Psalm 144

Of David.

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(A)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,(B)
    my stronghold(C) and my deliverer,
my shield,(D) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples[a](E) under me.

Lord, what are human beings(F) that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;(G)
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.(H)

Part your heavens,(I) Lord, and come down;(J)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(K)
Send forth lightning(L) and scatter(M) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows(N) and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;(O)
    deliver me and rescue me(P)
from the mighty waters,(Q)
    from the hands of foreigners(R)
whose mouths are full of lies,(S)
    whose right hands(T) are deceitful.(U)

I will sing a new song(V) to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre(W) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(X)
    who delivers his servant David.(Y)

From the deadly sword(Z) 11 deliver me;
    rescue me(AA) from the hands of foreigners(AB)
whose mouths are full of lies,(AC)
    whose right hands are deceitful.(AD)

12 Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,(AE)
and our daughters will be like pillars(AF)
    carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(AG)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
14     our oxen(AH) will draw heavy loads.[b]
There will be no breaching of walls,(AI)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.(AJ)
15 Blessed is the people(AK) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
  2. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established

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