Study Desk

For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord , David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.^(a) He said:

I love You, Lord , my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,^(b) my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield^(c) and the horn of my salvation,^(d) my stronghold.

I called to the Lord , who is worthy of praise,^(e) and I was saved from my enemies.^(f)

The ropes of death were wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.^(g)

The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.^(h)

I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice,⁽ⁱ⁾ and my cry to Him reached His ears.^(j)

Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the mountains trembled;^(k) they shook because He burned with anger.

Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.^[a](l)

He parted the heavens and came down,^(m) a dark cloud beneath His feet.

He rode on a cherub and flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.⁽ⁿ⁾

He made darkness His hiding place, dark storm clouds His canopy around Him.^(o)

From the radiance of His presence,^(p) His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.

The Lord thundered from^[b] heaven; the Most High projected His voice.^[c](q)

He shot His arrows and scattered them; He hurled^[d] lightning bolts and routed them.^(r)

The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, Lord , at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.^(s)

He reached down from heaven and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters.^(t)

He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.^(u)

They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord was my support.^(v)

He brought me out to a spacious place;^(w) He rescued me because He delighted in me.^(x)

The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;^(y) He repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.^(z)

For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness.^(aa)

Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind^[e] and have not disregarded His statutes.^(ab)

I was blameless toward Him^(ac) and kept myself from sinning.

So the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness,^(ad) according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.^(ae)

With the faithful You prove Yourself faithful; with the blameless man You prove Yourself blameless;

with the pure You prove Yourself pure, but with the crooked You prove Yourself shrewd.^(af)

For You rescue an afflicted people,^(ag) but You humble those with haughty eyes.^(ah)

Lord , You light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness.^(ai)

With You I can attack a barrier,^[f] and with my God I can leap over a wall.^(aj)

God—His way is perfect;^(ak) the word of the Lord is pure.^(al) He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.^(am)

For who is God besides Yahweh?^(an) And who is a rock? Only our God.^(ao)

God—He clothes me with strength^(ap) and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer^(aq) and sets me securely on the heights.^[g](ar)

He trains my hands for war;^(as) my arms can bend a bow of bronze.^(at)

You have given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand upholds me,^(au) and Your humility exalts me.

You widen a place beneath me for my steps,^(av) and my ankles do not give way.^(aw)

I pursue my enemies and overtake them; I do not turn back until they are wiped out.^(ax)

I crush them, and they cannot get up; they fall beneath my feet.^(ay)

You have clothed me with strength for battle;^(az) You subdue my adversaries beneath me.^(ba)

You have made my enemies retreat before me;^[h](bb) I annihilate those who hate me.^(bc)

They cry for help, but there is no one to save them^(bd)— they cry to the Lord , but He does not answer them.^(be)

I pulverize them like dust before the wind;^(bf) I trample them^[i] like mud in the streets.^(bg)

You have freed me from the feuds among the people; You have appointed me the head of nations;^(bh) a people I had not known serve me.^(bi)

Foreigners submit to me grudgingly; as soon as they hear,^[j] they obey me.^(bj)

Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their fortifications.^(bk)

The Lord lives—may my rock be praised! The God of my salvation is exalted.^(bl)

God—He gives me vengeance^(bm) and subdues peoples under me.^(bn)

He frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my adversaries; You rescue me from violent men.^(bo)

Therefore I will praise You, Yahweh, among the nations; I will sing about Your name.^(bp)

He gives great victories to His king;^(bq) He shows loyalty to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.^(br)