< Psalms 144 >
1 [A Psalm] of David. Blessed [be] the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, [and] my fingers to fight:
Of David. Blest be the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for fighting.
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and [he] in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
My rock and my fortress, my tower, my deliverer, my shield, behind whom I take refuge, who lays nations low at my feet.
3 LORD, what [is] man, that thou takest knowledge of him! [or] the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
Lord, what are mortals that you care for them, humans, that you think of them?
4 Man is like to vanity: his days [are] as a shadow that passeth away.
They are like a breath, their days as a shadow that passes.
5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Lord, bow your heavens and come down: touch the hills, so that they smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Flash forth lightning and scatter them, your arrows send forth and confound them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
Stretch out your hand from on high; pluck me out of the mighty waters, out of the hands of foreigners,
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood.
who speak with the mouth of falsehood, and lift their right hand to swear lies.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery [and] an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
O God, a new song I would sing you, on a ten-stringed harp make you music.
10 [It is he] that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
For to kings you give the victory, and David your servant you save.
11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood:
Snatch me from the cruel sword, rescue me from the hand of foreigners, who speak with the mouth of falsehood, and lift their right hand to swear lies.
12 That our sons [may be] as plants grown up in their youth; [that] our daughters [may be] as corner stones, polished [after] the similitude of a palace:
May our sons in their youth be as plants well tended: our daughters like cornices carved as in palaces.
13 [That] our garners [may be] full, affording all manner of store: [that] our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
May our barns be bursting with produce of all kinds. In the fields may our sheep bear by thousands and ten thousands.
14 [That] our oxen [may be] strong to labour; [that there be] no breaking in, nor going out; that [there be] no complaining in our streets.
May our cattle be fat, our walls unbreached, may no cry of distress ring in our streets.
15 Happy [is that] people, that is in such a case: [yea], happy [is that] people, whose God [is] the LORD.
Happy the people who fares so well: and so fares the people whose God is the Lord.