Psalms

¹ Blessed be God, my mountain, who trains me to fight fair and well.

² the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight, The high crag where I run for dear life, while he lays my enemies low.

³ why do you bother with us at all?

⁴ we're like shadows in a campfire.

⁵ ignite volcanoes in the hearts of the mountains.

⁶ shoot your arrows this way and that.

⁷ pull me out of the ocean of hate, out of the grip of those barbarians

⁸ who shake your hand then knife you in the back.

⁹ let me play it on a twelve-string guitar—

¹⁰ the God who rescued David, his servant.

¹¹ release me from the grip of those barbarians Who lie through their teeth, who shake your hand then knife you in the back.

¹² like sturdy oak trees, Our daughters as shapely and bright as fields of wildflowers.

¹³ fill our fields with huge flocks;

¹⁴ eliminate the crime in our streets.

¹⁵ How blessed the people who have God for God!