Psalm 144

A King’s Prayer

Davidic.

May the Lord, my rock, be praised,(A)
who trains my hands for battle
and my fingers for warfare.(B)
He is my faithful love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer.
He is my shield,(C) and I take refuge in Him;(D)
He subdues my people[a] under me.(E)

Lord, what is man, that You care for him,
the son of man, that You think of him?(F)
Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.(G)

Lord, part Your heavens and come down.(H)
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.(I)
Flash Your lightning and scatter the foe;[b]
shoot Your arrows and rout them.(J)
Reach down[c] from heaven;(K)
rescue me from deep water, and set me free
from the grasp of foreigners(L)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(M)

God, I will sing a new song to You;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for You(N)
10 the One who gives victory to kings,
who frees His servant David
from the deadly sword.(O)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from the grasp of foreigners(P)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(Q)

12 Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.(R)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;(S)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.(T)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.[d]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,[e]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.(U)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.(V)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 Some Hb mss, DSS, Aq, Syr, Tg, Jer read subdues peoples; 2Sm 22:48; Ps 18:47
  2. Psalm 144:6 Lit scatter them
  3. Psalm 144:7 Lit down Your hands
  4. Psalm 144:14 Or will bear heavy loads, or will be pregnant
  5. Psalm 144:14 Or be no plague, no miscarriage

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