Psalm 144
Lexham English Bible
A Prayer for National Safety
Of David.[a]
144 Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
the one who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war—
2 my loyal love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, and one in whom I take refuge,
the one who subdues peoples[b] under me.
3 O Yahweh, what is humankind that you take knowledge of him,
or the son of man that you take thought of him?
4 Humankind is like a breath,
his days like a passing shadow.
5 O Yahweh, bow the heavens and come down;
touch the mountains so that they smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
dispatch your arrows and rout them.
7 Stretch out your hands from on high;
Rescue me and deliver me from many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouth speaks falsely,
and their right hand is a false right hand.
9 O God, I will sing a new song to you.
With a lyre of ten strings I will sing praise to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant
from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouth speaks falsely,
and whose right hand is a false right hand,
12 that our sons may be like plants,
full grown in their youth,
our daughters like corner pillars,
carved in the style of a palace,
13 that our granaries may be full,
providing produce of all kinds,[c]
that our sheep may produce by the thousands,
by the tens of thousands in our open fields,
14 that our cattle may be pregnant;
that there be no breach in our walls,
and no going out in exile,
and no outcry in our plazas.
15 Blessed are the people who have it thus.
Blessed are the people whose God is Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
- Psalm 144:2 Reading with many Hebrew manuscripts and versions; MT reads “my people”
- Psalm 144:13 Hebrew “from kind to kind”
Psalm 144
King James Version
144 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, 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; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
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
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