1 T o the Overseer. -- By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: -- I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

I love You, O Lord, my strength.

2 J ehovah my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a 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 T he `Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.

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

4 C ompassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

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

5 C ords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death.

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

6 I n mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh 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 A nd shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake -- because He hath wrath.

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

8 G one up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.

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

9 A nd He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness under His feet.

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

10 A nd He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.

He sat upon a cherub and flew. He traveled on the wings of the wind.

11 H e maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

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

12 F rom the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.

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

13 A nd thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail 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 sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.

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

15 A nd seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.

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 sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

He sent from above, and took me. He lifted me out of many waters.

17 H e delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.

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 go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.

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

19 A nd He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.

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

20 J ehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to 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 Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against 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 judgments before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.

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

23 A nd I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.

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

24 A nd Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.

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 Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.

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

26 W ith the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,

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

27 F or Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.

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

28 F or Thou -- Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.

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

29 F or by Thee I run -- a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.

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

30 G od! perfect His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield He to all those trusting 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 God besides Jehovah? And who a rock save our God?

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

32 G od! who is girding me strength, And He maketh perfect my way.

It is God Who covers me with strength and makes my way perfect.

33 M aking my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.

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

34 T eaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.

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

35 A nd Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh 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 T hou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.

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

37 I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.

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

38 I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,

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

39 A nd Thou girdest me strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.

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

40 A s to mine enemies -- Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me -- I cut them off.

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

41 T hey cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.

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

42 A nd I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.

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

43 T hou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve 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 t the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,

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

45 S ons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.

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

46 J ehovah liveth -- and blessed my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.

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

47 G od -- who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,

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

48 M y deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.

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 I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,

So I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord. And I will sing praises to Your name.

50 M agnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed -- unto the age!

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.