Hymn · Psalm 127

Except the Lord Do Build the House

DETROIT · C.M. · words from the Scottish Psalter, 1650 · music William Bradshaw

Setting: PBHT 1907 (modern) · PBHT 1907 · Southern Harmony 1854 · TBH 1901

auto-underlaid These words and this tune share a meter but have no hand-edited setting; the underlay was fitted automatically (syllable-for-note, validated). The opening stress differs from the tune's — usually fine; trust your ear.

1.Except the Lord do build the house,
the builders lose their pain:
Except the Lord the city keep,
the watchmen watch in vain.

2.'Tis vain for you to rise betimes,
or late from rest to keep,
To feed on sorrows' bread; so gives
he his beloved sleep.

3.Lo, children are God's heritage,
the womb's fruit his reward.
The sons of youth as arrows are,
for strong men's hands prepared.

4.O happy is the man that hath
his quiver filled with those;
They unashamed in the gate
shall speak unto their foes.

Try these words on another tune

RICHMOND — Thomas Haweis
ARLINGTON — Thomas Augustine Arne
AZMON — Carl G. Gläser
BEATITUDO — John Bacchus Dykes
DUNDEE — Scottish Psalter (Edinburgh), 1615
EVAN — or 'Eva' William H. Havergal
LEA — James Lea Summers
NEW BRITAIN — Carrell & Clayton
PETER'S ADMONITION — Joshua Raj
ST. AGNES — John Bacchus Dykes
ST. ANNE — William Croft
ST. ETHELDREDA — Thomas Turton
ST. FLAVIAN — Day's Psalter, 1562
WINCHESTER OLD — Thomas Est, The Whole Book of Psalmes, 1592

