1 David spoke the words of this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul.
2 He said: "The LORD is my crag, my stronghold, the one who sets me free;
3 my God, my rock, in whom I shelter, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge, my savior; from violence you save me.
4 To the LORD, who is worthy of praise, I call, and from my enemies I am saved.
5 The waves of death closed around me; the torrents of destruction filled me with terror.
6 The ropes of Sheol wrapped around me; the traps of death lay in front of me.
7 In my trouble I called to the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry reached his ears.
8 The earth heaved and shook; the foundations of the heavens trembled and heaved, because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils and consuming fire from his mouth; coals blazed out from it.
10 He bent the heavens and came down, with thick darkness under his feet.
11 He mounted a cherub and flew; he appeared on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his shelter all around him, a gathering of waters, dense clouds of the sky.
13 From the brightness in front of him coals of fire blazed up.
14 The LORD thundered from the heavens; the Most High gave forth his voice.
15 He shot arrows and scattered them, lightning, and threw them into panic.
16 The channels of the sea came into view; the foundations of the world were uncovered at the LORD's rebuke, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he pulled me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
19 They came at me on the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into an open place; he rescued me because he took pleasure in me.
21 The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he paid me back.
22 For I have kept to the LORD's ways and have not wickedly turned from my God.
23 All his ordinances were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn away.
24 I was blameless toward him and kept myself from my iniquity.
25 The LORD has paid me back according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.
26 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to the blameless strong man you show yourself blameless;
27 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself cunning.
28 A lowly people you save, but your eyes are on the proud, to bring them low.
29 You are my lamp, LORD; the LORD makes my darkness bright.
30 With you I can charge a troop; with my God I can leap a wall.
31 This God: his way is perfect; the word of the LORD has been tested; he is a shield to all who shelter in him.
32 For who is God but the LORD? Who is a rock but our God?
33 God is my strong fortress; he makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like a deer's and sets me on my heights.
35 He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your humility makes me great.
37 You widen the path for my steps beneath me, and my ankles do not give way.
38 I chased my enemies and wiped them out; I did not turn back till they were finished.
39 I finished them and smashed them, and they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.
40 You wrapped me with strength for battle; you made those who rose against me sink down under me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me; those who hated me I put an end to.
42 They looked around, but no one came to save them; to the LORD, but he gave them no answer.
43 I ground them fine as the dust of the earth; like mud in the streets I crushed and stamped on them.
44 You rescued me from the quarrels of my people; you kept me as head of nations; a people I did not know serve me.
45 Foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
46 Foreigners wither away and come out trembling from their fortresses.
47 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation,
48 the God who grants me vengeance and brings peoples down under me,
49 who brings me out from my enemies. You raise me above those who rise against me; you rescue me from the violent man.
50 For this I will praise you, LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.
51 He is a tower of salvation for his king; he shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his seed for ever."