- David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.
- He sang: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
- my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.
- I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
- "The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me.
- The grave[1] wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.
- But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
- "Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.
- Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
- He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
- Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[2] he flew, soaring[3] on the wings of the wind.
- He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
- A great brightness shone around him, and burning coals[4] blazed forth.
- The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
- He shot arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused.
- Then at the command of the Lord, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
- "He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
- He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
- They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.
- He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
- The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.
- For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
- I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees.
- I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.
- The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.
- "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.
- To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
- You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.
- O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.
- In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
- "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
- For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?
- God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect.
- He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
- He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
- You have given me your shield of victory; your help[5] has made me great.
- You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
- "I chased my enemies and destroyed them; I did not stop until they were conquered.
- I consumed them; I struck them down so they did not get up; they fell beneath my feet.
- You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
- You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me.
- They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
- I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trampled them[6] in the gutter like dirt.
- "You gave me victory over my accusers. You preserved me as the ruler over nations; people I don't even know now serve me.
- Foreign nations cringe before me; as soon as they hear of me, they submit.
- They all lose their courage and come trembling[7] from their strongholds.
- "The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!
- He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he brings down the nations under me
- and delivers me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.
- For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.
- You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever."
David's Song of Praise
- Hebrew 'Sheol.'
- Hebrew 'a cherub.'
- As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ps 18:10); other Hebrew manuscripts read 'appearing.'
- Or 'and lightning bolts.'
- As in Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Ps 18:35); Masoretic Text reads 'your answering.'
- As in Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Ps 18:42); Masoretic Text reads 'I crushed and trampled them.'
- As in parallel text at Ps 18:45; Hebrew reads 'come girding themselves.'