temple he would marry Pharaoh's daughter, viz. Jeremiah 32:31)]

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of toil: for truly to his beloved he gives tranquillity.

Vain [are your labors] unto you, you who rise early, who sit late [at your work], who eat the bread of sorrow. So, [even without such labors] will He give [what he needs] to him who makes sleep wander [from his eyes in the study of Torah].

Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Behold, the legacy of the L rd [to that man] are sons [i.e., the Torah scholars that he raises, who are like sons to him, the reward of the fruit of his innards [i.e., of the Torah in his heart (viz. Proverbs 22:18)]

As arrows in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of one’s youth.

Like arrows in the hand of a hero, so are the sons of his youth [i.e., the Torah scholars that he raises from his youth.

Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them: they shall not be put to shame, but they shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will not be put to shame when they debate [in halachah] with their "adversaries" in the gate [of learning].