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v1
And he said: “I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.”
v2
Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I have taken refuge, my shield and the horn of my deliverance, my stronghold.
v3
I called upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised, and I was saved from my enemies.
v4
The ropes of death encircled me, and streams of ruin overwhelmed me.
v5
The ropes of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.
v6
In my trouble I called on Yahweh, and to my God I cried for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help came up before his presence into his ears.
v7
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled, and they staggered because he was angry.
v8
Smoke went forth from his nose, and fire from his mouth consumed. Burning coals blazed from him.
v9
So he bowed the heavens and came down with a thick cloud under his feet.
v10
And he mounted a cherub and flew, and he swooped down on wings of wind.
v11
He made darkness his hiding place; all about him his covering was a darkness of waters, thick clouds. ^[Literally “clouds of clouds”]
v12
From the brightness before him his clouds passed over with hail and coals of fire.
v13
And Yahweh thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice with hail and coals of fire.
v14
And he shot his arrows and scattered them, ^[That is, the enemy] and many lightning bolts and routed them.
v15
Then the channels of the sea became visible, and the foundations of the world were uncovered by your rebuke, O Yahweh, by the blast ^[Or “breath”] of the wind of your nose.
v16
He reached ^[Or “sent”] from on high; he seized me. He drew me from many waters.
v17
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me because they were stronger than I.
v18
They confronted me on the day of disaster, but Yahweh was my support.
v19
So he brought me out to a spacious place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.
v20
Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands he has repaid me.
v21
Because I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not acted wickedly against my God,
v22
because all his ordinances are before me, and his statutes I have not removed from me,
v23
and I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.
v24
Therefore Yahweh has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
v25
To the loyal you show yourself loyal. To the blameless you show yourself blameless.
v26
To the pure you show yourself pure. but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.
v27
For you deliver humble people, but haughty eyes you humiliate.
v28
For you light my lamp; Yahweh, my God, lights up my darkness.
v29
For with you I can charge a troop, and with my God I can scale a wall.
v30
This ^[Hebrew “The”] God—his way is blameless. The word of Yahweh is flawless. ^[Or “refined”] He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
v31
For who is God apart from Yahweh, and who is a rock except our God?
v32
The God who girded me with strength, and made safe ^[Or “blameless”] my way,
v33
he made my feet like the deer’s, and on my high places he makes me stand.
v34
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
v35
You also gave me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your humility made me great.
v36
You enlarged my step under me, and my ankles did not slip.
v37
I chased my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were finished off.
v38
I struck them and they were not able to stand up; they fell under my feet.
v39
And you girded me with strength for the battle; those rising against me you made to kneel under me.
v40
And you made my enemies turn their backs, ^[Literally “turned to me my enemies’ neck”] then I destroyed those who hated me.
v41
They cried out but there was no rescuer, even to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
v42
And I ground them like dust in the wind, ^[Literally “on the face of the wind”] I emptied them ^[Many Hebrew manuscripts, the LXX, Syriac, and 2 Sam 22:43 read “I crushed them”] out like mud of the streets.
v43
You rescued me from strife with people; you set me as head (over) nations. People I did not know served me;
v44
as soon as they heard, ^[Literally “hearing of ear”] they obeyed me. The children of a foreign land feigned obedience before me.
v45
The children of a foreign land lost heart, ^[Literally “sunk down”] and they came trembling from their strongholds.
v46
Yahweh lives, and blessed be my rock, and may the God of my salvation be exalted—
v47
the God who executed vengeance for me, and subdued peoples under me,
v48
who delivered me from my enemies. Indeed, you exalted me higher than those who rose against me. You delivered me from the man of violence.
v49
Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, O Yahweh, and I will sing the praise of your name:
v50
the one who makes great victories for his king, and who shows loyal love for his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.