A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People

A Psalm of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,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 my people^[a] under me.

³ Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?⁴ Man is like a breath;His days are like a passing shadow.

⁵ Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.⁶ 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 speaks lying words,And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹ I will 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 salvation to kings,Who delivers David His servantFrom 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 as plants grown up in their youth;That our daughters may be as pillars,Sculptured in palace style;¹³ That our barns may be full,Supplying all kinds of produce;That our sheep may bring forth thousandsAnd ten thousands in our fields;¹⁴ That our oxen may be well laden;That there be no breaking in or going out;That there be no outcry in our streets.¹⁵ Happy are the people who are in such a state;Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!