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Psalm 144

A Prayer for the Nation

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By David.

Praise

Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war.
He shows me mercy.
He is my stronghold, my high fortress.
He is my deliverer and my shield,
so I take refuge in him.
He subdues peoples[a] under me.

Need

Lord, what is man that you notice him,
the son of man that you consider him?
Man is like a breath.[b]
His days are like a passing shadow.

Petition

Lord, rip open your heavens and come down.
Touch the mountains so that they smoke.
Send out lightning and scatter them.
Shoot your arrows and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high.
Rescue me and snatch me from the mighty waters,
from the hand of foreigners whose mouths speak lies,
who raise their right hands to a false oath.[c]

Praise

God, I will sing a new song to you.
On the ten-stringed harp I will make music to you,
10     to you who gives victory to kings,
    to you who delivers David his servant from the evil sword.

Petition

11 Rescue me and snatch me from the hand of foreigners
    whose mouths speak lies,
    who raise their right hands to a false oath.

The Results of Victory

12 Then our sons in their youth will be like full-grown plants.
Our daughters will be like corner pillars carved to decorate a palace.
13 Our storehouses will be filled with produce of every kind.
Our flocks will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our countryside.
14 Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
There will be no breaking through our walls,
no exile into captivity,
no cry of distress in our city squares.
15 How blessed are the people for whom this is so.
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 Hebrew variant. The main Hebrew reading is my people.
  2. Psalm 144:4 Or vapor
  3. Psalm 144:8 Literally their right hand a right hand of falseness

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