The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 By David: Blessed be ADONAI, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.
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<A Psalm. Of David.> Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting:
2 He shows me grace; and he is my fortress, my stronghold, in whom I find shelter, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.
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He is my strength, and my Rock; my high tower, and my saviour; my keeper and my hope: he gives me authority over my people.
3 ADONAI, what are mere mortals, that you notice them at all; humans, that you think about them?
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Lord, what is man, that you keep him in mind? or the son of man that you take him into account?
4 Man is like a puff of wind, his days like a fleeting shadow.
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Man is like a breath: his life is like a shade which is quickly gone.
5 ADONAI, lower the heavens, and come down; touch the mountains, make them pour out smoke.
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Come down, O Lord, from your heavens: at your touch let the mountains give out smoke.
6 Shoot out lightning, and scatter them; send out your arrows, and rout them.
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With your storm-flames send them in flight: send out your arrows for their destruction.
7 Reach out your hands from on high; rescue me; save me out of deep water, out of the power of strangers,
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Put out your hand from on high; make me free, take me safely out of the great waters, and out of the hands of strange men;
8 whose mouths speak worthless words and whose right hands swear false oaths.
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In whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.
9 God, I will sing a new song to you; sing praises to you with a ten-stringed harp.
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I will make a new song to you, O God; I will make melody to you on an instrument of ten cords.
10 You give kings their victories; you save your servant David from the cruel sword.
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It is God who gives salvation to kings; and who kept his servant David from the wounding sword.
11 Rescue me, save me from the power of strangers, whose mouths speak worthless words and whose right hands swear false oaths.
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Make me free, and take me out of the hands of strange men, in whose mouths are false words, and whose right hand is a right hand of deceit.
12 Our sons in their youth will be like full-grown saplings, our daughters will be like sculptured pillars fit for the corner of a palace.
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Our sons are like tall young plants; and our daughters like the shining stones of a king's house;
13 Our barns are full with crops of every kind; the sheep in our fields number thousands, tens of thousands.
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Our store-houses are full of all good things; and our sheep give birth to thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
14 our oxen are well-fed, our city walls have no breach, our people are not taken captive, and there are no cries of protest in our cities' open places.
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Our oxen are well weighted down; our cows give birth safely; there is no going out, and there is no cry of sorrow in our open places.
15 How happy the people who live in such conditions! How happy the people whose God is ADONAI!
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Happy is the nation whose ways are so ordered: yes, happy is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.