1 Til den ledende musikklederen. Av Herrens tjener, David, som fremførte denne sangen for Herren den dagen han ble frigjort fra alle sine fiender og fra Sauls hånd; og han sa: Jeg elsker deg, Herre, min styrke.

<To the chief music-maker. Of the servant of the Lord, of David, who said the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord made him free from the hand of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul; and he said,> I will give you my love, O Lord, my strength.

2 Herren er min klippe, min festning og min frelser; min Gud, min klippe, på ham setter jeg min lit; mitt skjold og min frelses horn, min høye borg.

The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour; my God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

3 Jeg ropte til Herren, den lovpriste; så ble jeg reddet fra mine fiender.

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.

4 Dødens snarer omsluttet meg, og syndenes strømmer skapte frykt i meg.

The cords of death were round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear.

5 Dødens bånd omringet meg, og dødens feller grep fatt i meg.

The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me.

6 I min nød ropte jeg til Herren, og min rop nådde min Gud: Min stemme nådde hans hørsel i hans hellige tempel, og min bønn kom foran ham, til hans ører.

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 before him, even into his ears.

7 Da rystet jorden og skjelv kom, fjellenes grunnvoller ble beveget og rystet, fordi han var harm.

Then trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, because he was angry.

8 Røyk steg opp fra hans nese, og fortærende ild fra hans munn: Branner ble tent av den.

There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it.

9 Han bøyde himlene og steg ned; det mørket var under hans føtter.

The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.

10 Han fløy på kjeruben, dro raskt på vindens vinger.

And he went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.

11 Han pakket seg inn i mørket som sitt skjulested; som sitt telt omkring ham var de mørke vannene og de tykke skyene i himmelen.

He made the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 Foran hans strålende lys forsvant de mørke skyene, med haggel og ild.

Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire.

13 Herren tordnet i himmelen, og Den Høyestes stemme lød: Haggel og ildkraft.

The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire.

14 Han sendte ut sine piler, forvirret dem; ved flammer av ild ble de drevet på flukt.

He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.

15 Da åpenbarte dypets grunn seg, og jordens grunnvoller ble synlige, på grunn av din harme, Herre, på grunn av pustet fra din munn.

Then the deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth.

16 Han sendte fra det høye, tok meg, trakk meg ut av de dype vannene.

He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.

17 Han frigjorde meg fra min sterke fiende, og fra dem som var imot meg, for de var sterkere enn jeg.

He made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.

18 De angrep meg på min nødens dag; men Herren var min støtte.

They came on me in the day of my trouble; but the Lord was my support.

19 Han førte meg ut i det fri; han frelste meg fordi han hadde behag i meg.

He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.

20 Herren belønner meg for min rettferdighet, for mine hender er rene foran ham.

The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.

21 For jeg har fulgt Herrens veier; jeg har ikke snudd meg bort fra min Gud i synd.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.

22 For alle hans lover har vært foran meg, og jeg kastet ikke hans bud fra meg.

For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.

23 Og jeg var uskyldig foran ham, og jeg holdt meg fra synd.

And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.

24 På grunn av dette har Herren belønnet meg for min rettferdighet, for mine hender er rene i hans øyne.

Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.

25 Mot den som er barmhjertig vil du være barmhjertig; for den rette vil du være rett og god;

On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;

26 Den som er hellig vil se at du er hellig; men mot den som går en krokete vei vil du være streng.

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.

27 For du er frelseren for de som er i nød; men stolte øyne vil bli ydmyket.

For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but eyes full of pride will be made low.

28 Du, Herre, vil være mitt lys; ved deg, min Gud, vil mørket bli lyst for meg.

You, O Lord, will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me.

29 Med din hjelp har jeg brutt gjennom muren som stengte meg inne; ved min Guds hjelp har jeg klatret over muren.

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.

30 Guds veier er fullkomne; Herrens ord er prøvd; han er et skjold for alle som setter sin lit til ham.

As for God, his way is completely good; the word of the Lord is tested; he is a breastplate for all those who put their faith in him.

31 For hvem er Gud utenom Herren? eller hvem er en klippe uten vår Gud?

For who is God but the Lord? or who is a Rock but our God?

32 Gud styrker meg og veileder meg på en rett vei.

God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.

33 Han gir meg føtter som hindens, og setter meg på høye steder.

He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.

34 Han gjør mine hender dyktige i krig, slik at en bue av kobber bøyes av mine armer.

He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.

35 Du har gitt meg frelsens skjold: din høyre hånd har støttet meg, og din barmhjertighet har gjort meg stor.

You have given me the breastplate of your salvation: your right hand has been my support, and your mercy has made me great.

36 Du har gjort mine skritt brede under meg, slik at mine føtter ikke glir.

You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet are kept from slipping.

37 Jeg forfølger mine fiender og overmanner dem; jeg snur meg ikke før de er beseiret.

I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.

38 Jeg sårer dem, så de ikke kan reise seg: de ligger under mine føtter.

I will give them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet.

39 For jeg er utrustet av deg med styrke til striden: du har gjort dem som reiser seg mot meg, lave under meg.

For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who come out against me.

40 Ved deg snur de ryggen til flukten, så mine fiender blir utryddet.

By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.

41 De ropte, men ingen kom til deres hjelp: selv til Herren, men han svarte dem ikke.

They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer.

42 Så ble de knust som støv for vinden; de ble kastet bort som veistøv.

Then they were crushed as small as dust before the wind; they were drained out like the waste of the streets.

43 Du har befridd meg fra folkeslags stridigheter; du har gjort meg til leder for nasjonene: et folk jeg ikke kjente vil tjene meg.

You have made me free from the fightings of the people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.

44 Fra det øyeblikket mitt navn når deres ører vil de underkaste seg: mennesker fra andre land vil, med falske hjerter, legge seg under min myndighet.

From the time when my name comes to their ears they will be ruled by me: men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority.

45 De vil svinne hen, de vil komme skjelvende ut av sine skjulesteder.

They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.

46 Herren lever; lovpris min klippe, og la min frelses Gud bli æret.

The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured.

47 Det er Gud som gir hevn over mine hatere, og legger folk under min herredømme.

It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.

48 Han gir meg frihet fra mine fiender; jeg er løftet over dem som reiser seg mot meg: du har befridd meg fra den voldelige mannen.

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.

49 Derfor vil jeg prise deg, Herre, blant nasjonene, og synge ditt navns pris.

Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name.

50 Han gir sin konge stor frelse; han viser nåde mot den utvalgte konge, David, og hans ætt for evig.

Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.