If it is not the Lord that builds a house,\par the builder is wasting his time.\par If it is not the Lord that watches over a city,\par the guards are wasting their time.\par
Lord, I am not proud.\par I don’t try to act important.\par I don’t try to do great things.\par I don’t worry about things\par that are too hard for me.\par
My heart breaks as I remember\par \{the good times I had at the temple\}:\par \{I remember\} passing through the crowds\par as I led them all up to God’s temple.\par \{I remember\} the happy songs of praise\par as the crowds celebrated the festivals.\par
One day in your temple is better\par than a thousand days in any other place.\par Standing at the gate of my God’s house\par is better than living in the house\par of a wicked man.\par
Many people will go there. They will say, “Come! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain. Let’s go up to the temple of the God of Jacob. Then God will teach us his way of living. And we will follow him.”
There will be a time when watchmen {\cf2\super [245]} \par shout this message:\par ‘Come, let’s go up to Zion {\cf2\super [246]} \par to worship the Lord our God!’\par Even the watchmen in the hill country of Ephraim {\cf2\super [247]} will shout that message.”\par
People from many nations will go there.\par They will say,\par “Come, let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain.\par Let’s go to the temple of the God of Jacob.\par Then God will teach us his way of living.\par And we will follow him.”\par