To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, #Ps. 36, title; 89:3, 20; [2 Sam. 3:18; 7:5] the servant of the Lord, #See 2 Sam. 22who addressed the words of this #Ex. 15:1; Deut. 31:30song 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:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my *ver. 31, 46;Ps. 19:14;31:3rock and my *Ps. 91:2;144:2fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my *ver. 31, 46;Ps. 19:14;31:3rock, in *[Heb. 2:13] whom I take refuge,

my *ver. 30;Gen. 15:1shield, and *Ps. 112:9;Luke 1:69the horn of my salvation, my *See Ps. 9:9stronghold.

3 I call upon the Lord, who is *Ps. 48:1;96:4;113:3;145:3worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

4 *Ps. 116:3;[Ps. 119:61] The cords of death encompassed me;

*See Ps. 32:6the torrents of destruction assailed me;*18:4 Or terrified me

5 *[See ver. 4above]the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

6 *Ps. 66:14;102:2;120:1;[Jonah 2:2] In my distress I called upon the Lord;

to my God I cried for help.

From his *See Ps. 11:4temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth *[Judg. 5:4;Acts 4:31;16:26]reeled and rocked;

the foundations also of the mountains trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,*18:8 Or in his wrath

and devouring *See Ps. 21:9fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

9 He *Ps. 144:5bowed the heavens and *Isa. 64:1came down;

*See Ex. 20:21thick darkness was under his feet.

10 He rode on a cherub and flew;

he came swiftly on *Ps. 104:3the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his *Job 36:29;[Ps. 97:2] canopy around him,

thick clouds *[Ps. 29:3]dark with water.

12 Out of the brightness before him

*[Ps. 148:8;Josh. 10:11]hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13 The Lord also *1 Sam. 2:10;7:10;See Job 37:4thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his *Isa. 30:30;See Ps. 29:3-9voice,

hailstones and coals of fire.

14 And he sent out his *Ps. 7:13;64:7;77:17;144:6;Deut. 32:23,42;Hab. 3:11arrows and scattered them;

he flashed forth lightnings and *Ex. 14:24;Josh. 10:10routed them.

15 Then *Ps. 42:1;Joel 1:20(Heb.);[Job 36:30] the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare

at your *Ps. 106:9;Nah. 1:4rebuke, O Lord,

at the blast of *[Ex. 15:8]the breath of your nostrils.

16 He *[Ps. 144:7] sent from on high, he took me;

he *[Ex. 2:10] drew me out of *See Ps. 32:6;Job 22:11many waters.

17 He rescued me from my strong enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were *Ps. 142:6too mighty for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the Lord was my support.

19 He brought me out into *Ps. 31:8;118:5;[ver. 36] a broad place;

he rescued me, because he *Ps. 22:8;2 Sam. 15:26delighted in me.

20 The Lord dealt with me *Ps. 7:8;1 Sam. 24:19;26:23;1 Kgs. 8:32according to my righteousness;

according to *See Job 22:30the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

21 For I have *[Gen. 18:19;Prov. 8:32]kept the ways of the Lord,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For *Ps. 119:30,102all his rules*18:22 Or just decrees were before me,

and his statutes I did not put away from me.

23 I was *Gen. 17:1;[1 Kgs. 14:8]blameless before him,

and I kept myself from my guilt.

24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 With *Matt. 5:7the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

26 with the purified you show yourself pure;

and with *Ps. 81:12;Lev. 26:23,24;Prov. 3:34;Acts 7:42;Rom. 1:28the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

27 For you save *[Ex. 3:7] a humble people,

but *See Ps. 101:5the haughty eyes you bring down.

28 For it is you who light my *Ps. 132:17;1 Kgs. 11:36;15:4;2 Kgs. 8:19;[2 Sam. 21:17]; See Job 18:5, 6lamp;

the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

29 For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can *[Isa. 35:6] leap over *See 2 Sam. 5:6-9a wall.

30 This God—his way is *Deut. 32:4;Dan. 4:37;Matt. 5:48;[Rev. 15:3] perfect;*18:30 Or blameless

the word of the Lord*See Ps. 12:6proves true;

he is *ver. 2a shield for all those who *Ps. 17:7take refuge in him.

31 For *[Ps. 86:8] who is God, but the Lord?

And who is *See ver. 2a rock, except our God?—

32 the God who *1 Sam. 2:4;Isa. 45:5equipped me with strength

and made my way *Ps. 101:2,6;119:1;Job 22:3blameless.

33 He made my feet like the feet of a *Hab. 3:19deer

and set me secure on *Deut. 32:13;Isa. 58:14the heights.

34 He *Ps. 144:1trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand *Ps. 20:2supported me,

and your *[Isa. 63:9]gentleness made me great.

36 You *Ps. 31:8;Prov. 4:12;[ver. 19]gave a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,

and did not turn back till they were consumed.

38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;

they fell under my feet.

39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;

you made those who rise against me sink under me.

40 You made my enemies *Ex. 23:27;[Ps. 21:12]turn their backs to me,*18:40 Or You gave me my enemies’ necks

and those who hated me I destroyed.

41 *See Job 27:9They cried for help, but there was none to save;

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

42 I beat them fine as *2 Kgs. 13:7dust before the wind;

I cast them out like *Isa. 10:6;Mic. 7:10;Zech. 10:5the mire of the streets.

43 You delivered me from *[2 Sam. 3:1;19:9,43;20:1] strife with the people;

you made me *[Ps. 2:8]; See 2 Sam. 8:1-14the head of the nations;

*Isa. 55:5;[Ps. 22:27]people whom I had not known served me.

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

*Ps. 144:7foreigners *Ps. 66:3;81:15;Deut. 33:29came cringing to me.

45 *[See ver. 44above] Foreigners lost heart

and *Mic. 7:17came trembling out of their fortresses.

46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation—

47 the God who gave me vengeance

and *Ps. 47:3;144:2;[Isa. 45:1]subdued peoples under me,

48 who rescued me from my enemies;

yes, you *Ps. 59:1exalted me above those who rose against me;

you delivered me from *Ps. 140:1the man of violence.

49 *Cited Rom. 15:9For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,

and *Ps. 66:4sing to your name.

50 Great *Ps. 144:10salvation he brings to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his *See Ps. 2:2anointed,

to *[Ps. 89:29;2 Sam. 7:12,13,29]David and his offspring forever.