¹ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

² The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.¹

1. my strength: Heb. my rock

³ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.

⁴ The sorrows of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.¹

1. ungodly men: Heb. Belial

⁵ The sorrows of hell surrounded me: the snares of death seized me.¹

1. sorrows: or, cords

⁶ In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was angry.

⁸ There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.¹

1. out of his nostrils: Heb. by his, etc

⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

¹⁰ And he rode upon a cherub, and flew: yea, he flew upon the wings of the wind.

¹¹ He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion around him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

¹² At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

¹³ The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

¹⁴ Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and destroyed them.

¹⁵ Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

¹⁶ He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.¹

1. many: or, great

¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them who hated me: for they were too strong for me.

¹⁸ They came upon me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

¹⁹ He brought me forth also in a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰ The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

²¹ For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²² For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

²³ I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.¹

1. before: Heb. with

²⁴ Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.¹

1. in...: Heb. before his eyes

²⁵ With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;

²⁶ With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt contend.¹

1. shew thyself froward: or, wrestle

²⁷ For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

²⁸ For thou wilt light my lamp: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.¹

1. candle: or, lamp

²⁹ For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.¹

1. run...: or, broken

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.¹

1. tried: or, refined

³¹ For who is God except the LORD? or who is a rock except our God?

³² It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

³³ He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

³⁴ He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.

³⁵ Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.¹

1. thy gentleness...: or, with thy meekness thou hast multiplied me

³⁶ Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.¹

1. my feet: Heb. mine ankles

³⁷ I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

³⁸ I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they have fallen under my feet.

³⁹ For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.¹

1. subdued: Heb. caused to bow

⁴⁰ Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

⁴¹ They cried, but there was none to save them: even to the LORD, but he answered them not.

⁴² Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

⁴³ Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves to me.¹²³

1. As soon...: Heb. At the hearing of the ear
2. submit...: or, yield feigned obedience
3. strangers: Heb. sons of the stranger

⁴⁵ The strangers shall fade away, and come trembling out of their fortresses.¹

1. strangers: Heb. sons of the stranger

⁴⁶ The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

⁴⁷ It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.¹²

1. avengeth: Heb. giveth avengements for
2. subdueth: or, destroyeth

⁴⁸ He delivereth me from my enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.¹

1. violent...: Heb. man of violence

⁴⁹ Therefore will I give thanks to thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises to thy name.¹

1. give...: or, confess

⁵⁰ He giveth great deliverance to his king; and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.