Psalm 144 – Blessed Be the LORD My Strength
David praises God as his rock and asks for rescue from deceitful enemies.
Psalm 144 opens with David blessing the LORD who trains his hands for battle, a theme echoed in Psalms 18:34. He marvels that God even notices mortal man, whose days pass like a shadow.
A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot thy arrows, and destroy them.
Send thy hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
I will sing a new song to thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises to thee.
It is he that giveth salvation to kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
That our granaries may be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yes, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.