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

I love You, 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.

The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower.

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

I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me.

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

The ropes of death were all around me. The floods of death make me afraid.

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

The ropes of the grave were all around me. The traps of death were set for 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.

I called to the Lord in my trouble. I cried to God for help. He heard my voice from His holy house. My cry for help came 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.

Then the earth shook. The mountains were shaking. They shook because He was angry.

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

Smoke went out from His nose and the fire that kept coming from His mouth burned everything around it.

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

He parted the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under His feet.

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

He sat upon a cherub and flew. He traveled on 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.

He made darkness His hiding place, the covering around Him, the dark rain clouds of the sky.

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

Through the light before Him passed His dark clouds, hail stones and fire.

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

The Lord made thunder in the heavens. The voice of the Most High spoke out, hail stones and fire.

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

He sent out His arrows and divided them. He threw down lightning and sent them running.

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.

Then the deep part of the sea could be seen. And the deep part of the earth was opened up, because of Your sharp words, O Lord, because of the powerful breath from Your nose.

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

He sent from above, and took me. He lifted 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.

He took me away from the powerful one who fights against me, and from those who hated me. 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.

They stood against me in the day of my trouble. But the Lord was my strength.

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.

He brought me out into a big place. He gave me a safe place, because He was pleased with 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.

The Lord has paid me because of my being right with Him. Because of my clean hands He has paid me.

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

For I have kept the ways of the Lord. And I have not sinned by turning from my God.

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

All His Laws are in front of me. I have not set His Laws aside.

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

Before Him I was without blame. And I have kept myself from sin.

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.

So the Lord has paid me back for being right with Him, and for my hands being clean in His eyes.

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

To the faithful, You show Yourself faithful. To those without blame, You show Yourself without blame.

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

With the pure, You show Yourself pure. With the sinful You show Yourself to be against them.

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

You save those who are suffering, but You bring low those who have pride in their eyes.

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

You make my lamp bright. The Lord my God lights my darkness.

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

With Your help I can go against many soldiers. With my God I can jump 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.

As for God, His way is perfect. The Word of the Lord has stood the test. He is a covering for all who go to Him for a safe place.

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

For Who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God?

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

It is God Who covers 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.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. And He sets me on my high places.

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

He teaches me how to fight, so that I can use a bow of brass.

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.

You have also given me the covering that saves me. Your right hand holds me up. And Your care has made me great.

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

You make the road wide for my steps, and my feet have not tripped.

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

I went after those who fight against me, and caught them. And I did not return until they were destroyed.

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

I hit them so they were not able to rise. They fell 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.

You have given me strength for war. You have put under me those who have fought against me.

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

You have made them turn their backs to me also. And I destroyed those who hated me.

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

They cried for help, but there was no one to save. They cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them.

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.

Then I beat them as small as the dust in the wind. I emptied them out like mud in 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.

You have taken me away from the fighting of the people. You have made me the leader of nations. People whom I have not known will serve me.

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

As soon as they hear, they obey me. Those from other lands obey me.

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

These people from other lands lose their strength of heart. And they come shaking from behind their walls.

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

The Lord lives! How great is my Rock! Praise be to the God Who saves me!

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

He is the God Who punishes those who have done wrong to me. He puts nations under my rule.

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.

He saves me from those who hate me. Yes, You lift me above those who rise up against me. You save me from those who want to hurt me.

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

So I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord. And I will 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.

He gives His king great power over trouble. And He shows loving-kindness to His chosen one, to David, and to his children after him forever.