Psalm 144

A KING’S PRAYER

Of David.

1 Blessed be the Lord, my rockx

who trains my hands for battle

and my fingers for warfare.y

2 He is my faithful love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer.

He is my shield,z and I take refuge in him;aa

he subdues my people* under me.ab

3 Lord, what is a human that you care for him,

a son of manD that you think of him?ac

4 A human is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.ad

5 Lord, part your heavens and come down.ae

Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.af

6 Flash your lightning and scatter the foe;E

shoot your arrows and rout them.ag

7 Reach downF from on high;ah

rescue me from deep water, and set me free

from the grasp of foreignersai

8 whose mouths speak lies,

whose right hands are deceptive.a

9 God, I will sing a new song to you;

I will play on a ten-stringed harp for youb—

10 the one who gives victory to kings,

who frees his servant David

from the deadly sword.c

11 Set me free and rescue me

from foreignersd

whose mouths speak lies,

whose right hands are deceptive.e

12 Then our sons will be like plants

nurtured in their youth,

our daughters, like corner pillars

that are carved in the palace style.f

13 Our storehouses will be full,

supplying all kinds of produce;g

our flocks will increase by thousands

and tens of thousands in our open fields.h

14 Our cattle will be well fed.A

There will be no breach in the walls,

no going into captivity,B

and no cry of lament in our public squares.i

15 Happy are the people with such blessings.

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.j

Psalm 145

PRAISING GOD’S GREATNESS

A hymn of David.

1 IC exalt you, my God the King,

and bless your name forever and ever.k

2 I will bless you every day;

I will praise your name forever and ever.i

3 The Lord is great and is highly praised;m

his greatness is unsearchable.n

4 One generation will declare your works to the next

and will proclaim your mighty acts.o

5 ID will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty

andE your wondrous works.p

6 They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts,

and I will declare your greatness.F,q

7 They will give a testimony of your great goodness

and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.r

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and great in faithful love.s

9 The Lord is good to everyone;t

his compassion rests on all he has made.u

10 All you have made will thank you, Lord;

theG faithful will bless you.v

11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom

and will declare your might,w

12 informing all people of your mighty acts

and of the glorious splendor of yourH kingdom.x

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule is for all generations.y

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and gracious in all his actions.I,z

14 The Lord helps all who fall;

he raises up all who are oppressed.J,aa

15 All eyes look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.ab

16 You open your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.ac

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all his acts.ad

18 The Lord is near all who call out to him,

all who call out to him with integrity.ae

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry for help and saves them.af

20 The Lord guards all those who love him,

but he destroys all the wicked.ag

21 My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise;

let every living thing

bless his holy name forever and ever.a

Psalm 146

THE GOD OF COMPASSION

1 Hallelujah!

My soul, praise the Lord.b

2 I will praise the Lord all my life;

I will sing to my God as long as I live.c

3 Do not trust in nobles,

in a son of man,A who cannot save.d

4 When his breathB leaves him,

he returns to the ground;

on that day his plans die.e

5 Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,f

6 the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea and everything in them.g

He remains faithful forever,h

7 executing justice for the exploited

and giving food to the hungry.i

The Lord frees prisoners.j

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.k

The Lord raises up those who are oppressed.C,l

The Lord loves the righteous.m

9 The Lord protects resident aliens

and helps the fatherless and the widow,n

but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.o

10 The Lord reigns forever;

Zion, your God reigns for all generations.p

Hallelujah!