Psalm 144

A King Thanks God for Victory^a

144 Praise the Lord, my protector!

He trains me for battle

and prepares me for war.

²He is my protector and defender,

my shelter and saviour,

in whom I trust for safety.

He subdues the nations under me.

^3*Lord, what are mortals, that you notice them;

mere mortals, that you pay attention to them?

⁴They are like a puff of wind;

their days are like a passing shadow.

⁵O Lord, tear the sky apart and come down;

touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.

⁶Send flashes of lightning and scatter your enemies;

shoot your arrows and send them running.

⁷Reach down from above,

pull me out of the deep water, and rescue me;

save me from the power of foreigners,

⁸who never tell the truth

and lie even under oath.

⁹I will sing you a new song, O God;

I will play the harp and sing to you.

¹⁰You give victory to kings

and rescue your servant David.

¹¹Save me from my cruel enemies;

rescue me from the power of foreigners,

who never tell the truth

and lie even under oath.

¹²May our sons in their youth

be like plants that grow up strong.

May our daughters be like stately pillars

which adorn the corners of a palace.

¹³May our barns be filled

with crops of every kind.

May the sheep in our fields

bear young by the tens of thousands.

¹⁴May our cattle reproduce plentifully

without miscarriage or loss.

May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

¹⁵Happy is the nation of whom this is true;

happy are the people whose God is the Lord!