1David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song on the day Yahweh delivered him from the palm of all his enemies and from the palm of Saul.
2He said: Yahweh is my crag and my stronghold and my deliverer to me,
3God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge; my savior, from violence you save me.
4I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy of praise, and from my enemies I am saved.
5For the breakers of death encompassed me; the torrents of worthlessness terrified me.
6The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.
7In my distress I call upon Yahweh, and to my God I call; he heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help came into his ears.
8Then the earth reeled and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and reeled, because he was angry.
9Smoke went up from his nostrils, and fire from his mouth devoured; coals blazed from him.
10He bent the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was beneath his feet.
11He rode upon a cherub and flew; he appeared upon the wings of the wind.
12He set darkness around him as shelters, a gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13From the brightness before him coals of fire blazed.
14Yahweh thundered from the heavens, and the Most High gave forth his voice.
15He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning, and routed them.
16Then the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
18He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was a support to me.
20He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
21Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he repaid me.
22For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not acted wickedly against my God.
23For all his judgments are before me, and his statutes—I do not turn aside from them.
24I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
25So Yahweh repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.
26With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless warrior you show yourself blameless;
27With the pure you show yourself pure, and with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
28You save an afflicted people, but your eyes are on the haughty—you bring them low.
29For you are my lamp, Yahweh; and Yahweh lightens my darkness.
30For by you I run against a troop; by my God I leap over a wall.
31This God—his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is refined. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
32For who is God apart from Yahweh? And who is a rock except our God?
33This God is my fortress of strength, and he makes my way blameless.
34He makes my feet like the deer’s, and sets me upon my high places.
35He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
36You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your answering has made me great.
37You widen my stride beneath me, and my ankles do not slip.
38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back until they were finished.
39I consumed them and shattered them, so they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
40You girded me with strength for battle; you made those who rose against me bow down beneath me.
41My enemies you made turn their backs to me; those who hated me, I silenced them.
42They looked, but there was no savior; to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
43I ground them like the dust of the earth; like the mire of the streets I crushed them, I stamped them down.
44You delivered me from the strife of my people; you kept me as head of nations. A people I did not know serve me.
45Sons of a foreign land cringe before me; as soon as their ear hears, they obey me.
46Sons of a foreign land wither and come trembling from their strongholds.
47Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation—
48the God who gives me vengeance and brings peoples down under me,
49who brings me out from my enemies. You lift me high above those who rise against me; from the man of violence you rescue me.
50Therefore I will give you thanks, Yahweh, among the nations, and to your name I will sing praise.
51He is a tower of salvation for his king, and shows loyal love to his anointed—to David and to his seed forever.
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