Psalm 144

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

1 Blessed be the Lord, my *See Ps. 18:2,31,46rock,

*Ps. 18:34who trains my hands for war,

and my fingers for battle;

2 he is my *[Ps. 59:10,17;Jonah 2:8] steadfast love and my *Ps. 18:2;91:2fortress,

my *Ps. 18:2;59:9stronghold and my deliverer,

my *Ps. 7:10;18:2shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who *Ps. 18:47subdues peoples*144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people under me.

3 O Lord, *See Ps. 8:4what is man that you *See Ps. 31:7regard him,

or the son of man that you think of him?

4 *Ps. 39:5Man is like a breath;

his days are like *Ps. 102:11;109:23a passing *Job 8:9shadow.

5 *Ps. 18:9;[Isa. 64:1] Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!

*See Ps. 104:32Touch the mountains so that they smoke!

6 *See Ps. 18:14Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;

*See Ps. 18:14send out your arrows and rout them!

7 *Ps. 18:16Stretch out your hand from on high;

*Ps. 69:14rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,

from the hand *Ps. 18:44,45of foreigners,

8 whose mouths speak *Ps. 12:2;41:6lies

and whose right hand is *[Ps. 106:26;Gen. 14:22;Deut. 32:40;Isa. 62:8]a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing *Ps. 33:2,3a new song to you, O God;

upon *Ps. 33:2,3a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,

10 who gives victory to kings,

who *Ps. 18:50rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.

11 Rescue me and deliver me

from the hand *[See ver. 7above] of foreigners,

whose mouths speak *[See ver. 8above]lies

and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 May our sons in their youth

be like *[Ps. 128:3] plants full grown,

our daughters like *[Zech. 9:15]corner pillars

cut for the structure of a palace;

13 *[Joel 2:24] may our granaries be full,

*[Isa. 30:23]providing all kinds of produce;

may our sheep bring forth thousands

and ten thousands in our fields;

14 may our cattle be heavy with young,

suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;*144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out

may there be no *[Isa. 24:11;Jer. 14:2;46:12]cry of distress in our streets!

15 *Deut. 33:29Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!

*Ps. 33:12;146:5Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!