1 I love you, O Lord my strength. ♦︎
The Lord is my crag, my fortress and my deliverer,
2 My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, ♦︎
my shield, the horn of my salvation and my stronghold.
3 I cried to the Lord in my anguish ♦︎
and I was saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entwined me ♦︎
and the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the Pit fastened about me ♦︎
and the snares of death entangled me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord ♦︎
and cried out to my God for help.
7 He heard my voice in his temple ♦︎
and my cry came to his ears.
8 The earth trembled and quaked; ♦︎
the foundations of the mountains shook;
they reeled because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire went out of his mouth; ♦︎
burning coals blazed forth from him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down ♦︎
and thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode upon the cherubim and flew; ♦︎
he came flying on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his covering round about him, ♦︎
dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13 From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds ♦︎
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The Lord also thundered out of heaven; ♦︎
the Most High uttered his voice
with hailstones and coals of fire.
15 He sent out his arrows and scattered them; ♦︎
he hurled down lightnings and put them to flight.
16 The springs of the ocean were seen,
and the foundations of the world uncovered ♦︎
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your displeasure.
17 He reached down from on high and took me; ♦︎
he drew me out of the mighty waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, ♦︎
from foes that were too mighty for me.
19 They came upon me in the day of my trouble; ♦︎
but the Lord was my upholder.
20 He brought me out into a place of liberty; ♦︎
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me after my righteous dealing; ♦︎
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me,
22 Because I had kept the ways of the Lord ♦︎
and had not gone wickedly away from my God,
23 For I had an eye to all his laws, ♦︎
and did not cast out his commandments from me.
24 I was also wholehearted before him ♦︎
and kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the Lord rewarded me
after my righteous dealing, ♦︎
and according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful; ♦︎
with the true you show yourself true;
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, ♦︎
but with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
28 For you will save a lowly people ♦︎
and bring down the high looks of the proud.
29 You also shall light my candle; ♦︎
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
30 By your help I shall run at an enemy host; ♦︎
with the help of my God I can leap over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is tried in the fire; ♦︎
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32 For who is God but the Lord, ♦︎
and who is the rock except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength ♦︎
and makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like hinds feet ♦︎
so that I tread surely on the heights.
35 He teaches my hands to fight ♦︎
and my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; ♦︎
your right hand upholds me
and your grace has made me great.
37 You enlarge my strides beneath me, ♦︎
yet my feet do not slide.
38 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them, ♦︎
nor turn again until I have destroyed them.
39 I will smite them down so they cannot rise; ♦︎
they shall fall beneath my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; ♦︎
you will cast down my enemies under me;
41 You will make my foes turn their backs upon me ♦︎
and I shall destroy them that hate me.
42 They will cry out, but there shall be none to help them; ♦︎
they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer.
43 I shall beat them as small as the dust on the wind; ♦︎
I will cast them out as the mire in the streets.
44 You will deliver me from the strife of the peoples; ♦︎
you will make me the head of the nations.
45 A people I have not known shall serve me;
as soon as they hear me, they shall obey me; ♦︎
strangers will humble themselves before me.
46 The foreign peoples will lose heart ♦︎
and come trembling out of their strongholds.
47 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock! ♦︎
Praised be the God of my salvation,
48 Even the God who vindicates me ♦︎
and subdues the peoples under me!
49 You that deliver me from my enemies,
you will set me up above my foes; ♦︎
from the violent you will deliver me;
50 Therefore will I give you thanks, O Lord, among the nations ♦︎
and sing praises to your name,
51 To the one who gives great victory to his king ♦︎
and shows faithful love to his anointed,
to David and his seed for ever.