(For the music leader. A psalm by David, the Lord's servant. David sang this to the Lord after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, but especially from Saul.)
David's Song of Thanks
1 I love you, Lord God,
and you make me strong.
2 You are my mighty rock,
my fortress, my protector,
the rock where I am safe,
my shield, my powerful weapon,
and my place of shelter.
3 I praise you, Lord!
I prayed, and you rescued me
from my enemies.
4 Death had wrapped
its ropes around me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
5 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.
6 I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.
7 The earth shook and shivered,
and the mountains trembled
down to their roots.
You were angry
8 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
9 You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.
10 You rode on the backs
of flying creatures
and swooped down
with the wind as wings.
11 Darkness was your robe;
thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
12 Hailstones and fiery coals
lit up the sky
in front of you.
13 Lord Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens,
as hailstones and fiery coals
poured down like rain.
14 You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
15 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.
16 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
17 You rescued me from enemies,
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
18 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
19 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
20 You are good to me, Lord,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
21 I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
22 I keep your laws in mind
and never look away
from your teachings.
23 I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
24 You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
25 You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
26 With all who are sincere,
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
27 You rescue the humble,
but you put down all
who are proud.
28 You, the Lord God,
keep my lamp burning
and turn darkness to light.
29 You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
30 Your way is perfect, Lord,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
31 You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock.
32 You give me strength
and guide me right.
33 You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
34 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
35 You alone are my shield.
Your right hand supports me,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
36 You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.
37 I kept chasing my enemies,
until I caught them
and destroyed them.
38 I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.
39 You helped me win victories,
and you forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.
40 You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.
41 They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.
42 I ground them to dust
blown by the wind,
and I poured them out
like mud in the streets.
43 You rescued me
from stubborn people,
and you made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.
44 They obey and come crawling.
45 They have lost all courage,
and from their fortresses,
they come trembling.
46 You are the living Lord!
I will praise you.
You are a mighty rock.
I will honor you
for keeping me safe.
47 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.
48 You protected me
from violent enemies
and made me much greater
than all of them.
49 I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
among the nations.
50 You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid the seruant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the wordes of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him for the hande of all this enemies, and form the and of saul) and sayd, I will loue thee dearely, O Lord my strength. 2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge. 3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies. 4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide. 5 The sorowes of the graue haue compassed me about: the snares of death ouertooke me. 6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares. 7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie. 8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat. 9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete. 10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde. 11 He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre. 12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire. 13 The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire. 14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them. 15 And the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the worlde were discouered at thy rebuking, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrels. 16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters. 17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me. 18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay. 19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me. 20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me: 21 Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God. 22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee. 23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes. 24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight. 25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright. 26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward. 27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes. 28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes. 29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall. 30 The way of God is vncorrupt: the worde of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him. 31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God? 32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright. 33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places. 34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes. 35 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy right hand hath stayed me, and thy louing kindenes hath caused me to increase. 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid. 37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them. 38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me. 40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not. 42 Then I did beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did treade them flat as the clay in the streetes. 43 Thou hast deliuered me from the contentions of the people: thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people, whom I haue not knowen, shall serue me. 44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me. 45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers. 46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted. 47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me. 48 O my deliuerer from mine enemies, euen thou hast set mee vp from them, that rose against me: thou hast deliuered mee from the cruell man. 49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name. 50 Great deliuerances giueth hee vnto his King, and sheweth mercie to his anoynted, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.