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Davidic

A Song for God’s Provision

144 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for battle
        and my fingers for warfare,
he is my gracious love and my fortress,
    my strong tower and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I find refuge,
    who subdues[a] peoples[b] under me.

Lord, what are human beings,
    that you should care about them,
or mortal man,
    that you should think about him?
The human person is a mere empty breath;
    his days are like a fading shadow.

Bow your heavens, Lord, and descend;[c]
    touch the mountains, and they will smolder.
Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy,[d]
    shoot your arrows and confuse them.
Reach down your hand from your high place;
    rescue me and deliver me from mighty waters,
        from the control of foreigners.[e]
Their mouths speak lies,
    and their right hand deceives,[f]

God, I will sing a new song to you.
    On a harp of ten strings I will play to you—
10 to you who gives victory to kings,
    rescuing his servant David from cruel swords.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
    from the control of foreigners,[g]
whose mouths speak lies,
    and whose right hand deceives.[h]

12 May our sons in their youth be like full-grown plants,
    and our daughters like pillars
        destined to decorate a palace.
13 May our granaries be filled,
    storing produce in abundance;
may our sheep bring forth thousands,
    even tens of thousands in our fields.
14 May our cattle grow heavy with young,
    with no damage or loss.
May there be no cry of anguish in our streets!

15 Happy are the people to whom these things come;
    happy are the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 So LXX; the Heb. lacks subdues
  2. Psalm 144:2 So DSS 11QPsa Sebir Aquila Syr Targ Hieronymus; cf. Psa 18:48; 2 Sam 22:48; LXX reads subdues my people
  3. Psalm 144:5 So MT (imperfect verb); LXX, DSS 11QPsa read and descend!; i.e. a verb of command
  4. Psalm 144:6 Lit. scatter them
  5. Psalm 144:7 Lit. the hand of the sons of strangers
  6. Psalm 144:8 I.e. they swear to false oaths
  7. Psalm 144:11 Lit. the hand of the sons of strangers
  8. Psalm 144:11 I.e. they swear to false oaths

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