1I will love You, O LORD, my strength. 2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer; and my strength; my God, in Whom I will take refuge; my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3I will call upon the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

4The pangs of death enveloped me, and the hordes of ungodly men made me afraid. 5The ropes of the grave entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 6In my distress I called upon the LORD, my God; out of His temple, He heard my cry for help.

7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was angry. 8Out of His nostrils came smoke; out of His mouth, a consuming fire that kindled coals. 9He parted the heavens also, and came down; a dark cloud was under His feet. 10And He rode upon a cherub, He sped upon the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness His hiding place; His canopy surrounding Him was dark waters and thick storm clouds. 12From the brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed, with hail stones and coals of fire. 13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the voice of the Most High resounded amid hail stones and coals of fire. 14Yea, He shot His arrows, scattering them; and He with many lightning flashes routed them. 15Then the low chasms of seas were exposed, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath from Your nostrils.

16He reached down from above; He drew me out of deep waters. 17He rescued me from a formidable enemy, and from them who hated me and were too strong for me. 18They came at me in the day of my adversity; but the LORD defended me. 19He brought me forth also into a spacious area; He rescued me, because I found grace and favor in Him.

20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; because I had clean hands He has rewarded me. 21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22For all His laws were before me, and I did not reject His statutes. 23I was also honest with Him, and I kept myself from evil deeds. 24Therefore has the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25To the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; to an faithful man You will show Yourself faithful; 26To the pure You will show Yourself pure; and to the perverse You will show Yourself hostile. 27For You will save the humble people; but will humiliate the haughty.

28For You will light a lamp for me; the LORD my God will light up my darkness. 29For by You I have attacked a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. 30As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

31For who else is God, except the LORD? Or who is a rock, except our God? 32It is God Who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. 33He makes me as surefooted as a deer, and lifts me on high. 34He trains my hands for war, so that my arms break a bow of bronze. 35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great. 36You have broadened my paths beneath me, that my feet have not slipped. 37I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them; nor did I turn back until they were conquered. 38I have hit them that cannot rise; they fell beneath my feet. 39For You have strengthened me for the battle; You have subdued my adversaries. 40You have placed my foot upon the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them who hate me. 41They sought help, but there was none to save them; they even appealed to the LORD, but He did not answer them. 42Then I ground them small, as the dust before the wind; and cast them out like dirt in the streets.

43You have delivered me from the strife of the peoples; and You have made me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me. 44As soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the foreigners shall submit themselves to me. 45The foreigners retreated, afraid to resist from their fortresses. 46The LORD lives; blessed be my rock; let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47It is God Who avenges me, and subdues the people under me. 48You deliver me from my enemies: yea, You lift me up above my foes; You have rescued me from violent men. 49Therefore will I give thanks to You, O LORD, and sing praises to Your name among the nations. 50He gives great deliverance to His king; and shows mercy to His anointed, to David, and to his descendants for evermore.

A Psalm of David