A King’s Prayer

Davidic.

1May the LORD, my rock, be praised,a

who trains my hands for battle

and my fingers for warfare.b

2He is my faithful love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer.

He is my shield,c and I take refuge in Him;d

He subdues my peoplee under me.f

3LORD, what is man, that You care for him,

the son of man, that You think of him?g

4Man is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.h

5LORD, part Your heavens and come down.i

Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.j

6Flash Your lightning and scatter the foe;k

shoot Your arrows and rout them.l

7Reach downm from heaven;n

rescue me from deep water, and set me free

from the grasp of foreignerso

8whose mouths speak lies,

whose right hands are deceptive.p

9God, I will sing a new song to You;

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

10the One who gives victory to kings,

who frees His servant David

from the deadly sword.r

11Set me free and rescue me

from the grasp of foreignerss

whose mouths speak lies,

whose right hands are deceptive.t

12Then our sons will be like plants

nurtured in their youth,

our daughters, like corner pillars

that are carved in the palace style.u

13Our storehouses will be full,

supplying all kinds of produce;v

our flocks will increase by thousands

and tens of thousands in our open fields.w

14Our cattle will be well fed.x

There will be no breach in the walls,

no going into captivity,y

and no cry of lament in our public squares.z

15Happy are the people with such blessings.

Happy are the people whose God is •Yahweh.aa