Psalms 144
1 [A Psalm] of David. Blessed [be] the LORD my strength, who teacheth my hands to war, [and] my fingers to fight;
A psalm of David. Praise the Lord—he is my rock. He trains me for battle, he gives me skill for war.
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.
He is the one who faithfully loves me, protects me, and defends me. He is the one who rescues me, shields me from danger, and keeps me safe. He defeats nations and places them under my rule.
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 human beings that you should care about them? What are people that you should concern yourself with them?
4 Man is like to vanity: his days [are] as a shadow that passeth away.
Humanity is like a breath; their lives are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Part your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains so that they give off smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot thy arrows, and destroy them.
Scatter your enemies with flashes of lightning! Let your arrows fly and send them running in confusion!
7 Send thy hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
Stretch down your hand from heaven and set me free. Rescue me from raging waters, from the oppression of foreign enemies.
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood.
They are such liars, even telling lies under oath.
9 I will sing a new song to thee, O God: upon a psaltery [and] an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises to thee.
God, I will sing a new song to you, accompanied by a ten-stringed harp,
10 [It is he] that giveth salvation to kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
to you, the one who gives victory to kings. You saved your servant David from death by the sword.
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:
Set me free. Rescue me from the oppression of foreign enemies. They are such liars, even telling lies under oath.
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:
Then our sons will grow up like plants in their youth and become mature, and our daughters will be like beautiful pillars carved to support a palace.
13 [That] our granaries [may be] full, affording all manner of store; [that] our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
Our storehouses will be full of all kinds of crops; our flocks of sheep will grow by thousands, increasing by tens of thousands in the pastures.
14 [That] our oxen [may be] strong to labor; that [there be] no breaking in, nor going out; that [there be] no complaining in our streets.
Our cattle will grow fat. No one will break down our city walls, there will be no exile, no cries of mourning in our town squares.
15 Happy [is that] people, that is in such a case: [yes], happy [is that] people, whose God [is] the LORD.
The people who live like this will be happy. Happy are those whose God is the Lord.
