Psalms 144

1 A psalm of David. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

A Psalm. Of David. Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting:

2 You are my covenant faithfulness and my fortress, my high tower and the one who rescues me, my shield and the one in whom I take refuge, the one who subdues nations under me.

He is my strength, and my Rock; my high tower, and my saviour; my keeper and my hope: he gives me authority over my people.

3 Yahweh, what is man that you take notice of him or the son of man that you think about him?

Lord, what is man, that you keep him in mind? or the son of man that you take him into account?

4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

Man is like a breath: his life is like a shade which is quickly gone.

5 Cause the sky to sink and come down, Yahweh; touch the mountains and make them smoke.

Come down, O Lord, from your heavens: at your touch let the mountains give out smoke.

6 Send flashes of lightning and scatter my enemies; shoot your arrows and drive them back in confusion.

With your storm-flames send them in flight: send out your arrows for their destruction.

7 Reach out your hand from above; rescue me out of many waters, from the hand of foreigners.

Put out your hand from on high; make me free, take me safely out of the great waters, and out of the hands of strange men;

8 Their mouths speak lies, and their right hand is falsehood.

In whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.

9 I will sing a new song to you, God; on a lute of ten strings I will sing praises to you,

I will make a new song to you, O God; I will make melody to you on an instrument of ten cords.

10 who give salvation to kings, who rescued David your servant from an evil sword.

It is God who gives salvation to kings; and who kept his servant David from the wounding sword.

11 Rescue me and free me from the hand of foreigners. Their mouths speak lies, and their right hand is falsehood.

Make me free, and take me out of the hands of strange men, in whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.

12 May our sons be like plants who grow to full size in their youth and our daughters like carved corner pillars, shapely like those of a palace.

Our sons are like tall young plants; and our daughters like the shining stones of a king's house;

13 May our storehouses be full with every kind of produce, and may our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.

Our store-houses are full of all good things; and our sheep give birth to thousands and ten thousands in our fields.

14 Then our oxen will have many young. No one will break through our walls; there will be no exile and no outcry in our streets.

Our oxen are well weighted down; our cows give birth safely; there is no going out, and there is no cry of sorrow in our open places.

15 Blessed is the people with such blessings; happy is the people whose God is Yahweh.

Happy is the nation whose ways are so ordered: yes, happy is the nation whose God is the Lord.