Psalm 144
A psalm of David.
1Give praise to the Lord, my Rock.
He trains my hands for war.
He trains my fingers for battle.
2He is my loving God and is like a fort to me.
He is my place of safety and the God who saves me.
He is like a shield that keeps me safe.
He brings nations under my control.
3Lord, what are human beings that you take care of them?
What are mere people that you think about them?
4Their lives don’t last any longer than a breath.
Their days are like a shadow that quickly disappears.
5Lord, open up your heavens and come down.
Touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.
6Send flashes of lightning and scatter my enemies.
Shoot your arrows and chase them away.
7My enemies are like a mighty flood.
Reach down from heaven and save me.
Save me from outsiders who attack me.
8They tell all kinds of lies with their mouths.
Even when they make a promise by raising their right hands, they don’t mean it.
9My God, I will sing a new song to you.
I will make music to you on a lyre that has ten strings.
10You are the God who helps kings win battles.
You save your servant David.
From death by the sword 11save me.
Set me free from outsiders who attack me.
They tell all kinds of lies with their mouths.
Even when they make a promise by raising their right hands, they don’t mean it.
12While our sons are young,
they will be like healthy plants.
Our daughters will be like pillars
that have been made to decorate a palace.
13Our storerooms will be filled
with every kind of food.
The sheep in our fields will increase by thousands.
They will increase by tens of thousands.
14Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
None of our city walls will be broken down.
No one will be carried off as a prisoner.
No cries of pain will be heard in our streets.
15Blessed is the nation about whom all these things are true.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
A Psalm of David.
1Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:144.1 strength: Heb. rock144.1 to war…: Heb. to the war, etc
2My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.144.2 My goodness: or, My mercy
3LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
7Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;144.7 hand from: Heb. hands from
8Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.144.10 salvation: or, victory
11Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
12That 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:144.12 polished: Heb. cut
13That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:144.13 all…: Heb. from kind to kind
14That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.144.14 strong…: Heb. able to bear burdens, or, loaden with flesh
15Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
