Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it,” reminds us that all our work depends on God. It also calls children “the inheritance of the Lord.” In Latin it is the Nisi Dominus, set to music by Monteverdi and Vivaldi. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 126. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 127 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it.
It is vain for you to rise before light, rise ye after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of sorrow. When he shall give sleep to his beloved,
Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.
As arrows in the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken.
Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127 or Psalm 126?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 126 is Psalm 127 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- God is the builder: homes, families, cities and careers last only if God builds them with us.
- Rest and trust: anxious overwork is in vain; God gives to his beloved even in sleep.
- Children are a gift: “Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.”
- Strength for the future: children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior, a family’s hope.
How the Church uses Psalm 127
- In the traditional Vespers of Our Lady, with Psalms 110, 113, 122 and 147, set by Monteverdi in his Vespers of 1610.
- At house blessings, since it asks God to build and guard the home. See the Catholic house blessing.
- For families and the gift of children, with Psalm 128.
A prayer with Psalm 127
Written for this page:
Lord, unless you build our house, we labor in vain.
Build our home and our family on you, and guard us day and night.
Thank you for the gift of children, your inheritance;
give rest to those who are weary and bless the work of our hands. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Unless the Lord builds the house” mean?
That every human work, from a home to a city, succeeds only with God’s help and blessing.
What is Nisi Dominus?
The Latin title of Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord,” famous in settings by Monteverdi, Vivaldi and Handel.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 126 (127), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.