1 ¶ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

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

2 T he 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.

The 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 worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.

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

4 T he pain of death compassed me, and the rivers of Belial made me afraid.

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

5 T he pain of Sheol compassed me about: the snares of death came before me.

The 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 unto my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

In 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 shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains collapsed and were removed because he was wroth.

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

8 S moke went up out of his nostrils, and fire devoured out of his mouth; coals were kindled by it.

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

9 H e lowered the heavens and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

He bowed the heavens also and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.

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

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

11 H e made darkness his hiding place; in his tabernacle round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the heavens.

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

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

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

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

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

14 H e sent out his arrows and scattered them; he shot out lightnings and destroyed them.

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

15 T hen the depths of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

Then 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 sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He 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 me, even though they were too strong for me.

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

18 T hey were ready for me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my staff.

They 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 wide place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.

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

20 ¶ The LORD will reward me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he shall recompense me.

The 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 B ecause I have kept the ways of the LORD and did not become wicked departing in apostasy from my God.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.

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

For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.

23 I was perfect before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

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

24 T herefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

Therefore 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 merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with a perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;

With 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 thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt show thyself adversary.

With the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the perverse You will show Yourself contrary.

27 T herefore thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down high looks.

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

28 F or thou wilt light my fire: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

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

29 ¶ For with thee I have scattered armies; and in my God I have overcome walled defenses.

For 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 precise: a shield to all those that wait in him.

As 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 a refuge except our God?

For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God,

32 I t is God that girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.

The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?

33 H e makes my feet like hinds’ feet and sets me upon my high places.

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

34 H e trains my hands for the battle, so that a bow of bronze shall be broken by my arms.

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

35 I n the same manner thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand will hold me up, and thy meekness shall multiply me.

You 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 T hou shall enlarge my steps under me, and my knees shall not tremble.

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

37 I shall pursue my enemies and overtake them: neither shall I turn again until they are consumed.

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

38 I shall smite them, and they will not be able to rise: they shall fall under my feet.

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

39 F or thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued my enemies under me.

For 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 T hou hast also given me the necks of my enemies that I might destroy those that hate me.

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

41 T hey cried out, but there was no one to save them: even unto the LORD, but he did not answer them.

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

42 T hen I beat them as small as the dust before the wind: I scattered them as the dirt in the streets.

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

43 T hou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the Gentiles: a people whom I did not know served me.

You 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: the sons of strangers submitted themselves unto me even against their will.

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

45 T he strangers fell away and were afraid in their close places.

Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their caves or strongholds.

46 T he LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

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

47 I t is God that avenges me and subdues the peoples under me.

The God Who avenges me and subdues peoples under me,

48 H e delivers me from my enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the one who would betray me.

Who 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 I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the Gentiles and sing praises unto thy name.

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

50 H e gives great deliverance to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

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