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.