Psalm 144

A psalm of David. ¹Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. ² He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations Some manuscripts read my people. submit to me.

³O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? ⁴ For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow.

⁵Open the heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains so they billow smoke. ⁶ Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies! Shoot your arrows and confuse them! ⁷ Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies. ⁸ Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

⁹I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp. ¹⁰ For you grant victory to kings! You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword. ¹¹ Save me! Rescue me from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

¹²May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace. ¹³ May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands, ¹⁴ and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares. ¹⁵ Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.