Psalms 144
1 I praise Yahweh, who is [like an overhanging] rock [under which I] ([get refuge/am protected])! He trains my hands so that I can use them to fight battles; he trains my fingers so that I can [shoot arrows in a war].
A Psalm of David versus Goliath. Blessed is the Lord, my God, who trains my hands for the battle and my fingers for the war.
2 He is the one who protects me; he is [like] a fortress [DOU] in which I am safe, he protects me [like] [protect soldiers] [MET], and he gives me refuge. He defeats [other] nations and [then] puts them under my power.
My mercy and my refuge, my supporter and my deliverer, my protector and him in whom I have hoped: he subdues my people under me.
3 Yahweh, [we] people are [very insignificant/unimportant], so why (are you concerned/do you care about us) [RHQ]? [It is amazing to me that] you pay attention to humans.
O Lord, what is man that you have become known to him? Or the son of man that you consider him?
4 [The time that we live is as short] as [SIM] a puff of wind; our time to live disappears like a shadow does.
Man has been made similar to vanity. His days pass by like a shadow.
5 Yahweh, (tear open/open up) the sky and come down! Touch the mountains in order that smoke will pour out from them!
O Lord, incline your heavens and descend. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
6 Cause lightning to flash with the result that [your enemies] will run away! Shoot your arrows [at them] and cause them to (run away/scatter).
Send a flash of lightning, and you will scatter them. Shoot your arrows, and you will set them in disarray.
7 [It is as though my enemies surround me like] a flood; reach your hand down from heaven and rescue me from them [SYN]. They are men from other countries
Send forth your hand from on high: rescue me, and free me from many waters, from the hand of the sons of foreigners.
8 who [SYN] [always] tell lies. [Even in a courtroom where they swear to tell the truth] they tell lies.
Their mouth has been speaking vain things, and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity.
9 God, I will sing a new song to you, and I will play my ten-stringed harp [while I sing] to you.
To you, O God, I will sing a new song. On the psaltery, with an instrument of ten strings, I will sing psalms to you.
10 You enable kings to defeat [their enemies]; and you rescued me, your servant David, from [being killed by] my enemies’ swords.
He gives salvation to kings. He has redeemed your servant David from the malignant sword.
11 [So I ask you to] save me from [being killed by] the swords [that those] evil [people carry]. Rescue me from the power [MTY] of those foreigners who [SYN] [always] tell lies, and [who raise] their right hands [in courtrooms when they solemnly declare that they will tell the truth].
Rescue me, and deliver me from the hand of the sons of foreigners. Their mouth has been speaking vain things, and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity.
12 I wish/hope that our young sons will grow up to be like strong plants [SIM], and I wish/hope that our daughters will [grow up to] be [straight and tall] like the pillars [SIM] that stand in the corners of palaces.
Their sons are like new plantings in their youth. Their daughters are dressed up: adorned all around like the idols of a temple.
13 I wish/hope that our barns will be full of many different crops. I wish/hope that the sheep in our fields will give birth to tens of thousands of baby lambs.
Their cupboards are full: overflowing from one thing into another. Their sheep bear young, brought forth in abundance.
14 I wish/hope that our cows will give birth to many calves without having any miscarriages or deaths when they are born (OR, that no enemies will break through our city walls and take us (into exile/to their own countries)). I wish/hope that [there will not be a time when the people in] our streets cry out in distress [because foreign armies are invading].
Their cattle are fat. There is no ruined wall or passage, nor anyone crying out in their streets.
15 If good things like that happen to a nation, the people will be very happy. The people whose God is Yahweh are the ones who will be happy!
They have called the people that has these things: blessed. But blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
