1 Blessed be the Lord my God, who instructs my hands for battle, and my fingers for war.

2 My mercy, and my refuge; my helper, and my deliverer; my protector, in whom I have trusted; who subdues my people under me.

3 Lord, what is man, that you are made known to him? or the son of man, that you take account of him?

4 Man is like to vanity: his days pass as a shadow.

5 O Lord, bow your heavens, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Send lightning, and you shall scatter them: send forth your arrows, and you shall discomfit them.

7 Send forth your hand from on high; rescue me, and deliver me out of great * Gr. many. waters, out of the hand of strange children;

8 whose mouth has spoken vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.

9 O God, I will sing a new song to you: I will play to you on a lute of ten strings.

10  Even to him who gives † Or, victory. salvation to kings: who redeems his servant David from the hurtful sword.

11 Deliver me, and rescue me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth has spoken vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity;

12 whose children are as plants, strengthened in their youth: their daughters are beautiful, sumptuously adorned after the similitude of a temple.

13 Their garners are full, and bursting with one kind of store after another; their sheep are prolific, multiplying in their streets.

14 Their oxen are fat: there is no falling down of a hedge, nor going out, nor cry in their ‡ Or, habitations. folds.

15 Men bless the people to whom this lot belongs, but blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.