Verse 1
And David made a song to the Lord in these words, on the day when the Lord made him free from the hands of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul:
Verse 2
And he said, The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour, even mine;
Verse 3
My God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my safe place; my saviour, who keeps me safe from the violent man.
Verse 4
I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me.
Verse 5
For the waves of death came round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear;
Verse 6
The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me.
Verse 7
In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came to his ears.
Verse 8
Then the earth was moved with a violent shock; the bases of heaven were moved and shaking, because he was angry.
Verse 9
There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: coals were lighted by it.
Verse 10
The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.
Verse 11
And he went through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.
Verse 12
And he made the dark his tent round him, a mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Verse 13
Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and coals of fire.
Verse 14
The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out.
Verse 15
And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
Verse 16
Then the deep beds of the sea were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of the Lord's wrath, because of the breath of his mouth.
Verse 17
He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.
Verse 18
He made me free from my strong hater, from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.
Verse 19
They came on me in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my support.
Verse 20
He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.
Verse 21
The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.
Verse 22
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.
Verse 23
For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.
Verse 24
And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.
Verse 25
Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.
Verse 26
On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;
Verse 27
He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.
Verse 28
For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but your eyes are on men of pride, to make them low.
Verse 29
For you are my light, O Lord; and the Lord will make the dark bright for me.
Verse 30
By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in: by the help of my God I have gone over a wall.
Verse 31
As for God, his way is all good: the word of the Lord is tested; he is a safe cover for all those who put their faith in him.
Verse 32
For who is God but the Lord? and who is a Rock but our God?
Verse 33
God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.
Verse 34
He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.
Verse 35
He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.
Verse 36
You have given me the breastplate of your salvation, and your mercy has made me great.
Verse 37
You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet make no slip.
Verse 38
I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.
Verse 39
I have sent destruction on them and given them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet.
Verse 40
For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who came out against me.
Verse 41
By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.
Verse 42
They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer.
Verse 43
Then they were crushed as small as the dust of the earth, stamped down under my feet like the waste of the streets.
Verse 44
You have made me free from the fightings of my people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.
Verse 45
Men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority: from the time when my name comes to their ears, they will be ruled by me.
Verse 46
They will be wasted away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
Verse 47
The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured:
Verse 48
It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.
Verse 49
He makes me free from my haters: I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.
Verse 50
Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name.
Verse 51
Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.