A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
(A)Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues [a]my people under me.
3 (B)Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
4 (C)Man is like a breath;
(D)His days are like a passing shadow.
5 (E)Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
(F)Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 (G)Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.
7 Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
8 Whose mouth (H)speaks [b]lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will (I)sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 The One who gives [c]salvation to kings,
(J)Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
12 That our sons may be (K)as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as [d]pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
13 That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
14 That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no [e]breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
15 (L)Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:2 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr., Tg. the peoples (cf. 18:47)
- Psalm 144:8 empty or worthless
- Psalm 144:10 deliverance
- Psalm 144:12 corner pillars
- Psalm 144:14 Lit. breach
Cross references
- Psalm 144:1 : 2 Sam. 22:35; Ps. 18:34
- Psalm 144:3 : Job 7:17; Ps. 8:4; Heb. 2:6
- Psalm 144:4 : Ps. 39:11
- Psalm 144:4 : Job 8:9; 14:2; Ps. 102:11
- Psalm 144:5 : Ps. 18:9; Is. 64:1
- Psalm 144:5 : Ps. 104:32
- Psalm 144:6 : Ps. 18:13, 14
- Psalm 144:8 : Ps. 12:2
- Psalm 144:9 : Ps. 33:2, 3; 40:3
- Psalm 144:10 : Ps. 18:50
- Psalm 144:12 : Ps. 128:3
- Psalm 144:15 : Deut. 33:29; [Ps. 33:12; Jer. 17:7]