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[A Psalm] of David.

144 Blessed be Jehovah my rock, who teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight;

My mercy and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me!

Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him, the son of man, that thou takest thought of him?

Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

Jehovah, bow thy heavens, and come down; touch the mountains, that they smoke;

Cast forth lightnings, and scatter them; send forth thine arrows, and discomfit them:

Stretch out thy hands from above; rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of aliens,

Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

O God, I will sing a new song unto thee; with the ten-stringed lute will I sing psalms unto thee:

10 Who givest salvation unto kings; who rescuest David thy servant from the hurtful sword.

11 Rescue me, and deliver me from the hand of aliens, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; our daughters as corner-columns, sculptured after the fashion of a palace:

13 Our granaries full, affording all manner of store; our sheep bringing forth thousands, ten thousands in our pastures;

14 Our kine laden [with young]; no breaking in and no going forth, and no outcry in our streets.

15 Blessed the people that is in such a case! Blessed the people whose God is Jehovah!

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