Psalms 144

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

Blessed be the LORD my strength which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

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

My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdues my people under me.

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

LORD, what is man, that you take knowledge of him! or the son of man, that you make account of him!

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

Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passes away.

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

Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

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

Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out your arrows, and destroy them.

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

Send your hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

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

Whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

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

I will sing a new song unto you, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto you.

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

It is he that gives salvation unto kings: who delivers David his servant from the hurtful sword.

11 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.

Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

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

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the embodiment of a palace:

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

That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

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

That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

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

Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.