Psalm 144: O blessed ever be the Lord
A Psalm of David.
Meter: C.M. (8,6,8,6)
1 O blessed ever be the Lord, who is my strength and might, Who doth instruct my hands to war, my fingers teach to fight.
2 My goodness, fortress, my high tow’r, deliverer, and shield, In whom I trust: who under me my people makes to yield.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou of him dost so much knowledge take? Or son of man, that thou of him so great account dost make?
4 Man is like vanity; his days, as shadows, pass away. 5 Lord, bow thy heav’ns, come down, touch thou the hills, and smoke shall they.
6 Cast forth thy lightning, scatter them; thine arrows shoot, them rout. 7 Thine hand send from above, me save; from great depths draw me out;
And from the hand of children strange, 8 Whose mouth speaks vanity; And their right hand is a right hand that works deceitfully.
9 A new song I to thee will sing, Lord, on a psaltery; I on a ten-string’d instrument will praises sing to thee.
10 Ev’n he it is that unto kings salvation doth send; Who his own servant David doth from hurtful sword defend.
11 O free me from strange children’s hand, whose mouth speaks vanity; And their right hand a right hand is that works deceitfully.
12 That, as the plants, our sons may be in youth grown up that are; Our daughters like to corner-stones, carv’d like a palace fair.
13 That to afford all kind of store our garners may be fill’d; That our sheep thousands, in our streets ten thousands they may yield.
14 That strong our oxen be for work, that no in-breaking be, Nor going out; and that our streets may from complaints be free.
15 Those people blessed are who be in such a case as this; Yea, blessed all those people are, whose God Jehovah is.