Psalm 144
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Psalm 144
Prayer for National Deliverance and Security
Of David.
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
2 my rock[a] and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues the peoples[b] under me.
3 O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them,
or mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;
their days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
touch the mountains so that they smoke.
6 Make the lightning flash and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them.
7 Stretch out your hand from on high;
set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,
from the hand of aliens,
8 whose mouths speak lies,
and whose right hands are false.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 the one who gives victory to kings,
who rescues his servant David.
11 Rescue me from the cruel sword,
and deliver me from the hand of aliens,
whose mouths speak lies,
and whose right hands are false.
12 May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars,
cut for the building of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled,
with produce of every kind;
may our sheep increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields,
14 and may our cattle be heavy with young.
May there be no breach in the walls,[c] no exile,
and no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;
happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:2 With 18.2 and 2 Sam 22.2: Heb my steadfast love
- Psalm 144:2 Heb Mss Syr Aquila Jerome: MT my people
- Psalm 144:14 Heb lacks in the walls
Psalm 144
English Standard Version
My Rock and My Fortress
Of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, my (A)rock,
(B)who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my (C)steadfast love and my (D)fortress,
my (E)stronghold and my deliverer,
my (F)shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who (G)subdues peoples[a] under me.
3 O Lord, (H)what is man that you (I)regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 (J)Man is like a breath;
his days are like (K)a passing (L)shadow.
5 (M)Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
(N)Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 (O)Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
(P)send out your arrows and rout them!
7 (Q)Stretch out your hand from on high;
(R)rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand (S)of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak (T)lies
and whose right hand is (U)a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing (V)a new song to you, O God;
upon (W)a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who (X)rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand (Y)of foreigners,
whose mouths speak (Z)lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth
be like (AA)plants full grown,
our daughters like (AB)corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 (AC)may our granaries be full,
(AD)providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;[b]
may there be no (AE)cry of distress in our streets!
15 (AF)Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
(AG)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people
- Psalm 144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out
Psalm 144
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, (A)my rock,
Who (B)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My faithfulness and (C)my fortress,
My (D)stronghold and my savior,
My (E)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who (F)subdues [a]my people under me.
3 Lord, (G)what is man, that You look after him?
Or a son of man, that You think of him?
4 (H)Man is like the breath;
His (I)days are like a passing shadow.
5 (J)Bend down Your heavens, Lord, and (K)come down;
(L)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth (M)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your (N)arrows and confuse them.
7 Reach out with Your hand (O)from on high;
Rescue me and (P)save me from great waters,
From the hand of (Q)foreigners
8 Whose mouths (R)speak deceit,
And whose (S)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 God, I will sing a (T)new song to You;
On a (U)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (V)gives salvation to kings,
Who (W)rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of (X)foreigners,
Whose mouth (Y)speaks deceit
And whose (Z)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 When our sons in their youth are like (AA)growing plants,
And our daughters like (AB)corner pillars [b]fashioned for a palace,
13 Our (AC)granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our [c]fields;
14 May our (AD)cattle [d]be bred
Without [e](AE)mishap and without [f](AF)loss,
May there be no (AG)outcry in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people who are so situated;
(AH)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:2 Another reading is peoples
- Psalm 144:12 Lit cut after the pattern of
- Psalm 144:13 Lit outside
- Psalm 144:14 Lit be laden
- Psalm 144:14 Lit breach
- Psalm 144:14 Lit going out; i.e., miscarriage
Psalm 144
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 144[a]
Prayer for Victory and Peace
1 [b]Of David.
Blessed be the Lord,[c] my Rock,
who trains my hands for war
and my fingers for battle.
2 You are my safeguard[d] and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield in whom I take refuge,
the one who subdues nations under me.
3 O Lord, what is man that you care for him,
or the son of man that you think of him?[e]
4 Man is nothing more than a breath;
his days are like a fleeting shadow.[f]
5 [g]Part the heavens, O Lord, and descend;
touch the mountains so that they smoke.[h]
6 Flash forth lightning bolts and scatter my foes;
rout them with your arrows.[i]
7 Reach forth your hand[j] from on high;
deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters
and from the power of foreign foes
8 whose mouths utter lies[k]
and whose right hands are raised to swear to untruths.
9 [l]I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on a ten-stringed lyre I will play music for you.[m]
10 You grant victory to kings
and deliverance to your servant David from the cruel sword.[n]
11 Deliver me and rescue me
from the hands of foreign foes
whose mouths utter lies
and whose right hands are raised to swear to untruths.[o]
12 [p]May our sons in their youth
be like carefully nurtured plants,
and may our daughters be like pillars
designed to adorn a palace.[q]
13 May our barns be filled
with every kind of crop.
May our sheep increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields,[r]
14 and may our cattle be well fed.[s]
May there be no breach in our walls,
no going into exile,
no cries of distress in our streets.
