1 I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength.

2 T he Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.

3 I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

4 T he cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me.

5 T he cords of Sheol (the place of the dead) surrounded me; the snares of death confronted and came upon me.

6 I n my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His ears.

7 T hen the earth quaked and rocked, the foundations also of the mountains trembled; they moved and were shaken because He was indignant and angry.

8 T here went up smoke from His nostrils; and lightning out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.

9 H e bowed the heavens also and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.

10 A nd He rode upon a cherub and flew; yes, He sped on with the wings of the wind.

11 H e made darkness His secret hiding place; as His pavilion (His canopy) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 O ut of the brightness before Him there broke forth through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire.

13 T he Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire.

14 A nd He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He flashed forth lightnings and put them to rout.

15 T hen the beds of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 H e reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

17 H e delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated and abhorred me, for they were too strong for me.

18 T hey confronted and came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay and support.

19 H e brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me.

20 T he Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him); according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me.

21 F or I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 F or all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.

23 I was upright before Him and blameless with Him, ever to keep myself free from my sin and guilt.

24 T herefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness (my uprightness and right standing with Him), according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25 W ith the kind and merciful You will show Yourself kind and merciful, with an upright man You will show Yourself upright,

26 W ith the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the perverse You will show Yourself contrary.

27 F or You deliver an afflicted and humble people but will bring down those with haughty looks.

28 F or You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; the Lord my God illumines my darkness.

29 F or by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 A s for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.

31 F or who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God,

32 T he God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?

33 H e makes my feet like hinds’ feet; He sets me securely upon my high places.

34 H e teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 Y ou have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up; Your gentleness and condescension have made me great.

36 Y ou have given plenty of room for my steps under me, that my feet would not slip.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

38 I smote them so that they were not able to rise; they fell wounded under my feet.

39 F or You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me and caused to bow down those who rose up against me.

40 Y ou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

41 T hey cried, but there was none to deliver—even unto the Lord, but He answered them not.

42 T hen I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the dirt and mire of the streets.

43 Y ou have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You made me the head of the nations; a people I had not known served me.

44 A s soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners submitted themselves cringingly and yielded feigned obedience to me.

45 F oreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their caves or strongholds.

46 T he Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted,

47 T he God Who avenges me and subdues peoples under me,

48 W ho delivers me from my enemies; yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You deliver me from the man of violence.

49 T herefore will I give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name.

50 G reat deliverances and triumphs gives He to His king; and He shows mercy and steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.