A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it: unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman wakes, but in vain.

Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain: yet surely my due justice is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor to feed the fire, and the people shall weary themselves in vain?

I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest you perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD gives you.

Cursed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your land, the increase of your cattle, and the offspring of your sheep.

You shall carry much seed out into the field, and shall gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.

You shall have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

You looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that is in ruins, and you run every man unto his own house.

And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground brings forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.

Since those days were, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the winepress to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.