15 Blessed are the people for whom this is true;
blessed[t] are the people whose God is the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:1 This psalm combines two compositions that are quite different in rhythm and tone. The first is suited to a royal liturgy and is drawn largely from Ps 18, a canticle of the king’s victories. The second part was originally a kind of fine painting to illustrate a time of prosperity. By the time of the final redaction of the psalm, the monarchy had disappeared, and the two compositions were combined into a hymn of the Messianic Hope.
A new David will come, the true Messiah upon whom will rest the blessing of God for the benefit of the whole community. He will inaugurate an era of happiness and peace. The ancient images are nothing more than starting points, giving color and life to this prayer of expectation. The essential point is to preserve the hope of a humanity finally filled with the joy of God. It is in this vein that we can pray it with Christ in mind. - Psalm 144:1 In jubilant language the psalmist praises God as the Redeemer-King who cares for him and watches over him, because he has the inherent weakness of all humans and is in need of help.
- Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the Lord: the psalm begins with the prayer of David in 1 Chr 29:10 and the prayers in Tob 3:11; 8:5, 15; 13:1 (see Dan 3:26; Lk 1:68; Eph 1:3). My Rock . . . for battle: see Ps 18:35, 47.
- Psalm 144:2 This verse reflects Ps 18:3, 48. My safeguard: literally, “my unfailing kindness” (see note on Ps 6:5).
- Psalm 144:3 This verse reflects Ps 8:5.
- Psalm 144:4 This verse is close to Ps 39:6-7 (see also Job 14:2).
- Psalm 144:5 The psalmist calls upon God to become involved and deliver him, to come as the Divine Warrior as he did at Sinai. There he came accompanied by volcanic eruption, thunder, and lightning to save his people (see Ex 19:11, 18f).
- Psalm 144:5 This verse takes up Pss 18:10; 104:32. It also reveals the anxious expectation of Israel, the prey of persecutors, and the hope of a divine intervention.
- Psalm 144:6 See Ps 18:15. Arrows: i.e., the Lord’s lightning that serves to rout the enemies and take away their power.
- Psalm 144:7 See Ps 18:17, 46. Hand: symbolic of the Lord’s power (see Ps 18:17), which is capable of rescuing the psalmist out of the mighty waters into which he is sinking, i.e., out of the clutches of foreigners. For the Lord, who has subdued the stormy seas (see Ps 65:8; Gen 1:2), can certainly overpower stormy foreign foes (see Isa 56:6; 61:5).
- Psalm 144:8 The enemies are completely opposed to the law of God and filled with lies, deceit, and wickedness. Mouths utter lies: see note on Ps 5:10. Right hands are raised to swear to untruths: see Ezr 10:19; see also Ps 106:26; Ex 6:8; Deut 32:40.
- Psalm 144:9 The psalmist makes a vow to praise the Lord for the expected victory.
- Psalm 144:9 This verse is close to Ps 33:2f (see Pss 40:4; 98:1; 149:1).
- Psalm 144:10 This verse takes up the conclusion of Ps 18. “My servant David” became a Messianic title (see Jer 33:21; Ezek 34:23ff; 37:24); it is found again in Pss 78:70; 89:4, 21.
- Psalm 144:11 The psalmist repeats the prayer in verses 7-8, probably as an introduction to verses 12-15.
- Psalm 144:12 The psalmist prays for the people, asking the Lord to bless their children, their lives, and their livelihoods. When the enemies are defeated, the rule of the Lord will reach its height and the Messianic blessings will pour in upon his people and upon the land. The blessings are described in terms that are understandable to a people whose main occupation was agriculture and cattle raising. Even the fortified cities will receive a Messianic blessing, that of invincibility.
- Psalm 144:12 The Hebrew text of this verse is obscure and its meaning uncertain. It may refer to the great strength of the sons and the physical beauty of the daughters.
- Psalm 144:13 Material abundance is a gift of God (see Lev 26:5; Deut 7:13).
- Psalm 144:14 May our cattle be well fed: other possible translations are: “may our oxen be heavy with flesh,” or “may our oxen be heavy with young,” or “may our chieftains be firmly established.”
- Psalm 144:15 Blessed are the people who experience the Lord’s ability to save, protect, and bless. Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.
Psalm 144
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
144 I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless thee: and I will praise thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end.
4 Generation and generation shall praise thy works: and they shall declare thy power.
5 They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness: and shall tell thy wondrous works.
6 And they shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and shall declare thy greatness.
7 They shall publish the memory of the abundance of thy sweetness: and shall rejoice in thy justice.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy.
9 The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
10 Let all thy works, O lord, praise thee: and let thy saints bless thee.
11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom: and shall tell of thy power:
12 To make thy might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of thy kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words: and holy in all his works.
14 The Lord lifteth up all that fall: and setteth up all that are cast down.
15 The eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord: and thou givest them meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thy hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways: and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him: to all that call upon him in truth.
19 He will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer, and save them.
20 The Lord keepeth all them that love him; but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless thy holy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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