Other words for this tune

Psalm 82 — Scottish Psalter, 1650; rev. #doreancon, 2026
A Recital of Gracious Experience — The Psalter, 1912
A Wicked Life — The Psalter, 1912
After Thy Loving-kindness, Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed — Isaac Watts
All Lands to God, in Joyful Sounds — Scottish Psalter, 1650
All People, Clap Your Hands; to God — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Am I a Soldier of the Cross — Isaac Watts
Amazing Grace — John Newton
Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat — John Newton
Be Merciful to Me, O God — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Begin, My Tongue, Some Heavenly Theme — Isaac Watts
Behold the Amazing Gift of Love — Isaac Watts
Behold, Bless Ye the Lord, All Ye — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Behold, How Good a Thing It Is — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Behold! the Mountain of the Lord — Scottish Paraphrases, 1781
Blessed Are They That Undefiled — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Blessed Is Each One That Fears the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
By Babel's Streams We Sat and Wept — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs — Isaac Watts
Confession and Trust — The Psalter, 1912
Confidence in God — The Psalter, 1912
Dependence on God — The Psalter, 1912
Desire After God — The Psalter, 1912
Do Ye, O Congregation — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Fellowship with God — The Psalter, 1912
Give Ear unto Me When I Call — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Give Ear unto My Words, O Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength — Scottish Psalter, 1650
God Moves in a Mysterious Way — William Cowper
God Our Guardian — The Psalter, 1912
God Our Resort in Trouble — The Psalter, 1912
God Reigneth, Let the Earth Be Glad — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Granted Prayers — The Psalter, 1912
Great Is the Lord, and Greatly He — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Had Not the Lord Been on Our Side — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Hark, the Glad Sound — Philip Doddridge
He That Doth in the Secret Place — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Hear This, All People, and Give Ear — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Help, Lord, Because the Godly Man — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Heroic Faith — The Psalter, 1912
How Excellent in All the Earth — Scottish Psalter, 1650
How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me, Lord? — Scottish Psalter, 1650
How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling-place — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I in the Lord Do Put My Trust — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I Love the Lord, Because My Voice — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I Mercy Will and Judgment Sing — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I Said, I Will Look to My Ways — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I to the Hills Will Lift Mine Eyes — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I Waited for the Lord My God — Scottish Psalter, 1650
I with My Voice Cried to the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
In Christ There Is No East or West — John Oxenham
In Gods' Assembly God Doth Stand — Scottish Psalter, 1650
In My Distress to God I Cried — Scottish Psalter, 1650
In Thee, O Lord, I Put My Trust — Scottish Psalter, 1650
In Thy Great Indignation — Scottish Psalter, 1650
In Thy Great Indignation (Second Version) — Scottish Psalter, 1650
JEHOVAH Hear Thee in the Day — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Judge Me, O Lord, for I Have Walked — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Keep Not, O God, We Thee Entreat — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lamp of Our Feet — Bernard Barton
Let Children Hear The Mighty Deeds — Isaac Watts
Let God Arise, and Scattered — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Life With God — The Psalter, 1912
Like as the Hart for Water-brooks — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord Who Throughout These Forty Days — Claudia F. Hernaman
Lord, from the Depths to Thee I Cried — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Hear My Pray'r, Attend My Suits — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Hear My Pray'r, Hide Not Thyself — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Hear the Right, Attend My Cry — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Keep Me; for I Trust in Thee — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Thee I'll Praise with All My Heart — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Thee My God, I'll Early Seek — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Dwelling-place — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Lord, unto Us Be Merciful (Second Version) — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned — Samuel Stennett
Make Haste, O God, Me to Preserve (Second Version) — Scottish Psalter, 1650
My God, Deliver Me from Those — Scottish Psalter, 1650
My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Me — Scottish Psalter, 1650
My Heart Brings Forth a Goodly Thing — Scottish Psalter, 1650
My Heart Not Haughty Is, O Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
My Soul with Expectation — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Not unto Us, Lord, Not to Us — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Blessed Ever Be the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Blessed Is the Man to Whom — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O for a Closer Walk with God — William Cowper
O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing — Charles Wesley
O Give Ye Praise unto the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O God, Give Ear unto My Cry — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O God, the Heathen Entered Have — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O God, We with Our Ears Have Heard — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord God, unto Whom Alone — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord My God, in Thee Do I — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord, Do Thou Bow Down Thine Ear — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord, How Are My Foes Increased? — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord, I unto Thee Do Cry — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord, Thou Hast Been Fav'rable — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord, Thou Hast Me Searched and Known — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Lord, Thy Judgments Give the King — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Sing a New Song to the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O Sing a New Song to the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
O That The Lord Would Guide My Ways — Isaac Watts
O Thou That Dwellest in the Heav'ns — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Oft Did They Vex Me from My Youth — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Pardon and Testimony — The Psalter, 1912
Personal Devotion to God — The Psalter, 1912
Peter's Admonition — Philip Doddridge
Petitions for Deliverance — The Psalter, 1912
Praise and Confession — The Psalter, 1912
Praise God, for He Is Good: for Still — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise God: Ye Servants of the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise God. From Heavens Praise the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise God. The Lord Praise, O My Soul — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise Waits for Thee in Zion, Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise Ye the Lord; for It Is Good — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise Ye the Lord: unto Him Sing — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise Ye the Lord. God's Praise Within — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Praise Ye the Lord. The Man Is Blessed — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Quiet Trust — The Psalter, 1912
Religious Training — The Psalter, 1912
Save Me, O God, Because the Floods — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Save Me, O God, by Thy Great Name — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Shepherd Divine, Our Wants Relieve — Charles Wesley
Show Mercy, Lord, to Me, for Man — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Sing Loud to God Our Strength; with Joy — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Suffering and Prayer — The Psalter, 1912
Th' Eternal Lord Doth Reign as King — Scottish Psalter, 1650
That There Is Not a God, the Fool — Scottish Psalter, 1650
That There Is Not a God, the Fool — Scottish Psalter, 1650
The Blessedness of the Godly — The Psalter, 1912
The Blessings of Grace — The Psalter, 1912
The Divine King and the Worshiper — The Psalter, 1912
The Earth Belongs unto the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
The Goodness of God — The Psalter, 1912
The Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns — Thomas Kelly
The King in Thy Great Strength, O Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
The Kingdom of Our Lord — The Psalter, 1912
The Lord Doth Reign, and Clothed Is He — Scottish Psalter, 1650
The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want — Scottish Psalter, 1650
The Love and Justice of God — The Psalter, 1912
The Name of the Lord — The Psalter, 1912
The Offering of Praise — The Psalter, 1912
The Petitions of a Good Conscience — The Psalter, 1912
The Reign of Christ — The Psalter, 1912
The Righteous Judgment of God — The Psalter, 1912
The Safeguards of Prayer — The Psalter, 1912
The Secret of a Happy Life — The Psalter, 1912
The Value of Holy Scripture — The Psalter, 1912
The Wicked Man's Transgression — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Thee Will I Praise with All My Heart — Scottish Psalter, 1650
There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood — William Cowper
They in the Lord That Firmly Trust — Scottish Psalter, 1650
To Render Thanks unto the Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
To Thee I'll Cry, O Lord, My Rock — Scottish Psalter, 1650
To Thee, O God, Do We Give Thanks — Scottish Psalter, 1650
True Love for the Word — The Psalter, 1912
Unto the Lord I with My Voice — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Upon the Hills of Holiness — Scottish Psalter, 1650
When I to Thee My Prayer Make — Scottish Psalter, 1650
When Isr'el Out of Egypt Went — Scottish Psalter, 1650
When Zion's Bondage God Turned Back — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Wherefore Is It That Thou, O Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks — Nahum Tate
Why Dost Thou Boast, O Mighty Man — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Within Thy Tabernacle, Lord — Scottish Psalter, 1650
Ye Righteous, in the Lord Rejoice — Scottish Psalter, 1650

Same meter but needs editorial underlay: BALLERMA, CLEANSING FOUNTAIN, CRIMOND, GLASGOW, GRÄFENBERG, MANOAH, MARTYRDOM, MCKEE, ORTONVILLE, ST. MAGNUS, ST. STEPHEN, STRACATHRO.

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