Corpus Psalterium · Vol. VI
Psalm CXLIV (144)
Cantillated — Royal Song
Paul Whitehorn
Study the Word
Psalm 144 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.
By David.
Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle—
לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צוּרִ֗י הַֽמְלַמֵּ֣ד יָדַ֣י לַקְרָ֑ב אֶ֝צְבְּעוֹתַ֗י לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.
חַסְדִּ֥י וּמְצוּדָתִי֮ מִשְׂגַּבִּ֪י וּֽמְפַלְטִ֫י לִ֥י מָ֭גִנִּי וּב֣וֹ חָסִ֑יתִי הָרוֹדֵ֖ד עַמִּ֣י תַחְתָּֽי׃
Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?
יְֽהוָ֗ה מָה־אָ֭דָם וַתֵּדָעֵ֑הוּ בֶּן־אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ וַֽתְּחַשְּׁבֵֽהוּ׃
Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.
אָ֭דָם לַהֶ֣בֶל דָּמָ֑ה יָ֝מָ֗יו כְּצֵ֣ל עוֹבֵֽר׃
Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
יְ֭הוָה הַט־שָׁמֶ֣יךָ וְתֵרֵ֑ד גַּ֖ע בֶּהָרִ֣ים וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ׃
Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.
בְּר֣וֹק בָּ֭רָק וּתְפִיצֵ֑ם שְׁלַ֥ח חִ֝צֶּ֗יךָ וּתְהֻמֵּֽם׃
Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners,
שְׁלַ֥ח יָדֶ֗יךָ מִמָּ֫ר֥וֹם פְּצֵ֣נִי וְ֭הַצִּילֵנִי מִמַּ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים מִ֝יַּ֗ד בְּנֵ֣י נֵכָֽר׃
whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּ֭יהֶם דִּבֶּר־שָׁ֑וְא וִֽ֝ימִינָ֗ם יְמִ֣ין שָֽׁקֶר׃
I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים שִׁ֣יר חָ֭דָשׁ אָשִׁ֣ירָה לָּ֑ךְ בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר אֲזַמְּרָה־לָּֽךְ׃
You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
הַנּוֹתֵ֥ן תְּשׁוּעָ֗ה לַמְּלָ֫כִ֥ים הַ֭פּוֹצֶה אֶת־דָּוִ֥ד עַבְדּ֗וֹ מֵחֶ֥רֶב רָעָֽה׃
Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
פְּצֵ֥נִי וְהַצִּילֵנִי֮ מִיַּ֪ד בְּֽנֵי־נֵ֫כָ֥ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּ֭יהֶם דִּבֶּר־שָׁ֑וְא וִֽ֝ימִינָ֗ם יְמִ֣ין שָֽׁקֶר׃
Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּנֵ֨ינוּ ׀ כִּנְטִעִים֮ מְגֻדָּלִ֪ים בִּֽנְעוּרֵ֫יהֶ֥ם בְּנוֹתֵ֥ינוּ כְזָוִיֹּ֑ת מְ֝חֻטָּב֗וֹת תַּבְנִ֥ית הֵיכָֽל׃
Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
מְזָוֵ֣ינוּ מְלֵאִים֮ מְפִיקִ֥ים מִזַּ֗ן אֶ֫ל־זַ֥ן צֹאונֵ֣נוּ מַ֭אֲלִיפוֹת מְרֻבָּב֗וֹת בְּחוּצוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets.
אַלּוּפֵ֗ינוּ מְֽסֻבָּ֫לִ֥ים אֵֽין־פֶּ֭רֶץ וְאֵ֣ין יוֹצֵ֑את וְאֵ֥ין צְ֝וָחָ֗ה בִּרְחֹבֹתֵֽינוּ׃
Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.
אַשְׁרֵ֣י הָ֭עָם שֶׁכָּ֣כָה לּ֑וֹ אַֽשְׁרֵ֥י הָ֝עָ֗ם שֶׁיֲהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃
Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.
My Rock, I bless His name
He schooled these hands for battle
showed my fingers how to hold the line
He's my kindness and my fort
my lookout tower, my way out
the shield I duck behind
He keeps my people steady under me
LORD, who are we
that You'd even notice?
Who's a mortal
that You'd keep him in mind?
Breath is all we are
our days a shadow sliding by
Tip the heavens, LORD, come down
lay a finger on the hills and watch them smoke
Throw Your lightning, break their ranks
fire Your arrows, turn them back
Reach Your hand down from up high
Pull me out, pull me out
out of the rushing water
away from the hands of outsiders
every word they say is hollow
their right hand is a lying hand
God, I've got a brand-new song for You
ten strings ringing out Your name
You're the One who rescues kings
You snatched David, Your servant
from the edge of the killing sword
Pull me out, pull me out
out of the rushing water
away from the hands of outsiders
every word they say is hollow
their right hand is a lying hand
Let our boys grow up like saplings
tall and strong while they're young
let our girls stand like carved pillars
at the corners of a palace
Let the barns be packed and spilling
one kind of grain after another
let the flocks multiply in the fields
thousands upon thousands
let the cattle pull full loads
no broken walls, no one marched off
no wailing in our streets
Oh, the joy of a people
when life is like this
Oh, the joy of a people
when the LORD is their God
when the LORD is their God
Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.
Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.