Psalm 144. Benedictus Dominus.

1. Blessed be the Lord my rock! *
   who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;
2. My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, *
   my shield in whom I trust, who subdues the peoples under me.
3. O Lord, what are we that you should care for us? *
   mere mortals that you should think of us?
4. We are like a puff of wind; *
   our days are like a passing shadow.
5. Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; *
   touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6. Hurl the lightning and scatter them; *
   shoot out your arrows and rout them.
7. Stretch out your hand from on high; *
   rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples,
8. Whose mouths speak deceitfully *
   and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
9. O God, I will sing to you a new song; *
   I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.
10. You give victory to kings *
    and have rescued David your servant.
11. Rescue me from the hurtful sword *
    and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,
12. Whose mouths speak deceitfully *
    and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
13. May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, *
    and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.
14. May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; *
    may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands; may our cattle be fat and sleek.
15. May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, *
    no wailing in the public squares.
16. Happy are the people of whom this is so! *
    happy are the people whose God is the Lord!