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A King Thanks God for Victory[a]

144 Praise the Lord, my protector!
He trains me for battle
    and prepares me for war.
He is my protector and defender,
    my shelter and savior,
    in whom I trust for safety.
He subdues the nations under me.

(A)Lord, what are mortals, that you notice them;
    mere mortals, that you pay attention to us?
We are like a puff of wind;
    our days are like a passing shadow.

O Lord, tear the sky open and come down;
    touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.
Send flashes of lightning and scatter your enemies;
    shoot your arrows and send them running.
Reach down from above,
    pull me out of the deep water, and rescue me;
    save me from the power of foreigners,
    who never tell the truth
    and lie even under oath.

I will sing you a new song, O God;
    I will play the harp and sing to you.
10 You give victory to kings
    and rescue your servant David.
11 Save me from my cruel enemies;
    rescue me from the power of foreigners,
    who never tell the truth
    and lie even under oath.

12 May our sons in their youth
    be like plants that grow up strong.
May our daughters be like stately columns
    which adorn the corners of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled
    with crops of every kind.
May the sheep in our fields
    bear young by the tens of thousands.
14 May our cattle reproduce plentifully
    without miscarriage or loss.
May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

15 Happy is the nation of whom this is true;
    happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David.

Psalm 144

Of David.

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(A)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,(B)
    my stronghold(C) and my deliverer,
my shield,(D) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples[a](E) under me.

Lord, what are human beings(F) that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;(G)
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.(H)

Part your heavens,(I) Lord, and come down;(J)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(K)
Send forth lightning(L) and scatter(M) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows(N) and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;(O)
    deliver me and rescue me(P)
from the mighty waters,(Q)
    from the hands of foreigners(R)
whose mouths are full of lies,(S)
    whose right hands(T) are deceitful.(U)

I will sing a new song(V) to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre(W) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(X)
    who delivers his servant David.(Y)

From the deadly sword(Z) 11 deliver me;
    rescue me(AA) from the hands of foreigners(AB)
whose mouths are full of lies,(AC)
    whose right hands are deceitful.(AD)

12 Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,(AE)
and our daughters will be like pillars(AF)
    carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(AG)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
14     our oxen(AH) will draw heavy loads.[b]
There will be no breaching of walls,(AI)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.(AJ)
15 Blessed is the people(AK) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
  2. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established