Oratio: Man Is Like a Breath

³ O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?
⁴ Man is like a breath;
    his days are like a passing shadow.

⁵ Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
⁶ Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    send out your arrows and rout them!
⁷ Stretch out your hand from on high;
    rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand of foreigners,
⁸ whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, O God;
    upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
¹⁰ who gives victory to kings,
    who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.