Psalms 144

1 I praise Yahweh, who is [like an overhanging] rock [under which I] ([get refuge/am protected])! He trains my hands so that I can use them to fight battles; he trains my fingers so that I can [shoot arrows in a war].

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

2 He is the one who protects me; he is [like] a fortress [DOU] in which I am safe, he protects me [like] [protect soldiers] [MET], and he gives me refuge. He defeats [other] nations and [then] puts them under my power.

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.

3 Yahweh, [we] people are [very insignificant/unimportant], so why (are you concerned/do you care about us) [RHQ]? [It is amazing to me that] you pay attention to humans.

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

4 [The time that we live is as short] as [SIM] a puff of wind; our time to live disappears like a shadow does.

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

5 Yahweh, (tear open/open up) the sky and come down! Touch the mountains in order that smoke will pour out from them!

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

6 Cause lightning to flash with the result that [your enemies] will run away! Shoot your arrows [at them] and cause them to (run away/scatter).

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

7 [It is as though my enemies surround me like] a flood; reach your hand down from heaven and rescue me from them [SYN]. They are men from other countries

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

8 who [SYN] [always] tell lies. [Even in a courtroom where they swear to tell the truth] they tell lies.

They are such liars, even telling lies under oath.

9 God, I will sing a new song to you, and I will play my ten-stringed harp [while I sing] to you.

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

10 You enable kings to defeat [their enemies]; and you rescued me, your servant David, from [being killed by] my enemies’ swords.

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

11 [So I ask you to] save me from [being killed by] the swords [that those] evil [people carry]. Rescue me from the power [MTY] of those foreigners who [SYN] [always] tell lies, and [who raise] their right hands [in courtrooms when they solemnly declare that they will tell the truth].

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

12 I wish/hope that our young sons will grow up to be like strong plants [SIM], and I wish/hope that our daughters will [grow up to] be [straight and tall] like the pillars [SIM] that stand in the corners of palaces.

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.

13 I wish/hope that our barns will be full of many different crops. I wish/hope that the sheep in our fields will give birth to tens of thousands of baby lambs.

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.

14 I wish/hope that our cows will give birth to many calves without having any miscarriages or deaths when they are born (OR, that no enemies will break through our city walls and take us (into exile/to their own countries)). I wish/hope that [there will not be a time when the people in] our streets cry out in distress [because foreign armies are invading].

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.

15 If good things like that happen to a nation, the people will be very happy. The people whose God is Yahweh are the ones who will be happy!

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