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By David.

144 Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
    who teaches my hands to war,
    and my fingers to battle:
my loving kindness, my fortress,
    my high tower, my deliverer,
    my shield, and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues my people under me.
Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him?
    Or the son of man, that you think of him?
Man is like a breath.
    His days are like a shadow that passes away.
Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down.
    Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
Throw out lightning, and scatter them.
    Send out your arrows, and rout them.
Stretch out your hand from above,
    rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters,
    out of the hands of foreigners,
    whose mouths speak deceit,
    whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
I will sing a new song to you, God.
    On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.
10 You are he who gives salvation to kings,
    who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners,
    whose mouths speak deceit,
    whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants,
    our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision.
    Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
14 Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
    There is no breaking in, and no going away,
    and no outcry in our streets.
15 Happy are the people who are in such a situation.
    Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.

Psalm 144

Prayer for National Deliverance and Security

Of David.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle,(A)
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)

O Lord, what are humans that you regard them,
    or mortals that you think of them?(C)
They are like a breath;
    their days are like a passing shadow.(D)

Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
    touch the mountains so that they smoke.(E)
Make the lightning flash and scatter them;
    send out your arrows and rout them.(F)
Stretch out your hand from on high;
    set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,
    from the hand of foreigners,(G)
whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hands are false.(H)

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)

Footnotes

  1. 144.2 Cn: Heb my steadfast love
  2. 144.2 Q ms Heb mss Syr Aquila Jerome: MT my people
  3. 144.14 Heb lacks in the walls