Psalms 144
1 Of David. Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
A Psalm. Of David. Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting:
2 He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
He is my strength, and my Rock; my high tower, and my saviour; my keeper and my hope: he gives me authority over my people.
3 O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
Lord, what is man, that you keep him in mind? or the son of man that you take him into account?
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Man is like a breath: his life is like a shade which is quickly gone.
5 Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
Come down, O Lord, from your heavens: at your touch let the mountains give out smoke.
6 Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them.
With your storm-flames send them in flight: send out your arrows for their destruction.
7 Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners,
Put out your hand from on high; make me free, take me safely out of the great waters, and out of the hands of strange men;
8 whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.
In whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.
9 I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—
I will make a new song to you, O God; I will make melody to you on an instrument of ten cords.
10 to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.
It is God who gives salvation to kings; and who kept his servant David from the wounding sword.
11 Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.
Make me free, and take me out of the hands of strange men, in whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.
12 Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace.
Our sons are like tall young plants; and our daughters like the shining stones of a king's house;
13 Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields.
Our store-houses are full of all good things; and our sheep give birth to thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
14 Our oxen will bear great loads. There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets.
Our oxen are well weighted down; our cows give birth safely; there is no going out, and there is no cry of sorrow in our open places.
15 Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Happy is the nation whose ways are so ordered: yes, happy is the nation whose God is the Lord.
