Royal Thanksgiving for Victory

To the leader. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

so I shall be saved from my enemies.

4The cords of death encompassed me;

the torrents of perdition assailed me;

5the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called upon the LORD;

to my God I cried for help.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears.

7Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations also of the mountains trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

8Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

9He bowed the heavens, and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

10He rode on a cherub, and flew;

he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness his covering around him,

his canopy thick clouds dark with water.

12Out of the brightness before him

there broke through his clouds

hailstones and coals of fire.

13The LORD also thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice.18.13 Gk See 2 Sam 22.14: Heb adds hailstones and coals of fire

14And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;

he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.

15Then the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare

at your rebuke, O LORD,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16He reached down from on high, he took me;

he drew me out of mighty waters.

17He delivered me from my strong enemy,

and from those who hated me;

for they were too mighty for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my calamity;

but the LORD was my support.

19He brought me out into a broad place;

he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22For all his ordinances were before me,

and his statutes I did not put away from me.

23I was blameless before him,

and I kept myself from guilt.

24Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25With the loyal you show yourself loyal;

with the blameless you show yourself blameless;

26with the pure you show yourself pure;

and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.

27For you deliver a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

28It is you who light my lamp;

the LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.

29By you I can crush a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

30This God—his way is perfect;

the promise of the LORD proves true;

he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

31For who is God except the LORD?

And who is a rock besides our God?—

32the God who girded me with strength,

and made my way safe.

33He made my feet like the feet of a deer,

and set me secure on the heights.

34He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand has supported me;

your help18.35 Or gentleness has made me great.

36You gave me a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

and did not turn back until they were consumed.

38I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise;

they fell under my feet.

39For you girded me with strength for the battle;

you made my assailants sink under me.

40You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

and those who hated me I destroyed.

41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them;

they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

42I beat them fine, like dust before the wind;

I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

43You delivered me from strife with the peoples;18.43 Gk Tg: Heb people

you made me head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;

foreigners came cringing to me.

45Foreigners lost heart,

and came trembling out of their strongholds.

46The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation,

47the God who gave me vengeance

and subdued peoples under me;

48who delivered me from my enemies;

indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries;

you delivered me from the violent.

49For this I will extol you, O LORD, among the nations,

and sing praises to your name.

50Great triumphs he gives to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his descendants for ever.