Psalms 144

1 [A Psalm] of David concerning Goliad. Blessed [be] the Lord my God, who instructs my hands for battle, [and] my fingers for war.

Of David. Blest be the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for fighting.

2 My mercy, and my refuge; my helper, and my deliverer; my protector, in whom I have trusted; who subdues my people under me.

My rock and my fortress, my tower, my deliverer, my shield, behind whom I take refuge, who lays nations low at my feet.

3 Lord, what is man, that you are made known to him? or the son of man, that you take account of him?

Lord, what are mortals that you care for them, humans, that you think of them?

4 Man is like to vanity: his days pass as a shadow.

They are like a breath, their days as a shadow that passes.

5 O Lord, bow your heavens, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

Lord, bow your heavens and come down: touch the hills, so that they smoke.

6 Send lightning, and you shall scatter them: send forth your arrows, and you shall discomfit them.

Flash forth lightning and scatter them, your arrows send forth and confound them.

7 Send forth your hand from on high; rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hand of strange children;

Stretch out your hand from on high; pluck me out of the mighty waters, out of the hands of foreigners,

8 whose mouth has spoken vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.

who speak with the mouth of falsehood, and lift their right hand to swear lies.

9 O God, I will sing a new song to you: I will play to you on a lute of ten strings.

O God, a new song I would sing you, on a ten-stringed harp make you music.

10 [Even] to him who gives salvation to kings: who redeems his servant David from the hurtful sword.

For to kings you give the victory, and David your servant you save.

11 Deliver me, and rescue me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth has spoken vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity;

Snatch me from the cruel sword, rescue me from the hand of foreigners, who speak with the mouth of falsehood, and lift their right hand to swear lies.

12 whose children are as plants, strengthened in their youth: their daughters are beautiful, sumptuously adorned after the similitude of a temple.

May our sons in their youth be as plants well tended: our daughters like cornices carved as in palaces.

13 Their garners are full, and bursting with one kind of store after another; their sheep are prolific, multiplying in their streets.

May our barns be bursting with produce of all kinds. In the fields may our sheep bear by thousands and ten thousands.

14 Their oxen are fat: there is no falling down of a hedge, nor going out, nor cry in their folds.

May our cattle be fat, our walls unbreached, may no cry of distress ring in our streets.

15 Men bless the people to whom this lot belongs, [but] blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Happy the people who fares so well: and so fares the people whose God is the Lord.