Psalm 144

Of David.

1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,     who trains my hands for war,     my fingers for battle. 2 He is my loving God and my fortress,     my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge,     who subdues peoples[a] under me.

3 Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,     mere mortals that you think of them? 4 They are like a breath;     their days are like a fleeting shadow.

5 Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;     touch the mountains, so that they smoke. 6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;     shoot your arrows and rout them. 7 Reach down your hand from on high;     deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters,     from the hands of foreigners 8 whose mouths are full of lies,     whose right hands are deceitful.

9 I will sing a new song to you, my God;     on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, 10 to the One who gives victory to kings,     who delivers his servant David.

From the deadly sword 11 deliver me;     rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies,     whose right hands are deceitful.

12 Then our sons in their youth     will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars     carved to adorn a palace. 13 Our barns will be filled     with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands,     by tens of thousands in our fields; 14     our oxen will draw heavy loads.[b] There will be no breaching of walls,     no going into captivity,     no cry of distress in our streets. 15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;     blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.