Psalms 143

1Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

1Blessed be the Lord my God, who teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to war.

2And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

2My mercy, and my refuge: my support, and my deliverer: My protector, and I have hoped in him: who subdueth my people under me.

3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

3Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?

4Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

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

5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

5Lord, bow down thy heavens and descend: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

6Send forth lightning, and thou shalt scatter them: shoot out thy arrows, and thou shalt trouble them.

7Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

7Put forth thy hand from on high, take me out, and deliver me from many waters: from the hand of strange children:

8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

8Whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity.

9Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

9To thee, O God, I will sing a new canticle: on the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises to thee.

10Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

10Who givest salvation to kings: who hast redeemed thy servant David from the malicious sword:

11Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

11Deliver me, And rescue me out of the hand of strange children; whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity:

12And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

12Whose sons are as new plants in their youth: Their daughters decked out, adorned round about after the similitude of a temple:

13(not in this translation)

13Their storehouses full, flowing out of this into that. Their sheep fruitful in young, abounding in their goings forth:

14(not in this translation)

14Their oxen fat. There is no breach of wall, nor passage, nor crying out in their streets.

15(not in this translation)

15They have called the people happy, that hath these things: but happy is that people whose God is the Lord.