Psalms 144

1 A psalm of David. Praise the Lord—he is my rock. He trains me for battle, he gives me skill for war.

By David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle—

2 He is the one who faithfully loves me, protects me, and defends me. He is the one who rescues me, shields me from danger, and keeps me safe. He defeats nations and places them under my rule.

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.

3 Lord, what are human beings that you should care about them? What are people that you should concern yourself with them?

LORD, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?

4 Humanity is like a breath; their lives are like a passing shadow.

Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.

5 Part your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains so that they give off smoke.

Part your heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.

6 Scatter your enemies with flashes of lightning! Let your arrows fly and send them running in confusion!

Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.

7 Stretch down your hand from heaven and set me free. Rescue me from raging waters, from the oppression of foreign enemies.

Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners,

8 They are such liars, even telling lies under oath.

whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 God, I will sing a new song to you, accompanied by a ten-stringed harp,

I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.

10 to you, the one who gives victory to kings. You saved your servant David from death by the sword.

You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.

11 Set me free. Rescue me from the oppression of foreign enemies. They are such liars, even telling lies under oath.

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 grow up like plants in their youth and become mature, and our daughters will be like beautiful pillars carved to support a palace.

Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

13 Our storehouses will be full of all kinds of crops; our flocks of sheep will grow by thousands, increasing by tens of thousands in the pastures.

Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.

14 Our cattle will grow fat. No one will break down our city walls, there will be no exile, no cries of mourning in our town squares.

Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets.

15 The people who live like this will be happy. Happy are those whose God is the Lord.

Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is the LORD.