David’s Song of Thanksgiving

1David spoke the words of this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2He said:a

The LORD is my rock, my fortress,b and my deliverer,

3my God, my mountainc where I seek refuge.

My shield, the •horn of my salvation,d my stronghold,e my refuge,f

and my Savior, You save me from violence.

4I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,g

and I was saved from my enemies.

5For the waves of death engulfed me;h

the torrents of destruction terrified me.

6The ropes of •Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.i

7I called to the LORD in my distress;

I called to my God.j

From His temple He heard my voice,

and my cry for help reached His ears.

8Then the earth shook and quaked;

the foundations of the heavensk trembled;l

they shook because He burned with anger.m

9Smoke rose from His nostrils,

and consuming fire came from His mouth;

coals were set ablaze by it.n

10He parted the heavens and came down,o

a dark cloud beneath His feet.

11He rode on a cherub and flew,

soaringp on the wings of the wind.

12He made darkness a canopy around Him,

a gatheringq of water and thick clouds.r

13From the radiance of His presence,

flaming coals were ignited.

14The LORD thundered from heaven;

the •Most High projected His voice.s

15He shot arrows and scattered them;t

He hurled lightning bolts and routed them.u

16The depths of the sea became visible,

the foundations of the world were exposed

at the rebuke of the LORD,

at the blast of the breathv of His nostrils.w

17He reached down from heaven

and took hold of me;

He pulled me out of deep waters.x

18He rescued me from my powerful enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were too strong for me.

19They confronted me in the day of my distress,

but the LORD was my support.

20He brought me out to a spacious place;y

He rescued me because He delighted in me.

21The LORD rewarded me

according to my righteousness;z

He repaid me

according to the cleanness of my hands.aa

22For I have kept the ways of the LORDab

and have not turned from my God to wickedness.

23Indeed, I have kept all His ordinancesac in mindad

and have not disregarded His statutes.

24I was blameless before Him

and kept myself from sinning.

25So the LORD repaid me

according to my righteousness,

according to my cleannessae in His sight.

26With the faithful

You prove Yourself faithful;

with the blameless man

You prove Yourself blameless;

27with the pure

You prove Yourself pure,

but with the crooked

You prove Yourself shrewd.

28You rescue an afflicted people,af

but Your eyes are set against the proud —

You humble them.ag

29LORD, You are my lamp;

the LORD illuminates my darkness.ah

30With You I can attack a barrier,ai

and with my God I can leap over a wall.aj

31God — His way is perfect;ak

the word of the LORD is pure.al

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

32For who is God besides the LORD?

And who is a rock? Only our God.

33God is my strong refuge;am

He makes my way perfect.an

34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer

and sets me securely on theao heights.ap

35He trains my hands for war;aq

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36You have given me the shield of Your salvation;ar

Your helpas exalts me.

37You widen a place beneath me for my steps,

and my ankles do not give way.

38I pursue my enemies and destroy them;

I do not turn back until they are wiped out.

39I wipe them out and crush them,

and they do not rise;

they fall beneath my feet.

40You have clothed me with strength for battle;

You subdue my adversaries beneath me.at

41You have made my enemies retreat before me;au

I annihilate those who hate me.

42They look, but there is no one to save them —

they look to the LORD, but He does not answer them.av

43I pulverize them like dust of the earth;

I crush them and trample them like mud in the streets.aw

44You have freed me from the feuds among my people;ax

You have appointed me the head of nations;

a people I had not known serve me.ay

45Foreigners submit to me grudgingly;

as soon as they hear, they obey me.

46Foreigners lose heart

and come trembling from their fortifications.az

47The LORD lives — may my rock be praised!

God, the rock of my salvation,ba is exalted.

48God — He gives me vengeance

and casts down peoples under me.bb

49He frees me from my enemies.

You exalt me above my adversaries;

You rescue me from violent men.bc

50Therefore I will praise You, LORD, among the nations;

I will sing about Your name.bd

51He is a tower of salvation forbe His king;

He shows loyalty to His anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.bf