Psalm 144
New Revised Standard Version Updated 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,(A)
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.(B)
3 O Lord, what are humans that you regard them,
or mortals that you think of them?(C)
4 They are like a breath;
their days are like a passing shadow.(D)
5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
touch the mountains so that they smoke.(E)
6 Make the lightning flash and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them.(F)
7 Stretch out your hand from on high;
set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,
from the hand of foreigners,(G)
8 whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hands are false.(H)
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,(I)
10 the one who gives victory to kings,
who rescues his servant David.(J)
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.(K)
12 May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars,
cut for the building of a palace.(L)
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.(M)
Psalm 144
International Standard Version
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,
2 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.
3 Lord, what are human beings,
that you should care about them,
or mortal man,
that you should think about him?
4 The human person is a mere empty breath;
his days are like a fading shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, Lord, and descend;[c]
touch the mountains, and they will smolder.
6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy,[d]
shoot your arrows and confuse them.
7 Reach down your hand from your high place;
rescue me and deliver me from mighty waters,
from the control of foreigners.[e]
8 Their mouths speak lies,
and their right hand deceives,[f]
9 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
- Psalm 144:2 So LXX; the Heb. lacks subdues
- Psalm 144:2 So DSS 11QPsa Sebir Aquila Syr Targ Hieronymus; cf. Psa 18:48; 2 Sam 22:48; LXX reads subdues my people
- Psalm 144:5 So MT (imperfect verb); LXX, DSS 11QPsa read and descend!; i.e. a verb of command
- Psalm 144:6 Lit. scatter them
- Psalm 144:7 Lit. the hand of the sons of strangers
- Psalm 144:8 I.e. they swear to false oaths
- Psalm 144:11 Lit. the hand of the sons of strangers
- Psalm 144:11 I.e. they swear to false oaths
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