Hymn of praise

1And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 222.2-51: Ps 18.2-50.He said,

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

3my22.3 Gk Ps 18.2: Heb lacks my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge,

my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

4I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

5“For the waves of death encompassed me,

the torrents of perdition assailed me;

6the cords of Sheol entangled me,

the snares of death confronted me.

7“In my distress I called upon the LORD;

to my God I called.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry came to his ears.

8“Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations of the heavens trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

9Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

10He bowed the heavens, and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

11He rode on a cherub, and flew;

he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12He made darkness around him

his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water.

13Out of the brightness before him

coals of fire flamed forth.

14The LORD thundered from heaven,

and the Most High uttered his voice.

15And he sent out arrows, and scattered them;

lightning, and routed them.

16Then the channels of the sea were seen,

the foundations of the world were laid bare,

at the rebuke of the LORD,

at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17“He reached from on high, he took me,

he drew me out of many waters.

18He delivered me from my strong enemy,

from those who hated me;

for they were too mighty for me.

19They came upon me in the day of my calamity;

but the LORD was my stay.

20He brought me forth into a broad place;

he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

21“The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

22For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23For all his ordinances were before me,

and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

24I was blameless before him,

and I kept myself from guilt.

25Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,

according to my cleanness in his sight.

26“With the loyal thou dost show thyself loyal;

with the blameless man thou dost show thyself blameless;

27with the pure thou dost show thyself pure,

and with the crooked thou dost show thyself perverse.

28Thou dost deliver a humble people,

but thy eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.

29Yea, thou art my lamp, O LORD,

and my God lightens my darkness.

30Yea, by thee I can crush a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

31This God — his way is perfect;

the promise of the LORD proves true;

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

32“For who is God, but the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?

33This God is my strong refuge,

and has made22.33 Ps 18.32: Heb set free my22.33 Another reading is his way safe.

34He made my22.34 Another reading is his feet like hinds' feet,

and set me secure on the heights.

35He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation,

and thy help22.36 Or gentleness made me great.

37Thou didst give a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet22.37 Heb ankles did not slip;

38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,

and did not turn back until they were consumed.

39I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;

they fell under my feet.

40For thou didst gird me with strength for the battle;

thou didst make my assailants sink under me.

41Thou didst make my enemies turn their backs to me,

those who hated me, and I destroyed them.

42They looked, but there was none to save;

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

43I beat them fine as the dust of the earth,

I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

44“Thou didst deliver me from strife with the peoples;22.44 Gk: Heb from strife with my people

thou didst keep me as the head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

45Foreigners came cringing to me;

as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

46Foreigners lost heart,

and came trembling22.46 Ps 18.45: Heb girded themselves out of their fastnesses.

47“The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock,

and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

48the God who gave me vengeance

and brought down peoples under me,

49who brought me out from my enemies;

thou didst exalt me above my adversaries,

thou didst deliver me from men of violence.

5022.50: Rom 15.9.“For this I will extol thee, O LORD, among the nations,

and sing praises to thy name.

51Great triumphs he gives22.51 Another reading is He is a tower of salvation to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David, and his descendants for ever.”